The Chatur Ramalingam in him tickled the funny bones in 3Idiots, and now the man with a strange accent is doing the same as a host in Chhote Ustaad. Omi Vaidya talks about his journey so far in a candid conversation with SALONI BHATIA

peepli Live | Stars: Omkar Das, Raghuvir Yadav, Shalini Vatsa | Showing At: PVR & others | Rated: 8.5/10

By Meenakshi Rao

Aamir is out with another sizzler, this time a hard hitting satire news live on TV channels. Though I personally thought the end was a bit of an anti-climax, the entire film itself pulsates with action.

Directed by a former NDTV journalist, Peepli Live is live wire and the fact that it does not use any big star push to tell you a real story of a real issue makes it is quite the delight it is.

The ambience that has been woven into the film beautifully adds to its many excellent props. The common manisms, the village humour, the poignant realities of poverty and illiteracy, not to mention the saas-bahu saga of the rural kind on the side, the sheer helplessness of the land-losing farmer, the totally nothing to do younger brother who is the main protagonist of this mount — the hunger, the joblessness and the complete helplessness of the living under threat votebank — all this and much much more of the insides of the Indian democracy is pitted against a blind as a electronics fool media running like shredded chicken makes Peepli Live a very different film which will be a hit on its own terms.

The satire, at the receiving end of which are the oh-so-real news channels and their oh-so-busy anchors (you can identify almost all of them by their expressive mannerisms), is stark and pulls all stops to tell you how the television medium needs to curb its hunger to be first on everything. No checking out, no backgrounding and absolutely no eye for the real news (a much bigger story dies unattended in the same village as the entire nation’s media runs around Natha and his desire to die) are some issues that are touched upon.

Natha, who is the man slated to die simply because his elder brother wants him to, is the find of the film. Absolutely poker faced, he does his role as no one else does. Totally clueless and attached to his brother’s apron strings, this man of no words, is hounded as never before by journalists who even want to film his morning abulations also by the local goons attached to politicos of different hues. The entire rigmarole that erupts from a small story in a local newspaper saying “Natha will die” shows you the real side of India and its neo journos.

You laugh at them, you agree with the director and you feel bad for the common man — yet nothing changes and nothing ever will. Peepli Live tells you so without pulling any punches. And in that, it’s a real scorer.

Enjoy Bollywood’s first good satire in a long time and while doing so, be absolutely riveted by the music, particularly mehngai daayan…

During their visit to the Capital, TV anchor Mandira Bedi and filmmaker husband Raj Kaushal tell Rahul Singh what makes their relationship special.

Rarely do we get to see them together among the Delhi circuit but a recent event in the capital organized by an FM channel, actor-turned-anchor Mandira Bedi was spotted along with her filmmaker husband Raj Kaushal. While Bedi was in her usual chirpy best Raj was modestly smiling and nodding to whatever his better half had to say on the occasion. So how does it feel to be here with your hubby? “It feels terrific to be in Delhi and especially with Raj. We both come here often but are never together due to individual work commitments. So, it’s a pleasure to be here with my husband,” said Mandira. The event was an unveiling of two new female RJs Neetu and Amrita who would be hosting a women oriented show on sound waves.

As we continued to talk, both Mandira and Raj revealed their intimate tit bits from the time they first met, to their married life, fashion sense and professional careers. How does she feel when she looks back at her journey from Shanti to DDLJ and now anchoring? “I’ve had the opportunity to do lots of things for which I am immensely thankful to almighty and hope that there’s plenty more to come,” she chuckled. “Also I owe my success to my husband who has always been supportive in all my endeavours. He is like the wind beneath my wings,” she added. Every time she makes public appearances, she looks just better and better. What is her fashion mantra? “I believe in wearing attires that make me comfortable. I generally love to play with colours rather than designs,” she said. “Even I feel the same way. You can play with the latest trends but be yourself in what you wear,” said Raj chipping in.

It’s been 11 years of their marriage but the duo say that they are still very much in love with each other. What is the one thing that he likes the most about her beloved? “I like her smile. She brightens up the room with it,” remarked Raj in a friendly tone. Mandira who seemed flattered added, “He is always patient with me. Whenever I needed him, he was always there for me. I feel that I am blessed.”

Do the two any time lock horns? “Quarrels are there in every household but what matters is that at the end of the day you should know how to apologise and forgive. Most problems arise when you boast your decision on others,” Raj said philosophically.

Recalling how he met Mandira, he added, “She was already a celebrity when I met her. After Shanti she had a huge fan following. I realised that with so much talent, it would be wrong of me to hold her back. She wanted to do so much with her life (she still does) and I loved the energy, the zest for life that she had. So, I trusted her, stood by her and here we are today.”

Actor Akshay Kumar says the character of Sachin Tichkule in Khatta Meetha is based on his first neighbour when he shifted base fromDelhi to Mumbai

It is something stars conventionally don’t do. But then Akshay Kumar is different. In the Capital for the promotion of his soon-to-release film, Khatta Meetha, Mr Khiladi chose to dress up in the same attire — a formal light-coloured shirt, a pair of black trousers and a black umbrella — as he would be seen in the movie.

“The reason,” explained Akshay, “is that I play the role of a common man in Khatta Meetha. And this is how the common man dresses up when he goes to work. So I thought let me wear this get up to promote the film. If you people don’t like it then I can always go and change.”

In Khatta Meetha, Akshay is a road constructor, Sachin Tichkule, who tries to tell the audience what our duty is as the citizen of India. But why Sachin Tichkule? “The name of a character in a movie makes a lot of difference. In this case, it sounds more realistic as normally we have heroes with names like Raj, Ajay, Vijay or Rahul,” he said, adding Sachin Tichkule was the name of his first neighbour when he shifted to Mumbai and stayed at Bandra East. “Since the film deals with a realistic issue, corruption, I thought a common man’s name will add extra depth to the script,” the actor explained.

Have any changes been made to the script as it written way back in 1989 by filmmaker Priyadarshan? “Some changes have definitely been introduced as it was a long time back that it was penned by Priyadarshan,” he said.

With Khatta Meetha, the action and comedy hero has ventured into the genre of production with filmmaker Priyadarshan as its director. Khatta Meetha is Akshay-Priyadarshan’s sixth film together. “It’s true we have given some of the biggest blockbuster comedies together but this one is a comedy with a cause. In a few years from now, India will be a superpower but imagine, the state of our roads is deplorable and distressing. And all this due to the rampant corruption at each and every stage. I’m sure the corrupt will be able to relate with this movie,” said Akshay.

Admitting that he had once greased the palm of a sarkari official at the transport department to speed up process of the registration of his car, Akshay promised that he would never repeat the same. “It was a big mistake and I will not do it again,” he said.

Mr Khiladi added that in future, his fans would see him more in the comedy genre than anything else. “A research I organised sometime back revealed that over 95 per cent of the audience likes me do comedy and I think, I’ll stick to that,” he said.

Bollywood & Politics

Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar were the heroes of the Nehruvian era. Amitabh Bachchan reigned supreme during Indira Gandhi’s time. And, in between came Rajesh Khanna, who sparked the film industry with a number of mega-hits.

Since the mid-1980s, however, there has been a complete mishmash in the true texture of Bollywood and the actors dominating it. The ’80s signified chaos and degeneration, with movies bad and formulaic, and music loud and boisterous. Thankfully, by the 1990s, globalisation had reached the Indian shores, helping Bollywood tone down its coarseness. But the formula movies survived.

It was only in the early 2000s that Bollywood took to experiments. So, with every flop Yuva there was a hit Rajneeti; for a flop Lakshya there was a hit Dil Chahta Hai. For an emphatic 3 Idiots, there was a disappointing Kites. And for a rocking Don, there was an apologetic Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag.

What made Bollywood change?

After Independence, Raj Kapoor (Shree 420, Awara) and Dev Anand (Baazi, Munimji) symbolised the Nehruvian optimism and carried forward the zeal of a secular, socialist, modern India. But soon hopes began to fade away, thanks to Jawaharlal Nehru’s skewed sense of economics. “Never talk to me about profit,” he once scolded JRD Tata, India’s foremost industrialist. “It is a dirty word.” In the name of “mixed economy”, he introduced a precursor of the Permit-Licence-Quota Raj, which was to unleash terror on anything innovative and entrepreneurial in the 1970s.

Signs of rebellion were evident during Nehru’s time itself. There was Dilip Kumar who, as analysed by Lord Meghnad Desai in his book Nehru’s Hero: Dilip Kumar, with his roles like Devdas and prince Salim, questioned the very institution of family and marriage. Also, with films like Ganga Jumna and Naya Daur, he tried to provide an alternative to the Nehruvian concept of urbanisation.

However, by the early

’70s, people were totally disillusioned with Nehruvian ideals. Mrs Gandhi was at the helm of affairs. The country was well in the grip of stringent socialist policies. Extreme protectionism and state-controlled public sector gave India an economy crippled by red-tapism, which in turn made corruption a way of life. Regulations made investment difficult and production beyond licenced quotas illegal, thus ensuring India the “Hindu rate of growth”, averaging 3.5 per cent between 1950 and 1980.

It was in this context that Amitabh entered, a man who encouraged people to challenge the corrupt system head on. His superstardom was a celluloid representation of Mrs Gandhi’s dictatorial streak. In fact, to some extent, he symbolised Mrs Gandhi’s larger-than-life image. Like politics, now cinema too had an all-encompassing, central figure who undermined the pluralistic space of Bollywood.

MK Raghavendra, film scholar and critic, however, begs to differ. “Amitabh did not represent Mrs Gandhi on the screen, but the ‘Angry Young Man’ was a product of the social polarisation induced by her populism. The Angry Young Man was not exactly a petty criminal — like Jai and Viru in Sholay — but he harnessed the same sympathy towards people who became criminals because of social disadvantage,” he says.

The end of the Indira era also signified the end of Amitabh’s superstardom. India was opening up and it was not all gloomy now. Economy was, for the first time, growing over five per cent, which in due course of time would cross seven. How can an “angry young man” survive in such a situation? India now desperately needed new heroes, which they found in the three Khans — Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh — with films like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyaar Kiya and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

The reforms changed the urban Indian landscape. As India’s economic growth rate rose beyond seven per cent in the 1990s, the middle class got entrenched and consumerism found a place of respectability. Globalisation, with its 3Cs — capitalism, consumerism and competition — created a socio-cultural churning, with titillating shows like The Bold and the Beautiful and Baywatch perceived to be challenging Indian culture and ethos. The Khans, particularly Shah Rukh, tried to deal with the growing dilemma.

Raghavendra dissects many phases of Shah Rukh’s career. “Shah Rukh’s first hit film was Baazigar in which he plays an amoral person who kills defenceless women. This film came after the economic liberalisation of 1991-92. Before liberalisation, the ruling ideology in Hindi cinema was Nehruvian socialism. Liberalisation replaced socialism as a political programme and the state also announced its phased withdrawal from the public space. This shift was perhaps alarming to many people because it could mean a weakening of the moral fabric that socialism and state intervention had established. I think the film (Baazigar) voiced the apprehensions of the public about what would happen if the state did not play its moral role.”

However, in his next milestone movie, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), Hindi cinema finds a solution. “If the state is not going to play a moral role, ‘tradition’ will. The hero of DDLJ seems amoral and flippant, but he demonstrates that tradition gives him moral strength by not taking advantage of the heroine and also wooing her in a traditional way — and getting her father’s approval against all odds,” Raghavendra adds.

Films like DDLJ (1995), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) or even Love Aaj Kal (2009) conveyed a message that an Indian, however modern or westernised he or she might be, would inherently remain Indian and respect its ethos. So, there was no inconsistency when beer got mixed with lassi, and rugby with kabaddi! It was a khichadi of a global perspective with core Indian values.

Politics again seems to have emulated itself in Bollywood. With the end of one-party dominance at the Centre, Amitabh’s superstardom frittered away. And like coalition politics, emerged a coalition of megastars. Shah Rukh can be ‘King Khan’, but he is not the Amitabh of yesteryears. He, at best, remains first among equals, with Aamir, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan and Salman not much behind him.

From the idealistic ’50s to the rebellious ’70s and from the degenerative ’80s to the formulaic ’90s, the Hindi film industry has come a long way. Now, with formula filmmaking coming to an end and despite a number of big, expensive movies biting dust this year, Bhawana Somaaya says it’s the best time for Hindi cinema

Sometime in the mid-1970s when Shashi Kapoor announced four films — 36 Chowringhee Lane (Aparna Sen), Junoon (Shyam Benegal), Vijeyta (Govind Nihalani) and Utsav (Girish Karnad) — to be made under his banner ‘Filmwala’, all that the media wanted to know was whether these films were going to be art house films or mainstream movies. “There is nothing like an art or a commercial film. It is either a good film or a bad film,” said an exasperated Kapoor.

Today, with the success of Rajneeti, My Name is Khan, Paa, Kaminey and Ishqiya — and despite the failure of Mani Ratnam’s Raavan — it seems Kapoor’s message has finally reached the audience and the credit for this goes to our present filmmakers. But the wheel, in my opinion, turned with Farhan Akhtar’s Dil Chahta Hai (2001) — a new-age film about three friends in pursuit of their dreams. Producer Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan just out of college combined force to launch ‘Excel Films’ and present a real world of make-believe characters. Dil Chahta Hai was as much about the new-age parents as the youngsters in the film and, therefore, loved by all generations.

Looking back, it was an extraordinary year with a number of new directors ushering a new sensibility. Madhur Bhandarkar, who started as an assistant with Ram Gopal Varma, after many years of struggle, found his niche in Chandani Bar — a heart-breaking story of a bar girl doomed to despair. Ashutosh Gowariker, learning from his previous mistake (Baazi), toiled over a near perfect period script rejected by everybody and finally accepted by Aamir Khan Productions. Aamir believed in the spirit of Lagaan and systematically worked towards a universal appeal. Ashutosh combined cricket, colonialism and drought to tell the story of a courageous farmer. The duo painstakingly worked on the preproduction, held auditions and workshops in India and the UK. The cast and crew were booked for six months and lived like a family on location in Bhuj.

Veteran filmmaker Yash Johar’s son Karan Johar made his debut with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai with two-and-half superstars (Rani Mukherjee was still on the rise). For his second film, he had to take a step higher and sign six superstars. Living to his showman image, his film portrayed sprawling mansions, helicopters, designer clothes and extravagant naach-gaana. Johar was a great storyteller and a master at pushing all the right buttons to make his audience laugh and cry alternatively.

The year also introduced us to two diaspora films made by two women filmmakers — Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding and Gurinder Chadha’s Bend It Like Beckham — and both were box-office runaways that spoke volumes about the changing taste of the audience. But there was another reason as well. Hindi films were looking and sounding better because people behind the scenes were changing.

Affluent, educated youngsters with a global perspective were entering the medium and defining new guidelines of professionalism. Unlike the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s when producers first announced projects and then went hunting for scripts, the current bunch of filmmakers vigorously brainstormed ideas and diligently worked on scripts. They stayed away from announcements and disapproved of visitors on the sets.

There was greater discipline and higher ambitions at stake. Everybody aspired for quality cinema endorsed by the box-office and it reflected in their varied choice of subjects. Ram Gopal Varma wasn’t satisfied with the laurels he received for Satya and strived to better his craft in Company, a story of two underworld kings Dawood and Chhota Rajan. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, whose Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was seductively colourful, went a step further in Devdas, portraying the magnificent and melancholic world of Sarat Babu’s hero.

Interestingly, while the big budget films were aspiring to become realistic, the smaller budget films refrained from becoming pedantic. Aparna Sen, through a bus journey of Rahul Bose and Konkana Sen Sharma, told an engaging story of two strangers trapped in vulnerable circumstances (Mr & Mrs Iyer). Similarly, Shaad Ali, who assisted Mani Ratnam in the Tamil version, remade the story as Saathiyaan in Hindi. What set the film apart was the treatment of the film. Ali’s contemporary love story redefined the careers of his lead pair — Rani Mukherjee and Vivek Oberoi. Not all filmmakers were as alert to adapt to changing trends. Mahesh Manjarekar’s Astitva and Jagmohan Mundhra’s Bawandar, though rich in content, fell into the ’80s parallel films and appealed to a niche audience. Rajkumar Santoshi tried to combine the artistic with commercial in Pukaar and failed miserably. Anil Kapoor was heart-broken when the film bombed, but there was some consolation when he won the National Award for his performance.

In the early ’90s, Amitabh Bachchan launched ABCL but the country was not yet geared up for ‘corporatisation’ and it was only a decade later when foreign production houses came to India and renowned banners like Yash Raj and Mukta went corporate that the business of entertainment really altered. Now banners were more professional and actors had turned into brands. Everybody had to be super-prolific to get the business running.

The easiest way out was to launch multiple small-budget films. Pritish Nandy Communications released Chameli, which got Kareena Kapoor all the Critic Awards and visibility for the banner, and Jhankaar Beats inspired by RD Burman, a unique idea but again catering to a limited audience. Subhash Ghai did Joggers Park and Ram Gopal Varma Ek Haseena Thi — both unsuccessful but opened roads for many experiments.

Ravi Chopra took a chance when he launched Baghban, a recycled story about the dignity of the old. In the original, the old couple is poor and helpless and ill-treated by their children, while in Baghban Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini look prosperous and glamorous. In fact, what worked for the film was the star quotient. Director Prakash Jha, whose Mrityudand exposed the feudal lords of Madhya Pradesh, went this time closer into politics with Gangajal. Baghban tapped our conscience and Gangajal touched a raw nerve.

Gone were the times when filmmakers submitted the fate of their film to destiny. Years ago Raj Kapoor had said that every film had a kundali and the maker couldn’t fight that. The new crop of filmmakers didn’t agree with that. They were in the profession not only for passion, but also business. They left nothing to chance and desired success at any cost. They were willing to toil and even compromise. In the olden days distributors asked for a cabaret in their films. Today, raunchy item numbers are in demand and if Gulzar pens a ‘Bidi jalay le…’ or a ‘Kajrare…’ — performed by Bipasha Basu and Aishwarya Rai — the songs automatically become dignified and chartbusters. If Rakesh Roshan strived to make Koi Mil Gaya as believable as possible, Vishal Bharadwaj, within a limited budget, portrayed Maqbool with all the commercial trappings. And the wonderful thing about multiplexes is that all kinds of cinema are accepted.

It wasn’t so two decades ago. In the ’80s, people had stopped going to the cinema halls and preferred watching films on the video. The ’90s witnessed a terrible phase when rubbish films were being churned out in the name of entertainment. Cinema changed in 2000 because the audience changed. The new audience was willing to accept thrillers (Dhoom, Murder), action (Yuva, Khakee), patriotism (Swades) or drama (Phir Milenge) as long as these films were engaging — and most of them were.

It is more challenging to make films in India than anywhere else because we live in multiple centuries simultaneously and that is why we need an Apharan, Bunty aur Babli, Bluff Master, Parineeta and Salaam Namaste to balance a Black Friday, 15 Park Avenue, Iqbal and Page 3. Considering these circumstances, I sometimes feel we make better films than Hollywood with lesser budgets and facilities.

Come 2006 and our competitive spirits soared even higher. The formula films became better packaged and the smaller films focused on quicker recovery. The audience smelled their intentions from the posters and juggled choices between a Dor and a Don, Golmaal and Corporate, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Khosla Ka Ghosla, Lage Raho Munnabhai and Omkara, and Rang De Basanti and Om Shanti Om. The lines between the artistic and the commercial were diminishing, so was the distinction between the traditional and the radical. If Don was gripping, Dor was moving. If Munnabhai was delightful and thought-provoking, Om Shanti Om was reflective and entertaining.

The new audience was as involved in the technique of a film as in the post-mortems. Technology had made it simple for everybody. They were as familiar with Aditya Chopra’s reticent nature as they were with Sajid Khan or Sajid Nadiawala’s jokes. They knew when Shah Rukh suffered a back injury and when Aamir built muscles and why Abhishek put on weight for Guru. They applaud Neil Nitin Mukesh for choosing an unconventional Johnny Gaddar to make his debut and appreciate Tabu for romancing an older co-star in R Balki’s Cheeni Kum.

The stars appreciated audience participation and made sure they did not let them down. Unlike actors in the ’70s who never got out of their hairstyle (check out all Amitabh films) and never visited a health club (Sanjeev Kumar and Rishi Kapoor), today’s stars are single-mindedly focused on their careers. They do fewer films but go out of their way to internalise their roles and look different in every film. If Aamir developed biceps for Ghajini, Hrithik Roshan took lessons in Urdu for his role of emperor Akbar. While Aishwarya was coached in sword-fighting for her role as Jodha, Amitabh and Rani learnt sign language for Black. Likewise, Shabana Azmi trained in Carnatic music for Morning Raaga and Akshay Kumar let go of his vanity to wear a turban in Singh is King.

Now actors were less hierarchy conscious. The project mattered more than the length of the role. Amitabh saw wisdom in playing the royal guard in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Eklavya and Rishi Kapoor saw the fun of playing the older version of Saif Ali Khan in Love Aaj Kal. Shabana Azmi enjoyed being paired with young Konkona and old Waheeda Rehman in 15 Park Avenue and, of course, Anil Kapoor won a lottery saying ‘yes’ to Slumdog Millionaire.

The image of a star was no more sacrosanct, nor was his price. Everybody experimented with everything. Gone were the days of once bitten twice shy examples; now, everybody was granted a second chance. Akshaye Khanna, after a series of flops, did Race and Shahid Kapoor, after a couple of wrong films, did Jab We Met and Kaminey. Salman Khan had no problems wooing the interiors in Wanted and romancing a young babe in Veer. John Abraham flirted with negative in New York and Vidya Balan dared to play Amitabh’s mother in Paa. Ranbir Kapoor played a loser in Rocket Singh and then a winner in Rajneeti. Abhishek married Aishwarya in Guru and was her abductor in Raavan.

This is the best time for Hindi cinema where Preity Zinta appears for IPL and offers no explanation for her broken relationship with Ness Wadia. Where Rani Mukherjee takes a sabbatical and it does not mean the end of her career. Today, legends like Amitabh and Asha Bhosle are not unattainable because we watch them on our television and can read what they are thinking. We watch Shah Rukh holding his daughter’s hand at a function and discover he is as normal as us. Their accessibility on the Internet and otherwise have lowered our inhibitions. We are more confident as an audience today in projecting what we like or dislike about a film.

There is another reason why cinema is so versatile today. Remember how Salim-Javed arrived in the ’60s and hijacked the box office all the way to the ’80s with intense angry characters (Deewar, Trishul) that left you panting for more. Today, once again, a host of new talent — actors, writers, directors, lyricists and music composers — has arrived on the scene. Some herald from villages (Kailash Kher), some from small towns (Sushant Singh) and some from the big cities (Katrina Kaif) and all of them bring a new flavour and a beat which represents a larger India. The old guards say that art and literature change when the country changes.

Many years ago Shekhar Kapoor had said in an interview that when a new Superman was made, the hero behind the mask would not be a Hollywood star but a Hrithik Roshan or a Shah Rukh Khan. I think the time has come for that.

– The writer is a noted film critic and author of several books on Bollywood

Mithun Chakraborty tells Shana Maria Verghis that his latest role as a junior artiste in a new Bengali flick was one he had played in real life though this story, Shukno Lanka, is not autobiographical.

Director Gaurav Pandey’s Shukno Lanka pays a small personal tribute to two of Bengali cinema’s finest exponents, Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray with his first feature. The title, yesteryear’s ‘disco dancer’, Mithun Chakraborty, who is the central character in it, explained, means “dried red chillies.” In fact, Shukno Lanka has been described as Mithunda’s comeback vehicle after a long drought. But that is not true, because, as he reminded us, “I recently appeared in Phir Kabhi with Dimple Kapadia. And that was straight away made into a DVD so I guess not many people really saw it.”

This versatile star of mainstream and parallel cinema also has a part in the commercial venture Golmaal 3. And he added that he is, “trying his hand with some different cinema along with Gaurav Pandey for his next venture, Spaghetti 24×7. There I play another every man role, a security guard.”

Shukno Lanka comes after his well-received performance in another Bengali film, Kaalpurush. In Pandey’s movie, he plays a struggling side actor, Chinu Nandi, who gets a big break. “Dried red chillies is used in context of the tadka to flavour a meal,” he said, adding “The way that a side actor might flavour a movie with his minority role presence which would be missed only if he wasn’t there,” he said.

The film follows Chinu’s changing fortune, after the director, looking for his next shot at fame, casts him as Chandrakanto, the lead in his film-within-the-film, Parash Pathar. The name Parash Pathar translates as “The Philosopher Stone” and was the title of an early magic-realism film by Satyajit Ray that dates to 1957. Pandey explained, “It was the main inspiration for my film but I don’t copy.”

Movie buffs may remember that Parash Pathar was based on a short story by Parasuram, about an ordinary clerk who finds a stone that converts objects into gold, leading to all kinds of problems. Shukno Lanka is more in the vein of a social drama about a lovable loser minor actor, his very ordinary life and how he doesn’t change as a person despite being caste in a new role of an unlikely star.

Dressed in a very tapori, black and white scarf, dating to the Jeetendra era, a shiny waistcoat and long-toed black shoes under his trousers, Chakraborty looked almost as down-at-heel or only-half-bothered-at-maintaining appearances, like his onscreen character. Save for some flashes of shine in his outfit that suggested at his inner, naturally flamboyant self. It wasn’t that hard to see how he fit so comfortably into his role of Chinu Nandi. In fact, Mithun was the really redeeming character in a familiar plot by his portrayal of the very endearing Chinu. We were frankly going to walk out halfway during the IHC screening as the treatment had seemed like a throwback to 70s neo-realism cinema and appeared regressive. But we stayed to see the main protagonist’s fate.

Another stalwart from Bengali films, Sabysachi Mukerji, plays the director, Sen, who is contemptuous of snuff-inhaling Chinu Nandi. His main agenda is to further his own success rather than to bring glory to Nandu’s underdog figure. What triggers the idea for Sen’s film is reading a collection of stories by Ritwik Ghatak. One of them describes the resurrection of a character after death and carries the metaphor of a career coming back to life, in the broader scheme of Shukno Lanka’s plot.

Sen’s European mistress and producer are played by Australian actress “Emma Brown”. This is her first full length film too. She told us later that she has two Bollywood movies on the anvil, Dum Maro Dum and Yamla Pagla Deewana. Brown had moved to India because her husband who was by her side at that moment “has a business with Religare-McQuarrey.”

She added that earlier she had only done, “a couple of television appearances but nothing major.” Brown’s hair was peroxide blonde when we met but is natural black in the film.

Chakraborty was kidding her hold over Bengali language as he shared later how his character was, in ways, a throwback to his own early career. “It’s not my life story. But I began as a junior artiste too. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through that depression. It was a harsh journey.” You can still see footprints of this on the “landscape of his face” to echo the words by Brown’s character who said them to Chinu after she watches him emote before the camera. To which Mithunda’s onscreen replied, “the emotions are from my struggle.”

Mithun had said that such “a role was extremely challenging for an actor,” and he didn’t do it more often because when he did, “no one came to watch the film though I am frequently asked, ‘When are you going to do meaningful cinema?’”

After 35 year in the industry, he remarked, “I am getting younger by the day and to some indelicate questionnaires that referred to his advancing years by asking “…is age mein bhi aap…?” He replied with in a pretend-injured tone, “Is age mein…?!”

Unlike Big B in The Last Lear, who could never stop being full of being Big B, Mithun managed to efface his personality for the unstarry Chinu Nandi. The result: there was no special dance sequence, like the one, another famous dancer John Travolta did, dressing in a fatsuit and moving for us in Hairspray’ There was a disco dance scene, but it was sad, and all Chinu Nandi did, keeping in character, was jump up and down. Mithunda shared, however, that “dancing is in my blood and I don’t dance regularly but I exercise everyday.” He added, “I’m an irritating character to work with because I ask lots of questions. I wanted to know everything about Chinu Nandi.” That paid off.

The highest honour in Indian cinema for lifetime achievements, the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, seems to have become more of a “goodbye” honour for the veterans in the twilight of their lives.

Cinematographer V.K. Murthy, 86, has been given the honour this year. The man behind the famous brooding shots in most Guru Dutt films said he had never expected to get the prestigious award at this age.

“By the original scheme, the Dada Saheb Phalke award was supposed to be the cherry on the cake,” Gautam Kaul, former super cop and National Award winning film historian said.

When Tapan Sinha, who made movies like Kabuliwala, Sagina, Ek Doctor Ki Maut, Upahaar and Louho Kopat, was bestowed with the honour in 2006, he was 82, ailing and in hospital. Just a few months after receiving it, he died.

Many felt he should have got the honour years ago. “I am surprised that it took the government so long to confer the Dada Saheb Phalke Award on Sinha. However, it’s better late than never,” veteran filmmaker Mrinal Sen, who himself won the award at the age of 80 in 2003, had told said then. Ruma Guha Thakurta had said: “Sinha would have been able to relish the award if he had received it when he was active.”

Veteran singer Manna Dey too got the award at the age of 90. The award for 2007 was given last year. “Manna Dey should have got the recognition much earlier. When Lata Mangeshkar got the prestigious Bharat Ratna award, I thought dada will get the Padma Vibhushan,” said Guru Kiran, Kannada film industry’s well-known music director.

Lyricist Pradeep was given the honour in 1997. He was 82 and he died a year later. Even veteran filmmaker BR Chopra was felicitated when he was 84 and not active in moviemaking.

Kaul says there have been a couple of surprises like Bhupen Hazarika. “There was an exception in Bhupen Hazarika (1992). Even years after receiving it, he is still working and is high on energy in terms of both his artistic creation and work for Assam.”

Sulochana, whose real name was Ruby Mayers and who was one of the old Jewish artists in Hindi cinema, got the award when she turned into a nobody.

“When Sulochna was given the award (in 1973), she had completely disappeared from the scene. She was living as a destitute in one corner of Mumbai on crumbs by old friends and neighbours,” said Kaul.

“When someone noticed this artist of silent cinema, she was given the award and suddenly the film industry rediscovered her as the Aunt Ruby of Julie. The first thing she did after receiving the money she got with the award was to pay off a debt she owed to someone in Mumbai. And when she died, she was in a position to be looked after even when she was alone.”

Devika Rani was the first recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke award. She was 61 and completely out of action when she got the honour in 1969. Initially, the honour was given to only actors and filmmakers, but the trend was broken in 1981 when music composer Naushad Ali got it.

“It was Naushad who broke this tradition of the Dada Saheb Phalke being given only to heroes and villains until the time he was the first lyricist to receive it. In VK Murthy’s case, he is one of the rare cameramen of the black and white medium and one of the last freedom fighters known and he now becomes one of the first cinematographers to be recognised,” said Kaul.

One of the conditions of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award is that it is to be handed over to the recipient. But if the the trend continues, it won’t be surprising if the recipients are not there to accept it. “Suchitra Sen was the only case when the award was bypassed to someone else because she did not receive it. She was considered for the award three years ago, but she laid two conditions — she would not come out in public to receive it and she would not receive anybody outside her family or get herself photographed,” said Kaul.

Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, is making his debut on silver screen in the forthcoming film, Road to Sangam. Working with stalwarts like Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Pavan Malhotra and Swati Chitnis, he is playing himself in the film. “The story of the film is narrated beautifully by writer director Amit Rai. He has mixed reality and fiction very convincingly. Since it promotes the principles of Mahatma Gandhi in current perspective, I agreed to be a part of the film. It has been a different experience,” comments Tushar Gandhi.

The Hindi feature film has many milestones to its credits and has so far won many awards at various film festivals like Miami, Hamburg, South Africa, Los Angles and standing ovation at places like Cannes.

Directed by Amit Rai under the banner of Gypsy Films and produced by Amit Chheda, Road to Sangam is a mix of reality with fiction to bring in the surreal influence of history with contemporary. An urn of Mahatma Gandhi’s Ashes is discovered in a vault of a National Bank as late as in 2000. Bapu’s grandson Tushar Gandhi decides to immerse the ashes in Sangam at Allahabad. He wants to carry the procession on the same truck that had carried Bapu’s ashes in 1948. A God fearing, devout and renowned Muslim mechanic named Hashmat Ullah (Paresh Rawal), is entrusted the job of repairing an old V8 Ford Engine, unaware that it was once used to carry ashes of Mahatma Gandhi to immerse in the ‘Sangam’ of holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and invisible Saraswati. Its historic significance becomes Hashmat Ullah’s bane and salvage.

Amitabh Bachchan is proud to have worked with four newcomers in the new film Teen Patti, saying even when he did not know his lines, they would be set and ready on the sets. And it was much the same with co-actor Ben Kingsley, whose preparedness left the Indian megastar a trifle embarrassed.

“I’m proud to work with these young debutant actors. I hope they will have a very bright future,” Amitabh told reporters after the first look of Teen Patti.

Amitabh worked with Siddharth Kher, Shraddha Kapoor, Vaibhav Talwar and Dhruv Ganesh in the film. The movie also stars the legendary Kingsley. “They were very enthusiastic and determined to do their work well at this age. They were doing very well in their very first film — the way they have prepared their roles, the rehearsals they did for months to get into the character.”

Teen Patti is an emotionally riveting and razor sharp thriller about greed, deception and giant feats of imagination. “I play the role of mathematics professor who has cracked a theory of probability and my seniors in university are discarding my findings. One day while playing cards on the computer I realise that my theory is applicable to card games. I discuss my theory with my junior professor, played by Madhavan, and he gives me the idea of visiting a casino and trying my theory,” Big B said. “The theory is if I get to know any one person’s cards, by theory of probability I’d be able to guess the cards of other members playing the game. That way we win a huge amount of money which in return subjects us to some unprecedented circumstances,” he said.

On working with Kingsley, Amitabh said: “He is a wonderful human being. I think that’s what comes through before you actually encounter him as an actor. He readily agreed to a reading rehearsal, much before we went on the set and when we were working in England he came across to the hotel where I was and we sat in our room just like two ordinary people and to my surprise he knew every alphabet of his dialogues much, much before I had even decided to sort of look at it. That was very embarrassing for me because I was just reading my script and he was reciting all his lines. Very, very well prepared, very considerate actor, very considerate to all his colleagues. It was a wonderful experience,” he added.

Courtesy: IANS