Shyamoli Sanghi, whose recent singleTu Na got 11 million views on YouTube, talks to Shalini Saksena about what inspired her to be a singer.
What inspired you to be a singer?
It was not as much people who inspired me. I think there is a higher power that propelled me in this direction. When I am singing, I feel that is what was born to do. You will find me singing or listening to music all the time. Music has a quality that makes me feel free.
How did your musical journey begin?
I was five when I started learning Hindustani classical music. Music has been a passion for me as long as I can remember. I come from an academic family. Thus, I was always interested in it. But slowly, I started getting drawn to music. I listen to all kind of music and love watching movies. The whole experience of songs in the movies inspires me. I went to Stanford University and realised that I missed singing. But I completed my graduation. Nine months back, I started meeting people since I wanted to make music my career. I met people and the composer with whom I made three songs.
You studied Math with Philosophy instead of pursuing a degree in music. Was this a back plan?
It was not really a back plan because I always wanted to make music my profession. But, like I said, I came from an academic background. I studied these subjects because I love to be stimulated mentally. I am privileged to have had the opportunity to be part of both worlds.
Mostly singers debut with Bollywood. But all three of your songs have been singles and non– Bollywood projects. Why?
My dream is definitely to work in Bollywood but I recorded these songs when I was just 19. I would love to sing for films after a couple of years. Coming out with these singles is the best way to gain exposure — how recordings are done. Also in the next few years, my voice will mature more and I will be ready for Bollywood.
Your first two songs were a hit. How does this help a budding singer like your?
It definitely inspires me to do better work. It tells me that I am on the right track; it tells me that my work is being liked and have managed to connect with people. I have got a feedback that my voice is different and people love it. The whole experience is amazing.
You are now out with your third song. What is it about?
The song is called Ahida. It means a girl who is devoted to helping others. The theme and the singing style is sufi. It tells the story of two people who are in love and what happens and how this word comes into being.
What is your current favourite song?
My all time favourite song is Channa Mereya and Maula Mere Maula. At present, my favourite song is Hawayein.
What makes music transcend borders?
Music is all about feelings. One can be singing in Latin. One need not understand the words since you feel the melody.
Is Bollywood or independent music the only options for singers?
There are other options as well like classical fusion or pure classical music. The only thing is that Bollywood has a huge reach and singers want their music to reach as many people as possible.
Writer: Shalini Saksena
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Singing sensation Badshah comes together with fellow musicians for his debut web series, Lockdown.
A lot can happen when two musicians from different genres get locked in together. The result of this experiment that involved singer-rapper Badshah and Kailash Kher and many other performers was surprising, to say the least. A first-of-its-kind show Lockdown, produced by the rapper, who has given hits like DJ Wale Babu, Kala Chashma, Mercy and The Breakup Song, features the two artists — a Bollywood musical sensation and an online superstar — in every episode. The duo was kept together for 24 hours to recreate two songs, record them and shoot their music videos.
Talking about the show, Badshah said, “Lockdown is very close to my heart because when I opened my production house, Afterhours, my main aim was to create a show that has never been done before. I now know that production is a stressful job after my debut project. The concept is quite unique and fun, we brainstormed a lot before deciding on this. The show holds the power to deliver many iconic songs to the world.” The entire concept of the show is centered around recreating existing songs, infusing them with new tunes and rap.
At the launch of the show he said, “I was blessed to get well-known artists, like Kailash Kher and Raja Kumari, who is a terrific artist. I look up to her and adore her. Then there are artists like Jonita Gandhi, Raftaar, Benny Dayal, Bryden and Parth, and many others, who collaborated together. Some of them had never even met before. For instance, I teamed up with Jonita, whom I met for the first time on set. We recreated the popular Mohra song Tip Tip Barsa Paani. The first glimpse of the recreated version has been already released.”
Badshah’s idea behind the show is also based on blending of two colours as he believes that every synthesis brings out a unique texture. He explained, “If you put together someone like Kailash (sir) with Rajakumari, it brings out a unique sound. The blast that such a collaboration can create will always turn out to be exclusive. All of them have been very enthusiastic and passionate. The result that erupted out of the oneness of these Bollywood and online sensations is something that the audience is going to love.”
Kher, who was also a part of the launch, talked about his first meeting with Kumari. He said, “Raja and I met each other for the first time on the sets of the show. I believe that, achanak milne waley log yaa toh milte hain yaa nahi mil pate (people who meet for the first time may gel well or may not), but when I met Raja, hum mil gaye, aur aise mil gaye ki kuch gul khil gaye (we worked out well and the result was great music). You’ll be able to see the result in the music video recreated by us.” He added, “Music is something where there is no senior, junior, new or poor. You have to create something out of nothing and it can be done by any person with a good talent.”
The Allah Ke Bande singer gave a mesmerising performance during the launch and sang Kaun Hai Woh Kaun Hai from the movie Shivaay.
Newcomers Bryden and Parth also put up a show with their tunes and instrumental performance which was well-rehearsed and ingenious. The duo is also recreating a stunning composition on the show.
However, to people’s surprise, Aastha Gill, playback singer who has collaborated with Badshah before, is not a part of the show. Badshah whose new album One: Original Never Ends hit the playlists on Friday, jovially said, “We could have actually considered her. It is a good suggestion. Two episodes of Lockdown are still in line and I think, we will look forward to it.”
The series has been shot across different scenic locations in India.
Writer: Ayushi Sharma
Courtesy: The Pioneer
The building materials such as cement are essential parts to fulfil all infrastructural needs but a group of artists and architectures has transformed it into lifestyle pieces with their innovative designs. By Asmita Sarkar
Hard, solid lines, rough texture and grey facades are the quintessential ways one imagines cement, which makes the backbone of a building, but to see it in an art exhibition and indoors isn’t common nor tried before. While plastic and steel have been reimagined to be used in art installations and fabrics, such experiments with cement are unheard of. The minds behind the art exhibition, Craft Béton – Cement.Reimagined., also had to fight off the image that cement is boring and stiff to make it possible.
To create the exhibition, Craft Village made a residency where international artists also took part. Their different approaches and thought processes fuelled this exploration.
Founder of Craft Village, Iti Tyagi’s piece titled Audrey is flowy with drapes, an unusual sight when it comes to cement. “‘Paris is a good idea’, the iconic Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn once said. Inspired by her words, this table Audrey is a delicate tale told in the French Louis XV Style,” she said. “When we’re working with cement, one of the biggest challenges is that people think it can go only in the moulds and people can wonder how can somebody play with it with hands? I thought why not try and break that idea and try something glamorous with drapes and flowy. I did hand-sculpting and took five to six hours to work on the drapes because after that when cement dries you don’t have much choice,” said she.
“I am a product designer and I had not worked with this material before. Also, I have worked in textile, product and material. So I gathered my knowledge to work with one material — cement — to do something beyond what people think is possible. People think cement is mundane, dry and it can break. I started thinking of inspirations and gave them shape with cement. We are open to more ideas and challenges in the future, if other brands want to work with us too,” said she.
The co-founder of Craft Village, which was approached by Dalmia Cement for the exhibition, Somesh Singh, said that the objective of the project was to bring cement to the home and make it a part of the lifestyle.
While cement is already part of our lives, since it is a material used to make something as essential as our homes, it had not been reimagined as other infrastructural material had been.
“We looked at it as a new material. Plastic and steel have evolved. Cement, despite having fantastic quality, never evolved because nobody applied their mind to it or looked at how one can innovate. The Melissa, my artwork, is inspired by Bhajju Shyam’s Gond art. One of his styles is to paint bees, I was very inspired by his painting which was called the ring. It was almost impossible to show air but the way he patterned it you feel the air. From two-dimensional, I thought that I should reinterpret and create something three-dimensional and thus made this permanent wall installation,” said Singh. The piece has been a hit with people ordering it for their homes. Singh added that people are excited to see the new avatar of cement. The pieces exhibited can be reproduced, even at a bigger scale.
“We don’t want just a single owner,” he added. But the refashioning was no child’s play.
Beginning with playing with the material, experimenting with it and trying new combinations to check the ideal temperature, conditions and mix, they did everything before the piece was created. The Melissa took 30 days to make from scratch.
“One of the best process is that you have to play with the material and fall in love with it to be able to imagine things using it. The other interesting challenge was that this piece also needed the drama of lighting. Shadow plays an interesting and integral role. We created an interesting texture and when you see it you can see a honeybee and a honeycomb,” said he.
This collection by six international designers features contemporary lifestyle pieces for the home and functional art for walls, floors and even bathrooms. It is a celebration of nature, art, life and abstract forms, from where the designers find their inspiration.
Dr Alka Pande, artistic director and curator who has conceptualised and envisioned Habitat Photosphere, of which Craft Beton is a part, said, “The design philosophy of the collection dovetails beautifully into the over-arching philosophy driving Photosphere. The beauty which is inherent in cement and is recreated by Dalmia Bharat through the creativity of human intervention is truly spectacular. This is an astonishing collaboration of production and consumption. It’s a rare feast for the eyes.”
One of the other designers who were part of the exhibition, Cynthia Rodriguez, who made the piece Antheneum, said, “Since knowledge is an unfathomable ocean, these bookends are a dramatic way to literally expand your mind. The more you read the more you know, and the more your mind expands.”
She added about Monarca, “Just as a butterfly is re-born this magazine rack celebrates the metamorphosis that a person undergoes when he steps into the wonderful world of reading.”
Another piece, GanasDeux, by Alan Saga, symbolises both the Chac, a long-nosed god worshiped by the Mayans of Mesoamerica, and the Hindu god Ganesha. And, designer Miroslaw Baca’s piece Birth is a representation of a mother’s womb and is reminiscent of the first touch we have all experienced.
Writer: Asmita Sarkar
Courtesy: The Pioneer
13th July National Day Celebrations of Montenegro in India 2018
This event was held at the Consulate of Montenegro by H.e the Honorary Consul General of Montenegro in India Dr Janice Darbari was witnessed by an exclusive presence of high ranking dignitaries from India and the Diplomatic core gathering of Ambassador’s and High Commissioners and members of the diplomatic core of different countries present in India.
Dean of the Diplomatic Core H.e Mr Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Dominican Republic, Deputy Dean of the diplomatic core H.e Mr Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of eritrea, Honorary Consul General of Montenegro in India Dr Janice Darbari and Mr v.KSaxena Chairman of Khadi and village Industries Commission and members of the KvIC board.
The Chief Guest Mr Subrata Bhattacharjee of the Ministry of external Affairs in India, speaking at the occasion said quote “Hon’ble Minister of state Mr v.K Singh has visited the beautiful country of Montenegro and I am good friends with the Ambassadors of the Balkans you can count on me and my Ministry as friends of Montenegro wish the Khadi promotion a great success”. “The Honorary Consul General Dr Janice Darbari thanking Mr Saxena Chairman Khadi weaving a thread and a big
friendship with Khadi Trendy Montenegro Trendy Khadi, Hand woven hand spun each one of us in our country has the beautiful tradition of hand spun and hand woven our artisans and handicraft with the support of the Dean we can take it to the Global level and can knit the cultural network all over the world and make it a celebration for every human being who wants and love freedom, knitting this yarn right through the grassroots level. I think we can bring a lot of economic freedom to everybody, Welcome to a signature fashion show .How this fabric is worn in India in a very friendly way.”
The Dean of the diplomats who had just flown in from abroad especially for this event stated, “on behalf of all my colleagues Montenegro is the very envy of all of us. We wish we had a good Honorary Consul General like you. We are very happy you are very active you do a great job, and, I congratulate Montenegro for having appointed you and than you for being one of us. You are always a part of our activities and doing a great job for strengthening ties between India and Montenegro.”
Mr v.K Saxena the Chairman of Khadi gram Udyog stated “I want to Congratulate Montenegro Dr Janice Darbari on the occasion of the National Day joining hands with Khadi by Montenegro is a great conversion, a long way to see Khadi going Global. Khadi means
honesty, purity, hand woven and hand spun is also called the National fabric of India. Joining hands with Montenegro is a historical Day today because Khadi is going global. I am thankful to Ms Janice Darbari for giving this opportunity to take it Global.”
The signature Fashion Show was choreographed by the Teachers of D.A.v School Mausasm vihar ,their alumini and senior students participated as models.
Mrs Paridi Sharma N.G.o working with khadi and Raj Darbari helped in designing the trendy clothes .Mrs Sheila Darbari aged 90 years popoualry known as the daughter of the British era the oldest Alumini of DAv College dating back to 1947 brought back nostaligic memories of 1942 as her father Jagdishwar Nigam I.C.S was the district Magistrate in Ballia who allowed a massmovement a crowd of 25 thousand satyagrahis enter Ballia all wearing Khadi. She walked the ramp amidst a great applause as the song “Apne azadi ko hum hargish mita sakte nahi sar kata sakte lekin sar jhukha sakte nahi” (We cannot forget our freedom we can get our heads cut but we cannot bow our head.) The show stopper Mrs Swheta Dagar former first runner up Mrs India worlldwide 2017 ,wore a khadi saree looking absolutely stunning.
—Report filed by Anshuman Dogra, Bureau Chief-Delhi
Tujhse Hai Raabta, Amrapali Gupta and Sehban Azim’s latest outing, showcases an unusual story about a relationship similar to mother-daughter.
Blood relations are considered to be the strongest in our society but there are some bonds that cannot be defined or even bound by law or blood but are special and unique. These cherished relationships form the crux of Zee TV’s new fiction show, Tujhse Hai Raabta.
Actor Sehban Azim and Amrapali Gupta visited Delhi to promote the show which is an endearing story of a unique, bittersweet mother-daughter like relationship that develops between two women who are not related by blood but tied together by an unconventional bond.
Amrapali Gupta said Tujhse Hai Raabta is a fascinating story and I am really excited to be a part of such an unusual concept. I am playing the character of Madhuri Deshmukh who loves her daughter immensely but has had her own share of unpleasant experiences that result in her indifferent and selfish behaviour.”
“This is the first time I will be seen in a different look,” said the actor who has been a part of serials like Qubool Hai, Banoo Main Teri Dulhan and Pyaar ke Do Naam: Ek Radha Ek Shyam besides others.
Talking about the show, actor Sehban Azim said, Tujhse Hai Raabta is based on a intriguing concept and I’m excited to be a part of it. I essay the character of a cop, Malhaar Rane, I feel a strong affinity towards him because of his simplicity and transparency and that makes it easier for me to essay this character.
He went on to add, “This is the second time that I am essaying a policeman on screen and I am really looking forward to it. The first was Udaan where I played the part of Inspector Ajay Khurana. Moreover, it feels great to be back to my hometown to start the promotions of my new show,” said the Delhi boy.
While talking about the challenges, Amrapali said, “The role was not at all challenging because now I’m a mother too and it came naturally to me.”
Besides the show Amrapali also spoke about sex education, she stated, “The education should be positive and enable children to understand what is right and wrong. I think it’s essential.”
Sehban while talking about what makes him decide a script said “Till the time I don’t relate to the character of the story I don’t really accept the role, It’s foremost for me to connect myself to the character that I’m going to enact. One of the main reasons for me to be an actor is that you get to live so many lives in just one and I don’t really think anything can be better than this.”
Apart from Tujhse Hai Raabta, Sehban said he has recently done a short film Banjar with Manish Paul. He has also worked in a music video remix of Main tenu samjhawan ki along with Barkha Bisht that was aired back in April.
Writer and Courtesy: The Pioneer
Shaking off the action-hero label off his back, the famous bollywood star, Akshay Kumar, has reinvented himself as a versatile actor. He shares the details of his latest period drama, Gold, with Asmita Sarkar.
Actor Akshay Kumar, who had begun to be called Khiladi Kumar because of his famous franchise, has literally been a sport about his run in the industry, trying out different rules. Negotiating crests and troughs, he today has settled himself in a comfortable space as a solo crusader. With an increasing number of movies about patriotism in his filmography that made sound commercial sense, he’s now the poster boy of nation- building. However, the actor hates being boxed into a stereotype.
“I feel stifled being categorised. I don’t do patriotic movies because I want to prove something. I do it because the stories are so beautiful. The story of Gold is based on real events in post-1947 India. In the film, which is 70 percent factual, we’re planning to build a team but something happens which shatters the plan. This leaves me with just one year to make a team for the 1948 Olympics. It was important since our country had just taken birth after 200 years of colonialism. There was no sports ministry, there was no money, clothes or shoes. But I’m also doing Housefull 4, Hera Pheri, Good News, Kesari and a horror comedy,” he said.
He met one of the players from the 1948 team, who had won the gold medal in the Olympics. The 95-year-old held Kumar’s hand and cried tears of joy because of the recognition the team is receiving 70 years after the incident.
“I believe that players should be paid more even now but there was an era when they didn’t get anything and yet they attained great heights. We have to keep trying,” he said. Talking about the sport, he said that it doesn’t make sense for one game to be a national sport while others are not paid enough attention. “Every game is a national game. They should all be practiced and medals won,” he said, adding that he keeps a lookout during the Asian, Commonwealth and Olympic games and hopes that the hocket team would win a gold in the upcoming Asian games.
About his co-stars, he said that he tried to learn even from the younger actors and there’s no hierarchy despite his 28 years in the industry. “The young boys like Sunny Kaushal have done an amazing job. This film belongs to them. We are friends and we enjoy ourselves. There’s not one day of shooting that we have not played games. Mouni did not play, she was a snob,” he said jokingly.
The film, which will be released on Independence Day, also had a message about communal harmony that is blended into the script. “It doesn’t preach but the message just flows with the film and the screenplay, That’s the beauty of the film. And I didn’t realise until I saw the movie last night,” he said.
The actor also defines himself as a producer’s actor unlike the popular belief that performers should be director’s actors.
“I think long term. Once upon a time, I had 16 flops and yet I had four films because I was a producer’s actor not just a director’s actor. They’d be like he reaches on time, action kar leta hai. Be a producer’s actor first if you want to survive hits and flops. I have heard producer’s talk of so many heroines and say, ‘let’s take her she takes less than five minutes to get dressed’. This is simple but effective if heroines understand it. Sometimes a heroine takes an hour or three to get out of the vanity van. Even if you have made it big, in the long term you won’t sustain,” he said, while refusing to name any actors who do this as he admitted that he is a diplomatic man.
He also doesn’t believe in the concept of being a thinking actor and called it a lie when actors lock themselves up for days to get into character. “I can’t do that. Once I understand the character and the look is also decided, that’s 50-60 per cent of the work done. After that, it just flows. For example, when you wear a turban you feel like a Sardar when you see yourself in the mirror and you would stylise yourself that way. I did that for Singh is King and Singh is Bling. For Gold, I am wearing a dhoti, I enter first and then enters the dhoti. I’m Bengali, have an accent, a mustache and a drinking habit. Mouni is a husband-beater in the film,” he joked.
Talking about the audience’s expectations, he says that it is better to play a character, get beaten up in a scene than beat 20 people at the same time. “The audience has become very smart. They forgive continuity problems but if you’re not honest with your character they figure it out. Also, sports dramas are doing good business and times have changed as people want to know more about sports.”
Despite working in the industry for almost three decades, he still has not slowed down nd has evolved his own time management. “I enjoy life. I personally feel I can do four films comfortably in 365 days. One film takes 35-40 days, even if you include 52 Sundays you have more than 155 days to yourself,” he said. Akshay even advises his co-stars to work hard and honestly.
Writer: Asmita Sarkar
Courtesy: The Pioneer
The American pop singer Demi Lovato has spoken out about her battle with addiction, saying she needed “time to heal and focus on my sobriety” days after media reports said she was taken to a Los Angeles hospital suffering from a suspected overdose. “I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction,” the 25-year-old Grammy-nominated recording artist wrote on Instagram. “What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.”
Lovato, who has spoken openly in the past about her history of drug and alcohol abuse, thanked God, her friends and her fans, saying that their positive thoughts and prayers had helped her navigate “this difficult time”. She also thanked her family, team and the staff at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Hollywood, who she said had been at her side since she was admitted on July 24 .
“Without them I wouldn’t be here writing this letter to all of you,” Lovato wrote. “I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery,” she said. “The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out on the other side. I will keep fighting.”
The New Mexico-born performer rose to fame on Disney Channel shows Camp Rock and Sonny with a Chance before forging a pop career with hits such as Skyscraper and Sorry Not Sorry.
‘Dismiss charges against Weinstein’
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers want a court to throw out sexual assault charges against him, citing reasons on Friday including friendly emails from a woman who accused him of rape. Lawyers for the former movie titan-turned-#MeToo villain filed notice they’ll seek dismissal of the case. Among other arguments, they say the grand jury that indicted Weinstein should have been told about emails from one of his three accusers in the case.
One message, less than a month after the alleged rape in March 2013, expresses appreciation for “all you do for me,” according to copies of emails included in the court filing. Another message, days later, says “it would be great to see you again”.
“Miss you big guy,” another message added a few months later.
Over the ensuing months and years, the two continued warm exchanges. The woman wrote she was “so happy you saw me today” and very honored!” after one get-together in October 2013 and exchanging brief updates on their lives. “There is no one else I would enjoy catching up with that understands me quite like you,” the woman, who has not been publicly identified, wrote in January 2014. After saying she had a schedule conflict and couldn’t make it to a hotel to see him in February 2017, the woman explained: “I love you, always do. But I hate feeling like a booty call,” with a smiling-face symbol afterward.
Indecent Proposal remake soon
Indecent Proposal, the 1993 thriller about a billionaire who offers a couple $1m to sleep with the wife, is to receive a remake. Collider reports that Paramount Players is producing a new version of the film, and has hired Girl on the Train and Secretary screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson to write the script. Directed by British filmmaker Adrian Lyne and adapted from Jack Engelhard’s film of the same name, the original Indecent Proposal starred Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore as a financially stricken couple reckoning with the repercussions of a deal made with a powerful businessman. The film made more than $250m at the global box office.
Despite its commercial success, Indecent Proposal received scathing reviews. The Guardian’s Derek Malcolm described it as “nothing more than a skilfully organised and decorated fantasy, not to be treated seriously for one moment”. The film won Razzie awards for worst picture, worst screenplay and worst supporting actor (for Harrelson).
Any proposed remake of Indecent Proposal will likely have to wrestle with the issues of sexual impropriety and unequal power dynamics raised by the #MeToo and #Time’sUp movements. At the time of its release, the original film was criticised by feminists for continuing a “disturbing trend” in films of showing women being sold for money or as a prize.
Writer: The Pioneer
Source: The Pioneer
Rinku Ghosh talks to the superstar Kamal Hassan, where he shares his vision and goals, some of which are the core of his party and some of which are also woven skillfully in his film.
Before we meet Kamal Haasan, we are told to keep to his latest film Vishwaroopam II and not delve too much into his role in politics. But when we meet him finally, he voluntarily shares his vision and goals, some of which are the core of his party and some of which are also woven skillfully in his film. In between demands of publicists and phone calls, the multi-talented artiste is unperturbed and collected. He shares his views on nationalism, state of the nation, the need for respect in politics, creativity, his penchant for research and his role model, Gandhi, with Rinku Ghosh
You are attempting another film on an epic scale with Vishwaroopam II. Given the litigation issues and controversies of the first one, how come you persisted with what you call a prequel cum sequel?
People don’t dream big anymore. We’re in a stagnant pool of creativity whereas we should have been growing in a knowledge society. The film industry was at one time about visionaries like Raj Kapoor and storytellers like Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar sa’ab and Basu Bhattacharya. People today have no aesthetics. Everything is now about number-crunching in the backrooms and it is only figures which are pushing the industry. In the process, we’ve gotten confused. This mathematical reduction has happened throughout the country across sections. In media, the vendor has started fixing the editorial. Content and inner core have become visionless. The marketers gave us the menu and we became fast food. We didn’t respect our teaching institutions like FTII. I simply try.
You have consistently pivoted your films on the sensitive subjects of terrorism, Islamophobia, nationalism and patriotism. In the process you have ruffled quite a few feathers along the way. How do you deal with such sensitivities?
Let me clarify that I have been attacked across the spectrum. It was a Congresswoman who went against my film Hey Ram, not the BJP. She hadn’t even watched the film and assumed that it would be anti-Gandhi. How uninformed?
Talk of nationalism elicits extreme reactions. How come you have repeatedly made it a core of your stories?
I think nationalism is within us and you do not need to scream it out loud. You don’t have to evangelise it and you don’t belong to anything, it is only the impedance of other new players who have come to twist the story. They have been on the sidelines for nearly 50 years. They’re frustrated and just jumped in. It’s a dance of neo-victory which is becoming a romp now. You see keeping people on the edge of fear is also a way of doing politics. Everything else is rationalised on the basis of an imagined Doomsday. Religious crusades have been premised on the belief that the world is indeed coming to an end. This is just one way of looking at things. The other way of looking at finality is this, “Don’t worry, you have a greater kingdom to go to.”
All your films have this global sweep, Vishwaroopam itself traverses many countries. What inspires this canvas?
I know a global citizen who is my invisible mentor. His name is MK Gandhi. And it was because he was a true man of the world that he was able to write a letter to Hitler and was able to think of the khilafat movement. That’s why everything, including America, concerned him. Some called him a British agent, others a protector of the minorities. The fact is he was talking with equipoise. He brought in political decorum as we know it even as a young man. As he got older, he got wiser. Some of his visions were eccentric but why should everything be centric? He delivered something to us, bequeathed a legacy. And I will take that while accepting his flaws. Our duty is to stand on his shoulder, not grovel at his feet. He just wanted people to see the world from a better vantage point.
For me, he’s not the infallible Mr Gandhi. I won’t nitpick on his flaws but will cherish what he’s given us. Any human is prone to making mistakes and emerges through them. He was a captive of his time but his visions were futuristic and are yet to be realised. What kind of peers he had, including Rajagoplachari, Ambedkar sir, caustic critic. And with great pain he had to take a call on his son and Bhagat Singh. For him, it was a strange place to be.
People mockingly say, ‘you like him because you’re an actor and he was an actor too.’ Agreed he was perhaps an actor but unless you gesture loudly, some people won’t understand. Make big faces, roll your eyes and he did that with aplomb. Without that, it would be difficult to make people understand that one such man lived among us. Gandhi was not inimitable. He was imitable. That’s what I’m trying to do.
I find the false humility, that nahin woh toh Mahatma hai attitude unrealistic. I don’t want him to be a mahatma. I want him to be Mr Mohan, whom I can emulate. I can reach out and almost touch the young Gandhi of 1907. That is why I have, not audacity, but authority handed down. I feel I can talk.
Somebody asked me once, ‘How would we know that you’re an earnest politician?’ I said at the peril of sounding pompous, and peril of pitching myself at par with Gandhi, my life will be my message. Why not? What Gandhi wanted was a life that could be pursued by all. That’s why he made it simple.
As a director, scriptwriter, producer and actor, you pull along multiple roles. Yet you have been fairly detailed in each aspect of filmcraft. You have researched the intelligence and terror network in a very in-depth manner in Vishwapooram II. What were your references?
This multi-tasking has become easy because I have been doing this for a while now. Now I have a receptive and collaborative unit that is not looking for instructions. We rehearsed ad nauseum. We improvised.
As for my fixation with spy games, my uncle was in the Intelligence services. My research is, therefore, nearly 50 years old. I was fascinated with the Indian secret service, simply because it is truly secret and you don’t feel the presence of its agents. They aren’t like James Bond but actually are all about British underplay. Most of our early secret service training is from our colonial masters. So that was my leitmotif. But things like choosing a nuclear oncologist or details of technology, which has become the driver of terror networks, have been included to give it a contemporary feel.
I had researched the terror economy so well that I had factored the death of an Osama Bin Laden-style character in the script even before his death. I spend a lot of time on inputs so that the reference points for the actors are real enough to execute. And a thriller genre is never successful unless the scenario is real.
Do you plan on making Vishwaroopam and Indian a Hollywood-style franchise?
I think there can be a franchise though I will be too busy with the next phase of my life as a public servant. Somebody else can surely take over. Even Sean Connery handed over the franchise. Besides, some stories, despite the age of digital precision and shortness, need to be told with detail and depth. Which is why the Godfather was a series, the Lord of the Rings is a series. This is what I meant by vision. A good story merits all the time, attention and space. And Vishwaroopam II didn’t happen because of an encashable Hollywoodian trend of franchises, it was written along with the first part.
Finally, are you confident of effecting change by becoming a politician? Do you think you can do this alone without alliances and strategies of realpolitik?
Left alone as it is, Tamil Nadu will head towards doom. People are already describing Chennai as the new Detroit and I don’t want that descent to happen. Tamil Nadu’s problems are not because of outside interferences but poison inside. Once again, I will cite the analogy of Gandhi. First thing he started was cleaning toilets. Somebody has to start. Swachch Bharat is not just about external cleanliness but also cleaning the system from inside. I think the times are changing. I think decorum will return to politics and the younger people are changing it. Much to the chagrin of the old guard. In my conversations, young people are keen to become stakeholders in governance and challenge the status quo but a government order restricts such dialogue in the name of arresting politicisation of the campus. There’s an order that stops me from speaking in colleges. The prospectus in certain colleges bans political discussions. And yet the campus is the best place to speak politics as young people can shape its future. Students ask me, “What do we do sir? Institutions are threatening us.” I say threaten them back. That’s because higher education is a business, some institutions being run by senior politicians themselves, who are scared of these places becoming disruptive.
Most importantly, we must develop a healthy culture in politics where we may differ with our opponents but respect them. We have our ideological differences with the BJP but there is no animosity.
We are 70 years old but still behave like a two-year-old country. I have formed a party with a purpose and at the moment I have not considered any alliance with any party. This country has given me a lot. Time to give it back.
Why don’t we see you participate in more TV debates?
You see TV debates are much like knitting. You wrap one thread over the other and by the end of it, you make such a warm sweater that nobody hears anything.
Finally, what about your take on DMK patriarch M Karunandhi?
Karunanidhi, to me, was the teacher of all the actors. I have been inspired by his writings. He political career spanned 70 years. His mistake in politics and his success are both a lesson for us.
Would you classify the Vishwaroopam series as a global film?
It is a global Indian film because try as we may this won’t interest Hollywood. This is a film for our people settled across the world with a Western-style finesse but relatable content. The West is looking at our culturally content-driven films, not the mainstream kind we make. But that does not mean we should not give Indians everywhere an international film on a desi template.
Writer: Rinku Ghosh
Courtesy: The Pioneer
The cast of Satyamev Jayate shares their personal experiences about corruption.
I have never bribed and I will never bribe. I wanted a particular registration number for my new bike. The man told me that it would cost Rs 20,000 but he would give me a receipt only for Rs 15,000. He added that ‘you understand what the Rs 5,000 is for’. I said, ‘What do I understand? Give me a regular number at the just price or else I won’t take it.’ This was day before yesterday,” said actor John Abraham, dressed in a T-shirt which was emblazoned with ‘1972’ and a khaki trouser. That was how the actor used a real life incident to pitch for his new film Satyamev Jayate, which raises awareness against corruption.
Accompanied by co-actors Manoj Bajpai, debutante Aisha Sharma and the producer Bhushan Kumar,, the actor introduced the film: “There is everything — action, romance, drama, patriotism, suspense, basically everything that you would want. After a long time, one can see a credible commercial drama which is quintessential to Hindi films. It is a commercial film with a lot of structure and twists and turns. So what you see in the trailer is not actually what you get. It is a holiday entertainer.” The movie releases on Independence Day.
The name of the film is central to its ethos. Said Bhushan, “Nikkhil Advani and Milap Zaveri (the director) had given me some name options including this one which we did not have. When I heard the script, I realised that the power and the impact could not come from any other name. Aamir Khan was gracious enough to give the title of his TV show to us. When you see the film, you will realise that it is relevant.”
Manoj identified corruption and population as the biggest challenges in our country. “As a result of corruption, talent is relegated to the back and mediocre people rise to the top. The sad part is while every government talks about eliminating corruption, they themselves are enmeshed in it. We can make films, serials and plays to register our protests as artistes about the issue. But fact is between birth and death, everybody in this country has to face corruption.”
As often happens these days, this movie’s trailer too rubbed a community the wrong way. “The Shia community had filed a complaint against the trailer. But we take scenes from different places. So we showed them the entire movie and they withdrew the complaint,” said Kumar,.
Another notable aspect about the trailer is its emphasis on the fact that “religion has killed a lot of people.” Explaining the premise, John said, “The whole world is getting polarised against a particular community and in our minds the idea has got fixed that if there is something wrong then there is a particular community causing it. We should first get it out of our head and then only we can judge people rightly. If you communalise someone, then they become fringe elements which in turn means that you are yourself creating the terror.”
Manoj spoke from his personal experience. “When we aren’t sure of who we are, then we look at religion as this is the easiest place that one finds an identity. When I was 17 years old, I embarked on a pilgrim’s journey as a kanwaria . At that time I took out a procession from Sultanganj. I have some amazing memories of that celebratory time. But these are the ones that I would prefer to keep rather than the ones that I see in the newspapers these days. Which religion is mine? Certainly not the one where people are making it a subject of ridicule by their actions.”
John also expressed concern over women’s safety in India. “People get offended when someone from outside says that India is not safe for women. I also feel bad, but this is the truth. So instead of feeling bad, one should do something and make a safe place for women. I feel like slapping that man who subjects a woman to his gaze.”
More than the content, there is one more controversy that the movie was plagued with, that of it clashing with the release of the Akshay Kumar,-starrer Gold , one which could have commercial implications. But John sounded positive. “From a commercial point of view both films on the same workday make commercial sense. If we came solo on some other day, our collections would have been less.”
Asked whether the movie was justifying playing judge and jury by individuals which in today’s world of mob lynching was not a great idea, John said, “Films are symbolic of what is happening in the society. But that doesn’t mean you emulate everything that you see in the movie. If you see a romantic couple on screen dancing on the road, you don’t do that in real life. If I am tearing a tyre or if I am breaking the door of a jeep to get out, it is not to show my strength but to show the frustration of the society,” he said, giving the example of Amitabh Bachchan who played an angry, young man as symbolic of our society at that time. He added, “So Satyamev Jayate is a very inspirational film. What I must credit my producer Bhushan Kumar,, Nikkhil Advani and also Milap Zaveri is that they have addressed these issues in a commercial manner. So what they are saying is, ‘go watch the movie, and enjoy it as people don’t want a docu drama.’”
There was much curiosity about the success of its song, Dilbar, picturised on Nora Fatehi and which has had four million plus views. The first line is taken from a song which was filmed on Sushmita Sen in the 1999 movie, Sirf Tum. Said Bhushan Kumar, of this reprisal, “The song is not a remix but a recreation which takes longer than creating a new song. In a remix, all you need to do is put a beat but this has been recomposed. The recreation is tough and you have to be accurate if you are recreating an iconic song.” He also pointed out that they had recently recreated Dil Chori Saada Ho Gaya in Sonu Ke Titu ki Sweety, adding, “The sound, singer and shooting are different from the first version. We give people what they want.”
The cast, of course, learnt a lot about each other during the shoot. For newbie Aisha Sharma, working with John and Manoj in her very first outing was a learning experience. “I learnt different things from both of them as they are a study in contrasts. From Manoj sir I learnt you can take your craft seriously but you don’t have to take yourself seriously. From John, I learnt that despite being a huge star, one can be humble on the sets.”
Manoj on the other hand said, “John can pull your leg very politely and you would not even come to know about it. It has happened a lot of times, especially in the movie.”
John had this to say about his co-actor: “Manoj comes across as a very serious character, a person with whom you can’t mess around but he is the funniest person that I know. He is one of the best actors in India or even the world but he feels that there should not be negative energy on the sets.”
Incidentally John the producer had offered Manoj a comedy script on the sets of Indian Idol, a night before. But there is one thing about John that Manoj does not like. “On Nikhil Advani’s birthday he refused to take even a bite of the cake. I also diet but I cheat once a day,” he said. Aisha, on the other hand, laughed and said that what she didn’t like was that they ganged up against her and pulled her leg.
Soon the focus shifted to John and his penchant for a shirtless scene in every movie. Displaying his funny bone, he immediately retorted, “I feel hot, so I take off my shirt,” and added, “The producers demand it. Nikkhil Advani told me that I have given you money, for God’s sake take off your shirt.” And the room erupted in laughter. On this happy note they decided to sign off.
Writer: Saimi Sattar
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Actress Shabana Azmi says today’s risque lyrics bleed her ears.
Veteran actress and social activist Shabana Azmi is well known for her strong opinions and spirited attitude. When asked about the way films have evolved over time, the actress said, “These item numbers are forced in the movies. They think that the movie will do well because of the item number when the truth is they have absolutely no connection with the film and story.”
“My ears bleed when I listen to these item numbers”, she said. She said, “How is ‘main tandoori murgi hoon yaar…’ is a song? It has nothing to do with the film. This is not a time to joke, rather a time to think about the direction in which Hindi cinema is going. I don’t support item numbers and I don’t think there should be such interventions films.” The actress was referring to the popular song Fevicol se in Dabangg 2.
“People ask me there are so many shayars in your family, do you also do shayari? I say no, I only give inspiration,” she said at the event.
Shabana has been always been very vocal about her ideologies. Talking about the same, she said, “I’ve grown up with a left-leaning sensibility but I also respect that people have different political inclinations. So I will never say who should win an election, that is decided by the people, as should be in a democracy. What is important is that the elected government should be one that represents the people, irrespective of their gender or leaning. What is important is that they work towards improving the lives of the citizenry.”
“When I say that I have Left-leaning sensibilities, that doesn’t mean I support a certain political party. Supporting a political party and having certain ideologies are completely two different things. I support equality and justice.”
At the event, she also spoke about different religious ideologies as well. She said, Triple talaq is illegal. Along with Nikaah halala, it needs to be wiped out. It is against the Quran and it should be abolished. Twenty-four Islamic countries have removed triple talaq, why hasn’t a secular country like ours removed it?”
“While it is true that different religions have different beliefs and ideas, the difference between right and wrong is also universal. This is why we need to start a discussion on a common civil code, which is fair to everyone, irrespective of gender, caste and creed. To save the country’s culture is to save the country. The quarrel is not between religion, but it is between thinking. The quarrel is not of Hindu-Muslim, not of Sikh-Christian, but of quarrels of extremism and openness.”
Speaking against the backdrop of hatred, intolerance and prejudice slowly seeping in the country, she said, “I have always been an optimist. I see the glass half-full. I believe India will always remain secular because this is a country where the biggest cricket star or actor can be Muslim and be celebrated by the common man on the street whether he’s Hindu or Muslim.”
Writer: Shabana Azmi
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Actress Priyanka Chopra tells this writer about her belief that she is an empowered woman who wants to choose her own career path.
Like her character Alex Parrish in Quantico, with which she arrived in the Western world as an immigrant who changed popular discourse, Priyanka Chopra believes she’s a modern empowered woman, who doesn’t want to be judged for her choices. Perhaps, this was her way of getting back at critics who were questioning her for reneging on plum Bollywood assignments and choosing her own path of happiness or another career frontier in Hollywood. “I get crazy critiqued for simple decisions I make,” she told columnist Vir Sanghvi at a session titled, “Challenging the Status Quo & Forging New Paths,” organised by the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO).
And in a veiled attempt at explaining why she gave Bollywood biggies (she reportedly turned down even a Bhansali project) the short shrift, she indicated that she was conditioning herself to healthier realities of equality. She explained how in Bollywood there was less opportunity for leading ladies and they had to elbow each other out and put each other down. “Eventually, I realised that I don’t want that. I taught myself to be confident but I also want to prop other women up on my shoulder.”
She also firmly settled all debate about letting people into her space: “My personal life is not for public consumption. Ninety per cent of my life is for public consumption but 10 per cent is for me. I am a girl and I have the right to keep that to myself. My family, friendship, my relationships are things I don’t think I need to defend or explain to anyone. I am not running for any office, so I don’t think I need to give explanations.”
Chopra recently bid goodbye to the character Alex Parrish, an FBI agent in New York. The character, she said, was written for an American woman and the show creators initially thought of changing the name of the character but she refused since it was her job as an actor to make people believe that she was American. The accent was, therefore, something she had to train for. “It took me three days to say counter terrorism task force in an American accent.”
She might have started in the Hindi film industry, where she recently courted controversy by giving up on Bharat, a project with Salman Khan, in favour of what has been touted as matrimony. But she said, she doesn’t believe that she has to work exclusively in one industry anymore. She has her foot in both worlds, where she’s producing and acting in films and exploring other meaningful art forms like documentaries and TV shows. Chopra, who’s going to begin shoot for The Sky is Pink, which she is co-producing with Farhan Akhtar, is back after a while to work in Bollywood. In this film, she’ll play a mother to a 18-year-old and she said she’s open to playing characters of different ages. It is based on the life of Aisha Chaudhary, who became a motivational speaker after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 13. Her production company is working not just on the regional space in India but also in creating documentaries and TV shows in the US.
Asked what remains on her bucket list, she said she wanted to leave a legacy behind that would inspire young people. She joked, “I wanted to wear the iconic Baywatch swimsuit but my character wanted to kill the lifeguards, not be them. The character was written for a man but I got to play it. People saw it around the world and I was not limited by my ethnicity or gender.”
Chopra was quite clear about the characters that she did not want to play. Said she, “Characters like South Asians, who are played in a stereotypical way like Apu in Simpsons, are easy to come by. But I was able to execute one of them without compromising.” Quantico came to her after the VP of casting at ABC approached her. However, she too had to audition for the role. “After 50 films, I was still nervous but then I thought that 1/5th of the world’s population thinks you’re talented, there must be something in you,” she said.
However, she said that she’s not impatient with those who wonder how she speaks good English. “I like to educate people. I tell them India was colonised by the British and they left the language behind. Ten percent of Indians speak English. So by sheer numbers, there are a large number of Indians who can speak the language.”
She didn’t assume that people would know her and her work in the US just because she was a star in India. “I’m not entitled. I have no qualms introducing myself. I have also learnt to deal with rejection. Despite Quantico, I was told that they want people with a certain physicality. But I knew I wanted to be a leading lady in a mainstream movie in the US.”
Priyanka said even though she appears confident in front of the world, she still get serious nerves when going on the set. “I like nervous energy when I walk on to a set. Because if I don’t feel like that then I can’t perform somehow. I will be complacent and it is boring,” she added. “My biggest fear is failure. I hate failures. I am miserable when I fail. My mom tells everyone, ‘Let her be alone for while,’ whenever I fail. But because I am so afraid of failing that I developed a way of not being nervous,” Priyanka said.
For her latest project, which goes on the floors soon, she said that she met Aisha Chaudhary’s mother to observe her and make character notes. “I get to play a real person again after Mary Kom.” With the global citizen tag, Chopra can now afford to keep it real.
Writer: Asmita Sarkar
Courtesy: The Pioneer
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