Director-actor Atul Kumar’s play Detective Nau-Do-Gyaraah is a mix of affectionate longing for the past and laughter.
Theatre is a game of spotlights. Just as the reader follows the lead through reading, the audience follows the lead through a spotlight on a stage. It is a background of imagination, sets the context for the dialogues and brings the characters alive. This effect was used justifiably to bring together drastically different worlds of graphic novels and gangster films and recreate the effect of swinging between cynicism and certainty in Atul Kumar’s play Detective Nau-Do-Gyaraah, an adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s 39 Steps and a tribute to film noir.
Set in the 1940s and 50s Mumbai, it depicts an interplay of murder, romance, mystery, deceit as well as comedy. However, combining comedy and serious issues like crime and murder definitely makes it a play quite different from a classic murder mystery. Says Atul, “Some of the masters of suspense in cinema freely use comedy as relief to enhance the intrigue and mystery in their stories. Hitchcock is its best example. Our work has always been about turning everything on its head, so we never did mystery in its conventional form. The aim was to adapt and make it theatrical and fun.”
The play transcends the mystical journey of psychiatrist Shekhar Kumar, who travels from Khandala to Mumbai for an evening at the iconic Royal Opera House, and finds himself entangled in gunshots and trapped with the Bombay mafia with a damsel in distress. Shekhar has heroic ambitions thrust upon him when he finds that he is the country’s last hope. In the process, he discovers an international spy ring and falls in love.
A live jazz band performing in the background creates a dramatic effect and paces the action. Atul explains, “I always saw the score for jazz and swing tunes as they used to be in Hindi cinema in the 1940s and 50s. We selected a few freelancers and made a band specially for this play and composed some original tunes for the show. Though I am still working on them, the show wouldn’t have had half an impact without them.”
The play jumps from genre to genre, setting up and creating a period atmosphere. Atul reveals how he derived inspiration and tried to borrow culture from comics, series, even Indian films and serials like CID. “The images are influenced from cinema, photos and comics that one has grown up with. It’s only the impressions as none of us really had lived in that era. To me, it sometimes feels like fiction.”
The play has hardly faltered on the screenplay and Atul has wisely relied on a Hitchcockian template. The director says it is always important to be truthful. “It is a constant struggle because often one has to compromise to create an effect or reach a target through means that are surfaced and not grounded in any depth. The fight is always on.”
The play, as he tells us, is not entirely an adaptation of Hitchcock’s 39 Steps but has scenes from a few of his films. However, it has been inspired from the original novel by Buchan and importantly from many Hindi films of the 1950s where the villain is a fugitive and planning mass destruction. Spies, cops and gangsters abound. In fact, the title Nau-do-gyaarah (9-2-11, a Hindi idiom for disappearing) is inspired from Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes again. “It (9-2-11) has a quality of running, vanishing, as well as fast pace. It is a catchy and cheesy title just like the genre,” the director tells us.
Atul’s challenge was to make the dialogues communicable to the contemporary generation. “The way actors in old Hindi films spoke is still etched in everyone’s memories. So when you do a parody, it already is on a funny ground and the audience is with you. The rest of the work was done by the writers, Gagan Dev Riar, Niketan Sharma and Pallav Singh. The references were the cinematic images of that era and we simply recreated them.”
The protagonist himself is representative of anxieties and self-doubts of the current era. Explaining his rationale, Atul says, “He could easily take a pathway which is legal but he choose to resolve the mystery by himself. He constantly makes decisions in his journey that are unconventional. One wonders if they are really good for the nation or for his own ego and identity. Does he really care for his country or for himself?” Yet this self-questioning is done with a positive energy. As Atul is currently gearing up for curating theatre for the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa in December, he draws his inspiration from “the young people who question everything of the past and are always ready to explore their roots.”
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Festival director of Indianama, Kunel Gaur on assessing India from a new vantage point.
Indian streets are fascinating spaces, where myriad colours come together daily. To the Indian eye, this is mostly invisible because we are used to it and consider it commonplace. The kirana shop is part of that colourful space but often goes overlooked. The Indianama 2018 festival will bring together 71 graphic designers to redesign 71 vibrant street side shops marking the 71 years of India’s Independence. Each designer was paired with a shop/business owner to conceptualise, design and initiate an identity system for them. This identity system was implemented on-site, with due supervision by the designer, if and when required. A packaged version of the project will be unveiled at the Bikaner House featuring shops and local businesses from Karol Bagh, Saket, Mehrauli, Saidulajab, Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, Chawri Bazaar and more.
India is diverse and mostly divergent. Why do you call India schizophrenic?
Schizophrenic here refers to the dynamic, almost hallucinative visual culture we live in. It doesn’t refer to the country as a whole, but a part of it. One that is so rich it appears to be of another world, at another time, in another universe.
Why did you decide to do up storefronts and why do they need an identity system?
In India, just as much as our malls and high streets stand out, our markets with their vendors blend themselves in our daily lives to an extent of being inseparable. Still, design never managed to reach the streets, never became a part of the charming culture that street markets are all about. Hence, to truly transform the way India sees design, through this edition of Indianama we’re taking design to India’s original showplace. We want to give access of good design to people who’ve never known what it can do for them
In the designers’ reimagining of India, what is the core sensibility that they have to keep in mind?
The selected designers were picked based on how much their work related to the concept this year. And whether a particular business fit the design sensibilities of those we shortlisted. We had to make sure that the kind of work they have done in the past resonates with the business/store/ small shop they have chosen to work on. This was important considering the challenges we could face at the time of implementation.
What revelation, if any, emerged from last year’s Indianama?
Last year’s Indianama focussed on visualising the different sides of India from the point of view of a tourist visiting India.
We went in expecting that most of the artwork will follow a template, a blueprint of how the larger world sees India (it’s usually busy streets and bright colours.) We were happy to be proven wrong. In fact, it was a pleasant surprise to see all shades of the country represented, ranging from billionaires’ castles looming above a grocery store to a tribute to a decade full of disco — it was quite the wild ride.
In this modern re-envisioning of the kirana shop, what did the designers find in common across the city?
Chaos, and confusion, and sudden love for colours. Reluctance that turned into enthusiasm the moment we revealed the first draft of designs to the shop owners.
Is the exhibition a reminder for the country to step back and evaluate its core?
As a country, we treat design as a medium of marketing, a way of presentation that’s bound to get your attention. While this helps corporations and startups that work with creative agencies like us, empowering them with great design systems, there’s a whole other side of it that is completely ignored. The exhibit is a reminder to stop and evaluate our sensibilities, and the role of design in making a difference by helping those that least understand it.
Do art exhibitions for design grab enough attention and are they the right platform for the country’s artists?
Exhibits like these create better environments for locals to come and experience design, or any form of expression in the sense that it will used eventually. The 2018 edition is a step back in terms of technology and use of digital media, but a step forward in the direction that we intend the local Indian design scene to move to.
Where is the Indian design sensibility headed?
On the timeline of where we’re coming from and where we’re headed, we’d call it the post re-interpretation phase. We’re contemporising our heritage and culture — giving birth to new vantage points that show different sides of India to everyone looking over — as opposed to one universal definition of India as a heritage state.
Writer: Asmita Sarkar
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are coming up with a higher dose of Indian and international content this month for avid watchers.
Mughal influence can be seen in Rahul Mishra’s designs at the India Couture Week. This writer catches up with the designer and talks about his creations.
Spectacularly decorated with an assortment of leaves, the stage looked elegant as it took on the appearance of an eternal heavenly garden where princes and princesses would walk around. With oodles of nature, glamour and splendour, designer Rahul Mishra showcased his collection at the India Couture Week 2018 on the fourth day.
The idea behind the lush greenery on stage was based on Maraasim
(relationships in Urdu) and explored the connection between nature and man-made architecture, traditional and modern, according to Rahul. He said, “My idea is that when you create a man-made structure, is there a way that you can bring an element of nature in it?”
While other designers focus on glamour, art and rhetoric, the style-statement for Rahul was, “the cross-pollination of ideas that resulted in entirely unique and unified aesthetic expressing a genuine delight in the creation of beauty,” since nothing could be created in isolation. The theme also reflected the Mughal aesthetics, which he said was not an invention of any single artist, nor any particular group of artists. “It was a blend of art practices from Persia, European influences and the rich indigenous Indian traditions,” said he.
His designs were an amalgamation of Mughal designs and florals, which extended to menswear as well and he explained, “I tried to simplify the graphic rather than over-do it. Sometimes it is great to follow gender-neutral trends and ideas for your designs.”
From zardozi to aari, Kashmiri embroidery, tile-work, inspired from the tomb of Asif Khan and some from the Taj Mahal, Rahul’s designs defined elegance and reminisced history.
With this collection, he applauded the craftsmanship and the artists that worked on it and said, “Many of the pieces were done at my studio, but around 80 per cent of the craftsmen were in their villages. Some of them even live in the slums of Mumbai and by employing them I feel, they can also improve their and their family’s lot.”
Rahul explains his idea of an ideal bride and his designs that follow a 100 percent sustainable approach, “She is extremely intelligent, very well-travelled, and doesn’t get impacted by the sea of influences around her. She is very strong-headed and inspires me the most. She challenges conventionality and is the one who creates a new look, a new role for herself. She also recycles everything what she creates so beautifully. Her idea is to re-invent, re-create and re-wear alehenga which would otherwise lie in her wardrobe.” For Rahul, fabrics are important for designing, “For me, textiles have always been a starting point and an inspiration. Ultimately, the designer makes the two dimensional fabric look 3D. It is almost like a canvas for me. But as a designer, the beauty is that you have so much variety and beauty in every fabric that the innovation comes out in each. The result is so beautifully unique each time.”
The collection collaborated with Swarovski, to replicate tender features of a dewdrop. The designer experimented while designing and revealed, “A lot of new elements like Swarovski crystals were used. The experiments extended to the shapes where I tried a lot of layering. The blouses had two-three layers and the dupatta was draped differently, sometimes even like a shrug. On top there was an over-layering of the blouse.
“We did play a lot with styles and designs. In this process, the idea was to create a new version in terms of how people can perceive fashion and how they can wear same kind of things differently. Initially, the first pieces are all about showcasing lehengas, which can be worn with a jacket or a shrug, which looks different. Hence, my designs are about exploring possibilities,” he added.
Writer: Pioneer
Courtesy: The Pioneer
The goal of a Guru is to bring human beings closer to God. The Shishya can attain Moksha with the Guru’s help.
Let’s try to understand the guru-shishya relationship from the perspective of a shishya. The guru has been given the highest place in the shastras. He is Brahma though he does not have four heads, he is Vishnu though he does not have four arms, he is Shiv though he does not have three eyes. It is in the experience of the guru and the guru alone that the shishya experiences ‘Para Brahma’, or that which is unmanifest. The importance of the guru is such that in The Rudrayamala it is said, “By devotion to the guru, a jiva will attain the state of Indra, Lord of Celestials. But by devotion to Me (Ishta Devta alone) he might not attain Me”.
Dhyan moolam Guru murti, pooja moolam Guru padam
Mantra moolam Guru vakyam, moksha moolam Guru kripa
The above shloka is the essence of the life of a shishya. That is the centre of dhyan for a shishya is the form of his/her guru. All the pilgrimages are made by the shishya at the feet of the guru. Every word of the guru is like a mantra (codified energy) for the shishya and he/she attains moksha only by the grace of the guru.
For a shishya, everything associated with the guru is shreshtam or foremost. It is said that the place where the guru lives is equivalent to the Kailash parvat for the shishya. The trees in the guru’s house are equivalent to Kalp vriksha, the water that flows there is like Ganga, the herbs that grow are like Sanjeevani buti, the air is like prana vayu, the food served is prasad, and the water is amrit. When a shishya sits for dhyan with the guru, he/she experiences the state of the guru and gains from the experience of the years of sadhna done by him.
It is after a lifetime of sadhna that a being meets his/her guru, and when that happens, there are indications for it. The first indication is the occurrence of certain changes in his/her body. It starts looking the way the shishya had always desired. Secondly, any imbalance or disease that was hurting the body starts to disappears. You cease to fall ill. And the third indicator is that you start experiencing the energies that run this creation. A guru does not charge you a fee or claim to rid you of your problems; he puts you on the path of attaining the final reality, opening the doorways to subtler dimensions. He is sthir in the five yams of ashtang yog. He exudes the glow and attraction of yog. Whatever he says happens. His mantra uchcharan is full of force and results in divine experiences and manifestations. It is something which people at Dhyan Ashram experience daily.
One should not be in a hurry to choose a guru. They should be absolutely sure when he/she does choose one, basing faith in the experiences he/she has had. Yog sutras give a period of two years for a sadhak to observe, analyse and understand everything before making a Guru. Because after you make a Guru, if you start doubting his/ her teachings or change the path, it is considered as disrespect to the guru (also known as guru niradar). The sadhna of years comes to a point zero. Poet Kabir has said:
Kabira Te Nar Andh Hai Jo Guru Kahate Aur
Hari Ruthe Guru Thor Hai Guru Ruthe Nahi Thor
The next two years are for the guru to accept the sadhak as a shishya. Just like gurus are rare to find, shishyas, too, are few in number. There are certain indicators of a shishya. A shishya keeps focus on the guru; there exists nothing but the guru for him/her. The faith and surrender of the shishya is absolute. A shishya never hides things from the guru and the relationship between the shishya and the guru is barrier-less. A shishya is like a reflection of the guru. He/she exudes the radiance of the guru and his/her vritti (activity) is according to the state of the guru.
Once the guru makes a shishya, he/she becomes his 100% responsibility. The guru monitors the shishya not daily or hourly, but every second. The guru carries the shishya on the path of yog. The domain of the guru is gyan for the shishya. And the domain of shishya is seva of the guru. Such is the mahima of guru-shishya relationship. It cannot be undermined by tying it to a physical give and take. If anywhere in the world this relationship is rested upon physical or monetary favours from either side, it is a tamasha or a business deal.
The present understanding of the term guru is rooted in the physical. Innovative terms like ‘love guru’, ‘business guru’, and ‘management guru’ have become popular. This is indicative of the wrong thought process and desire pattern of people. Even pilgrimages have been turned into picnic spots in present times. People go there in the hope of fulfilling material aspirations. If your desires are rested in the physical, then you need not go to a guru. Simple charity and service and following the laws of creation is enough to achieve physical desires. Guru is needed when you want to understand what lies beyond the obvious. Then, your desire is for siddhis of yoga and to go out of the ambit of life and death.
The problem of kalyug is that our desires are embedded in the physical. So, even when one sets out on a search for the guru, he/she measures him/ her using physical yardsticks — how big is his ashram, how many factories does he own, etc. Beyond that, one is unable to comprehend and thus misses out on the essence of what a guru is. It’s ok to be embedded in the physical because for the majority, that is the starting point. But if you have found a guru and are walking his path and over a period of time your desires are still as they were, then you need to think again about what you can do differently.
The night of Guru Purnima is of particular significance to a shishya. Yagya and mantra sadhna performed on this night under the sanidhya of Guru bestows the practitioner with boons equivalent to many years of sadhna in just one night.
The writer can be reached at www.dhyanfoundation.com
Writer: Yogi Ashwini
Courtesy: The Pioneer
The director of Dus Kahaniyaan, and a successful actor for years, Rohit Roy has delved into the world of web series with Memories. Here’s how was his experience working with Vikram Bhatt, and his love for direction.
Was it challenging to play a news anchor with superpowers?
It was amazing. Just listening to the narrative of the series got me hooked. My character Siddharth Sareen believes in staying true to his job. He has the power to delve into the memories of a dead person through which he helps solve criminal cases. I wish I had a power like that in real life.
How did you prepare for this?
It was quite exhausting as I had to work psychologically to show the split personalities. On one side, he is aggressive and loud news anchor, whereas on the other, he is calm and composed as he goes into the memories. Switching constantly between the two was a challenge. I had to focuss on minute details which I never do otherwise. Unlike other series, we shot this is different places in Mumbai to give it a realistic look and feel.
How was your experience working with Vikram Bhatt?
I’ve always wanted to work with Vikram sir. Not many know that I worked with Pravin Bhatt for some ads during the initial days of my career. Since then, I wished to work with Vikram Bhatt. The way he writes and narrates is out of this world. When I got this role, apart from the story, it was him because of which I wanted to do it. And when he narrated it to me, I got fascinated and instantly said yes.
How was your experience as director of Dus Kahaniyaan?
I cannot call it behind the screen. A director is always on the screen, taking shots, crafting the scenes and the movie. He is the one who lives every scene of the film, the actors do what the director tells them to. But for a director, it is his story and he has full control over how it will be shown.
Why choose direction?
Directing comes naturally to me and this brought me to the entertainment world. Acting happened by chance as I was offered a role and I thought to give it a try. It is the creative part of the film which I love. It intrigues me to be able to show people your vision. I never took anything as a challenge.
You’ve done so many different roles, which one came close to you?
The role of Fattu in Shootout At Lokhandwala came close to my heart. It was my first time in a lead role in a film. Besides, it was a really good role. Then Amit Shellar in Kaabil was a very powerful role. It gave me the opportunity to not only share a screen space with my real life brother Ronit Roy, but also play an out and out negative character for the first time.
Any new directorial project?
I will be directing another film which I cannot talk about right now.
Writer: Muskan Jain
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Our philosophy of wealth is unsound and disabling and is the root cause of many ills at the socio-economic and political level, says Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj
In many countries, modern life has improved people’s standards of living. However, people generally do not seem to be very happy with their lives. This can be regarded as a surprise given that the level of prosperity is at a historic high. There is no doubt in the fact that every human being has the right to live and, therefore, the right to feed, to clothe and to house himself as well as his dependents. Besides these three, one has to fulfil some other needs as well with an aim to avoid pain and to have a reasonably comfortable life. The trouble begins at the point when one adopts the economic philosophy, which states that multiplication of money and fulfilment of wants leads to a higher standard of living and eventually, greater level of happiness. Due to this, one tends to accumulate as much as he can by fair and foul play. This economic philosophy is basically erroneous and self-defeating and is the cause of many social, economic, political and moral maladies of our times.
To begin with, happiness is hard to define as different people may have different concepts of happiness, but directly correlating standard of living with happiness is likely oversimplifying their relationship. While good life conditions certainly contribute to happiness, people in poor countries frequently express a surprisingly high level of happiness in opinion polls. For some people fulfilling work and social relationships probably add more to happiness than being able to afford luxury goods. We should also understand one thing that happiness is not the same thing as pleasure. Happiness depends more on the mental state of a person than on the fulfilment of desires and the gratification of senses. A man who is fabulously rich may have all sorts of comforts and yet may remain worried. By no stretch of imagination can such a man be called a happy man. On the other hand, a person not living in luxury, or even in comfort may be found to be happy as well as contented. So, there may be a man whose hands are full but whose soul is empty.
Also, it would be wrong to measure one’s standard of living on a scale of luxury goods. It would also be wrong to dissociate this term from the intellectual, moral and cultural aspects of a person. There may, for instance, be a person with high moral character, who leads a life of voluntary non-possession or minimum possessions. He may be an intellectual of a high order, contented in mind and refined in the cultural sense. Hence, it would be wrong to say that his “standard of living” is not high. We should remember that just as food sustains the body so does the mind find sustenance in happiness.
So, the saying goes: There is no food as good as happiness. And, to be happy, you have to be contented. Just as, for bodily well-being, man seeks food, so should he maintain the state of contentment to ensure happiness of mind. As Alfred Nobel rightly said, “Contentment is the only real wealth.” We should, therefore, not run after securing another kind of wealth. Hence it can safely be concluded that, beyond a limit, the multiplication of wants and their satisfaction does not promote happiness and certainly not in that proportion.
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Bollywood host and actor Maniesh Paul shares his hourney into the world of singing.
For Delhi boy Maniesh Paul the turning point in his life came when he hosted Jhalak Dikhla Ja, a dance reality TV show in 2012. Paul had been a part of the glamour industry since 2007 when he began as a VJ for Zee Music in Delhi before moving on to Mumbai to seek more opportunities. He then became an RJ before transitioning to host TV shows and act in movies. After the dance show, he won awards for Mickey Virus in 2014.
Paul had his path chartered out from childhood as he wanted to be an actor. Sheer hardwork and a belief in himself got him through the rough patches in life.
The actor-singer is also deeply influenced by Salman Khan, who egged him to record a single. Paul has accompanied the star on multiple month-long tours to perform for global audiences. He recently went on a 30-days tour of the United States and Canada with Khan, Katrina Kaif, Prabhudeva, Sonakshi Sinha and Jacqueline Fernandez. They performed in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and London last year and are already planning for the next.
“It was a great experience performing with Khan. The shows and the turnout are humongous. I wasn’t only hosting, Khan gave me the opportunity to sing. I performed with everyone there,” he added.
He will soon be seen hosting Indian Idol and would also star in some films. A new single is also in the pipeline. The actor calls himself an “accidental singer”, as Khan told him to sing professionally. His debut single, Harjai featured Iulia Vantur, Khan’s alleged girlfriend while the second one, Munde Town de, a Punjabi song was a natural progression since he is a “hardcore Punjabi”.
“I sang in school and college. My hobby became a profession,” he added.
The all-round performer added his two bits against the Kiki challenge. “I saw this video where a girl got crushed under the car. There’s a big stretch of road behind my house where people trying this have met with accidents. I make people aware that this is not the way to enjoy life. Even if 10 people listen to me I will be happy I brought a change,” he said.
For future performers, he has only one advice that hard work and faith in one’s work is very important while finding a footing in the entertainment industry.
Writer: Asmita Sarkar
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Karwan is an Irrfan Khan starrer, directed by Akarsh Khurana. The director believes the road trip in the movie is a representation of the changes the characters undergo.
As a child, director Akarsh Khurana found working backstage in a theatre production fascinating in its gush and accuracy. But the same could not be said of film shoots, which if he was not involved, seemed boring. “But it certainly helped to have an exposure and my father, Akash Khurana, who was an actor-director, played an important role in certain choices that I made. My father’s career gave me easy and early access and I began my writing career pretty young,” says Khurana whose debut film Karwaan will hit theatres tomorrow. Senior Khurana has been a veteran theatre person and one would recall immediately if one has watched Saraansh, Sarfarosh andBarfii.
With a stellar cast which includes Irrfan Khan, Malyalam actor Dulquer Salmaan and Mithila Palkar, the idea of this road movie came from Bejoy Nambiar while the screenplay was written by Khurana and Adheer Bhatt. “Nambiar gave us this idea where somebody receives the wrong dead body for a funeral and has to undertake a journey to rectify the mistake. So we decided to just flesh it out,” says Khurana who has been running a prolific theatre company called Akvarious Productions for 18 years which has had 60 productions in different genres in terms of play. “Our voice is that of urban, contemporary comedies that have a little bit of soul,” he adds.
Khurana points out that while people might talk about road movies like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara orPiku to say that he is cashing in on the growing popularity of the sub-genre in recent times, he feels it has been around as a mainstream format for years. “Bombay to Goa was one,” he says and goes on to elaborate, “The road trip is a metaphor for the journey that the characters undergo. More than the geographical distance that they cover, it is more about how they reconcile with the problems that they have within themselves and with each other.”
But while writing the movie, he never thought about the actors that he would cast. “We had never imagined that we could pull off casting such established people. When Ronnie Screwvala and KK Gupta came, the former suggested that we should at least make Irrfan hear it. After the narration, when Irrfan agreed to do the film immediately, that was like a dream come true,” he recalls. As for Dulquer, associate producer Shubh Shivdasani recommended his name but Khurana had just seen him in the film Charlie where the eminently likeable character was very different from the one in Karwaan. “So I decided to see some more of his work and realised that he had tremendous range. We met in Chennai for a narration and he thought about taking it up for a week as he had been offered Hindi films earlier too. He weighed his options and said yes. Mithila was cast through a regular process,” he says.
Khurana’s first foray in the film world was with Krrish where he wrote the script and was also the assistant director. “I come from a theatre background and I have been directing for long on stage. I have directed a series on TV for Anurag Basu and also a web series for Alt Balaji called Hijack. So I have been directing for a while. It was just natural progression. The script of Karwaan was very close to my heart and I wanted to do it myself,” he says.
Given the fact that it is a road movie, shooting was bound to take place outdoors which inevitably led to a lot of crowds. “We shot in Kerala where Dulquer is really popular. Thousands would turn up but generally the crowd was well-behaved and controlled. I explained to them that we were working in sync sound and if they were quiet, they would get a chance to see Dulquer later. It was actually a smooth shoot,” he says.
Talking about the competition between old and the newer media, Khurana says that what is happening is that the platforms and number of options are increasing. This, he feels, leads to an explosion of ideas and adaptability. “People have to look upon these as a challenge and also as an opportunity. There is an audience for everything as you can customise content for them. Now people are choosing what they want to see. For the directors, too, there is a lot more freedom in choosing to do what you believe in without worrying about funding and commerce all the time. The concept of smart budgets has arisen only because of a multiplicity of fora.”
Despite the opportunities that the web holds out, Khurana feels that TV still has the maximum reach and depth and should not be written off just yet. “The further you move away from the cities, the reach of TV goes on increasing. There is still time before TV becomes completely outdated. What it needs is to up its game, production values and content that is available to us. The onus is more on creators to create something that grabs the eyeball,” he says.
During downtime, Khurana can be caught inside a cinema hall watching a film or at home reading a book. He also likes travelling. Having finished the hectic schedule of a film shoot, he is looking forward to a bit of a break. “I have been working on projects back to back. I will now take a vacation and figure out what to do. There are talks of a web series and a film but all are in the nascent stage. There is nothing concrete. I certainly want to go back to directing on the stage,” he says, signing off.
Writer: Saimi Sattar
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Mughal influence can be seen in Rahul Mishra’s designs at the India Couture Week. This writer catches up with the designer and talks about his creations.
Spectacularly decorated with an assortment of leaves, the stage looked elegant as it took on the appearance of an eternal heavenly garden where princes and princesses would walk around. With oodles of nature, glamour and splendour, designer Rahul Mishra showcased his collection at the India Couture Week 2018 on the fourth day.
The idea behind the lush greenery on stage was based on Maraasim (relationships in Urdu) and explored the connection between nature and man-made architecture, traditional and modern, according to Rahul. He said, “My idea is that when you create a man-made structure, is there a way that you can bring an element of nature in it?”
While other designers focus on glamour, art and rhetoric, the style-statement for Rahul was, “the cross-pollination of ideas that resulted in entirely unique and unified aesthetic expressing a genuine delight in the creation of beauty,” since nothing could be created in isolation. The theme also reflected the Mughal aesthetics, which he said was not an invention of any single artist, nor any particular group of artists. “It was a blend of art practices from Persia, European influences and the rich indigenous Indian traditions,” said he.
His designs were an amalgamation of Mughal designs and florals, which extended to menswear as well and he explained, “I tried to simplify the graphic rather than over-do it. Sometimes it is great to follow gender-neutral trends and ideas for your designs.”
From zardozi to aari, Kashmiri embroidery, tile-work, inspired from the tomb of Asif Khan and some from the Taj Mahal, Rahul’s designs defined elegance and reminisced history.
With this collection, he applauded the craftsmanship and the artists that worked on it and said, “Many of the pieces were done at my studio, but around 80 per cent of the craftsmen were in their villages. Some of them even live in the slums of Mumbai and by employing them I feel, they can also improve their and their family’s lot.”
Rahul explains his idea of an ideal bride and his designs that follow a 100 percent sustainable approach, “She is extremely intelligent, very well-travelled, and doesn’t get impacted by the sea of influences around her. She is very strong-headed and inspires me the most. She challenges conventionality and is the one who creates a new look, a new role for herself. She also recycles everything what she creates so beautifully. Her idea is to re-invent, re-create and re-wear a lehenga which would otherwise lie in her wardrobe.” For Rahul, fabrics are important for designing, “For me, textiles have always been a starting point and an inspiration. Ultimately, the designer makes the two dimensional fabric look 3D. It is almost like a canvas for me. But as a designer, the beauty is that you have so much variety and beauty in every fabric that the innovation comes out in each. The result is so beautifully unique each time.”
The collection collaborated with Swarovski, to replicate tender features of a dewdrop. The designer experimented while designing and revealed, “A lot of new elements like Swarovski crystals were used. The experiments extended to the shapes where I tried a lot of layering. The blouses had two-three layers and the dupatta was draped differently, sometimes even like a shrug. On top there was an over-layering of the blouse.
“We did play a lot with styles and designs. In this process, the idea was to create a new version in terms of how people can perceive fashion and how they can wear same kind of things differently. Initially, the first pieces are all about showcasing lehengas, which can be worn with a jacket or a shrug, which looks different. Hence, my designs are about exploring possibilities,” he added.
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Subject of parenting is a theme in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Fanney Khan. This writer has a chat with the director, producer, and the cast of the movie.
Dreamers come in all shapes, sizes and ages. When Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra wanted to adapt the Dutch movie, Everybody’s Famous, into Hindi because of its universal appeal, he too had a dream. It took a couple of years to convince the makers to sell the rights which they finally did. It took another half a decade to write and produce it.
“I fell in love with the story and chased the writer and director for three years and persuaded them that their work will be done justice to. Then came the discussion about who will write the movie that took another five-six years,” Mehra said of Fanney Khan. “The story is about dreams and aspirations and I decided to put a musician in the centre of a changing world. There were many artists who did not get an opportunity to showcase their talent in the 80s and 90s. Things improved from 2000 onwards as the industry expanded. But I wondered what happened to those who couldn’t fulfill their dreams to earn their survival? Usually our dreams are transferred to our children, that is what the story is about,” said director Atul Manjrekar.
Mehra, who was also present on a stormy day in Delhi to promote his latest venture as a producer, said that cinema that goes beyond entertainment has always attracted him. “Films are written by people, they are then conceived and the captain of the ship directs it. There are music directors, writers, cameraperson and everyone puts their emotions into the film that is finally watched by people. Cinema is not a need. If I remove cinema from your life, there will be a vacuum. What it does is to fulfill the emotional need to connect,” said he.
The movie, which stars Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand and Divya Dutta, will also deal with issues like body shaming.
“Women are subjected to a gaze. From the moment she wakes up to the moment she sleeps and even in her dreams, she’s subjected to it especially if she doesn’t look a certain way. If she’s not fair, if she’s too thin or too dark, everything is an issue. We always go to ‘see’ a girl for marriage and not a boy. The conversation is centred around testimonials about her as if she’s standing on trial. Our cinema, literature and society too have propagated this stereotype. The beautiful way in which Atul has told the story is for you to interpret and experience yourself. It doesn’t point fingers against anyone but is a reflection of the society,” added Mehra. “The film at its core is about the relationship between a father and his daughter while body shaming adds a layer to it. How someone perceives the message is up to them. I just wanted people to be aware. There is an idea of perfect body for men and women. People care about height, weight, skin colour and people are competing to look better than each other and that pressure is consuming all of us,” added Manjrekar.
Both have worked together so far but for this film, Mehra handed over the reins to Manjrekar. Asked whether he was free to make the film the way he wanted to, he answered in the affirmative. Mehra added that since he has been both a producer and director and understands the freedom one craves for in making a film, it would be a joke to not give the same to Manjrekar.
“Being a director, I understand the working of a director. It was obvious that I would apply all that when I become a producer,” Mehra said. One of the questions that Manjrekar asked while making the film was where did the junior artists, who sometimes imitated big stars and did street shows, go? That answer will be articulated by actor Anil Kapoor, who is the protagonist, unsuccessful in life but nurtures his daughter for the big stakes. The versatile Kapoor was attracted by the solidity and depth of the story. “I began my career with telling good stories. Starting from Woh Saat Din, I have chosen different scripts. When movies were being made 35 years ago, the hero was either playing a guitar, riding the bike or dancing. But I still broke convention. Even now I don’t think about who is the hero or supporting role or if the story is pivoted around a girl or boy,” he added. “Earlier, people made fun of me but that has stopped after years of proving myself. For instance, before shooting 1942, a Love Story, I called the media to tell them that I was going to publicly cut my hair for the role but nobody turned up. I wanted to do this with the set in the backdrop 20 years ago. Today, even a minute detail is reported in the media.” The point being gimmickry, which is prized today, just didn’t matter in the end.
Kapoor has been in the industry for more than 35 years and talked about how technology has aided in production. “For Mr India, everything was done on the set. I used to sit on a chair for three hours just to get a shot of a chair having an impression of someone sitting there. Special effects can be generated on computers now,” said he.
He also believes that the latest generation of actors is very hard-working. “They work 1,000 times harder now. During my time, there were times that actors would take on multiple projects and not give enough time to one but now actors work on one movie in two years and go deep into the character,” he added. The veteran also said that every actor has a struggle phase. But he has been lucky that way since producers have chosen him for the right story. “During the initial phase, I didn’t ask what the role was. I was getting an opportunity and that was enough. If I asked questions about the role or money there was the danger of losing the role. (Laughs) Then you reach a stage when you can make decisions for yourself. There are times you make wrong decisions or you’re in a position to demand a pay packet. I have been through all those phases,” Kapoor said.
Rao concurred that he too was lucky as he was able to choose the kind of work after his first film. “As an outsider, you don’t have an option to choose your films but right after the first one, the filmmakers that I worked with and the films that I went on to do were in my hands,” he said. “I learnt a lot from Anil Kapoor. His discipline and commitment to his work is amazing. When I am his age, I hope I am as energetic,” he added.
Sand, who’s making her debut and will be one of the central characters, said that she always wanted to be an actor. “We did a lot of readings with Atul sir, Anil sir and Divya ma’am (who plays her mother in the movie). Nothing was forced because of how beautiful the script was. I play a pure person who thinks that she knows a lot and her inner journey overshadows her messy clothes or her plus size.”
Dutta, who will be seen as an ordinary housewife struggling to keep everyone happy within the limited income of her husband, said, “It’s a story which is relatable to every family. Every parent wants their kid’s dreams to come true even if they might differ in the way they see life. Somewhere there is a common ground. Your own is your own,” said Dutta.
She also clarified that while feature films do make people aware about issues, this film was definitely not propagandist. Issues are not picked up in isolation, instead the film talks about them from the point of good story-telling.
Writer: Asmita Sarkar
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Designer Anju Modi tells this writer how national and international boundaries are bridging to create acceptance for all the cultural differences in designs.
Since most of your designs are based on bridal couture, how do you blend the Western silhouettes and Indian fashion aesthetics?
The boundaries have melted and there is a cultural mix all around. Fashion has become important these days; there are destination weddings, gigantic and theme-based weddings, where designs depend on the theme. If it is happening in Banaras, the dresses would be in Banarasi brocade, or if it is taking place in Florence then they would be in soft, muted tones. I feel there is nothing like Indian and Western anymore.
Fashion is never constant. How do you cope with the changing global trends?
Creativity is dynamic. It changes with social changes, automatically my creativity works the same way and I bring global trends into my design.
India has a rich heritage of fabrics, which now are being increasingly recognised as art, unlike before when it was a mere hierarchical symbol. What is your take on this?
We have a textile history of over 500 years. It has been evolving since then. I take my inputs from the weaver and the artisans too.
As an Indian designer, I feel that it is my responsibility to take it forward and help in reviving and regenerating our textiles.
What is your greatest source of inspiration as a designer?
Nature is my biggest inspiration. Different cultures and traditions, architecture, art and music inspire me a lot.
What is new about the India Couture Week this year? What was your unique signature at the show?
Now that there are no boundaries and there’s equal exposure everywhere.
We are creating a future look for brides and bridesmaids where the silhouettes are refreshed in soft colours with detachable white collars and cuffs, while some extra flounces are added to the skirts and bodice taking on a V-shape and the dropped shoulder. Exaggerated ostentation, tight corsets, gigantic hoop-skirts and outrageous bustle make today’s fashion trends look sedated by comparison.
You have designed for some films. How do they help in dissemination of fashion sensibilities and as a designer how do you change your ways for the screen while keeping your signature intact?
I go with the flow of my thoughts and ideas. I transport myself to the era the film is from, and think from that very era’s character. I express my thoughts and ideas for that era through the costumes I make for the film. This way, every film’s costumes are unique and also do justice to the film.
What are the other projects that you are currently working on?
I am currently designing the costumes for Chiranjeevi, Amitabh Bachchan, Nayantara and Tamannah Bhatia for the film Sye Raa, which is based on Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, an Indian freedom fighter.
Writer: Pioneer
Courtesy: The Pioneer
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