He started off as a contestant and now have come a long way. MUSBA HASHMI speaks with choreographer TUSHAR KALIA about his journey to becoming a judge of a reality show
From a contestant to now a judge, how has your journey been?
It has been an incredible and overwhelming one. I have learnt a lot. I was a part of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Season 1 and 2, both went well for me. I feel fortunate that the panel of judges were great — Karan Johar, Remo D’Souza and Madhuri Dixit. I was also a stage director of India’s Got Talent and then eventually Ae Dil Hai Mushkil happened. I feel great when I look back at my journey. And, now I am judging Dance Deewane, it feels great.
How did you come on board as a choreographer for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil?
All thanks to Karan Johar who gave me this opportunity. He saw my work in both the reality shows — Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and IGT and liked it. That is how I was offered my first Bollywood — Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
How was the experience with the film?
It was a wonderful experience. I choreographed all the eight songs for the film. I was travelling with the team for two months and it was a great learning experience. I had never done a movie before, I was more involved in the stage work, so I didn’t know how the industry works. I remember that throughout the shooting, I was learning too.
What is the USP of this season?
The talent. We have brilliant performers on the show. The first season worked because the format was unique and it still is. This season audience is getting to see the bonding between four of us — Madhuri Dixit, Shashank Khaitan, Arjun Bijlani (who is the host) and I. This season the contestants are better than the previous one.
What qualities do you look out for in the contestants?
In the show we have three generations who are competing with each other. But, the moment the contestants come on the stage, they are equal for us. They all are performers. They have to perform to their full capability. The performance should touch our heart and soul. It has to be a good performance. That is all what we look out for in the show.
How is the environment on the sets?
It is fun to work with the whole team. We all bond so well. It is a very light environment on the sets. We crack jokes. We all gossip together and do lots of masti.
Any favourite contestant in the show?
All the contestants are good and talented. There are no favourites. As a judge, it is important to keep your emotions aside and give your judgement without any bias.
When did you realise your passion for dance?
It happened when I was in school. My mother was a dancer and she was a teacher in the same school as mine. You know how is it like to have your mother as a teacher in your school. Beta chalo annual function hai perform karo, beta ab yeh funtion hai school mein chalo perform karo. And, you can’t say no. That is how I got interested in dance. Then, it was my mother who insisted me that I should make a career in dance. She asked me if I would be interested in learning kathak and since I didn’t know much about dance that time, I said no to it. I thought it was too feminine. Then, she asked me to go and see a stage performance in Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi. The moment I saw the performance, I made up my mind that this is what I want to pursue.
How do you define dance?
In just three words — it’s my life. That is all. I don’t know anything but dancing. That’s what I have been doing from the last 15 years.
One thing that goes in your mind while you are performing on stage?
Step na bhul jaun kahin. I still have this fear. I still feel nervous whenever I am on stage. I still get butterflies in my tummy as soon as I step on to the stage. And, it is very important to have this fear. It helps in bringing out the best in you.
What advice would you like to give out to the aspiring dancers?
I would just say that go and dance your heart out. It is the most important thing. Your soul should be visible while dancing, it is not just about the physical moves. We should be able to connect to you. Most of the times, aspirers lack this quality. Earlier, it was missing in my performance too. Back then, I was a technically correct dancer, but not a performer. Now, people look for complete performers. So imbibe the quality of an overall performer in yourself and you are good to go.
Writer: MUSBA HASHMI
Courtesy: The Pioneer
World is full of either extroverts or introverts. Extroverts find it easy to express themselves but introverts usually struggle to put forward their feelings and thoughts. In Sony Entertainment Television’s show Patiala Babes, Hanuman Singh played by Anirudh Dave, although an outspoken inspector, is struggling to express his feelings to Babita played by Paridhi Sharma. The dabang officer, is seen trying hard to gather courage and express how he feels about Babita. Mini (Ashnoor Kaur) along with her friends is helping Hanuman to learn the tricks to impress and charm Babita, but still he is unable to confront her because of his shy nature.
Aniruddh Dave’s wife — Shubhi Ahuja has drawn huge similarity between his reel character and real life personality. According to Shubhi, Aniruddh is an extremely shy person when it comes to expressing his feelings. He took very long to confess his feelings and propose to Shubhi to marry him. Now that she is seeing the same personality in his character Hanuman Singh. She is continuously telling Aniruddh, that it is high time for Hanuman to confess his feelings towards Babita and propose her to marry him. She is quite bothered about the time that Hanuman is taking to express his feelings. Every time there is a romantic track on, between the two, Ahuja is able to relate to it.
When asked Aniruddh Dave about this, he said: “Shubhi has shared my real personality and it is true that I am an extremely shy person. I do not share my feelings easily neither did I confess my love for her at once. It took me a couple of months to gather the courage to express my feelings to her. My character, and I definitely share this trait and hence Shubhi is constantly asking me, ‘when is Hanuman Singh going to propose to Babita in the show?’ And I reply to her saying if I took so long to confess my feelings, Hanuman Singh is only going to take longer.”
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Actor Adrian Lester says he personally believed in art and has collected some original artistic pieces, carvings and triptych from different countries while doing Riviera. By Team Viva
What did you think of the Riviera’s script when you first read it?
I thought it was ambitious. We only got the first two episodes to read and a gentle overview of where things would go after that so you base your appreciation on those two things. But it was a very intriguing series and a world full of art that I haven’t seen before on television so I was glad to jump in and be a part of it.
How do you go about preparing for a role and do you build up a backstory to your character?
When you’re doing a TV project of this nature, you can replace your backstory with front one because you don’t know where the character’s going to end up. Also, the information about their backstory contained in the first couple of scripts you receive is very minimal, so you invent it to make sure you have a real working connection with the other actors to move forward. But what might happen then is you read episode three, which you didn’t get before and suddenly find out that you were orphaned. So you might say “I’m going to do loads of back preparation” when actually you have to just jump in and play. Then when you reach to episodes five and six, those scripts will have been written by writers, who have watched your performances in episodes one and two, so they will be working from what you’ve already brought to the character. So you have to change the backstory for front story and they start to create the character in line with what you’re playing already.
Is it becomes a collaborative process?
It feels collaborative because you get the script and might say “well this wouldn’t happen and that wouldn’t happen,” and then they can shift and change the whole script.
Tell us about your character, Robert?
He’s an art dealer, who trained in the same class as Georgina. They both know a lot about art, although they work on different sides of it. Georgina is a curator and she fells in love with him. Robert, on the other hand, has used his knowledge to start tracking where paintings are being sold, where they are being kept and who has them. It’s quite common for people, who buy a piece of art, to actually have a really good reproduction on their wall while the original is locked away in a vault somewhere.
The explosion sets off a huge chain of events for many people. How does Constantine’s death specifically change Robert’s life?
It changes Georgina’s life and that changes Robert’s life. It brings someone who was very close to him back into his life.
Are you an art lover yourself? What kind of art do you prefer?
I have some original pieces. Some carvings, but not conventional art and there are triptych that I got from different countries. There’s nothing major that falls in line with the classics that people pay millions for.
As an actor, what do you ideally want from a director? Is it freedom? Is it guidance? Or does the answer vary from project to project?
It varies because if you don’t relate to the character, you need to have an expert eye watching you as you climb towards it. Or if the character is close to you, is very emotional and is quote private, then you want freedom and the security that it brings. Every actor works in different ways. Some actors might be brilliant and amazing on their first two takes. Other actors really need to warm up. They get into the skin slowly. So you have to see who’s bringing what in rehearsal and work from that.
You directed episodes seven and eight of this series. How did this understanding of your fellow actors feed into your work as a director?
It’s something you have to read. As an actor who is also directing, I know exactly how the other actor could feel. So when you shout ‘action’, what goes down the lens is brutally real and convincing and they can do that in a very safe environment.
How did you find the experience of directing Riviera given it has such a distinctive cinematic look?
You’ve got set design by 18th-century France and lighting by God, so you just have to point the camera on it at the right time of day, having been given these things for nothing. But having said that, you do require the time, energy, budget and a good crew so that you can capture all these moments and make them as expressive as they could be. The characters are very rich, so we had to put all of that on screen and make people feel like they were watching a very lush, almost voluptuous world of art. And you can’t do a drama set in that world and present it in a picture box frame without treating that frame like it’s a piece of art.
Did you have fun while making the show with such a great ensemble cast?
There were people there from all over the world — Germans, French, Russians, Americans, Britishers. We were all there, speaking all of those languages. Everyone has a slightly different method of working. As a director you step in line with the ways everyone chooses to work and on this series they all brought their cultural influences with them, which was really great.
What did you make of the Riviera itself?
There’s a lot of money there and you can see the part of that world, when you go to Monaco Harbour and see the massive yachts there. They just stay there empty for most of the year. If you have that kind of money, why not just rock up and hire one for five days?
What’s your most extravagant purchase?
Me and my family go so practically through life. We never buy things we can’t see or feel the value of. People telling me something is worth ‘x’ doesn’t sway it for me. I have to see the practical value of something I buy. Therefore, we haven’t really splashed out on anything ridiculously expensive. If there is anything that I truly wanted to keep precious, it is my kids and the best way of looking after them is making sure I don’t spend loads of money on train kits.
(Riviera seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on SonyLIV.)
Writer: Team Viva
Courtesy: The Pioneer
For actor Rajeev Khandelwal, it’s either a ‘yes’ in the first narration of a script or simply a ‘no’. However, he tells Chahak Mittal, that he gave time to decide whether he should work on his forthcoming web series, Coldd Lassi aur Chicken Masala. But it intrigued him and love stories are something he hadn’t done in a long time. And this one was ‘gourmet-licious’
Do you remember the last time you saw actor Rajeev Khandelwal being the protagonist in a love story? Kahin Toh Hoga was the only show you could recall, isn’t it? Well, a role like Sujal Garewal’s certainly was not one to be forgotten. Even after donning a number of versatile hats as an actor, his image of a boy next door has been the most favourite one. And when one watches the trailer of his forthcoming ALTBalaji web series, Coldd Lassi aur Chichen Masala, one can surely recall his similar avatar in his previous such roles.
He tells us that it’s the very reason why he chose this role too. “I am doing a love story after a very long time. I really liked and appreciated how the story was written so powerfully. So when love stories are written well, it’s great fun to work and perform on them. It’s premise was also very different. I really liked how the love story proceeded in the backdrop of food as well as the back and forth of the characters within a span of eight years. Also, because it is a web series, it would come to an end after a certain amount of episodes rather than going on for months on TV,” says the actor, who had initially refused to be part of the show as he found the script to be very “superficial” in its first narration. However, after reading the first four chapters later, he agreed with the “beautifully-written script.”
The show features Rajeev as Vikram, a two-star Michelin chef, who is chef Nitya’s (played by Divyanka Tripathi) senior and ex-lover. The story revolves around the couple as they move back and forth between love and conflict in a ‘gourmet-licious’ world. The two lovers had separated after a tiff eight years ago. And in the present day, as they face each other in the same kitchen again, their past makes a comeback. Nitya’s focus on detailing and perfection makes her look like a stubborn and short-tempered person among her colleagues, whereas, Vikram believes in experimentation and is not very approving of Nitya’s idea of traditionality.
A title like that is, for a fact, intriguing. It certainly generates some level of curiosity among the audience if one hasn’t watched the trailer to know what it actually tries to showcase. Why would a love story be named on a food item and an ingredient after all? Rajeev laughs and says that even he had questioned the same. “When I was told that the title of the series would be Coldd Lassi aur Chicken Masala, I was perplexed. I never expected a love story to be named like that. I thought it would be a very romantic title and something new and different. But then, Ekta (Kapoor) usually has a knack for coming up with very interesting titles. She would always think beyond the clouds and come up with something unique. And then, after going on with it for a few days, I also came to terms with it, especially after knowing the complete script. It’s not just the dishes that we are talking about but also has something to do with the characters. If one person matches with the nature of a cold lassi, the other matches with the chicken masala. Somewhere, you’ll notice it even in the characters too. So I find it apt now.”
There have been a plenty love stories, especially when it comes to shows and a dramatic universe created by Ekta Kapoor, but this one appears like a first of its kind to have been airing under her production. With an interesting and new pairing, the trailer makes it evident that the show would promise an added culinary experience with the right flavours and spices in a love story. One can see Divyanka and Rajeev dealing with everyday issues in a hotel kitchen and the challenges chefs face. However, not even once would one point out that they are not professional cooks. We can see them preparing dishes with the same body language and style sous chefs have. So was there any specific kind of training that went into making the cast look like professional kitchen experts? Absolutely. And Rajeev tells us how. “Not just me and Divyanka, but even the other people in the kitchen were trained under head chefs everyday for some time. We were taught the basics of cooking. We were taught how to hold the butcher’s knife and cut, chop and toss. There was a chef always present on the sets who would point out if we were making mistakes in performing a particular act related to cooking. They would tell us, ‘No, you’re holding it wrong. You should pour the sprinkles like this.’ But of course, the dishes which are shown are not prepared by us. They are just prompts that we use,” he says and adds that even though the story has cooking elements in it, it’s a love story, so a kitchen is just a place.
Rajeev believes that the essence of a love story always remains the same. It’s actually the storytelling that changes the game. He says, “Stories can always be similar or can have similar elements but storytelling is different in every plot. Which is the reason why even two same stories would look different when told through different perspectives.”
Be it Table No. 21, Reporters, Sach Ka Saamna, Aamir, Shaitan or even Soundtrack, Rajeev is known for his roles that have might not been commercially acclaimed, but definitely critically. Talking about how he selects a role and how the approach has changed with time, the actor says that he doesn’t think a lot while making a selection. It just comes to him spontaneously. He tell us, “Nothing has really changed. My approach is still the same. I am very instinctive as a person. If something excites me, I want to do it. I say yes, instantly. I have never had a particular way of picking up my projects. I don’t give them too much of a thought.” All these listed above, he adds, were instinctive decisions. “I have sealed all of my projects with the first meeting itself. If I like it, it’s a yes, and if I don’t, it’s a no. Simple!” However, Shaitan would be out of the list here and even Cold Lassi…, scripts of which, he says, hadn’t convinced him in the first meetings.
Though he always convinces, no matter what. Laughs.
(The show releases on September 3 on ALTBalaji and ZEE5.)
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Actress Mrunal Thakur tells Sakshi Sharma that she wants to stay alive for eternity through her work
There are very few small screen actors, which includes the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput, Yami Gautam, Rajeev Khandelwal, who have made a successful transition to the big screen. It remains to be seen whether Mrunal Thakur, made famous by Kumkum Bhagya where she played Bulbul, will be the household name after Batla House, where John Abraham is the protagonist.
When asked about this transition, the actress who was recently seen in Super 30, says, “The best thing that has happened in recent times is that my parents are proud of me which I always wanted. When my father says ‘yes you did it’, that makes me feel like the luckiest girl on this planet.”
However, even while riding the crest of success, she is calm and grounded. She says that she would remain unchanged. When people ask her about popularity and Twitter trends, she replies that she still prefers to lounge around in her pyjamas and eat ghar ka khaana. “It’s normal, it’s the same life that I lived when I was a part of television,” she says. She credits this balance to her upbringing as she says her father is very grounded.
Then, there is also some advice from co-stars. Mrunal says, “One thing I learnt from Hrithik (Roshan) was that the result of your film should not affect you.” She further says that our teachers or parents teach us to be successful in life but nobody teaches us to accept our failures and face them. “It’s important for us to teach children how to cope up with failure, how to work hard on it, give your best and do a great comeback. I follow that policy,” she adds.
Coming back to her film Batla House which has grabbed eyeballs, it is obvious that it is inspired by the controversial encounter operation, which took place in 2008 in the capital. It revolves around the story of a police commissioner, Sanjeev Kumar Yadav (played by John), who has been awarded for his bravery six times but the fallout of this incident is that he is called a murderer. Mrunal plays the role of Nandita Kumar who is a fierce television anchor, a brave journalist and a supportive wife.
When we are curious as to what made her sign on the role, Mrunal closes her eyes for a moment and after a contemplative pause, says, “I could really connect to this role. I always wanted to be a journalist and through this film, I got to play that role. I feel whatever I studied during my journalism course prepared me for it.” The fact that the film is inspired by true events and is content-driven appealed to her the most. She feels that the audience is becoming smarter. They want real films and not the fairytale variety.
The film portrays the relationship between Nandita and Sanjeev and the ups and downs that every family goes through which would help the audience to connect to it easily. Mrunal’s role is of a feisty girl. She says, “I have never played someone like her before. In Love Sonia, I played a victim, in Super 30, I was a girl next door and this character gives out the signal, ‘don’t mess with me’ and has an answer to every question someone asks. It is different.” She feels that doing such a role is important as it takes her into a different zone breaking the monotony.
But she agrees on the point that any new role holds new challenges and says, “There was a scene where I had to operate the revolver and it had to look effortless. I had to dismantle and rearrange it without looking at it. It was tough. Add to it, that my skin got caught in it. Moreover, it is difficult to say the dialogues and operate a revolver simultaneously. I had only read about it in magazines and had never thought that I would be loading bullets.”
As someone who is friendly, acting firm and bold was another challenge. She shares that because she is a Maharashtrian, her Hindi has a trace of an accent which she had to be careful to avoid as when an anchor reads the news, it has to have clear intonation and proper punctuation without the delivery looking forced. She tripped on words like Mujahideen, prejudice and more, which were difficult to pronounce in one go.
As a small screen actor, she can clearly differentiate between the two media. She says that the preparation time is higher in films and actors get at least six months to delve into any character whereas in TV, they get only two to three minutes to read a script before going live. But then, one gets comfortable in their TV characters. Mrunal says, “Bulbul knows what to do but Nandita is dependent on the director. He needs to lead me because that’s new to me. It’s very fascinating to do both simultaneously.”
However, it is the newest kid-on-the-block, digital media, where path-breaking content is really being seen. She is working on a web series because she wants to set an example that actors should not restrict themselves to a single platform. She says, “Do what fascinates you. The medium should not matter. But I don’t see that happening.” Talking about the people in the West, she says that there are actors who are doing series like Friends and then films too. She agrees to the fact that things are changing as we don’t have stereotypes anymore.
There are films which leave the audience with thought-provoking ideas. Mrunal loves to do those as she feels they become a part of the history. She recalls how her film, Love Sonia, which talked about sex trade, changed the laws because of the screenings in New York. She says excitedly, “Imagine, one film can change so many lives!”
She is also an example of the effect that films can have. Sharing her personal experience, she says 3 Idiots changed her career. After watching that film she paid more attention to what she wanted to do in life. She feels that such films would always be remembered by the audience. “Art is something that stays alive even after you are dead, I would love to live through my work,” she adds.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
Writer: Sakshi Sharma
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Actress Sonakshi Sinha believes that sometimes the best way to get across a difficult message is through humour. By Ayushi Sharma
Turned out in all-white — a lacy bralette draped with a short cropped jacket and culottes paired with sporty shoes — I could feel the peaceful aura which actress Sonakshi Sinha exuded at a single glance. We are like yin and yang, as I am dressed in black. Both perfect for an ideal exchange of ideas.
Though she has adorned simplicity, her choice of roles are bold and more complex. In her latest outing Khandaani Shafakhana, she plays Baby Bedi, who is a quick-witted small-town medical representative from an orthodox Punjabi family. Despite her earnest efforts, her modest income never matches up to the mounting bills, which results in multiple loans and creditors knocking at her door constantly. One day, she is presented with an unique opportunity. She must choose between her utterly ordinary life or bail her family out of their perennial money crunch by running a sex clinic, which she inherits from her estranged uncle. The conditions in his will are a tad bit unusual. What follows is the no-holds-barred journey of a girl in a world where people prefer to hush up things. This small-town girl will break all the taboos around sex, open hearts and ultimately, minds.
Sonakshi says that there is a social taboo around the ‘sex’ word itself. We have made it abnormal to say it out loud or discuss it openly with anyone, within families or even with friends. That’s just how, as a society, we have been brought up. Yes, things are changing gradually. She says one of reasons why she did the film was, “Because I am one of those people who never had this conversation with my parents. And this despite the fact that I come from a liberal and modern family. So imagine, if I am having this issue, what people in small towns are going through and how they must be feeling. It is surprising to see sex being treated as a taboo especially in a country, which is so heavily populated. In the trailer, there’s a dialogue — Duniya mein 17 per cent abaadi vale hum aur baat toh aise karte hain jaise 130 crore log parshaad vale kele khake prakat hue hain. (We constitute 17 per cent of the population and we talk as if this appeared as a blessing of God). Envision a country like this. Maybe this is the reason why India is over populated because we do not have proper sex education and we don’t talk about it openly.”
The actress feels that this shouldn’t be the case. “Whenever there’s a condom advertisement, one probably feels awkward and acts innocent. But why? Is practising safe sex a crime? No, right? Then why does this happen,” she asks, clearly referring to our history where ancient texts reveal that sex was considered a mutually pleasurable act and premarital sex was accepted. But today, sex talk, sex education and everything related to the topic have a stigma attached to them.
Sonakshi feels that such subjects, when merged with an element of humour, stays with the audience. “If you ask my opinion, yes, comedy does help a lot in putting across a subject like this. But I don’t believe it is the only way to express the message. There have been films with social messages, which are serious but they were a bit different. This kind of subject needed humour. Also, what are films? They mirror the society, right? So it’s human nature, if you show somebody where they are going wrong, they get defensive but if you do it in a funny manner or joke about it, they always listen. It becomes more palatable. Humour just makes people think without offending them, of course,” explains the Dabangg actress.
She is happy to become a flag-bearer for women by taking up a subject like this. Does she think a male protagonist would have been better for the role? Or if it was a male filmmaker directing her, would she have been as comfortable? “There have been films with male protagonists but I am really happy to take up sex as a subject. It’s important as well as relevant in today’s day and age. It is something that should be discussed and thought about to make a difference in the future. For this particular role, a female protagonist was required,” she says with great zeal and goes on to add, “Honestly once you decide to do a film, if it was this particular theme and even if it was a male director, I would have done it with conviction and I would have stood by my decision. I think, that’s exactly when you throw all your embarrassment out of the window because once you are committed to do something you have to put your heart to it. However, I feel, the kind of sensitivity that Shilpi (Dasgupta) has directed this film with definitely did make me a lot more comfortable. She has done it so beautifully that it’s not even border line cheap or vulgar in any manner. It’s a very well-made, intelligent and funny film. As I said before, it’s always good to express these kind of emotions and thoughts with humour.”
Sonakshi is one such person, who believes that roles and characters that are played on-screen shapes you in real life. “Your roles always teach you. I take away something from most of my roles. It’s like the role is a part of yourself and at the same time, you take something from it. I could easily relate with the character of Baby Bedi. And it’s not only me but every other girl as she is one of those, who somewhere, when she was a child, had a dream of becoming a doctor but due to family responsibilities, she had to let go of that dream. You’ll see how she comes back to following it. I am sure a lot of people will be able to connect with her. I did too, in certain ways,” she says.
What was Sonakshi’s understanding of the role? And how did she prepare for it? She answers in a manner that leaves nothing to doubt. It seems she has a habit of taking everything with ease and that is the reason why she appears so confident be it on-screen or in front of the media. She tells us that her way of preparing was to speak with the director. “There was no research involved as such. I spoke to Shilpi because she had a certain vision for it. She showed me a few videos of some medical representatives — how they talk, how smart and straight they are, what they say to sell a particular product. We did readings with the dialogues. It was very helpful. It gets you into an easier flow,” says she. Just the way in which Sonakshi speaks, I sensed how effortlessly simple she is.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
Writer: Ayushi Sharma
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Sulakshana Monga’s show on the fourth day of Couture Week created a hypnosis beyond time and space by giving a panoramic view of the city of Banaras. Much like the eternal light of the city. The first step into the creation of the phantasm of Banaras was the assortment of yellow marigolds stretched across the entire length of the ramp in the centre with the distinct incense of flowers.
The collection, a milestone, which marked the debut of Monga in the Couture Week, was a continuous vision of her label which is representative of East meets West. It was a progressive ensemble of Indian and Western, with an unswerving dedication to the use of colours. Dhruv Monga, designer and Sulakshna’s son, said that the inspiration was drawn from Indian culture and the idea was to renovate it. Sulakshana gave a slightly more detailed insight into the designs, “In one segment we used totally Indian designs while the other was very global Varanasi, including in the colours. We have two looks in our collection, one is the warm Indian for weddings, while the other features evening gowns and cocktail dresses.”
At first glance, evening gowns and cocktail dresses seem like a modern reminiscence of The Great Gatsby. The feathers on the shoulders and on the hem of the floor-length gowns looked like they belonged to the closet of a socialite in the 1920s. While the western was taken care of, the Indian twist to the garments came through with the playful use of colours and sequins while the bows delicately held the hair of the models. If Daisy Buchanan was an Indian bride in Banaras, she would definitely fashion the purple lehenga, with feathers on the sleeves of the off-shoulder blouse with ruffles on the hem and an elaborate trail gliding behind.
The other segment was a careful demonstration of the city of Banaras where the lehengas had the sceneries intricately designed on them and thin embroidered chunnis draped over the neck. Some lehengas had geometric prints in yellow, orange, blue, pink, neon green.
The colours used throughout the ensemble had extensive hues of yellow, green, orange, purple, pink and red. The synthesis of sequins and embroidery with the richness of colour and a resonance with the elements of Benaras ensured a festive spirit on the ramp.
Malaika Arora, the showstopper, wore a green lehenga. About its design, Monga said, “Malaika is wearing a lehenga where the skirt has the scene of a sunset at the Varanasi ghats, bells and jharokhas embroidered on it. It also has calligraphy on the skirt. We tried to express Banaras in a very different way.”
Arora was walking for the first time for the designer and when asked about her fashion statement, Monga answered for her, “She can look beautiful in any garment, she can justify any clothing. Her fashion statement is that whatever she carries, she looks beautiful. She knows how to carry colours, how to balance the fashion, how to justify the look whether it is Indian, evening, cocktail, or a short western outfit. In my eyes, she justifies everything.”
Malaika said that there’s a stark difference between couture and fashion we usually see “Couture is couture. It is a different market, a different way of viewing garments and a different collection altogether. I think everybody does a regular collection all year round.”
She also shared that her preferred garment at a function is a sari, “It is undoubtedly the best garment the world over. Lehenga is another one that I would wear whenever I have to go for a function. There is so much you can do with it as it’s a very versatile piece of clothing. It can be really traditional, it can be a bit western or cocktail.” Arora raves about the versatility of Monga’s creation as the designer has a clear and open-minded approach to Indian and Western elements.
Sulakshana believes her collection is timeless, and even after 20 years it would still look fresh. Her assortmented collection could cater to the needs of different brides, or someone simply looking to make a style statement at a function.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
Writer: Dhruvika Bhanot
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Theatre director Prateek Kumar recreates the iconic Ashadh Ka Ek Din while adding his own interpretation to it. By Sakshi Sharma
How often have you felt the rains and their tiny droplets beneath the grey sky? They bring a melancholic yet a strangely peaceful vibe. It’s the time when the doors of love are unlocked.
And it’s this feeling that director Prateek Kumar taps into through his next Ashadh Ka Ek Din (one day in monsoon), which is an adaptation of a popular Hindi play by Mohan Rakesh. “Ashadh implies monsoon. I realised that in summer, we crib and struggle in the scorching heat and love cannot grow in that season. It is experienced only during the first showers of monsoon. People are able to love only when they are in a good zone. And romance is best depicted during this season.”
The play is centred around Kalidasa who is leading a peaceful and romantic life with Mallika. When he is invited by King Chandragupta II to his court in Ujjaini, he leaves his love aside and goes to the court to fulfill his personal ambitions. Mallika wants the best for the man she loves and encourages him as well. He achieves fame and marries a sophisticated noblewoman, Priyangumanjari, while Mallika is left heartbroken and alone.
The director says that the story is not just about love but it also aims to be thought-provoking while at the same time recreate the bygone era. Prateek says, “It bothers and compels us to lead us towards the solution. My main motive behind this play was to recreate the love and nature of those times.”
The play belongs to an era far away from today’s technological advancements. This helped the director to zone himself completely into it. It has layers which unveil gradually. He says, “As a director, I was as excited to direct as my actors were to do this role. So, we thought that the audience might enjoy it too.” The narrative was compelling and the director wanted the audience to experience it in the same manner.
He says, “I come from a rural area so I know about many intricacies, which I have introduced in the set up. There is Dauri, a woven bucket, made by my mother as well as other small things from Bihar, which established the settings in a more authentic manner.” Even while recreating the play, an original touch coupled with some amount of creativity adds value to the production.
During the play, one can feel that in the hassles of modern lifestyles, we have forgotten our roots and value system where we extend love towards other human beings.
“I read a lot about Kalidasa, Meghaduta, Ritusamhara and could see how close he was with nature. As someone who has grown up in the 90s, I have witnessed a time when people shared a bond with nature.” And because of this, it was easy for Prateek to direct the play. Also, it is written “beautifully” and the actors explored every word completely.
“Our primary idea was to take the audience to that zone and make them experience pain and heartbreak, because feeling it is sometimes so beautiful. The idea that appealed me the most was Kalidasa and his love for nature. The way he has described the beauty of nature and woman is impeccable and I have no words for his description,” says he.
In our fast-paced life, we are busy in the pursuit of our ambitions while forgetting the small pleasures of life. Prateek says, “Even when I used to act, I wondered whether as an individual do I want this or not?” Such plays compel us to delve into realities of life.
The way Mallika loved Kalidasa is not seen in contemporary times and so we experience how loving someone so unconditionally and whole-heartedly feels like. The director says he loves Indian classics and ancient culture.
The director says that more than him, it is the actors who have tried to bring in their interpretations of the play. “Mallika wrote notes to Kalidasa and wished that he would return soon. But when he did, she already had a baby. A parallel was created by the actor by equating the notes with the baby signalling that both have the same place in her heart. This was not there in the play originally,” says he. The audience applauded as they could see the intensity of the scene.
Not all written plays have the ability to be staged. Only some do. Prateek says, “The play should keep you guessing about what would happen next? It should have layers which unfold. He further says that he prefers plays with emotional appeal.
The play depicts Mallika’s selfless love and commitment for Kalidas. In terms of relationship the director feels that instead of evolving we have gone back instead.
During the course of a play, the director and actors too evolved. He says, “Coming to the stage made us understand that emotion is a painful process but I love how I explored it word by word.”
Writer: Sakshi Sharma
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Actor RAJKUMMAR RAO has extended the boundaries of his craft with Judgementall Hai Kya, says Team Viva
Actor Rajkummar Rao now embodies the aspirational youth of middle India, complete with their flaws and daredevilry. And this realism is what the actor cherishes as it has given him an unparalleled connect. He says, “People are resonating with characters like Vicky (Stree) as they can see the glimpse of a real Indian in them. When I did Stree, a lot of people from small towns kept repeating my dialogues, pleej kar de yaar, pleej (Please do it). They believe such stories. Even personally, I like such cinema which is relatable. Such movies don’t sell dreams, they sell realities,” and in some way shows you how to tackle them.
For his role in Judgementall Hai Kya, his forthcoming film, which has already been mired in a lot of controversies, he says, “It is the most edgy character that I have played till date. I have never done such a script in my career.” Rao has two shades to his character, one being the simple and perfect gentleman, while the other is the wild version who is suspected to be a murderer. However, this is not the first time that he has delved into a character with shades of grey. There is Omerta, based on the life of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a terrorist or even Hamari Adhuri Kahani where he played a character on the edge of the society.
As is obvious from the trailers, the comedy-thriller revolves around two flawed characters, Bobby (Kangana Ranaut) and Keshav (Rajkummar Rao), whose lives pivot between reality and illusions. Both are accused of murder but they try to blame each other. The film unfolds with twists and turns revealing the culprit. Rao says, “It’s a thriller with the right amount of humour and entertainment. I found it pretty interesting. It is amazing how everything shapes up towards the end of the film. In the trailer, you can guess who is lying but it’s fun to watch it that way. No one can make out what Kangana and I are actually thinking. The whole film is about the cat and mouse game. Nobody knows who is telling the truth.”
Rajkummar is known to embody every character that he plays, so much so that all traces of the actual person disappears on screen. Giving an insight into his role, for which he pushed himself to the limits, the actor says, “I thought I was getting a chance to do something new and it is exciting to play two different personalities of the same person in one film. I accepted every challenge this role offered. It shaped my learning curve.”
Of course, often it is the director who fleshes out the story while the actors are expected to add more layers to the characters. About this particular role, he says, “Prakash (Kovelamudi), our director, was very clear how he wanted the characters to be. We had a discussion over the two different looks where one should appear a little raw with a beard, piercings and pumped-up while the other would be more gentlemanly.”
Since it is a “never seen before avatar” in an unusual film, he says, “In a thriller you can’t really reveal the entire plot to the audience in one go. It has to unfold gradually. For the suspense to work, you have to feel it first. Moreover, since the suspense element in such a film is stretched to the end, the audience does not really get what the actor is upto. So yes, the role carries its own nitty-gritties and challenges.”
The genesis of an unusual concept is initiated by a writer who decides to push the limit and go beyond the usual plots. About Kanika Dhillon, who has written sleeper hits like Manmarziyaan with well fleshed-out characters, the actor says, “The way she has shaped all the characters, whether it is Amayra Dastur’s or Satish Sir’s, I really liked it. The script was extremely detailed and included everything. She had imagined everything and tried to portray it in the same way.”
Rajkummar tries to avoid questions about his co-star Kangana being banned by the Entertainment Journalists’ Guild after a spat with a journalist during the film’s promotion. He says, “That’s her point of view, I am nobody to talk on her behalf. It is already out there. I don’t see a need to talk about it. We are here to promote our film and we want to do well.”
However, this is not the first film where the duo has shared screen space. He feels they have come a long way since Queen by walking their own paths and experiencing life differently. “Kangana and I have shared a rapport since Queen. And now after almost five years of working in the industry, we have evolved as actors. That is the only difference as our rapport remains the same,” says he.
As a professional, Rajkummar has nothing but praise for her. He says, “I have always admired her as she is one of the finest talents that we have in the industry. Even in Queen she was phenomenal and the National Award validated that.”
When an actor takes on a role that has an everyday ordinariness and yet is different, it of course leaves an impact on him. Talking about how his roles shape him and add to his journey, the actor says contemplatively (with a pause), “When I play a character like Newton, it teaches me to be responsible and truthful to your job. When I play the terrorist Umar Sheikh, I get to know what these boys go through, what goes on in their mind. There is so much darkness inside. Characters in films teach you a lot about life. My films Shahid and Trapped taught me a lot. In fact, Shahid taught me the most.”
Recalling his film Trapped, an urban thriller, which is said to be one of his most challenging roles, both physically and mentally, the actor says, “I was kicked with the idea that the film offered. To add to it, Vikramaditya Motwane, someone who I really like and admire, was directing it. Nothing could have been better. It was all that I wanted at that very moment.”
Since the actor has stretched his arc wide with a plethora of roles from thriller to comedy to political satire, there is the obvious question as to how he manages to cast his net out so wide? He smiles before saying, “I don’t really try to maintain a balance, I just listen to my heart and trust my instinct. I read so many scripts and then say yes to the one that touches me the most. I don’t like connecting too many dots. I don’t really think that I should do a comedy now because I have done two serious films. Whatever script comes my way, if I like it, I just say yes. I then try and make it interesting by bringing some originality and distinctive element to my character.”
One commonality that most films of Rajkummar share is a stellar script. The actor chooses them on impulse, “If it connects to my heart, if it does something to me, it’s a yes. If it offers something new to me, then of course it is better.” He further says, “I only focus on my work without anticipating much about the results. I follow my gut feeling and act accordingly.” The actor is glad that he ended up being a part of good films and stories. “Now is a great time to be in the industry, there is such exciting work happening all around, all new makers are coming and telling wonderful stories of real India,” he adds.
Born and brought up in Gurugram, the actor says that coming back to his roots feels special, with a grin, “Delhi is always so much fun, it is my city. Though I am here only for a couple of hours but it always feels great to see these roads and buildings.” One can clearly see how his expressions and words are in sync.
(The film releases on July 26.)
Writer: Team Viva
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Unlike the yesteryears, when filmmakers didn’t want to experiment due to the fear of losing the interest of the masses, now they are looking for original content, says Actor-director Saurabh Shukla, in conversation with Ayushi Sharma.
It was 25 years ago when Saurabh first came to Mumbai to become an actor. But because of his physique and appearance, actor-director Saurabh Shukla was offered roles which were funny and comic. As he came from a theatre background so he didn’t want to do just that. “I have refused a lot of work in my initial years. It makes sense if I do it now. But it did not then. People think I am choosy but back then when I did that, they probably would have thought that I do not have brains.” Narrating an instance, he says, “This incident probably sums up my whole journey in the industry. I was coming back from New York. I was at the airport, there were a lot of Indians. Just being in virtue of films and seemingly star-struck, some of them came up to me and said that they are a big fan of mine. You definitely respect that and you have a constant smile on your face. And I can recall a man saying ‘Mr Shukla, I am a big fan of yours’. I gently thanked him. I moved ahead. But this man came back to me and told me that he wanted to make a correction. He said ‘more than you, I am a big fan of your choices.’ And that’s about it,” he says.
And indeed Shukla is known for his extraordinary film choices, be it Kallu Mama of Satya, Judge Tripathy of Jolly LLB, Tapasvi Maharaj of PK or an antagonist in Ajay Devgn-starrer Raid. No matter if it’s a negative character or a positive one, the actor, who is all set for Family of Thakurganj, knows how to slay it rather effortlessly.
Shukla tells us that he loves acting to the core. He feels alive when he’s at it. He says, “When I practice my art, I love being part of the whole process. I have a warm corner towards it. I don’t adore anything more than acting, not writing and not even directing.” In a bid to put it in a more refined way, he explains, “I love cars. I drive them myself. But more than the cars, what I love is the fact that where the car is taking me. The destination matters. So instead of a swanky car, which doesn’t take me anywhere, I would rather prefer a simple one, which takes me to different places.”
The actor shares that it was the storyline that first fascinated him towards the film. “It has so many characters and that too, very well astounded ones,” says he. Another thing that grabbed his attention were its screenplay and dialogues. The language that has been used, he says, is quite ornamental. “Dialogue-baazi jisse bolte hain,” he says it as if he was putting it forth as one of his dialogues of a film. He adds, “It has been a tradition in India since the beginning. People still remember Raj Kumar sahab’s dailogue, ‘Sheeshon ke gharon mein rehene vaale log dusron ke gharon par pathar nahi mara karte.’ Such dialogues stay with the audience and become household phrases. My previous roles have been a lot different. The language has been simpler and realistic. Surely, it also has dialogue-baazi but in a very hidden and subtle manner. So, that way, the film is an interesting combination of ornamented language played in a realistic way.”
Shukla has backed films which didn’t necessarily have commercial scripts and they have turned out magnificently. So what has been his process of choosing a script? He answers swiftly, “Every actor has a different criteria of picking it. First, the storyline has to be strong. Second, the character. I examine whether my character is interesting and important. Third, you need to know your co-actors. Will they be able to reach at a certain point? You need to be one of them and simultaneously shine with them. It’s a choice and trust me, it’s not an easy one.”
There would have been countless theories on evolution and how a person transforms with time. But the actor believes that evolution is simply a natural process and one cannot plan it. “It takes its own course. We all move towards evolution and it is because of our surroundings and the choices that you make. And in turn, it’s always those choices that make us and help us evolve.”
Talking about how original content has become the most important thing for both filmmakers as well as actors, and even the viewers, Shukla says that it was not the case previously. Sharing another instance, he says, “In 1993, when I came to Mumbai, I wrote for Satya, Kamal Haasan, Sudhir Mishra and even Rajat Kapoor. My writing has always been appreciated but I never claimed myself as a professional writer. Me and my friends, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Victor (Vijay Krishna Acharya) and Kannan Iyer used to discuss stories together and then go to different producers with our respective stories. We used to tell them that this is our original story ideas and how can we work on it. The producers questioned that why should they do experiments with our stories which are so new and fresh? Please come up with something that has been done earlier. They were afraid to invest in something that might not land them desired results. This was the real issue that we were facing. And then we came up with a strategy. We went to the producers with our original story ideas but tell them that the story was a Romanian film, which no one has seen.”
However, today, he says, the same producers talk about originality. “They tell us that please come to us with something original and new, which is a great transition. So what we saw and felt decades ago has come alive today,” he adds.
The web platform has been allowing many to push boundaries. Shukla agrees. “It’s a wonderful space. But one must understand that a medium is never good or bad. It’s the people who make it through the content. So it’s not necessary that bad work cannot be done on a digital medium too. It just depends on the content,” says Shukla as he signs off with a huge smile on his face.
(The film releases on July 19.)
Writer: Ayushi Sharma
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Should the decision by an eighteen-year-old to quit Bollywood just be taken at face value?
There was a child actor named Angus T Jones, and if the name strikes a bell for some of you, he was the child star who played the ‘half man’ in the Charlie Sheen fronted show Two and a Half Men. At the height of the show’s popularity, Jones, then just around 18, decided that he was promoting filth and quit the show being a good Christian. Now Kashmiri actor Zaira Wasim, who became famous in the film Dangal, has decided to quit acting and the movie industry because she believes it is interfering with her faith. At 18, most humans are at a very challenging phase of their lives and their heads are full of all sorts of ideas and ideals. The question of whether young actors like Jones at the time, or Wasim today, have had their heads filled with different notions is a valid one; one could even call it brainwashing. Whether it is a religious or political leader, young minds are impacted by a flood of ideas but they should be free to decide the path they want to take. At the same time, and we apologise to young people for saying this, manifestoes written by most 18-year-olds do not deserve national attention. Wasim’s missive against the movie industry, therefore, has unfortunately been taken far too seriously both by Indian television news channels and beleaguered Kashmiri separatists.
We should all recall what we were doing at the age of 18; almost all of us, boys and girls alike, were trying to discover ourselves. We had ideals, developed strong political views and were looking forward to college. There were some among us who decided that faith was their calling, and good for them. And in those three-four years after we attain adulthood, our views and opinions become nebulous, some pre-conceived notions we have are broken and many idealists see their goals shattered in the real world. But these are all essential aspects of growing up. Give Zaira Wasim her space. Yes a famous juvenile actor quitting the industry should be news but making it the lead item to discuss on primetime news shows in the evening is more symptomatic of the brain-dead nature of most television ‘news’ channels than the confused mind of a young adult. Let the kids be and let them have their crazy ideas and silly notions. That is what will make the future of humanity better for everyone. We may not agree with her reasons and many of us will vehemently disagree but what she and Jones did are not illegal. We hope Zaira will one day evaluate what she decided to do and make peace with her decision for better or for worse.
Writer & Courtesy: Editorial – The Pioneer
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