Q. The cast is made up of people from different nationalities. The brothers come from different backgrounds and cultures. Is that a challenge?
I wouldn’t say a challenge. It’s actually quite fun. When we first started filming together, we all lived very close to each other. We were in the same apartment block, just next door. You learn where everyone is from and I have been fortunate enough to get to travel with them to their homes. I’ve been to Denmark with the boys four times now. When you go on holiday to a place, you only get to see the surface. When you’re with people from that country, you get to meet their families and get to know their traditions. The Danish forget that I don’t speak their language. You get so comfortable with each other, you forget that we are from different countries. You get to see a deeper side of each other’s culture, which is a really good thing. It’s the best part about being on set with people from different backgrounds.
Seeing the amount of fighting going on, do you ever get hurt?
Sometimes. Mistakes are a part of life. We practice a lot. There’s a big fight in season five between one person and me where they made me look about eight foot tall. It’s the biggest fight I’ve ever done in my life. We trained for six weeks, four days a week, for it. It took us a day and a half to shoot, and when it made it on screen, it’s about three minutes long. It starts out quite epic, and then gets really tight and personal. That day I had bruised ribs and a black eye. He punched me twice in the jaw. You try your hardest and the stunt guys are very professional. Their main goal is safety, but once you get into it and you get a bit restless, things start to slip up.
What training do you have to do for these fight scenes?
You start really broad, and then you get into the finer details. Practicing in a stunt shed and in a swamp of mud, with dirt in your eyes, you start to get into character. But it’s important for an actor to remember that looking good, and looking real are two completely different things. You don’t need to be in full force. It’s like a dance routine. It’s a sword ballet, pretty much.
All the brothers were quite close in the beginning. Now they have all split up and have chosen separate sides, will we ever see that brotherhood come back together again?
I actually think about this all the time. Every time we read the script, we always want to ask Michael, “Do we get back together?” I think especially with Ivar, everybody has completely different ideas of just how the world should be. Ivar and Ubbe can’t sit in the same room together. When they are in the same room, it never ends well. Hvitserk is torn between the two. He can have an understanding with both Ivar and Ubbe.
Does Ubbe eventually choose a side?
I think he’ll always be in the middle. I think it’s just his part. He keeps going between the two. There’s that rivalry between Bjorn and Ubbe because Bjorn is sort of the rightful person to take over Ragnar’s place. Ubbe doesn’t have an ego like the rest of the brothers do.
Do you think that Ubbe would ever forgive Lagertha for killing his mother?
I had problems with this when I first read the script. I was really struggling to wrap my head around it because he was such a family guy from the start. I think in order to move forward with the Vikings, you have to adapt to their modern society. He understands that he needs both Lagertha and Bjorn. He doesn’t forgive her, but I think he understands that keeping her as an ally will have a much better outcome rather than going against her. If he goes against her, she’s going to die. But he knows they can use each other to achieve something much bigger and better.
How has Ubbe developed in season 5? Do you think he will carry on Ragnar’s legacy?
Yeah, that’s exactly how he describes it. Ragnar wanted something bigger and better for the show. In the first year, he wanted to sail west. He knew that something was going to be a cut above, whether it was England or beyond. It’s not all about the raping, pillaging and the killing. We can have a mutual understanding with people in other countries to make the Vikings better. He doesn’t know where he’s going, or how he’s going to do it, but he’s got a much greater idea to guide the show into the future rather than taking himself there. It’s not about putting Ubbe in the history books. It’s about putting the Vikings in history books.
Did you study Travis? Are there certain quirks that you portray?
Yes, absolutely. You take on little twitches, and the way that you move, things like that. When your father is Ragnar Lothbrok, you have to take on some of his characteristics. We all do in a certain way. We’ve all picked up little bits from Floki and Ragnar. It also doesn’t help that I’ve been told I look like Travis quite a lot. We look very similar. He’s a lot more handsome than I am, but we look close enough. I don’t think you can have a father figure like him and not pick up his characteristics.
Does it happen often that you get a chance to change your lines or discuss it with Michael?
When I first started, I tried to just let it go and do my thing. Michael is writing the show by himself. I mean, sometimes he’s writing 20 character storylines all at once. So I ask him, “How about if Ubbe goes this way?” Sometimes he says yes. Sometimes he’ll write back a very nice email that means “no”, but he doesn’t say no. (Laughs)
How did you react to Alex dragging himself on the ground?
Alex is such a character. I feel like I’m just walking nicely, but he’s got the walk, and he’s so good at it. How he does it on his wrists, I’m not sure. He’s like a full on character rolling next to you. How Alex managed to drag himself around for the past two years is amazing. It just looks so good on screen when he does it. There’s a great scene where we are in a church in England. I just remember watching the monitor of him walking through and it was nothing like I’ve ever seen before. It’s great for the character.
What would you say would be the scariest thing that happened on the set throughout filming?
It’s not that scary. The stunt people put in a lot of effort to keep us safe. There was one scene that’s coming up in 5B where quite a few people are set on fire which is quite scary to watch. It’s such a timed process. I was more scared for them than I am for me. Because sometimes you don’t even get to know if it’s all going according to plan or not.
What was the most difficult thing for you to do for this show?
The most difficult part of the show is the longevity. Over all, you’re here for a very long time. It can take two and a half months to shoot a scene. Trying to keep the continuity and the spark going all the way through it can be hard, especially when you’ve got time off. Trying to get back into it after being gone for two weeks is difficult, but once you get back on set for an hour, it comes back to you.
How long do you spend here shooting?
Between eight or nine months. It’s a long time away from your family. You become a family here, to be honest. This island becomes your home. It’s a big country, but Dublin’s such a small town. When we go out we know people in the coffee shops, the restaurants. You start to know people around your area. It’s strange when you leave for Christmas, when you say goodbye to everyone for three months. It’s like we live in two different worlds.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Team Viva
It is learnt that Ekta Kapoor was extremely keen to carry her own child but that couldn’t be possible.
Dr Nandita Palshetkar, who guided Ekta throughout the process throws light on it and shares, “Ekta came to me some years back to become a mother. We tried to help her get pregnant with multiple cycles of IUI and IVF. But we were unsuccessful. Hence, we had to take help of the technique of surrogacy which we performed nine months back at our Bloom IVF center. Nine months later she had achieved success with the birth of a child.”
The baby boy, who was born on January 27 has been named Ravie Kapoor after Ekta’s father’s name.
Sources close to Ekta reveal that, “She was keenly involved in the entire process. She would take constant updates about the mother and baby’s health at every stage from the doctor. It was her pure determination to become a mother that made this happen.”
A couple of years back, Ekta Kapoor’s brother, Tusshar Kapoor also became a father via surrogacy.
An ecstatic Ekta shares, “By God’s grace, I have seen success in my life, but nothing beats the feeling of this beautiful soul being added in my world. I cannot even begin to express how happy my baby’s birth has made me. Everything in life doesn’t go the way you want it to but there are always solutions to those hiccups. I found mine and today I feel immensely blessed to become a parent. It is an emotional moment for me and my family and I can’t wait to begin this new journey of being a mother.”
She further adds, “I would like to thank Dr Nandita Palshetkar under whose constant support and guidance, I was able to fulfill my dream.”
Writer and Courtesy: The Pioneer
India shares quite a tumultuous relationship with the Academy Awards. The country has submitted over 45 films for nomination in the past, only a fraction of which have been successful in securing so. With 2018 film, Period. End of Sentence being nominated in the Best Documentary Short Subject category this year, here’s a look at the other Indian films that have had the privilege of an Oscar nomination.
Mother India (1957)
Mehboob Khan’s Mother India starring Nargis and Sunil Dutt is a poignant film that narrates the hardships endured by a destitute village woman named Radha, and how she meanders through them and the rigmarole of dreary life, with the utmost adherence to morals. The film presents a moving picture of the rough times that an average Indian woman goes through, and very movingly gives the message of significance of compassion, values and integrity. The film lost by one vote.
An Encounter With Faces (1978)
Nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary short subject, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s An Encounter With Faces is a heartwarming attempt in capturing the plight, perspectives and dimensions of delinquent children of Mumbai. Emotionally rousing, the film looks at their position — socially and culturally in the Indian societal fabric.
Salaam Bombay (1988)
Arguably one of the finest films produced by India, Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay!is a class apart in master storytelling. Movingly strung together by master director and raconteur Nair, the film present a bleak picture of the gaps prevalent in erstwhile Indian society.
Lagaan (2001)
Intriguing, absorbing and genuine, Ashutosh Gowarikar’s magnum opus Lagaan is often looked at as a benchmark of excellence in Indian films. Set in pre-independent India, the film looks at the injustice of British colonialism meted on Indians through arbitrary taxes and how these Indians stake their rightful claim to their motherland through a game of cricket. Powered with inspired performances from Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne, Lagaan invokes a sense of belonging, patriotism and love in the hearts of the audience.
Little Terrorist (2005)
Nominated for the 2005 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, Ashvin Kumar’s Little Terrorist is a film about a Muslim boy from Pakistan who mistakenly crosses the border to India and finds an unexpected friend and ally in a Hindu Brahmin Boy, Bhola. A story of acceptance, the film seeks to present a picture of the various prejudices we have as a society and how there exist a few good people that overlook these societal differences and espouse for a society of unity, love, happiness and inclusion.
Water (2007)
An Indo-Canadian film, Deepa Mehta’s Water is the last installment of her ‘Elements’ trilogy that focusses on the stark misogyny, patriarchy and socio-cultural deprivation faced by widows in India. Blunt, rustic and brutally honest, the films tells the story of a poverty-stricken widow as she fights convention and society to escape from the dogmas of India’s patriarchal, anti-feminist set-up.
Period. End of Sentence (2018)
Nominated in the Documentary Short Subject, Rayka Zehtabchi’s Period. End of Sentence looks at the story of real life Pad-Man Arunachalam Muruganathan’s journey of fighting against the social stigma that surrounds menstruation and the plight of Indian women. Succinctly put and powerfully told, the film is a projection of the current behavioural tendencies of the Indian social psyche, and challenges to change it.
(The Oscars will be telecasted on Star Movies and Star Movies Select HD at 6.30 pm on February 25.)
Writer and Courtesy: The Pioneer
What can you tell us about the storyline of Supernatural at the start of season 14?
Everyone is in crisis mode when we start a new season. We are hell bent on rescuing Dean from Michael’s thrall. Everyone has their heads down and their shoulders to the grindstone on this one. They are all focussing hard and working together as a big team of hunters on that task. Castiel is at relatively full power. He runs into some trouble pretty much right out of the gate, but we’re all pretty focussed on that mission.
What is going through Castiel’s mind at the start of the season?
Aside from this mission, Castiel also has the looming prospect of the fall or collapse of heaven on his mind. That’s in the back of his mind, but that’s not something that we are tackling right out of the gate. First of all, we’re trying to save Dean.
Will the focus shift to heaven later in the season?
That’s right. The issue of what’s going on with heaven will become a bigger, more important storyline later in the season. There are only six to 10 angels left in the world right now. And when all those angels are out of heaven, then heaven itself will deteriorate. And the ghosts that are in heaven will be able to descend to Earth. We potentially have a big problem on Earth if all of the angels are gone, so it’s definitely an issue. It’s definitely a cause for concern.
Will Castiel work directly with Sam?
We’re teaming up for sure. Yes. Everybody is in hunter mode when we come back, because we just want to get Dean back. We obviously run into obstacles along the way, but that’s our focus.
How would you describe their relationship?
It’s great. We’re not at a point of any conflict between the characters. We’re both watching out for one another and we’re both checking in with one another. It’s a true partnership.
Jared has admitted that Sam has more of a leadership role in season 14. How does that work?
It feels like he’s second in command now, right under Castiel. In a sense, we now have a much bigger cast of characters who are working on the team because we brought all these people back from the alternate universe. Now, there’s a little more coordination needed and a little more logistics — it feels like Sam is grabbing the reigns on that.
How does this large group of people in the bunker play into the story?
Well, we’re not dealing with a lot of big questions that brings up issues like, ‘Does the bunker really have that many beds?’ ‘Who’s doing the shopping and the dishes?’ ‘Maybe that’s later?’ For now, it’s all about getting Dean back.
How would you describe Castiel’s relationship with Jack (Alexander Calvert) in the season?
Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) never really got to play the father figure with Jack. He had a couple of scenes where he tried to pal up as the dad, but it never really developed. From the beginning, Castiel has felt a deep responsibility for Jack’s well-being. He’s also been racked with guilt that he wasn’t able to help earlier. Back then, Sam and Dean stepped in to fill that void and served as surrogate fathers. Dean is impaired at the moment — but collectively it feels like Jack has three dads. We all are shouldering a little bit of the paternal responsibility.
At this particular juncture, Castiel is shouldering the most of that role because Jack is going through some of the same things that Castiel had gone through six or seven years ago, when he had lost his powers and became human. In that sense, Castiel is uniquely positioned to help shepherd him through this crisis.
Supernatural will celebrate its 300th episode this season. What can you tell us about it?
I have already been a little spoiled on that episode, so I have an idea of what Andrew (Dabb) is thinking of doing. I can say that it sounds like a slightly meta episode. I think it’s going to be really cool, but I’m not the one to spoil this. You will have have to wait for Andrew to tell you about what’s happening.
Over the years, you’ve not shied away from speaking out about issues close to your heart. You’ve used your platform as an actor to speak about politics and other significant subjects. Why is that important to you?
Honestly, I think that it’s everyone’s responsibility to be vocal about things that are important. Just because I happen to be on a TV show doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t be vocal. I think that a lot of actors are rightfully concerned about stating their positions on certain issues because they don’t want to alienate their fan base — but I happen to think that it’s important to have an engaged dialogue about things that are important.
You handed out polling papers at the Comic Con in 2018. Why was that issue particularly important to you?
I did that because I care about voting. I think it’s a big deal. It’s key that young people vote. Young people are often not included when they talk about polls. They do polls of likely voters and they often exclude youngsters because they typically don’t vote, so I like the idea of turning the tables on that. I like the idea of turning youngsters into likely voters. That’s something that I wanted to focus on and talk about for a while, because it’s important to me. It’s important to speak up when it’s right.
(The show premieres on January 31 at 10pm on AXN.)
Writer and Courtesy: The Pioneer
Wanted to be a part of Simmba
Actress Priya Prakash varrier, who is gearing up for the release of her forthcoming film Sridevi Bungalow, says she wanted to become a part of Rohit Shetty’s Simmba along with Ranveer Singh.
Popular as the ‘wink girl’, Priya became an overnight sensation with her expressions in the teaser song Manikya Malaraya Poovi from her Malayalam movie Oru Aadar Love.
She said, “There were lots of rumours that I was part of Simmba but I wish that was true because I am a great fan of Ranveer Singh.
‘I am excited to play a lawyer on screen for the first time for my forthcoming film Section 375. Everyone I am working with on this project, I have been a fan of. I love Akshaye Khanna as an actor and his last few outings have been amazing. I am happy to collaborate with director Ajay Behl too.’
—Richa Chadha
Actor Emraan Hashmi’s eight-year-old son Ayaan has been declared cancer-free five years after he was diagnosed with the disease. The actor announced the news to his fans via social media.
“Today, five years after his diagnosis, Ayaan has been declared cancer free. It has been quite a journey. Thank you for all your prayers and wishes. Love and prayers for all the cancer fighters out there. Hope and belief goes a long way. You can win this battle,” he wrote.
He also uploaded a few photographs of his son along with the heartfelt post.
Chris, Katherine engaged
Actor Chris Pratt and girlfriend Katherine Schwarzenegger are engaged.
The couple is ready to tie the knot following a whirlwind romance that saw them fall for each other over the summer and spend plenty of quality time with Pratt’s six-year-old son Jack.
“Sweet Katherine, so happy you said ‘yes’. I’m thrilled to be marrying you. Proud to live boldly in faith with you. Here we go,” he captioned a photo of himself cuddling up to Schwarzenegger, whose engagement ring was visible.
The news has come just two days after Pratt helped Schwarzenegger move from her home.
Writer: Team Viva
Source: The Pioneer
When actor Shilpa Shukla entered the Hindi film industry, abiding by the common wisdom, she tried hard to be conventional. She says, “Earlier, people told me that acceptance happens if you present yourself in a conventional way. It is funny because as much as I tried being myself and focus on my acting, I also tried to be a part of this mindset.” It was writer and filmmaker, Jaideep Sahni, she says, who told her to be herself and break out of that trap during the filming of Chak De India. “He told me, ‘Tu jaljeera hai. Tu Coca Cola bann ne ki koshish kyun kar rahi hai?’” And that is what set her on a path that has now hewed out for herself. The rest as the history for Bindiya Naik remains one of the most memorable characters from the film.
“I was really intrigued by these words. Why do we after all try to become someone that we are not? From 2010 I started following that. It’s very important for me to be comfortable in my own skin,” says that actor who will be seen in Bombairiya.
Shilpa believes that imitating a style that wasn’t her was tough. She says, “When I wore lenses for the first time for a screening, my eyes were teary throughout. And I wondered to myself as to why did I wear them? I had to be me. But I equally respect those people who actually put themselves in someone else’s shoes and act.”
Even if you’ve been a part of numerous experiences, there are always certain spaces which remain unexplored, believes Shilpa of Chak De… and BA Pass fame. She says that her role in the film really “fired her up” after she learnt how it fitted in the “entire ensemble” of things. “I don’t think there are many scripts around this topic today. The film talks about a very relevant issue for today’s society through humour. So I found it very unique,” she says.
The film’s director Pia Sukanya had earlier said that the film makes vulnerable characters appear funny. It’s a film, she said, where one would laugh at the plot and people’s situations because they are too real. “Crisis-like situations are laughable provided you are not a part of it,” she said.
Shilpa says that she found the script interesting since she had never played a politician before and “my character is a funny one. In a way, her situation is very serious but it can make people laugh. I liked the fact that there were so many different and interesting actors working in the film. While telling a story, I feel all of us are instruments but in this particular film, everyone together becomes one whole.”
Playing varied characters and getting into someone else’s shoes is of course difficult. So how does portraying a character personally affect or change a person? Shilpa feels that even though one plays a character and is constantly engrossed in it while shooting, “many a times, the realisation hits you much later after the film is released. And then, you start thinking about it. Acting is very instinctive. You often work without really putting your mind and thought to it.”
She says that it was only when she watched the film for the first time, that she realised what kind of a message her character or the film tries to give. “When I read the script, I was laughing throughout. But only when I watched the film I realised that it conveys such an important message through comedy.”
She says that it was similar with Chak De… the film where she was noticed for the first time. Incidentally, it also transformed her in a way as she “fell in love” with hockey. Before that she had never played the sport. “After that very role, I was eager to go and watch the Hockey World Cup to see my country win. It happened after 36 years. When such realities come together, the joy is irreplaceable,” says she.
Even though she has acted in other films, her character of Bindiya Naik is the one that people still remember very well. For Shilpa as well, the role was path-breaking as it shaped her acting career, enabled her to move ahead and be true to herself.
The actress comes from a non-Bollywood background and says that she had no “orientation” before coming to the industry. “Earlier I used to think that you complete the work and your job is done. But there is a lot that goes behind it. It makes you learn so much. Chak De, was my first commercial blockbuster.” She felt that she had a lot to learn even after that. And being real topped the list.
That was evident in her character in BA Pass which too garnered a round of applause.
She reveals that for her first stint, Khaamosh Paani, she was only 18 and basically “a kid who knew nothing.” She says that there were around 90-100 girls for the role’s audition, and it went extremely well for her. But “I still don’t know what had worked. So there are spaces which are always unknown.”
She says that with a role like BA Pass, she learnt how to read, understand and question. She realised that even success has nothing to do with happiness. “So it taught me to figure out what is going to keep me in a happy space, equally empathetic to others, and in-tune with reality. Because often, in this industry, we are taken away from reality. We live in our own world.” She adds that this condition is not fair for any artist, “because artists draw their energy from life. So I don’t believe in living in a limbo and creating characters.”
While talking about the evolution of Bollywood over the years, she says that today “everyone is a hero.” She adds, “Why do certain films work? For example, Chak De worked because everyone was a hero in it. We can see the times are changing. Women are leading, actor is not the only hero.”
She gives another example of her film, BA Pass. “People had questioned that the filmmakers had put a woman in the forefront of the poster, so it might not sell. I remember during its release, Chennai Express was going to release the next week. But the film worked and it is an evidence that audience is accepting the change. When we talk of demand and supply, this is what it is about. Supply is not putting the blame on demand anymore. There are equal responsibilities. People are accepting content, and rejecting what they don’t like. They only put their money where they find it worth. Even though it will take time to change completely, the good news is that interesting times have started.”(Starring Radhika Apte, Akshay Oberoi, Ravi Kishan, among other actors, the film releases on January 18.)
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Source: The Pioneer
Digital space is a boon: Vir
Actor-comedian Vir Das says the digital space is a boon and has no where but to go up.
Asked how he sees the growth of the digital space, Vir said, “Digital place has no where to go but up. I think India has possibly the most or the second most amount of smart phones in the world. Most content are watched on a smart phone right now, so there will always be a demand for stand up comedy specifically because people need to laugh at least four times a day. We are providing that service.”
Vir has previously done two stand up shows on Netflix. He has now been roped in for his third project with the streaming website.
The Go Goa Gone actor says for comedians it will get better.
‘In India, for production, you just need to have money and it doesn’t require any kind of experience. I feel film institute’s should understand this thing that production also needs training. I think government subsidised institutions like Film Television Institute of India (FTII) must incorporate production training in the course.’
—Shabana Azmi
Actress Yami Gautam says as an outsider a lot of hard work goes into getting the right parts in Bollywood.
Yami wrote on social media regarding her latest release Uri, “Thanks so much. As an actress and an outsider, a lot of hard work goes into getting the right parts and I am glad that you all are giving it so much love.”
The film also stars Vicky Kaushal in the lead. Based on the surgical strikes of 2016 carried out by the Indian Armed Forces, Uri traces the significant event.
Brie, Alex call off engagement
Actress Brie Larson and musician Alex Greenwald have called off their engagement after nearly three years.
They exchanged rings in Tokyo back in 2016.
“They have taken a step back from their engagement for the time being but they remain close,” a source said.
They had been dating for several years prior to the engagement as they had been romantically linked since 2013.
Greenwald joined Larson at numerous awards seasons events that year when Larson received recognition for the 2015 thriller Room. She even gave Greenwald a shout-out while accepting the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 2016 Oscars.
Writer: Team Viva
Source: The pioneer
Even though music is something that doesn’t need an initial push, it just comes from within. For British-Indian singer-songwriter, Reshrich, the great Indian heritage plays a huge role in providing him the right inspiration for his music. The singer, whose father originally hails from India, hopes to capitalise on the trend among Indian composers to experiment with the Western culture and sonics.
The singer, who has had two hit releases previous year and is ready with a third offering, believes that India is at a point where music scenario is really diverse and people are slowly moving away from the traditional sounds and are experimenting more with the Western culture.
So, is the current youth drifting more towards rap and pop music? Has the traditional music lost its charm over the years? He says, “I don’t believe that it has lost its charm, classical music in Bollywood, or music from the 80s, 90s will always be an inspiration for today’s music industry, in both Western and Indian society. However, if viewed from the business perspective, the demand for classical music has declined over the years, especially among the youth, due to which there is an increase in demand for pop and rap music among the youth.”
He believes that this causes content creators like producers, songwriters and artists to want to cater to that kind of market and make rap or pop music more than other classical forms.
For Reshrich, the journey of making his way to the global music industry wasn’t an easy one. He believes that it takes “a lot of dedication and patience” to learn and grow as an artist and for other people to recognise and notice the potential.
He feels that it is important for every artist to connect with the wider audience to grow. “Commercial music is a great way for artists to get their name into the public. Constantly being in a niche as an artist will not allow someone to grow and connect with a wider audience. It’s also a great way for them to experiment with bringing their niche sound to the public and by doing so develop better versions of themselves and their sounds.”
The singer says that he is quite open to accepting offers from Bollywood. He says, “I’ve loved the industry since my childhood. I have always seen my grandparents listening to it in the house.”
The “mostly self-taught” artist says that his recently-released tracks have been inspired from the “sounds that I like and vibe with when I’m in the studio with the producers. I don’t like to copy other artists or rip off a tune, I just make music that I enjoy because I know, originality is what makes it the best. I believe it will also my listeners enjoy it.”
He adds, “Music is a trial and error journey that an artist has to go through.”
When his forthcoming work, Gasoline, is released, he believes, it will make people realise the direction he his headed towards.
He says, “It’s going to be maturer than before , both in terms of music and visual. So when it comes out next year, people will be surprised.” He explains that the song shows how in a fruitful and true relationship, there’s no need to go anywhere else or seek for other things for inspiration.
The singer, who was featured in BBC Asian for his previous hits — Buy Me love and Moonlight — feels that making his first two singles has been a very different and an inspiring journey for him.
He says that while making Buy Me Love, he wanted to create song that would combine and experiment with tablas and the Indian vocals to give a “traditional touch.”
He says that he has been inspired by musicians like Ed Sheeran, Arijit Singh, Enrique and Drake the most.
For decades, India-Pakistan relation has followed a set pattern of diplomacy. After every major terror strike, both the countries start the blame game. Almost two years ago the moment of reckoning arrived when special commandos of Indian Army crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to hit targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Surgical strikes require not just detailed and exhaustive planning but need to be carried out with absolute precision to achieve the objective of taking down targets. The film Uri: The Surgical Strike starring Yami Gautam as an intelligence officer depicts the Uri attack that had led to widespread anger against terror.
The film follows the one carried by the Indian army against Pakistan after the latter attacked the Indian Army camp at Uri.
The surgical strike stunned Pakistan and before it could even understand what happened in its own backyard, the Indian Army’s special commandos had come back to their side of the LoC.
So when asked Yami, How did she manage to get in the character of the skin as this the first time she portrays something like this on screen, she says, “I asked Aditya (Dhar), what should I do to get completely into the role? Should I watch something? He said, you just have to be real Yami, you have to find the character within you. So it’s better if you rely on your own instincts. Intelligence officers are absolutely real and unpretentious. You won’t even get a single hint if an intelligence officer is sitting next you, they are that real. Their identities are classified. My excitement was on account of the subject of the film which was reasonable and sensible. Another thing that attracted me was that Aditya told me that he wanted to make a movie which not only interests the audience but also of which the Indian Army is proud of.” She also says that as an intelligence officer, it’s her job, to foresee the unseen. It was an interesting approach for Yami as an actor, because she had to be natural when it came to expressions and dialogue delivery. She says, “The whole idea was to keep it as real as possible.”
Yami shares that this is the film very close to her heart, not just as an actor, but also as the citizen of India. She says, “I absolutely love my character, I play a pivotal role in the entire operation. And the surgical strikes are definitely one of the most important events in the history of the Indian Army. Because it is the first time we took such an initiative and it is also one of the most brilliantly planned and coordinated attacks and that is why I think it’s vital for every individual be it a child, to know what actually happened.”
The film shows what it means to step into the army men’s shoes, who are ready to take a bullet for us. Yami interestingly shares an incident of which she’s proud of, “When we screened the film for the Indian Army, an officer came to me and said ‘we really loved the film, the way it’s written as well as executed it’s really commendable.’ He praised me by saying that my acting matched that of an intelligence officer’s demeanour. And that it appeared to be exactly the way they are in real life. Getting a compliment from such dignitaries meant the world to me.”
The Indian Armed Forces are selflessly guarding the borders and make so many sacrifices for us. She sees Uri as a very small and humble way to pay tribute to the Indian Army.
Ask Yami, how did she understand the incident better after doing the film, she says, “When the Uri attack happened, I was just aware as as any layperson. Back then I didn’t even know the meaning of surgical strikes properly. So when I read the script, it gave me an inside out of what actually happened and what our soldiers have gone through. I remember that there was only one sentiment that everybody was angry, everybody was hurt as an Indian. The way this attack was carried out on our soldiers, who were sleeping at that time was really very bad.”
“Patriotism cannot be shown only on two particular dates; it needs to go beyond that. I feel cinema, in that way, is a very powerful tool and can successfully influence young minds,” adds she.
Writer: Ayushi Sharma
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Why did you only choose Erich Kästner’s Emil and the Detectives for your direction?
This production is Slingsby’s seventh. Previously, we have adapted a Grimm Brother story (The Mouse, The Bird and the Sausage), an Oscar Wilde story (The Young King) and created four completely original works including an opera. I was first attracted to the story of Emil and the Detectives because it is often referenced by great contemporary children’s authors like Philip Pullman as a real point of inspiration for them. The story is a great adventure for children and families but it also has some dark, truthful moments about the world we live in. The story is very honest for children about the wonder and strangeness of life. This mirrors Slingsby’s approach to making theatre for an audience that includes children and adults.
Slingsby is particularly interested in bringing ‘coming of age’ or ‘getting wise’ stories to the stage. We find that these stories often have the power of being immediately relatable to our multi-generational audience (aged eight+ including adults attending on their own and in groups) as well as being philosophical enough to be open to infinite interpretation.
When I read Erich Kästner’s Emil and the Detectives, I was excited by the way Kästner presents a world filled with good as well as flawed people. Even though this is a story for children, he had presented a complex world where happiness and sadness co-exist. This really struck a chord with what we are trying to explore with Slingsby’s work. To show that there is darkness in the world — but that it serves to make the light moments even brighter and more wonderful.
What was the challenge in setting up and creating an atmosphere of the late 1920s for the stage? How have you transformed the play to suit to the current generation?
The design of our production is inspired by several leading Australian visual artists of the 1930s, including John Brack and Charles Blackman. These artistes emigrated from Europe to Australia — in much the same way the story did. Using these artistes as inspiration gives the production a distinctly Australian look and feel with a European heritage.
What goes into transforming a written play into a stage performance?
Each new show has its own discoveries — we continue to explore new ways to work as a team and to refine our theatre making process. The starting point for a new Slingsby show is an image, an idea or a story that moves me. Something that I feel is epic enough to have a universal appeal across a wide age range. We need to find a story or an idea that has enough at risk for us to really care about and identify with the character in a high stakes way. Theatre is a compressed moment in time. For us to really engage with a story, it must in some way address an anxiety deep within us. This is why coming-of-age stories are so potent for us. As humans we are constantly evolving into a new phase of our lives, leaving part of our old selves behind and forging new grounds.
Once I have selected a book, an image or an idea to adapt to the stage, we bring together a team of artists to forge a loose idea into a new theatre production. The process for each of our seven productions has varied but for the last two shows (The Young King and Emil and the Detectives) we have commenced our development with a process we call ‘Paths Less Travelled’. This ‘theatre laboratory’ brings together our core team, Quincy Grant, Geoff Cobham and Wendy Todd along with one or more actors and sometimes a writer and other design collaborators. Through this two-week-long process, we experiment with the theatrical possibilities of the story or image. We really try to discover a new way to share this with an audience and dig into the philosophy of the piece. Through this, we hope to find failure as well as success. This is where we can take real risks. The aim of this process is to push theatrical form and find new ways to share time and space with our audience.
In the final stages of this process, we will often invite our ‘critical appraisal group’ to see the very early period of this work in development. It is a small group of peers and individuals that we respect and are confident in their ability to provide an outside eye to the development of each new show. This group will generally include a Board Director of Slingsby, a theatre maker, an educator and from time to time a young audience member. This group will see showings at various stages of the making of a new work and the final production — meeting with me at each stage to offer insights and feedback and to ask questions of me and for me to ask questions of them.
The next phase of development will often include commissioning a playwright to write a script informed by the initial idea, image or story along with the discoveries from the ‘Paths Less Travelled’ process.
Following the first few drafts of the script, we will undertake a second creative development with the cast — often involving a reading of the script to a young audience — to gauge their interest in the story and the language of the piece. This second stage development will always include Quincy Grant as composer, joining us in the room to contribute ideas and music as the piece develops. The scoring is forged as the piece is being blocked. There is then a constant dance and conversation between text, music and image as we make the work. This second stage of development can vary in duration between three days to two weeks — depending on budget, artist availability and how ambitious we are being with the form of the piece. Geoff Cobham and Wendy Todd (and other design creatives) are always welcome in the room during this phase and collaborate equally in a very open and integrated way. As a team we are all trying to find the best and most impactful and interesting way to stage each moment.
Where possible, we try to bring production and design elements into the room as early as possible – with ideas being generated and refined throughout the process. This differs from some other processes where the design may be set before rehearsals begin.
The final rehearsal phase for our productions is when all of the elements come together, final design and Geoff Cobham’s lighting are the culminating pieces to the puzzle. It is in this final process that Quincy Grant will coordinate the recording of his score and the integration of that into show control. The final stage is balancing all of these elements. Meticulous attention is given to balancing sound, image, text and live performance. This is when a new Slingsby show is born. The audience is the final and most important ingredient. With each successive one our understanding of the show grows and we continue to refine the production after each performance. Even with The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy, which we have performed, well over 250 times we still refine moments following every performance. Perfection is ephemeral if not an illusion.
Emil’s character is very young. How did you script the role in such a way that people find it relatable?
As soon as I decided to adapt Kästner’s story, I decided I wanted to cast Elizabeth Hay. It was because I feel that the character of Emil is a hero and that the gender of the character is not relevant. This is a child’s story of discovery and not a boy’s or a girl’s — simply a child’s. Emil’s gender is never mentioned. I hope this allows both boys and girls to identify with the character. Elizabeth is a wonderful actor and has the ability to convey the wide-eyed innocence wonderfully. She is an adult (we are a touring company so it is very difficult to tour with child artists) but is able to embody that discovery of the world without overplaying it. And it is more about playing the character and not the age.
Are there any particular additions that you have made in your script to suit the Indian audience?
We keep our focus on the audience. We have not adapted anything specifically for India. I believe that the audience is similar across the world. We have toured 11 other countries and have had similar responses wherever we tour. We are very excited to be in India for the first time.
The play is a funny as well as a smart story about how a group of children finds their way. Given its universality, how did you end up choosing costumes and crafting dialogues?
Often is it the action and the fun of a situation that makes an audience laugh, rather than just the dialogues or jokes. The show has a lot of physical action — children and adults often find this to be a lot of fun. We have not modernised the story at all, we still refer to and use rotary telephones and the design is inspired by the 1930s. We find that the young audience really enjoy being invited into a world that is strange, mysterious and new to them but full of details. If the story is relevant to their emotional lives, it holds their attention.
Are there any particular literary plays or playwrights that you take inspiration from?
For this production, I have been very inspired by Hitchcock and Buster Keaton. We began by trying to tell this story without any words, but we discovered that we still needed narration and some dialogues to drive the story forward. However, much of it is non-verbal.
Anything that you ideally look for in a play and try to incorporate in yours as well?
It’s great to see the audience moved emotionally by our performances. I also try to make that happen. I want Emil and the Detectives to be fun and full of laughs but at the same time want the people to possibly relate to the sadness and perhaps shed a small tear. If something like that happens through a theatre performance, it surely implies that we are watching something important.
I want to give the people a surprising and delightful experience, and something that moves them. And through this, I want them to feel connected to each other, to our production and to have developed a greater empathy for each other. The play is all about meeting people, becoming a community, and being there to support each other.
(The play will be staged on January 13 at Siri Fort Auditorium.)
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
So working after Season One, what’s your experience like working on a very important show? Did you learn anything different? Do you feel any more pressure for the second season?
Yeah, definitely, I feel like when you start a project, when you start a show, there’s no way to know how it’s going to be received. There’s no way to know what it’s going to look like when you put it all together. It’s like you’re in a bubble, meaning that everyone that’s working on the show thinks it’s great, but who knows how it’s going to be received.
We knew we were doing something important. We knew that we wanted to make something with a lot of integrity. But to have it released to the world, and have them receive it in the way that they have, to have everyone talk about how timely the show is… we definitely didn’t see all of that coming. I think for Season Two, there’s a sense, at least for me, of a new-found responsibility to get the story right. To make sure that we’re giving, you know, our audience what they have come to know and love about the show. And stay consistent with that.
And yeah, it does feel like a little more pressure, especially with all the awards the show has received. It’s like guys, we got to do that again.
What do you think is the worst aspect of what Moira has to go through in Gilead?
To be honest, I think coming from the perspective of my character, one of the things that is obviously horrible is the rape. But I think for Moira, and for people, women who are gay, it is an affront that is indescribable and just the worst thing that could ever happen to you. To be violated in that way. Any woman, but of course, a women who doesn’t even have intercourse with men by choice, I think it’s indescribably horrible. That’s what I feel is the most horrible thing for Moira to go through.
Moira still picks Jezebels over the colonies at some point. What are your thoughts on that decision?
I think that it’s this dichotomy of what’s the lesser evil? And Moira knows for a fact that if she goes to the colonies she will die. She’s weighing going to the colonies, and you know, doing drugs every day, and drinking alcohol and making herself completely numb to it all.
In that moment she had to make a decision and, thank God she did because now she’s in Toronto.
Can we expect Moira to be in Canada in Season Two?
Yes, Moira’s going to be there in Season Two. I’ll tell you that much. She’s reunited with Luke. And they have to kind of form this makeshift family, and move to a place in Canada called Little America.
She gets a job at the embassy because she was so affected by that moment when she first got into Canada and how much the embassy helped her.
So she has in turn taken that and is helping refugees in the refugee center.
And when you think about Moira being a refugee, you think about how wonderful that is. She’s escaped, and she’s in this new place. But, as a refugee, it’s also terrible because you don’t know the land. You’re not with your people. And it’s this rollercoaster that I think we’re going to see with her, the good and the bad of being a refugee.
From misogyny to refugees, this show has a never ending list of important topics. You’ve been in another show that was also packed with very important subjects. The choices you make as an actress, are they politically motivated?
You know, I wish that I could sit here and tell you yes. But I think for me as an actor, the thing that pulls me toward projects is the heart of the character. First and foremost, before the project, and of course the project is very important itself. But for me, in terms of what attracts me to something, is the heart of the character. And what their essence is, what they’re fighting for. And just from reading something, I say to myself, do I feel I can bring that person to life?
And if the answer is no, it’s going to be too hard of a challenge then I don’t want to do that because I feel like it’s a disservice to the actress could do a really good job. But I’ve been really, really lucky in terms of the projects that I’ve been involved in, that as you say, have been on the forefront of people’s conscientiousness.
A major theme of the show is survival. What do you think drives Moira? How does she find the strength to go, to escape? And how do you bring life to the character?
We always talk about nature versus nurture. And I think Moira’s nature is a person that’s just a bull dog. Like she’s a tough person, she’s got that ingrained in her.
In the scene, where she’s at Jezebel’s and she’s been broken and has the conversation with June, I think she comes back to herself in that moment, in that conversation with her best friend. June is able to say, basically where are you, where have you gone? This is not you. Don’t let the bad people grind you down.
And I think in that moment she comes back to herself and she realises, oh, I’m not a victim, or I don’t have to be a victim.
I can be proactive and I can figure out how to get out of here.
For me, in terms of bringing life to the character, I think a lot of that has to do with all the things that make her a minority. She’s black, she’s gay, she’s a woman. Me being all of those things in my life as Samira, I can tell you that definitely influences the way that I move through the world. So I think that’s one of the things that I can point to.
This is a very dark show but the theme of empowerment is also very present. Do you feel that there is a lot of hope in this story?
Honestly, in the last episode of the first season, doing the escape scene we had drones following me. I was like, this is awesome. It’s was a moment of almost too much joy to even take because Moira’s escaped to Canada. It is a story of survival. It is a story of perseverance. And I think that a lot of times people focus on how dark the show is but the message that we want to keep beating, the under beat of the whole show, is this message of hope.
Were you proud or surprised when you saw the pictures of people wearing Handmaid’s costumes at the Women’s March? What was your feeling when you saw that?
It was definitely surprising, in the best way possible. You know when you’re working on something, whatever it is, you always hope that it impacts whoever’s going to watch it. Whether that’s one person or a bunch of people. You want them to have a conversation they wouldn’t have had otherwise. I want people to think about something they wouldn’t have thought about without seeing the project.
So to see that, and to see how the show has impacted the whole world, and also Hillary Clinton quoted the show… all of those things are very overwhelming and also very humbling to know that something that you’re doing is out there in people’s consciousness.
You’ve been in shows that are very female-driven. Do you think placing women behind the camera as well as in front of the camera makes television more relevant and actually more interesting?
Yes, I’ve been really blessed to be on The Handmaid’s Tale and Orange is the New Black, to be surrounded by so many women in power… the women in the cast, the directors. Even in The Handmaid’s Tale last season, every single director we had was a woman, except for one.
I do feel really naive and lucky to be in this position because I haven’t been surrounded by a bunch of men. And I do think that is completely a reflection of the time that I am working in. You know, thank God that I am working in this time. I think it’s our job really as artists to reflect the time that we are living in so that people can look back and say that was going on.
(Watch Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 every Monday at 10 pm on AXN.)
Writer: Team Viva
Courtesy: The Pioneer
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