Speaking of Devdutt, so on dining table we had the hoity-toity dressed known faces and the only one standing out, in his simplicity was our man. Flashing that ever so infectious smile. At one point, our host who couldn’t resist, questioned Devdutt as to how he manages that grin 24/7? And true to his style, he replied “Frustration doesn’t get me too far”…..and people ‘the’ impression was made, signed and sealed.

From thereon I happened to bump into him on several occasions; book launches, monthly magazine parties…house parties (nope I am not bragging about the kind of people I socialize with). Besides the general nitty-gritty, my never ending queries on the topic of Feminism in Indian mythology, we spoke a little on his then upcoming book on one of the most famous and probably the most controversial mythological icon, King Ram.

Personally speaking, I ain’t too fond of this Lord. But then my opinion is very much biased to what happened with his wife, Sita. That’s the feminist in me whom I cannot and will not ignore. There you have it.

Anyway, once I heard the book was out….the curious cat in me picked up the phone and decided to have short tete-a-tete with one of the country’s foremost mythological writers, Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik.

Do you prefer Ram or Krishna?

Both are forms of Vishnu. And Vishnu is God who engages with the world, unlike Shiva who prefers being indifferent. Ram and Krishna are two ways of interacting with two different worlds. Ram upholds rules while Krishna modify rules. Both for dharma. I prefer Ram sometimes and Krishna sometimes. Hindu mythology spoils us for choices.

Did you find anything new while writing the book?

Many new things….like why did Ram break rather than string the bow as he was sked to? And stories of Urmila and Sita I did not know before… Like how Sita saved Ram from a son of Ravan and from a Naga-astra….I learnt of a bank where people deposits books filled with the name of Ram written over and over again…

Tell us the story of Urmila…who is she?

She is the wife of Lakshman and for the story you have to buy the book.

Isn’t Ram too political today?

So???? He has been God for 2000 years. 50 years of politics does not take away his divinity. Why did our ancestors worship him? And why is he the only god to be worshipped as king? These are questions I have tried to answer.

Anything for young people?

All my books are for young people. Young or old, we still do not know the meaning of life or the purpose to life. We construct imaginary answers. We are given imaginary answers. In other words, we live in myth. And that’s what I write about.

What are you writing on now?

My next book explores Calendar art. Then there is the book on Mahabharata….

How do you find the time?

Discipline, sacrifice….and the desire to write at any cost….Simple!

Please tell us something about your creative background?

I always wanted to make films, the only thing I can remember wanting to do is make films. When I joined college I took up literature parallel with film studies. Literature I think is very closely related to films and in India you don’t start with film studies after school, you can only after graduation. And then I got my scholarship for Training in Film Making for which I went to Berlin.

And what brought you to Bollywood?

After I trained in Berlin I went back to Kolkata because that’s where I did my university and initial training in film studies. I worked there for a while, made some documentary films and all. But anyway my aim was "fiction" and I realized the environment of Kolkata is not where I wanted to work because I was very young and wanted to be respected for what I do. And I found people very patronizing at that point there and it didn’t suit me.

I came to Bombay as an editor actually…I started off as an editor. And it took me 10 years to make my first film. But for me it was very clear – I don’t come from a film family, I don’t come from a family where someone can say, here take 3 crores and make a film. I wanted to do it on my own, on my own terms and make the kind of films I wanted to make. Probably that’s one of the reasons why it took that long because I was definite about the kind of films I wanted to make. And for me everything that I was doing while trying to make a film was a step towards that. I mean I produced music, directed music videos, made documentary films and then scripting; basically a whole lot of things.

And all this helped me to be able produce and direct my film within a controlled budget, since I had worked in every possible department.

For your first film, what made you pick a dicey subject like alternate sexuality and HIV?

Actually it became my first film by accident. The first script I wrote was also a dicey subject but it never got made. Hopefully it will someday. It was basically a story of a gigolo and nobody had the guts to finance such a project. And then I wrote my second script but nothing happened and then I wrote my third script. At that time I had just finished editing a documentary script on Dominic D’Souza who was the first known case of HIV in India. And that story kind of stayed with me…you know his photograph haunted me. And at one point I was getting frustrated because every story that I was writing found no one to finance it.

That’s when I decided to do it myself. Sanjay Suri is a friend and has complete faith in me. I decided to go ahead with Dominic’s story and make it into a docu-fiction and release it on TV. It sounded good and so I started writing. It was something I wrote in 10 days as it had left a lasting impact on me. It just came…just came like that.

And then we started meeting actors and everyone we approached said "yes" so we thought that instead of making it a TV film let’s make a feature film.

Actually till I completed the film I never thought that this was a taboo. It was just that this story deeply moved me and the entire crew and cast were doing this for peanuts because they simply loved the story too. It was only after completing the film that I realized – Oh my God! In India, homosexuality is illegal what with Article 377 and there might be problems for release. So I was worried only when the censor time came, luckily that went through smoothly without any controversies.

It became my first film by accident, but all in all, the subjects I generally choose are slightly off the beaten track. Stories, which have already been told do not interest me; I need to tell stories wherein I too grow as a person and not just become a director, that’s not my aim.

‘Bas Ek Pal’ (2006) didn’t do well at the box office. According to the tabloids, it didn’t appeal to either the critics or the masses. Where do you think the problem lay?

Two things. After My Brother Nikhil I got slotted. People expected My Brother Nikhil Part 2. For me it was however very clear that I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to do something totally different which would help me grow as a director. In fact to me I have matured as a director only after Bas Ek Pal. In terms of reception it was a mix. Some critics really raved about the film whereas in print it didn’t receive a favourable response.

The first reaction is obviously you get very defensive about everything that you do. But later on I sat down and analysed the film all over again and realized that there were certain things that went against it. The distribution for instance: In Mumbai only 14 prints were released and only two night shows were available in the suburban side. Another thing I believe I messed up with was the execution of the film’s climax scene.

Otherwise I think it’s a complex, very mature film, which to me was the exciting bit. Unfortunately the current trend involves audience watching comedies and idiotic comedies. And it’s very worrying when rubbish films like Welcome, Partner become box-office success. Personally I have nothing against comedies but these are bad films, period. And good, deserving films like Johnny Gaddar and Manorama Six Feet Under are complete washouts.

Sometime in 2006 you were thinking of making an adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ starring Hrithik Roshan. Is this project going to see the light of day?

Again, today no one wants to do a dark film. I am talking around, speaking to artists and film banners but everyone is looking for profit. For example Omkara was critically applauded but financially, it didn’t do well. Therefore actors are skeptical about taking up such offers. Actors, producers, basically everybody.  

You also acted in Schau mir in die Augen, Kleiner (2007) aka Here’s looking at You, Boy – The Coming out of Queer Cinema (International: English title). This is a documentary on the history of gay and lesbian film. How was it like acting in an international setting?

No I did not acted in the film. It was a documentary film which featured 14 directors from across the world on the subject of homosexuality. And I was selected as one of the directors and it was featured during the Berlin Film Festival. A fantastic experience overall.

What do you think about the censor board’s stand in today’s Bollywood?

Honestly speaking I have been very lucky. Like with My Brother Nikhil I thought there will be plenty of issues but it was cleared without any cuts.

But then it was backed by Yash Raj Films.

No. The censor dealing was done before Yash Raj’s takeover of the film for distribution. My team consisted of all first timers, including myself. I was literally shaking once the film was given for censorship approval. When I met them they said that we will give the film a ‘U’ certificate provided you give a statement at the beginning that it’s a fictitious film, which I was ready to comply with. And for me this was a huge thing, I mean we live in a country, which is still very outdated in terms of its views on sexuality, especially alternate sexuality.

Do you think there is a lack of good scripts in Bollywood? If so, why?

Yes it’s true. Because apart from actors we don’t want to pay anyone else. Actors believe they are the film themselves and therefore charge enormous amounts. Then there is no budget left for anything else. Also our copyright laws are weak that it’s an easy job to keep making remakes. Plus financiers prefer to stick with the ‘tried-and-tested’ formulae and our audience goes ahead and approves such re-creations. And at the end of the day everything boils down to the audience.

Which actor/actress you would like to work with in the near future?

Actually I never had this fascination or inclination towards working with any special set of actors. For me the script comes first and whoever suits it best and is within the budget is offered the role. So no wish list for me as of now.

Any recent movie you wish you were part of?

Johnny Gaddar. I thought it was a brilliant film. Sad it didn’t do well. Then there was Manorama Six Feet Under and I also liked Chuk De minus the beginning and the end.

Define ‘crossover cinema’?

Frankly I really don’t know; I mean crossing over to what? Films from India which are screened overseas are mostly big budget films. It has nothing to do with quality but everything to do with who’s backing the project (film).

People perceive that films like Page 3 and My Brother Nikhil are crossover films but unfortunately they don’t even get released overseas. Especially the US and UK market, the thing is NRI audiences are worse than the audience back home because they are so nostalgic about India that they prefer to watch its glossy image. And therefore you have big banners making films especially to please them by inserting glamorised costumes and bhangra songs.

Where do you see India cinema go over the next decade, given that in recent times we have seen a shift in the kind of movies being made and scripts being written, as well as the willingness of mainstream actors to try different genres other than commercial flicks?

I don’t know really. We keep talking about how big is Bollywood but frankly we are living in a make believe world. For example, if you look at the earnings of a biggest grosser of the past couple of years and compare it to a Korean film, which would be looked at as world cinema, ours would be barely 13% of that.

Our films are not world cinema. When we talk about overseas we simply mean NRI audiences. Our films have still not matured with respect to world cinema. The day we are able to get the local audience in cities like New York, London, Sydney maybe then we would qualify as global filmmakers. But then our population is so huge and spread out that we really don’t care much about the world market.

Hopefully 10 years from now we will have audiences which are open to all kinds of cinema.

What is your take on depiction of homosexuality in today’s Hindi films?

It sickens me honestly. I find it silly mostly the way it is depicted. I find it stupid how actors are insecure; if it’s not making fun they wouldn’t want to do the character. They are insecure about how they will be perceived but that’s really stupid because enacting a homosexual character doesn’t make one a homosexual. Even our double standards are put on display. Today one animal rights group will ask for help and the whole Jing-bang will be there to lend a helping hand but when you talk about human rights, basic human rights let alone homosexuality, no one will give you the time of the day.

Similarly our whole society including the film industry is so homophobic. So they’d rather make fun of it. And what is even more depressing is that some of them are closet homosexuals themselves. I mean they don’t have to talk about their sexuality but the least they could do is not make a mockery of others and their sexual preference.

I feel it should be dealt with with a certain responsibility; after all you are talking about someone else’s life. But I suppose Bollywood specializes in making mockery of those who are ‘different’.

Can you tell us something on your new and forthcoming films?

Well I am working on a film called Sorry Bhai. A romantic film with an interesting star cast. I have Shabana Azmi, Boman Irani, Sharman Joshi, Sanjay Suri and Chitrangada Singh is making a comeback with this film. I am looking forward to it because it’s a different genre for me, it’s a happy film but it also deals with complexities of adult relationships.

Your involvement with HIV/Aids awareness campaign.

After My Brother Nikhil I have been involved in all kinds of campaigns, seminars, conferences dealing with Human Rights. I am also trying to remove time for conducting workshops for Aids infected youth in Shillong, hopefully every year. See the thing is movies and all will keep happening but life also involves personal growth and being part of such activities helps me achieve that.

Straight speak and blunt – Onir was a refreshing change from the run of the mill Bollywood interviewees. Here’s looking at you Onir.. and wish you all the best for your future projects!

Anyway, since I was pushed to the edge of the cliff with no usable option at hand, I decided to take the plunge.

Kindly note: My landing on Nach Baliye sets was not planned, my meeting Rakhi Sawant was unexpected and this interview was totally unanticipated – but all of this did happen, thanks to a dear friend, who decided to give me the ‘mother of all surprises’.

So ladies and gents, without any further ado – I present to you desi reality shows ki Rani, Rakhi Sawant (Juneja ishtyle).

Q. You have come so far in Nach Baliye (contest), what according to you has been the biggest contributing factor to this?

I would say it is nothing but 100% hard work and perseverance from our end. Abhishek and I have practically put our lives on hold for this show and we are determined to make it to the finals.

Q. Do you feel the judges have been fair while handing out the scores?

Of course they have been fair! Davidji, Eshaa and Vaibhaviji they have not only been fair but consistent and also very encouraging.

But just sometime back ex-contestant, Pooja Bedi had accused them of being partial.

See it’s a simple case of “Angoor ab khate ho gaye hain” (sour grapes). She has taken her departure from the show way too seriously and therefore is reacting in such a manner. The judges are doing their job with most honesty and it’s not like they don’t pick on me and Abhishek. They have criticized us and others whenever needed. They give me comments like “Rakhi today you could better”, you know, ya “energy nahi thi” ya “kabhi kabhi tum bahut fast jaarehi ho”. I get a lot of comments – sometimes I am good and sometimes not so good. But it’s all nice kyunki mein bhi ek ensaan hoon koi battery wali gudiya nahi joh hamesha perfect karoongi.(I'm human too, not a battery-operated doll which is always perfect)

And if they don’t criticize how will we perform better? So I like it when they are critical of me. It inspires me to perform better and by this I will only move forward in Nach Baliye.

Anyways they have never been critical of our choreography; it’s either been about mine or Abhishek’s energy levels.

Abhishek – They have never given us low marks because of our choreography. Once they commented about my performance and sometimes they have commented on Rakhi’s energy level being slightly low.

Q. Now most important question of all, give us a low-down on your relationship with the feisty Kashmera Shah.

Ab mein kya boloon, public ko sab khabar hai. (The public knows the whole deal) All I will say is that we are not best of friends but since we have to work on this show together, aur ab bear rakhe toh kaam nahi kiya jaata. (One can't hold grudges and work together)

So everything is normal.

Yes, I am normal. Bus mujhe apna kaam karke nikal jana hai. I am working hard.

And how is your relationship with other contestants?

I am cordial with everybody. I wish everyone “All the best” before start of the shoot and regularly cheer for everybody.

Q. Tell me something about your forthcoming movies?

Nahi is ki hi (Nach Baliye) baat karte hain zaada. (Let's talk only about Nach Baliye)

Par aap thoda toh kuch toh bata sakte hain.(But you can share something)

No I prefer to talk only about Nach Baliye since this show is the focus of my life at this moment. Movies aur upcoming projects ke barein mein phir kabhi.

Q. Who according to you, other than yourselves, have what it takes to reach Nach Baliye finals?

Abhishek – I feel Aamir and Sangeeda are really good.

Rakhi – Yes. According to me they are very good competitors; they dance well and share very good chemistry which is very evident in their performance. Par hum bhi full lagan aur mehanat se kaam kar rahe hain, ab aage kismat ki marzi. (We're working hard too, and the rest is fate.)

Q. Rakhi, how has life changed for you after Bigg Boss?

Ah! Whatever I have today is all because of Bigg Boss. If that show had not happened to me, I would have never experienced so much love from the junta, our audience. Thanks to their support, people like Karan Johar invite me on their high-profile shows, everywhere I go people stop to take my autograph and picture. Bigg Boss helped me portray my real self to the public, they were though days but now when I look at them, the experience was completely worth it.

Q. Your future plans?

I believe whatever is written in your destiny only that will come true. Nobody can take that away from you, no matter how much others try to snatch it off you. Ulte khade ho jaaoo, sar ke bal khade ho jaaoo par joh taqdeer mein likha hai…joh mere naseeb mein likha hai woh mujhe mil kar rahe ga.(One can stand upside down, hang by a hair, but whatever will be, will be – que sera sera and all that jazz)

I had no background, I was nothing. Mein ek chawl system mein rahene wali ladki thi…koi God father nahi, kuchi bhi nahi. Par mein yahaan tak pahoonchee hi na. (I'm from humble beginnings, with no Godfather, but I've done well for myself, haven't I?) So in future also, I will reach places with hard work and my destiny.

At this point my head was as good as an empty bucket, I seriously couldn’t think anything further and the picture in front had again started to get fuzzy all over again. I signaled to Melody that I was done with the questioning but when I turned again towards Rakhi to thank her for her time, She gave me her typical “WTF!!” look and said…

“Aap Abhishek se kuch nahi poochenge?” (Won't you ask Abhishek anything?)

Me (slightly more nervous) – “Par madam, I think I have enough”.

Rakhi – “Nahi aap kuch toh pucheeye. Actually kya hai ki main Abhishek ko promote karna chahati hoon”. (No, you should ask him something. Actually I want to promote him.)

Me (now at an extreme point of nervousness, to make things worse, Mel at the other end tells me, "Go ahead Sakshi, we have time") – "Okay madam, aap jaisa kahain”.

 Q8. Abhishek some weeks ago some contestant had accused you of faking injury to gain sympathy from the judges and the audience – what do you have to say to this?

Rakhi (she starts off before Abhishek can even open his mouth) – Humare face peh ek shikange bhi nahi aaye thi. Humne socha abhi humare pass aur bahut time hai improve karne ke liye.  (We weren't even scratched. We thought we have more time to improve.)

Par waise bhi aap log bahut consistent rahain hain apni performance mein. (But you've been quite consistent in your performance.)

Abhishek – Aap jis performance ki baat kar rahi hain, usmain waise bhi doh 10s or ek 8 mila tha. (Our performances have garnered two 10s and an 8 from the judges.)

Rakhi – Waise bhi har roj Diwali banana mujhe bhi nahi acha lagta. Jaise cardiogram uper neeche uper neeche hota hai waise marksbhi. Har time full marks leke jaana mujhe bhi acha nahi lagta hai. (I don't like to celebrate Diwali daily, anyway. Like a cardiogram, marks can go up and down. I don't like to score full marks every time too.)

Phir logon ko lage ka ki… (She cuts me off) (Then people will feel that…)

Rakhi – Nahi phir zada nazaar lag jati hai. Bahut nazaar lagti hain. Mujhe toh etni lagti hain ki aap believe hi nahi kar sakte ho.(No, then the evil eye might fall on us. I'm quite prone to the evil eye, you wouldn't believe how much.) In spite of our injuries we have performed. Abhishek took so many injections you can’t even begin to imagine.

Abhishek – Us din mein double shots leke perform karne gaya tha. (That day I performed after double shots.)

Rakhi – Kahane wale sab kahate hain. (Let people say what they will.)

Abhishek – I have so much determination in me to win that I am ready to cross any boundaries, so what are few mere injections?

Q. Abhishek, so what’s the driving force behind this determination you are talking about?

I am doing all this for Rakhi. I want her to win; woh meri sahas ka prateek hain.(She is the foundation of my courage.) She has not won anything in her life up until now but all that is in the past. We are confident that we will do our best in Nach Baliye and the rest is up to the audience.

Q. Some contestants are questioning your participation in the show, just like what had happened on another show where Shweta Salve was accused of being a professional dancer. What do you have to say to this?

Rakhi – Haan toh I am a professional dancer, theek hai! Nache teh hain na, toh credit kisko jana chahiye, dancers ko…yeh show Nach Baliye kya hai? (Yes, I'm a professional dancer, alright! We've danced, so who else should get the credit, but dancers – this is Nach Baliye after all.)

Abhishek – It’s a dance show.

Rakhi – It’s a dance show. Toh dancers ko hi jaana chahiye na. (So dancers should win)

Abhishek – Joh acha dance karega woh jeetega. (Who dances best will win.)

Rakhi – Joh acha karega woh hi jeetega. These people very well know that we have the potential and the capability that is required to win a contest like this. And who are they calling professionals dancers – neither I nor Abhishek have ever taken any professional dance training. Without taking any names here, everyone participating in this season has taken some sort or the other dance lessons.

Q10. So you guys are sure that you will reach the finals?

Abhishek – Definitely. We are very confident and as I said earlier, the final decision lies with the audience.

Rakhi – Dekho bhai, mujhe dance karna bahut acha lagta hai. Mera bus chale toh mein moon peh bhi dance karoon (Look here, I love to dance. I would dance on the moon if I could) but unfortunately I don’t have the kind of money required for it. But who knows maybe with Jesus’ blessings one day I will get to dance on the moon.

Q. Rakhi, do you think you are a role-model for all those coming from similar background as yourself?

Of course I am a role model and not only for people from my background but for everyone! I have had a very hard life, at home and professionally. I have had to fight practically for everything that I have achieved today. And the public knows this and therefore they have shown their support and showered me with so much affection.

Q. Anything in particular you would like to tell your fans?

The only thing I want to tell my fans is that not only to vote for me, in fact vote for those who deserve it; purely on the basis of their performance.

I would also like to take this opportunity and thank Star Channel for having us on a popular show like Nach Baliye and we shall forever be grateful for this.

Dhan-dhana-dhan! There you have it folks – the ever entertaining Rakhi Sawant!

At the beginning of our conversation I felt she was a little apprehensive (can’t really blame the woman, especially looking at how the Indian media treats her) and was sticking to her regular politically correct replies. But within minutes, I could see the real Sawant opening up – dhasu dialogues, the aggressive hand movements, high-pitched tone while emphasizing a point and the “I totally rock” attitude; all in all she was exactly as I had imagined her to be. Though I have to mention, I was slightly taken aback by her modesty and down to Earth nature.

Frankly speaking, I am not sure if I have been able to do justice to her personality via this interview – you actually have to watch her in person in order to experience the Rakhi Sawant dhamaka (really, I am not exaggerating this). But then again for this to happen, you need an awesome friend (like I do) to make an indescribable dream, a reality.

Highlights of the interview, for your viewing pleasure:

How it happened!

I even would be content with just a photograph of me standing next to Rakhi Sawant. No, really, even just that would mean a lot! Frankly much of my blogging popularity (if I may call it so) I owe to this woman; at blogging camps/meets I am often referred to as the “Un-official online PR agent of Rakhi Sawant” and not to forget the heavy-duty traffic my blog experiences when people Google her name for reasons I cannot mention here (I cater to family crowd na).

And so, meeting the lady in person was a wish – a wish which I knew would come true -but this soon, was something I didn’t imagine.

Early Monday morning, I was driving Melody to a film studio in Andheri. The previous day she had requested me to accompany her for a talk-show in which she was appearing as an invited guest. The awesome friend that I am, I immediately agreed even though I knew I would so (totally!) get jacked at work. Anyway, the entire drive to the studio, I kept emphasizing to her – how lucky she was to have me as a friend, how she owes me for a life time, how screwed I would be at work and so on and so forth. In return, the poor soul kept nodding her head in agreement to whatever I was harping.

When we reached the studios, I noticed some people all dressed up & in fact commented to Mell that there was probably some dance sequence being shot at one of the studios.

A little while later – I got completely crazy – I noticed a crew member wearing Star TV’s popular reality show, “Nach Baliye” badge. Knowing that Rakhi was on the show, I got super thrilled and the excitement on my face was very visible. But we were there for another reason and so Nach Baliye had to happen another time – so I thought.

At the registration desk, we went thru the required formalities; name, time, meeting whom and finally which show – now before Mell could answer the last question, I butted in and said “NDTV ka show hai”. The guard gave me the weirdest expression and said, “Kya NDTV”, immediately Mel shut me up & replied, “NDTV nahi, hum Nach Baliye ke liya aaye hain”.

Then she turned to me and said “Surprise!”

Needless to say, I was shocked. Everything after got sort off blurry.

And, things only got more surreal.

All I remember is Mell smiled at me, made a phone call to someone and within the next few minutes (!!!) we had entered her private make up van and I found myself sitting next to Sawant, Rakhi Sawant!

The thing is, even though living in Mumbai and seeing so many Bollywood stars regularly makes most of us immune to getting star struck, at that point, I felt as if my mind was somersaulting in the twilight zone – I felt like I was in a trance, my palms were all sweaty, cheeks red and a huge flashy smile that refused go away.

The “interview” which followed was taken as if I was in a daze. I was completely unprepared for the interview and did my best to ask her all the questions I thought of in as professional a manner as I could, all the while wanting to jump out of my skin & tell her “I’m your greatest fan!”.

Mell on the other hand simply took photographs & did not talk to Rakhi or Abhishek much. She later told me she was just very pleased with herself at managing to pull of this fantastic surprise so well (I had absolutely NO clue at all).

Now did Rakhi lived up to my expectations? Is she a true “drama queen” as portrayed by the media? What did my dear friend think of the woman I brag about so much? Is her bold outspoken tell-it-like-it-is attitude, for real? – well sorry for being a spoil sport here but guys to find out the answers you have to wait for the next installment.

And believe you me; it will all be worth it!

During my recent trip to our capital city, I was blessed with an opportunity of meeting Mr. Nau Nihal Singh, 87 years old.. Nope, he isn’t a politician nor a rich business tycoon or some ex-Bollywood personality; to me he is in fact no less than a real-life “Hero”. And this is his story.

Fondly known as Papaji, Mr. Singh was born in 1922 in Lahore, Pakistan. An advocate by profession, and like most patriotic young men of his generation, he fought for India’s freedom in his youth. In recognition of his services, the Government of India awarded him a Freedom Fighter status. After India’s Partition, Papaji, moved to Shimla with his young wife and baby daughter. He made Delhi his home since 1955.

But as they say “change” is the only constant thing in life, Mr. Singh lost his beloved wife, a companion of nearly 50 years. A loss of such magnitude, where most of us would simply accept it as part of life, Papaji thought of those in similar shoes but left with no support from the “family”. However just relying on a noble thought doesn’t really make any difference, Papaji knew that he had to make a start somewhere and so he did.

In 1992, at the age of 70, he founded Aashirwad Senior Citizen Council. Through the Council, he ran a Day Care Center from his own home, with the help of his daughters, for those senior members of the community who have lost their spouse or are lonely – basically an outlet to meet friends, go for social events and be advocates for the rights of senior citizens.

Did you know today India is home to one out of every ten senior citizens of the world? Nearly half of the elderly are fully dependent on others, while another 20 percent are partially so. And worse still, since women’s economic position in our society depends largely on marital status, women who are widowed and living alone are found to be the worst among the poor and vulnerable.

After watching day-in-day-out the challenges faced by elderly people in their lives due to ill-treatment by their children or just lack of care, Papaji felt just running a day care center wasn’t enough, a structured plan was needed. And so he started Aashirwad Senior Citizen Home in 2004 to meet the needs of those left to rot by their very own.

It’s so ironic isn’t it – one hand we place so much importance on traditional norms and values of Indian society on showing respect and providing care for the elderly. But on the other hand, many conveniently bend these norms to suit their personal requirements without giving a thought about those whom they are hurting in the process.

And that’s not it, if the double standards of our culture doesn’ bog you down, our ever-helping (not!!) government and judicial system surely will. Setting up Aashirwad Senior Citizen Home didn’t come easy, just like many other things if you go by the legal way. It took Papaji five long years, umpteen rounds of Ministry of Social Welfare & DDA (Delhi Development Authority) and monetary favors practically from everyone he knew – as he mentioned with a lop-sided grin, “I became a professional beggar in no time”.

The stories he mentioned, to one may appear right out of some Bollywood movie; son dropping of his father and never looking back, an aged-woman visited only by her nieces living in US but her own children couldn’t care less, a home-less man in early 50s suffering from amnesia, a couple left behind simply because their family didn’t see them fit enough to move overseas with them. To me this is scary, I mean just the thought curls up my skin, can’t even begin to imagine living it.

Today, Aashirwad offers facilities which caters both, residential and other leisure activities for non-residents. They provide yoga, meditation, and invites guest speakers on a regular basis to speak on spiritual and motivational issues. The Home also runs a physio-therapy center with a doctor in attendance and has its own ambulances to be used in case of emergencies.

However Papaji’s troubles are far from over, regular funding is desperately needed to carry out and maintain the Home’s facilities and the betterment of those living in it. But Papaji, the bundle of energy that he is, even at this age and with the help of his daughters, is working hard towards his goals like there’s no tomorrow.

It’s mind-boggling isn’t it when you read about this man, who could have just so easily sat at home and enjoyed those perfect family moments with his children & grand-children but instead choose to dedicate that life to those who were not blessed with the same.

A hero to its truest form, that’s what Mr. Nau Nihal Singh is, to me and many others whoes lives he has touched.

[If you interested in helping the people at Aashirwad Senior Citizen Home, kindly contact Mrs. Winnie Singh on 98101-32908]

Chatting Up With Sanjana Kapoor

I guess for many like me, the first thing that comes to mind when we think about Theatre or Stage plays is a tiny little block in Juhu, very close to the beach and ever so filled with vibrant atmosphere – Yes, I am talking about Prithvi Theatre.

Prithvi holds many fond memories for me, starting from my college days. Since it is just a couple of blocks from home, I use to practically end up there every second day either enjoying some electrifying performances or simply making conversations with friends over a cup of coffee.

There is no denying the fact that Prithvi has been solely responsible for presenting the Hindi Film Industry with some of the best talents the nation has ever seen. Actors/writers like Kay Kay Menon, Anurag Kashyap, Naseeruddin Shah, etc. consider the experience gained as a theatre artist and the time spent at Prithvi to be the main reason for their success today.

So for me get a one-on-one conversation with the woman standing behind this Powerhouse platform and one of the most appreciated form of entertainment – was much more than a dream come true.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Sanjana Kapoor.

How did you end-up becoming the sole-handler of Prithvi?

Well it happened every so slowly and ever so insidiously, it was never meant to be. Really, genuinely was never meant to be. Ever since my mother passed away it was Kunal and Firoz who ran the theatre for 8 long years. And I was in and out of the country, watching from the sidelines and at times participating as a volunteer during festivals. And there were super festivals at that time. I always had this burning, indescribable desire to just connect and to somewhere know that perhaps there was something of my mother lingering inside of me. But I was hugely terrified of entering into anything at Prithvi, just the hugeness of responsibility and lack of experience in my life.

I came on board about 16 years ago very very gradually. I had time on my hand and I said to the trustees i.e. my brother and father, I am going to just see what’s going on and in what way I can fit myself in. So they did give me a long rope, as long as I was going to raise my own money. There were not going to give me a penny which was fine with me. I watched shows for one year and I realized that the most problematic area was the complete disconnect between our vision and what was actually going on here. The quality of theatre was a complete abysmal and so was the audience. There were paan-thuks on the wall, they were talking back to the actors in an incredibly surprising way almost as if they were watching television in their homes.

So I jotted down a 5 point plan then. I set about to start a children’s work-shop and so we started children’s program for summer, it’s been going for 15 years now. Then we started the Art Gallery, actually re-started the Art Gallery. Initially it was run by my mother and her friends. Then we had brunches under the bamboo in the cafe during openings, very relaxing and informal. We wanted to breathe a new life into the cafe because it is an integral part of Prithvi. Later we started our own production company called Prithvi Players and Little Prithvi Players. It happens occasionally, nothing on regular bases only when needed we come out with our own productions.

And the un-realized 5th point of the plan was a library. We had collected over 1000 books, they came mostly thru donations and connected to theatre. But we didn’t have a place to display them on. And sadly, the floods in 2005 destroyed quite a lot of them since they were kept in the basement. But now we are seriously thinking about it and should set up a library and a resource center very soon.

So it all happened real slow and I just started with these tiny little things. For me everything was learning on the job and I think it went quite well.

How much theatre in general and Prithvi theatre in particular contributed to your understanding of acting?

Ha! Well I don’t think I even understand it now. Appreciation of acting, well it could be mixture between being taken to England every year as a child and seeing work there. And I was taken to everything were my parents went to be it films, theatre or opera. And like wise here, I remember as a 10 year old sleeping the backseat after a long night at the theatre.

Just the other day my brother Kunal was telling me that our mum had such a reverence towards education that even during his ICSC exams she took him to a Vilayat Khan concert. I just love her for that because she knew it was as important, there was just no question of missing a Vilayat Khan concert. So that was the background we came from and it came as a rude shock to me when finally I did act in a film and it was like I had no idea how to work or act. Having been exposed to all this but then having no training as an actress and no experience. Plus having a director who was not necessarily good in getting it out. I mean Ketan is more of a vision man rather than an actor’s director so then I went to a drama school in New York which was an incredible experience. The process was just a year but it gave me the confidence and in many ways a better understanding of what acting is all about.

Don’t you find it difficult playing the role of a playwright, director and actor all at one time?

No…no, I have never written. I can’t write. But I have directed children many years ago. But now I am older, wiser and cynical and so I will never direct again.

What made you back-out completely from Bollywood and concentrate solely on Theatre?

I never got into Bollywood and it was not called Bollywood in those days either. Frankly I never wanted to be in Hindi commercial film. When I wanted to act I was really confused as to where I wanted to act, as in India or England and then language was also a problem. And Ketan then had made some very interesting films so I went up to him and said I want to work with you and if you I have a role for somebody like me then please do think of me. Then 2 years later, he did and it was crossover film. Hero Hiralal was a crossover between parallel and main-stream and perhaps a bit before its time.

So you think it would have worked had it been released now?

I don’t know, maybe. See cinema has changed so much and things have changed in the country now. And at that time there was nothing else to do, I got couple of offers from Hindi commercial cinema and there was no thinking twice about it and for me it was complete different culture which I was not prepared to indulge in.

I mean there were times when I hated my father’s films and I use to ask my mum why he does such types to which she clearly explained to me that when he did start out it was very different. In the 60s and early 70s films were different, an actor’s involvement was different and it all gradually changed.

Sanjana’s only passion Prithvi Theatre

Despite of fearsome competition from Bollywood and Cable Channels, what do you think make Prithvi still sustain its popularity?

I don’t think it’s only Prithvi but theatre itself. I mean nothing can beat this live-interaction we have, I mean no television, cinema or any other media for that matter can grab you in the intimate active way and the exchange that takes place. And I think this is the reason why theatre will always survive the on-slaughter but the only thing in theatre always has to be on its toes and re-discover itself and its own role. Now with the advancement in technology we should try incorporate that in theatre but sadly we don’t try such things in this country.

What’s your stance on Indian theatre’s current scenario?

Well I don’t I think I can say on something as vast as that but I could talk more specifically to Mumbai. Even though over the last three years we have actively gone out and created a more dynamic network. We are trying to build link with people who are doing interesting bit across the country and there are amazing pockets of work happening around, like in middle of Karnataka, in Manipur and many other small towns. It’s just that they are not taking place in big metros so therefore they lack this glitz and glamour around them.

I think most importantly we need more homes for theatre. I mean its shocking shame that even after 28 years of Prithvi there is no other place like Prithvi. There are just no more Prithvis in this country or even in this city. There is just one Rang Shankara that was built two years ago again thanks to madness of one woman. But it’s sad that there are no more such mad people around who are ready to put in their sweat and blood in something they love and other people backing them with financial support and breathe life into something so creative and beautiful.

But don’t you think such festivals are making theatre a rather corporatized affair?

Yes, I would say now there are becoming a fad. When we started in 1983, we had our first festival and there were hardly any regular festivals on national level happening around that time. For us it was clearly about celebrating 5 years of our existence and the fact that we had developed a bit of an audience and were focused on few groups so we just pulled them all together and went about with our celebration.

And then we decided to do it annually with the pick of the best productions. What we were constantly trying to do is ask ourselves that why we have our festivals and whether it really makes sense to anybody’s life and sometimes we do really wish to take a pause and not do one in a particular year but then getting back to the question it is a bit of a corporate pulp. Such acts are the reason why they connect to us and in return they get the gains on their investments. And thankfully we have been very lucky with Hutch. But yes it is a bit of pressure to do festivals each year especially when there are others things we would like to concentrate on.

Many well-known actors & directors acknowledge and owe their success to their struggling days spent at Prithvi, how does this make you feel?

Well it is good to hear them speak such kind words but I would rather see them act on them. As in my family always believed in giving back whatever we have gained from theatre so it would be really good to see these very people doing the same and paying up their dues.

Where would you like to see Prithvi Theatre couple of years from now?

Hopefully we will still be around and doing what we do best that is entertaining our audiences.

From the hour that I spent with Sanjana, her most striking feature I would say is her simplicity – Dressed in plain salwar suit, lack of colored gloss on her face and armed with an ordinary looking dairy. I admire “such” qualities as it only shows how comfortable they are within their own skin and don’t feel the need to prove themselves to the world. Hailing from one of the biggest and most influential families in Bollywood, Sanjana too could have chosen to take the easier path by simply using her surname and bagging many films under her belt; afterall haven’t we seen star kids making most of their parent’s achievements rather than their own.

But unlike others, she decided to follow her heart – Prithvi Theatre. And believe me there are many who would thank her for a life-time for making that choice.

Karan Johar in Conversation

It is often said that “A friend in need is a friend indeed” and I am one of those fortunate people who is surrounded by such close association. And one of them is my best friend, Shirrin who is currently living in New York.

Equally excited about DesiDabba launch, she was generous enough to spend her entire Saturday evening behind something she usually isn’t fond off – Bollywood and Bollywood Personalities.

The Cinema Studies Department of New York University organized a special screening of Karan Johar’s film Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (KANK). The screening was followed by Q&A with director Karan Johar and screenwriter Shibani Bathija conducted by Richard Allen, Chair of Cinema Studies.

Continue reading, ‘Interview Karan Johar : Chit-Chat in New York’

Anurag Kashyap : Making His Way in Bollywood

My sincere apologies for the delay but believe me life has been pretty hectic and engaging off-line as well.

But as they say “It’s better to be late than never”, so here I am presenting the second part of my interview session with writer/director Anurag Kayshap.

What is the most frustrating thing about directing for you? Or you prefer script-writing?

No I love making films but the problem is of films not releasing. The most frustrating thing in this country is that people don’t understand what an original idea is. And they don’t understand something till they have not seen it no wonder DVDs are sold so easily. You won’t believe I get nearly five times more in amount for copying a film than writing an original film.

And with this I say films like Mixed Doubles or Anwar they are original concepts.

Producers and directors don’t have enough money to make a film than where will they pay a writer to write something different something new.

But then if you pick up a successful DVD film and they will be ready to pay you any amounts. Because this way it’s easy to attract stars. See all these famous people have their own fantasies and desires, so if you tell them I am making a Mission Impossible and want you to play Tom Cruise’s role in it or making Kill Bill and need you as Uma Thurman then they get excited.

Then there is this feudalism still existing in this industry. For instance, Fanna was banned in Gujarat which I think was total bullshit. But never before you saw the industry people coming out as a family and then I read a front page article in Mid-Day where Hrithik Roshan was talking about democracy. I remember him watching a private screening of Black Friday and loving the film and then for one month trying to get me to do Krrish and talking about other things. That was that and nobody talked. He didn’t understand democracy then. But now because it was a Yash Raj film they all started voicing their opinion, giving interviews on democracy and freedom of speech and all.

So for me this selective democracy, selective secularism and selective rights is what bothers me about this industry. And if you look at it from any which way, you have these few families in this industry who run the show. They are actually like a mafia and they are the bullies and they play like bullies and that’s the sad part. There is so much talent but it gets lost in these fringes. We have more hypocrisy and bifurcation and that’s the main worry for people like me.

Do you think there is a lack of good scripts in Bollywood?

No. Actually we have no good producers. And right from Yash to a one film producer nobody understands an original script. I meet lot of talented writers but nobody wants to produce their film because they prefer the tried and test formula kinds. Only if you manage to get hold of someone who thinks what he thinks will work and have massive financial backing, only then you can get a green signal for your script.

So systematically good writers are simply skinned. I know many writers who are today writing what they never wanted to but now they have no choice but to flow with the flow. I know many who are loaded with original scripts but nobody wants to touch them, they see the size of the script and say, who wants to read it, tell the story in two lines and such things.

How would you describe your relationship with Kay Kay Menon?

Kay Kay to me is a good friend, more like an older brother. We don’t get to interact much because I am most of the time in my room and he too is a very private person. So we land up meeting for cricket matches and the only place where I don’t like him is when he is on the cricket field. He is a very bad looser and if he starts loosing, he gets really angry and upset. He is the captain of our team and an overly passionate cricket lover.

But off the field he is an awesome guy and a great friend.

Which actor/actress you would like to work with in the near future?

You know the sad bit is that the two actors I would really like to work with would never work with me. One is Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and the other is Mr. Naseeruddin Shah who has already turned me down twice, one for Black Friday and then for another script.

What is your take on ‘casting couch’ in Bollywood?

Casting Couch ofcouse it exists. See there can be no smoke without fire but then you can’t even blame just one person for it. I would say that its couch of convenience where two parties exists. And then you also casting back seat of car, casting hotel room, casting Khandala, etc. etc.

Any of the recent movie, you wish you were part off?

Hindi…hmmm. Well there are quite a few, I wish I was part of Omkara in any which way. Or Maqbool, Company which is my favourite Ram Gopal Verma film. After that he has made nothing but all crap films.

What’s your take on Rang De Basanti?

I really liked the film. I know the ending a bit utopian in terms of execution and all but I think the movie was good. It was total entertaining. I know some who don’t like the film for what it stands for and take it very seriously but I feel that the film has done more good than bad. Like I think at least it made students discuss politics, think about it and see the state of the nation. It may be accurate and all but when you are kids you do tend to react the way the characters in that film did.

What movie genres hold special interest for you?

I like a lot of films. But Noir is my favourite and I like a lot of short films. I love graphic novels like Sin City, Head On, 36, etc. I also like what is coming out Japan and Korea. And every good film I like I buy.

What do you think about Bollywood’s acceptance in the International circuit?

I don’t think Bollywood is accepted. I go to these international festivals and we are seen as a big joke. They say, oh you have nice dance and songs in your film and things like that. But they surely don’t take us seriously. And we ourselves don’t take cinema seriously and frankly we don’t care. In all these festivals and shows, you will find that the ones they don’t trust our Indians because they are scared that we won’t send the film prints on time or back out last minute.

I have seen many times people promising, committing and then not being bothered to fulfill them. So therefore they refrain from dealing with Indians.

How would you define ‘crossover cinema’?

Its nothing but bullshit. As per the definition it is a film made in India and done well overseas but if you look at films like Bend it like Beckham and Monsoon Wedding then they are not because they were produced by people outside of India. In India nobody would have put a rupee in it at that time. There is one film made in India called Samsara, which has yet not been released and this is the case for the past five years. It did a fantastic job overseas, made over 25 million worldwide but in India nobody has heard of it so much so not even the Indian film industry knows of it. So crossover is a bastardized term, we have people saying that they are making films for big festivals, like Cannes. But frankly the Cannes people don’t even care about what we make.

What do think about the whole remake trend going these days? Would you consider directing such a movie, if offered?

Well it is business. And it’s not only here but everywhere. As I said earlier our industry is controlled by these seven or eight people and they have the power to decide what will be shown and what will not. Plus these guys don’t understand originality and therefore are pleased with repeating what’s been already done. So now when they run out of the tried-n-tested scripts they are now getting on with the re-make trend.

But we don’t care; even though we are a loss making industry compared to others around the world we are still happy within ourselves. We don’t want to look outside our well, which is again a major drawback.

Can you tell us something on your new and forthcoming films?

Well there is this script I wanted to do for the past eight years, it’s called “Cigarette smoking is injurious to health” (now called No Smoking) and finally it’s coming together. Plus I finally get to work with a big star; John Abraham is the lead in it. He was the only guy who within five minutes from hearing the script said he wanted to do this film. Then I had no producer, so he said not to worry and he will get one. And he was ready to do whatever for the film and that sort of enthusiasm is what I wanted to see from him.

And I would say that it was he who made me even more excited over the script. Now Kumar Mangat is producing the film and it’s a comedy thriller.

After this I shall continue my quest in making better films.

Well things have surely changed a lot and that too for the better for Anurag. His forthcoming film No Smoking is being looked at as one of the most awaited films of 2007 and not only that his much talked about film Black Friday was given a green signal by Mumbai court and released this Friday.

Initial reports and reviews have been fantastic and in all praises for the young director. So one can say that Anurag has finally made his entry in Bollywood and that too in a big way, though I wonder if he thinks all this has been worth the wait.

Anyways armed with clear intentions, a strong mind, giving-a-damn attitude and more importantly passionate love for cinema – Anurag has managed tear down the Bollywood barriers but whether this newly found world of lime-light and glamour manages to burn down his very same passion (like it has done to many others) or not is something only time will tell.

Anurag Kashyap : Making His Way in Bollywood

Okay, agreed that I have been tad bit lazy with my Interview section and won’t blame my folly onto others but my own self. Though I don’t believe in making New Year resolutions but this time round I have promised myself to indulge in activities that bring pure pleasure and interviewing people excelling in their personal and/or professional lives happens to be one of them.

So with the New Year kicking in – I present to you an interview with one of the most-talked about writer/director of recent months, who also happens to be a blogger on a popular Bollywood blog, Mr. Anurag Kashyap.

Before you begin, would like to inform you that this interview took place about 5 months back (when Anurag had not formally announced his latest venture “No Smoking” with John Abraham) so some of the things said might seem a bit outdated. Ya fine, you can sue me later.

Please tell us something about yourself before your journey into Bollywood?

I was in Delhi for further studies, totally clueless and confused. I was doing things that people are not supposed to be doing. I was very heavily in drugs and totally mixed up as hell. My father wanted me back in Lucknow; he is GM in UP state’s Electricity board. I was studying Zoology and at one point wanted to be a Scientist. But infact I just couldn’t bring myself to settle on anything.

And what lead you to Bollywood?

A friend of mine in Delhi introduced me to a theatre group called Jannata Manch. We use to do a lot of street plays. And then I attended a Film Festival in Delhi itself where I landed up seeing a total of 55 films. Movies from all different perspectives and in a way you can say that these films changed my life and it’s meaning completely for me. Just that one film festival and I decided that this is what I want to be a part of – in next five months I was in Mumbai.

How did ‘Paanch’ come about?

Paanch came about over a period of time. It started within the first six months of mine in the city; I basically had no place to stay and was practically living on streets. Thankfully at that time father Francis of Xavier’s college allowed me to stay at their hostel for a month, this I am talking was around September 1993. Over there I use to hang out a lot with a band called Greek. I saw how they went about their life, their working as a band, their struggles, their frustrations – which I started writing done in bits and pieces. Can you believe I still have that tiny notebook with me! I wrote around 40 pages at that time, which came out like a script. And then after a year or two, I saw this Romeo & Juliet play by Vikram Kapadia where ex-VJ/musician Luke Kenney had played a role. I really liked Luke and was very impressed with his work. I had specifically written the character Luke in Paanch for Luke Kenny. I met up with him later on and tough he was not-very interested in films but he said that he would go thru over it again. Then he just disappeared after that.

Then we all we went on our own paths but the film was never completely written. The character Joy was actually written for Joy and then there this friend of mine on whom I wrote the character Pondi and that’s how everything started joining-up but still I had only those 40 pages. Then in 1995 I started working with Shivam Nair (who has directed Ahista Ahista) who is basically my guru and helped me learn a lot of things. At that time he was doing a crime-series and I ended up writing one episode for them. There was this research work going on over a real-life murder case which really fascinated me. The characters in the murder case jelled with my incomplete movie. And once the show was out, I started working on my movie and finished it by 1996-97 around the time I was also working on Satya.

How did you go about the casting of the film and landed up selecting most of the un-known faces then?

Well for starters I always had Kay Kay in mind. It was like a revenge thing for me because he was known as our guru types during our theatre days, he and Makrand Deshpande. And during one play rehearsal they had actually locked me in a room for nearly 11 hours just to get one movement right. Na jokes apart; I actually had Kay Kay in mind to play the role of the cop. Then I narrated the script to Ram Gopal Verma, which he liked but nothing came about. Then I approached many people but no one was interested. Then I met up with Raveena Tandon and Manoj Bajpai, who were very excited about it initially but that too flattened out because they kind of money they were expecting, etc. Nobody was ready to give me big amount of money because the subject was too radical at that time.

During that time I did a short film with Kay Kay and that’s when I discovered what a great actor he is – And decided to take him for the lead role. The movie was being produced by Sudhir Mishra who had given me a budget of 50 Lakhs for the film. After couple of months I bumped into Tejaswanni at a Christmas party and felt that she was the right one for the film and landed up taking her in as well.

Then what happened was that I met up with Tutu Sharma since I was writing the story of one of the films he was producing. He then causally asked me which other scripts I had written and I told him about Paanch. He got really excited with the script plus when he found out that his sister-in-law Tejaswanni was also init, he wanted to be a part of it. Then he Sudhir pushed me towards him saying that Tutu was definitely a bigger producer and the finance part for the film will also improve.

But the thing was that he wanted me to cast a few well-known names as well but I was just basically pissed-off with the industry. I mean, I had walked out on Ram Gopal Verma, I left Mission Kashmir half way because I was not happy with the way things were shaping up and then Water was not happening because of well-known problems. Raveena and Manoj had backed out on me, so I had decided that I will make my film with only newcomers.

But what made you have so much faith in newcomers?

See the thing with me is that I can only work with people who have trust in me. Who know me and know the way I work about things. Plus with newcomers, you will see that they have a lot more hunger to work and do something good with their roles and their parts.

I mean today you look at where Kay Kay, everybody wants him in their movies. The cameraman of Paanch is today nearly the highest paid camera man in the industry, working in big movies like Parineeta. The editor today is working with Nikhil Advani and Farhan Akhtar. The art director is also very well recognized for his work and has done movies like Taxi 9 2 11. In all I feel that a great team came together at that time. You can say it was also anger because everything was so star driven and it is still the same today.

Finally now I am also working with a star.

But then another reason was that I wanted to stick to my script even if it meant making a low-budget film. See, I believe a movie does well if it is made well and not because God wants it to run well. Plus I like working with actors who are ready to give me all and these were the guys I had worked in theatre with and they were ready to give their whole in my film.

What is the status on the film’s release?

Well that question only Mr. Tutu Sharma can answer. I have no idea.

How are things looking for the release of your 2nd movie, “Black Friday”?

Black Friday hopefully will release soon. Because for the last 10 years the court case is going but it’s most likely to be released soon.

What made you do a movie on Mumbai Riots?

It’s because of the book. When I read the book by Mr. S. Hussain, it put everything for me in perspective. It kind off inspired me in many ways and I decided to work on it. The book came to me via Mr. Mitra who wanted me to make a tele-series on it and I said lets make a movie. And then we struggled for a structure for a very long and when that was locked down, I went and edited the film.

And then all this fiasco happened. The censor board had given a clean-chit to Black Friday, they even believed in Black Friday. It’s just because of the stay-order put by two accused in the Mumbai blasts case and because of them the film is stuck.

What do you think about the censor board’s stand in today’s Bollywood?

See the censor board is changing gradually. I am against issue like when they had asked to ban cigarette smoking in films. I mean how can you do something like this, if you it to be banned the do it completely. But the fact is our government doesn’t have the balls to ban manufacturing of cigarette or tobacco for that matter. But they can’t do so because of the stacks load of money involved.

Basically films and cinema is a soft target for everybody. Be it religion, communities or government. There are too many other censors in this country. The actual censor board is for that matter redundant because today any and everyone can raise a voice against a film, be it for just or un-just reasons.

But if you ask me personally, I am anti-censorship.

So in your opinion censorship should be abolished?

Yes. See what I mean is that when you go abroad to a movie store like Virgin or something, there you will find all varieties of films be it movies for kids or porn films. Basically a person should be given the right to decide what he/she wants to watch and incase of us directors/producers what we want to make.

You can have the age certification for films – forget 18, say under 21 can’t watch this film or people who can’t think for themselves can’t watch it. But you can’t ban or cut films.

There are many who feel that the Indian censor board is partial and they tend to favor a few well-known production houses. What is your take on this?

Censor board is not partial but completely partial and biased. For me, firstly they are not uniform. They don’t maintain the same standards for all, for example when it comes to Yash Raj Films all of sudden all government rules, bans, etc everything relaxes.

For instance, it’s very difficult to shoot at railway stations and trains and it’s really difficult to get permissions. But in Bunty Aur Babli for Rani’s train song they broke a train window, they basically destroyed government property. A film like Neil n Nikki gets a “U” certificate for God sake. But nobody points a finger at them where as others get pulled up for even minor issues.

Even Salaam Namaste had a kissing scene init, I am not saying ban them but when there were other films with similar scenes these people made huge issues over them but not on Yash Raj Banner. It basically boils down to where you are coming from and how big your backing is.

Another example is of my film Paanch. They wanted me to cut the scene where the word “Chutiya” was used. I told them that such words were used in films like Satya, which they had cleared then why not here. They just said that you can’t use past examples in here or talk about other films. In short, there are too many egos you have to deal with when you sit with those four people and everyone has their own agenda. So that’s the problem. Its like they have wooden cane for low-budget films, iron cane for others and golden cane for others.

But thankfully things are changing for the better over time with changing of chairmanship. And hopefully they will attain uniformity while implementing their policies.

Okay folks, this is it for today – guess the lazy factor is again setting in. But I assure you this is just the garnish; the actual spiciness would be presented in the second part of my conversation with Hindi cinema’s generation X director. The next half looks at Anurag’s passion for direction, his thoughts on “crossover cinema”, remakes of old classics, his relationships and much more.

So watch this space for the other half.

The Man with a Lollipop – By Chintan Upadhyay

Contemporary Art could be described as a relationship shared between an artist and his/her surroundings. It is nothing but pure expression of true feelings, with respect to one’s culture, philosophy, complexities of relationships, patriotism, poverty, time, etc. It wouldn’t be wrong if I said that our country is mine-field when it comes to Contemporary Art and Artistes, I mean look at our vast history, blend of various communities and religions, mixing of thousands of different mind-sets; all of these factors contributing to the uniqueness of each expression.

But sadly inspite of abundance talent, Indian Contemporary Art never received it’s truly deserved appreciation locally and globally. Locally it was perceived more of a rich man’s hobby and it lacked adequate exposure needed to be recognized on the world stage.

However today thanks to special attention and coverage given by the media, contributions made by various individuals other than artists – Contemporary Art is now within the reach of a common man. People have discovered and opened their minds to artists other than M. F. Hussain. More over today Contemporary Art is also being looked up as a sound investment choice.

But being of inquisitive nature, I wanted to know more about the reasons that lead to media’s interest in Contemporary Art, acceptance of Indian Artists globally, risks and benefits Contemporary Art has to offer – business wise, Up-coming Indian artists, etc. So in order to quench my thirst for information, I got in touch with THE MAN of the Indian Art Scene; Ashish Balram Nagpal (Art Dealer). Anyone and everyone from the Art Industry know Ashish and are well-aware of his contributions. He is one of the best Art dealers in the country and is chiefly responsible for promoting young talent from across the country.

I met him at his gallery in Juhu and this is how things went about…..

Please tell us something about your educational and family background.

I am a Commerce graduate from Lala Lajpat Rai College. Then I joined my dad in the stainless steel business. We use manufacture stainless steel utensils under the brand name of ‘Mukti’. At that time we use to use only 22g and 18g of stainless steel which was Japanese and not Indian. But the moment they started making stainless steel in India, we opted out of the business because the quality in the market went completely hay-wire.

Basically I come from a typical Sindhi Business family background.

What lead you to the field of Art dealership?

I moved into Art dealing around 1990 but I seriously started collecting Art from 1986 onwards. The first lot of art I collected was from Times of India auction which was called ‘Timeless Art’ and it so happened as I bought the collection the very night itself, I was approached by a foreigner who was interested in buying the collection off me. The thing was that he didn’t want to come out openly as the person who had bid for the collection. The very next night I shipped out the collection to buyer’s country and I made money on this collection. It was completely ridiculous, I mean I had just bought and sold on the very same day.

After that I kept on collecting Art and visiting loads of Art Exhibitions. It had become an addiction for me and that is when I realized that I was spending more time in galleries than my own office. So I moved out and started my own gallery. My first exhibition was with the great master Mr. Prabhakar Barwe and then moved on having shows with Jehangir Sabawala, Gieve Patel and various other senior artists.

Around 4-5 years in the profession I realized that there were not many Art dealers who were interested in promoting younger/new comer artists and which I thought was a complete drawback for our Indian Art Scenario and so I changed my Dealership profile then and started doing shows with the younger artists.

The first artist I promoted from newer lot was Baiju Parthan, who today is known as an institution by itself. By the grace of god, I haven’t gone wrong and all my artists have done well. Usually the artists have an association with my gallery for about 3 years and some of them even lasted for 15 years or so. After that they move on but we still remain good friends.

Ashish Balram Nagpal

How supportive have your family and friends been of your choice of profession?

No my family was not at all supportive of my decision and I guess for the right reasons. At that time the Art business did not have any promises of profit and for such reasons my family objected. But I did not let it affect my interest and passion for Art and therefore moved out of the house and started working towards setting up my own gallery.

Tell us about ‘Courtyard’. How did this come about?

Courtyard concept was presented by a girl named Kadambari, who is a part of Narendra Ahmed designer group. Entry in Courtyard was via invitations only. They sent out invitations to various people and I realized that in the Art circuit I was the only one who had got it, so I went ahead and asked a lot of people about it, plus I got a real good feel when I entered that place and so I decided to join hands with them.

I have a rental arrangement with them. They showcase some of my artist’s works at the Courtyard and I pay them monthly rent accordingly.

According to you, what led to the shift of Art collection as a rich man’s hobby to now being accepted by the middle-class section as well?

Ahhh!! I guess it has a lot to do with the media. I would give 80% credit to the media and 20% to the Art galleries. The galleries have put in a lot of hard word into bringing this understanding to the common man that Art does not have a halo around it and the Art galleries are not a tabooed places; any and everybody is welcomed. And you could say that the media helped pass on this message to the general public. Over the past couple of years, they have published loads of Art reviews, Artist profiles, Understanding of Art based write-ups, Gallery write-ups, etc. and that’s how over a period of time people galleries started having more walk-ins, interests among the general public grew and so did the Art Business.

But what generated an interest among the media circuit to promote Contemporary Art?

See it’s like if you ask me which corporate has a large collection of Art it’s definitely got to do with the fact that someone in that company has a keen interest in Contemporary Art and that’s why they own so many. Similarly some editors of well-established newspapers, channels had a liking for Art and were very Pro-active in the art scene. They realized it’s potential and therefore chose to promote it.

Do you feel that the exposure given to the Art industry by the Page 3 personalities, has been a major influence in it’s acceptance among the masses?

Definitely! I am not at all against Page 3. It has its own relevance in the commercial set-up. Or I would put it that its glamour portion is what has been helpful. I don’t think it actually helps in selling of a painting but yes it has helped in promoting Art in general – without a doubt.

What types of Art sell best in the Indian Market?

An art that has a statement will sell anywhere in the world. An artist has to have a statement; he/she cannot just paint an abstract and give it to you. Artist needs to pass on a message thru his work only then it becomes a worthwhile piece of work otherwise its just plain lemon.

The Blade – By Julius Macwan

Name some of the famous artists in the Indian scenario at present?

Among the senior ones there are Tayab Mehta, M. F. Hussain, Jahangir Sabawalla, Rameshwar Bruta and many more. From deceased ones there are Raja Ravi Verma and Amrita Shergil. From the upcoming lot we have Chintan Upadhyay, Julius Macwan, Ganga Kadadia, Rajat Dhar, Vishal Tandon, Manash Kamal Bishwas, Vijay Shellar and Vikram Arora….just to name a few.

What is the demand for Indian Art/Artiste on the global front? Do you think anything is lacking from its global acceptance?

As of today there loads of opportunities and windows opened for them. There are Art shows, workshops, seminars, auction houses. The time has come where people have accepted difficult art. Previously any painting which had even a little bit gaudy color or element init would not be touched but now people have learned to look beyond that. Another artist worth mentioning is Hema Upadhyay, who recently tripled her pricing by participating at the Christies Auction in Hong Kong.

I would that an art has a statement, an artist when has a reason to paint and that reason is very obvious in his/her painting then it will surely be appreciated. There are no such things as abstract painting, landscape painting or pretty pictures.

But what do u think was lacking previously?

Nothing was lacking talent wise, only exposure was lacking. Exposure on the global front was missing. In 1990s we would try to get an appointment with an international gallery it would take us nearly 3 years or so. And today they are the ones flying down to India and making appointments with us, so you can imagine how things have changed drastically.

What makes investing in Indian Art a fruitful option?

It’s very simple, if we talk about purely about money and investment?its like why people invest in stock market and not in NASDAQ. You have more control of what’s in your reach. The artists here are very approachable to the Indian investor; you can go across to his studio, call him up anytime, have dinner with him and chat with him. You are aware of his work, his next move, etc. You can relate to them, since you come from similar background, culture, etc and therefore there is a comfort level between you and their painting.

Another point is that the pricing of a good painting will never go down, even in a worst scenario. It may remain stagnant but will never fall, unless you have bought a lemon or not investigated your dealer properly.

One can easily expect atleast 30% increase in value of a painting every year. So the benefits can be buckets loaded with money.

Ashish with upcoming talent Vikram Arora’s painting

What is the minimum investment required?

A good painting from a reputed artist and his dealer would start from Rs. 50,000 onwards.

How can one avoid being tricked from buying fabricated paintings?

Well there are basic precautions that one should take, especially if he/she is a first time buyer.

1. Stay away from suitcase dealers. They are basically the ones who carry paintings in their car trunks and go from door to door or friend to friend, selling fake paintings and high dreams.

2. Stay away from people who have entered the market since the economy has risen. Because since then every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to make big bucks with shoddy tactics. They have opened up galleries or sell paintings from their living rooms. Since they have no idea about the market and don’t know their way around, they land up dealing with stolen or fake works.

3. This is in inverted commas, “Any gallery that is less than 10 years old should be avoided”. Basically any brick and motor gallery which has not been around for long should not be dealt with seriously, especially if you are a first-timer.

4. Investigate your Art dealer to the finest detail. Go through their past associations, meet them couple of times. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask questions. See your comfort level with them, how transparent their intentions are and then proceed with any sort of transaction.

Ashish standing besides another one of Chintan’s brillant work.

How does the un-organized sector of art seller’s work in the Indian market and what measures have been taken to curb them?

See the un-organized sector here mainly comprises of these suitcase dealers. Since there is no-authority or organization watching over Contemporary Art industry in India or worldwide, one has to be extremely careful when it comes to people they are dealing with.

This industry does not work like your other conventional business. It is purely Art dealer driven, without whom the whole concept would go down the drain. If you ask me how many genuine dealers you have in India today, I would say barely a handful?.rest are just in to make quick money and don’t give a damn about their clients and artists.

What points to look in, when purchasing expensive paintings and art works?

Here the most important thing that counts is again your relationship with your Art dealer. Since it you who is investing your hard earned money, you have to be 100% sure of your dealer. Don’t just go by his/her word, do your own research. See if he actually running a gallery or a dukaan. Artists he has been involved with, his/her reputation in the Art community. How much contribution they given to the industry, try to get in touch with their previous clients. As I said earlier too, don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Once you are completely confident about the person, then you are mostly likely not to go wrong.

It is my opinion that there are very few individuals in this world who really enjoy and are extremely passionate about their profession; Ashish surely belongs to this category. His reputation and contribution to the Contemporary Art industry cannot be denied, believe me there people who actually swear by his sincerity and eye for recognizing good piece of work. But what I really liked about him was his down-to-earth attitude; something that many successful personalities lack in today’s day-n-age.

Be it for your sudden fascination or business interest in Contemporary Art, meeting Ashish should definitely be your first move.

Over and out….. (Till next time)