Tag: cinema@100

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Cinema@100

‘My son will never be the same again…’

An old interview with Sunil Dutt sheds light on his agony over his son’s arrest and the ‘desh drohi’ tag.
by Humra Quraishi

Sanjay Dutt is home on furlough from his two-year stint in jail in the 1993 Bombay blasts case. As I read the news, I reflected on an interview I had done with his father, the late actor and MP Sunil Dutt, who had spoken in heartbroken detail about his son’s arrest and how his entire family was branded as ‘anti-national’.

Sunil DuttIt wasn’t easy getting him for an interview. I caught up with him in Delhi after he had joined the Congress party. I took an appointment and reached his official bungalow at Safdarjung Lane; the interview time was set after several weeks of calling his office. He would be busy on the weekdays and travel to Bombay on the weekends.

I sat in a bare drawing room whose only adornment was a series of framed photographs on the wall, 33 of them, to be exact. There were pictures of Sunil Dutt with Nargis, with his children and grandchildren, with the three generations of the Gandhis, with Mother Teresa, with President Ronald Reagan, with Jimmy Carter, with jawans at the border, and of Nargis receiving awards at various functions.

Dutt sahib turned up after an hour, and so did Raj Babbar, who tried to muscle in on the interview by quipping about this and that periodically. Finally, after several hints had been dropped, he took his leave and I could speak to Sunil Dutt at length.

Excerpts from the interview:

Have you recovered from the trauma of your son Sanjay being imprisoned for 19 days under TADA?

It’s been extremely shocking for us and I don’t think we’ll ever recover from it. At times I keep thinking that this is what we have got in return for all that we did for the country. You go punishing a person who is yet to be proved guilty and whose family did everything for the Motherland.

Why do you think that TADA charges were slapped on Sanjay, though your lawyers said it was an arms offence case?Sanjay Dutt

I shouldn’t say anything about this, at this stage for the case is going on at the Bombay High Court. Also, anything I say can be played up by some vested interests.

God forbid, if rioting happens in Mumbai again, would you play an active role in relief efforts? (He had earlier been accused of minority appeasement)

Of course, I would.

And your son?

My son has changed after all this…I think he will never be the same ever again. During these riots, he’d really worked hard trying to provide every possible assistance to the riot victims, but now he says to me, “Papa, I will never do any social work.” See how sad it is…

It has been proved that he had an unlicensed gun with him. Why did he keep it? Why did he try to dump it so mysteriously?

Again I will not comment on this as the matter is subjudice. I am of the belief that if he has committted a mistake, then the law should take its own course. But don’t come up with filthy allegations against us. Don’t call us ‘Pakistani agents’ or ‘desh drohis’.

How did it feel to be labelled like this?

(eyes moistening) You can imagine how I felt. Wherever I would go, even the peons at the lawyers’ chambers said to my face, “Desh drohi aa raha hai (The traitor is coming).” Once my daughters went out shopping and told me that the moment they stepped into a shop, there was a minute’s silence and then the rest of the shoppers starting filing out of the shop.

Sunil, Sanjay, NargisEven my dead wife was dragged into all this. I heard people say that Sanjay’s mother was a Muslim. I replied that you could slam Sanjay and me as much as you wanted, but at least spare the dead. Or at least remember Nargis for the work she did for spastic people, for the blind. She never worked on religious grounds. At least look at what we’ve done for the country. During the two Wars, we went to the border areas to meet the jawans and in those days, in 1962, even when we were financially hard up, I donated one lakh rupees for the PM’s relief fund. I am ready to do anything for the country.

Whom did you approach for help when your son was arrested?

Everybody possible.

Yet it took him 19 days to be released.

Yes.

Which friends stood by you in that crisis?

Foremost, the people of my country. And certain individuals from the Congress, the BJP and from the film industry. From the Congress, it was VC Shukla, Rajesh Pilot, Pranab Mukherjee, Arjun Singh and Jagdish Tytler. From the BJP, it was Shatrughan Sinha and Jaswant Singh. From the Janata Party it was Sharad  Yadav. From the film industry, it was Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Pran saab.

What about the rest of the film industry?

The rest labelled Sanju guilty even before the courts could do so.

Suppose you were not an MP and not so well-connected. Do you think it would be tougher for you and Sanju? 

Not really, for we were not spared the trauma of Sanju’s mother’s religion being brought up. But there are still some strong secular forces in the country which alone can stop this decay. In Bombay these secular forces saved the city from what could have been a huge disaster.

Your destiny has been rather tough on you…

I suppose one has to fight on, to go on with life. Right from my childhood it has been a struggle, but what happened to my son I couldn’t ever dream of. But these are tests of life.

What have you done to halt these allegations against you and your family?

I have told myself that time alone will show and tell people the truth. Where did I have the time to prove our innocence? During all these crises, I had been sleeping for barely two hours a night. I would get up by 4 am and be out by 5 am, to meet lawyers. When my home was being searched by the police for a full two days, I wasn’t even at home. All the searches were conducted in my absence.

(Pictures courtesy bollywoodfamily.blogspot.com, www.hindustantimes.com, www.outlookindia.com)

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Cinema@100

An encounter with Dev sahab

Salil Jayakar recounts a meeting with the legendary filmmaker and actor, and remembers coming away humbled by the late star.

dev anandIn a career that spanned well over six decades – from 1946 till 2011 – Dharam Dev Pishorimal Anand wore many hats as actor, producer and director. Known by his screen name Dev Anand to millions of fans worldwide, the evergreen original chocolate-boy hero of the Hindi film industry lived a long and active life. While he continued to act and direct right up to his death, fans would best like to remember his earlier films well into the 1980s. Barring the Aamir Khan starrer Awwal Number in 1990, the rest were easily forgettable, to say the least.

In those early years as a journalist, I had met Dev Anand a couple of times at press conferences. Already into his 80s by then, he was still a bundle of enthusiasm and energy, always smiling and always happy to talk. I can’t honestly say I was a Dev Anand fan boy but there was something endearing about him…I have a vague memory of Dev Anand at the Gateway of India, celebrating his birthday and his new film surrounded by visibly enthusiastic fans (some middle-aged aunties too) and I sensed his love for them. And theirs for him.

But this is not a much delayed review of his life and films. As always, I digress.

In the second half of 2007, I was still a journalist, working with a leading English news channel. It was then that I had my most personal encounter with the legendary Dev Anand. His autobiography Romancing With Life was due to be released shortly and I was fortunate enough to get a one-on-one with him at his studio-office in Bandra, Mumbai.

Quite frankly, I didn’t know what to expect from this interview. His tell-all tome promised to ruffle feathers and was meant to shock and be scandalous. He wouldn’t have it any other Dev Anand - Romancing with lifeway. “I’ve lived my life in the public eye, I have nothing to hide!” he declared. And indeed, he had nothing to hide. Everyone knew of his romances but it was an another thing to read about them in detail. I had done my cursory research on his romances but I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to ask him about them…

As I made my way to the room in which I was to interview Dev sahab, I was immediately struck by the disrepair all around. Almost every corner and every inch of the room was piled with files, papers and knick knacks well past their due date. Here was a man who refused to let go. He lived as much in the past as he did in the present. No wonder then, that he was ‘evergreen’.

Dev Anand, still very much the star, walked in a few minutes later while my colleague and I were setting up the lights and camera in one corner of the room. “I’m sorry,” he said, “the calls don’t stop and I have to speak to all of them.” No, I did not think he looked youthful. His dyed jet-black hair and wrinkles told another story.

“Wahan pe karoge?”

Dev Anand“Yes,” I said and explained, “I like the shadow and light effect of that lamp and it’d be a great backdrop if you sit in front of it.” And then I kicked myself in my head. Here I was explaining lights and camera angles to one of India’s biggest stars and filmmakers. My colleague looked at me as he set the camera and rolled his eyes.

I expected him to say something; make us change our setup but he didn’t. “You people get younger by the day. The rest are too busy these days to meet me,” he said in obvious reference to senior journalists who perhaps had little or no time for an ageing star. But it didn’t seem like a grouse or complaint. “I like your hair, maybe I should try that look in my film.” I had a mini mo; he was making Chargesheet. I didn’t know what to say.

Over the next 30 minutes or so, he spoke excitedly about his autobiography; even had plans to write another one! The PM was going to launch it in Delhi and then there was a star-studded affair in Mumbai. “I’ve called everyone. Hema said she’ll come, so will Zeenat,” he proclaimed. Dev sahab was at his camera friendly, witty best as he indulged a young journalist. No starry tantrums, no nothing. I remember doing about two or three takes to get just my opening piece right. He sat patiently through it all. Hell, I was nervous!

Dev Anand taught me a life lesson that day. I’m still learning, though. Romancing with life, gaata raha tera dil…

 

(Pictures courtesy www.madaboutmoviez.com, www.siliconeer.com, www.metromasti.com)

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Cinema@100

“Storytelling can’t only be about men”

Scriptwriter Shibani Bathija speaks about women being under-represented in the film industry, and why they should be taken note of.
by Salil Jayakar

As an ex-journalist who largely covered the Entertainment (films, fashion, Bollywood, society/ Page 3) beat for several years, I’ve had my share of so-called stars throwing tantrums and the Page 3 regulars doing their best to be featured. So, it came as a surprise when a well known Page 3 regular (who once politely reminded me that he was a businessman first) called and asked if I’d be interested in meeting, and featuring Shibani Bathija.

shibani bathija Of course, I said yes. Shibani was then, in a sense, the hottest new kid on the block who had two back-to-back releases with two of India’s biggest production houses – Yash Raj Films and Dharma – no mean feat for a scriptwriter, and a woman at that. Shibani’s debut film Fanaa – the Aamir Khan-Kajol starrer – released in May 2006 was already a success. Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (KANK) released in July and was a critical and commercial success as well. But her biggest hit was the Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol starrer My Name Is Khan (MNIK) in 2010 that broke several box-office records both in India and abroad.

I first met Shibani right after Fanaa released, at Worli, Mumbai (she was writing/working from a friend’s flat, if I remember correctly) and spoke to her at length about her “beginner’s luck.” Said Shibani, “I grew up in South Mumbai and I guess I was sort of running away from Hindi cinema but life has come full circle for me. When you write for cinema, you have to have lived life a bit and learnt a few lessons as well. I’ve come to it when I was ready.” When I met her next in 2010, a few months after MNIK released, she was “elated” yet “reflective.”

Fast forward to the present day and Shibani admits that while “Dharma is like home”, scripting a story for Bollywood is no easy task. She prefers to write complex stories as compared to the easy breezy ones. “Frankly, in most films, if ‘prettiness’ was not required as a relief most would do without aMy-Name-is-Khan heroine!” she states. Yet, she has been fortunate to mostly work with producers and directors that are quite gender-neutral when it comes to writers. She admits that there certainly is a great under-representation of women technicians in general.

While strong roles for women are occasional, their portrayal has remained much the same. And not enough stories are being told from a woman’s point of view. “The portrayal of women as characters of importance and substance has decreased in proportion to the increase of violence and violent interpretations of angst in our cinema. Everything else is a domino effect from that. Even the change of sexualisation from sensual to lusty follows that same trajectory,” contends Shibani.

Why focus on women?

But there is hope, yet. In recent years, Hindi cinema has witnessed the rise of several women – from script and dialogue writers to editors and directors – who are constantly raising the bar and holding their own in a largely male bastion. Shibani picks some of her favourites: “There are several and I am sure I am missing a few here but Juhi Chaturvedi’s sparkling dialogue in Vicky Donor, Zoya Akhtar and Farah Khan for being clear sighted and true to their beliefs in their films, Deepa Bhatia (documentaries and editing) and PS Bharati (all of Rakeysh Mehra’s films) come to mind. My favourite off late has hands down been Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish, both from the writing and directing point of view!”

Accepting an IIFA award in 2011Shibani stresses that it is important for women in films to have a body of work instead of just one-offs that will be remembered. “I have particularly enjoyed Sai Paranjape’s work and Aparna Sen’s as well. Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta in the English language. Mostly because they have managed bodies of work. We might like some films more than others, but how many women have managed to consistently make their voices heard?” she asks.

As Indian cinema celebrates its centenary year, Shibani hopes that women are seen and heard more, not only as actors but also as producers and directors, scriptwriters and technicians who continue to tell stories that have not been told before. “I hope that we, as an industry, don’t forget that our forte is story telling and telling a good story can’t only be about a man. No man is an island and women aren’t set dressing. There will be greater success for all if more well-rounded and innovative stories can be told,” she sums up.

(Pictures courtesy www.firstpost.com, www.hindustantimes.com, www.sfsu.edu)

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Cinema@100

The man and his road to Mussoorie

A writer for all seasons – and who periodically interests Bollywood – Ruskin Bond talks about writing, India, and sex.
by Humra Quraishi

What’s Ruskin Bond doing in New Delhi at this time of year? This is exactly what I asked him, in our very first meeting, this week. Though I have been reading him for years, I never got to meet him. And when I finally did, the conversation between us simply flowed. I think popular and ‘ongoing’ writers (he has been writing for over half a century) like him follow certain basics and that’s what attributes to their success – besides good writing, of course.

The contributing factors are being absolutely down to earth and no shying away from talking about the twists and turns of their lives.

Ruskin Bond’s writing has attracted Bollywood on three occasions – Shashi Kapoor made the film Junoon based on Bond’s novel The Flight Of Pigeons, while Vishal Bharadwaj adapted two of his stories, The Blue Umbrella and Susanna’s Seven Husbands (which was named Saat Khoon Maaf), both of which were critically-acclaimed.

 

Anyway, getting back to the basic question, why did the very private man leave Mussoorie and land here now, and he said: “For one, I had to interact with children from three schools — two Delhi schools and one in Karnal and then one of my new books gets launched.”

The 79-year-old Ruskin Bond’s latest work is Hip Hop Nature Boy, a collection of short stories released in 2012, while Roads To Mussoorie was launched here in New Delhi in 2005, when I met him for the first time. He had this to say right at the start of our conversation, “Instead of a Foreward I am writing a Backward, because that’s the kind of person I have always been. Very backward. I write by hand instead of working on a computer. I listen to the radio instead of watching the television. I don’t know how to operate a cell phone”.

ruskin bondHe adds, “Sometimes, I read books upside down. If I have to read a modern novel, I will read the last chapter first, usually that’s enough. Sometimes, I walk backwards. In this book, I take a backward look at people I have known and interesting and funny things that have happened to me on the way up to the hills or down from the hills”.

Focusing his attention to the present-day situation in Delhi, I asked him about the spurt in rape cases. He said, “It could be the sexually explicit films being screened on the television, affecting young minds. Then, they are never told that romantic love is one thing and sexual anarchy is different. Our society is too repressed, so people try to break free and go on a rampage. Crime is worsening here, the situation wasn’t so in the 60s when I had lived here with my father who was an Air Force officer.”

Going by the photographs I had seen of Ruskin Bond, I was sure the writer would be one of those ‘difficult-to-draw-into-a-conversation’ types. But then, as they say, looks can be deceptive. And last week, in New Delhi’s heat and dust, he and I sat and chatted for almost 45 minutes. He was spontaneous, straight forward, and absolutely down to earth.

Excerpts from the interview:

Have you ever experienced loneliness? You haven’t married and have no constant companion.

I stay with an ‘adopted’ family, so that way the apartment is full of people. The apartment has four rooms and we are twelve people living in it. The family consists of a set of parents and their two sons who are both married and have children. Also, this profession – writing – is such that you can only pursue it in solitude. You have to be alone so that you can write. In the evenings I do go down to some friend’s home for a chat and a drink. I have two or three such close friends.

A lot of your readers, including me, have this little complaint about your writings – there’s very little focus on sex or say sexual romance. Why?

(Smiles, nods) You’re saying this, but once, during the Emergency, I was hauled up in court on charges of obscenity. Yes I was, for my novella titled The Sensualist. I had to appear in court, though I was later acquitted. And I must tell you that there was nothing explicit in the book — maybe some sexual references in a romantic context.

Why do you think there’s this sexual fury and madness today, in the form of so many rapes taking place?

Sex in a context – that is, sex in romantic love – is one thing, but sexual anarchy is totally different. Our society is too repressed and so people are breaking free and going on a rampage. Sexually explicit films are shown on television and this affects viewers as well.

Why did you decide to settle down in India, when you had the option of moving to the United Kingdom?

My mother did send me to England, but I returned. I wanted to be back and live here in India, although my two siblings are settled in Canada. I chose Dehradun and later moved to Ruskin Bond in his teenage yearsMussoorie, because earlier my mother and step-father (my mother had re-married, a Punjabi businessman) lived there. Later, I didn’t want to live in a town which was too far from New Delhi, because of my writing and meetings with my publishers.

You have always worked as a freelance writer. How difficult does it get on the financial side?

Financially, the going has been tough. All my life, I have lived in rented accommodation. It was only in 2004 that I managed to buy an apartment in Mussoorie. I wrote and wrote, for just about any publication in the country, be it a sports publication or Yojana. In fact, I must tell you this funny incident – that time Yojana was being edited by Khushwant Singh and though I’d sent a romantic and sexually explicit story, he published it in Yojana!

How do you manage with writing long hand in this age of computers and laptops?

Earlier, I used the typewriter but lately I had a back problem so I stopped typing. And now I use longhand. That’s the way I give my manuscript to my publishers. It’s a fairly neat hand!

You are a white person with a Christian name. Have you ever felt insecure on account of your minority status?

No, not now, maybe when younger. In fact, during the Independence phase I remember being hit by a stone in Dehradun. But nothing now.

You had just mentioned that your mother had married a second time – a Punjabi businessman. Do you have any half sisters or brothers and how did your stepfather treat you?

Yes, I have a half sister – Premila Singh – who lives in Ludhiana. She is about ten years younger to me. She even visits me at Mussoorie. Regarding my stepfather, he was okay. I was free to do what I wanted, he didn’t interfere in my life.

This interview was first published in The Tribune.

(Pictures courtesy www.indianexpress.com, www.memsaab.com, www.hindu.com,

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Cinema@100

Finding her feet after marriage

Vyjayantimala Bali combined beauty with formidable dancing and acting talent, but it was her marriage that actually helped her blossom.
by Humra Quraishi

I first met dancer and actor Vyjayantimala Bali in the spring of 1990, here in New Delhi, at the Kamani Auditorium. But whenever I met her even after that first meeting, she always stopped to chat warmly. I have always found her to be extremely cultured and friendly as a person.

When I first met her, she had been rehearsing for her solo performance, ‘Om Shantih! Om Shantih! Om Shantih!’ It had been just a day after her show, but she was completely relaxed, dressed casually in a cotton salwar kameez, her short hair tied back in a ponytail, her manicured fingers sporting several rings. “Through this form of art – dance – I want to convey the message of peace…I carry my ‘Om Shantih books, manuscripts on dance, just about everywhere. I am doing research on the traditional temple dance forms, and I am curious and want every detail explained to me by scholars and pundits.”

VyjayanthimalaShe firmly believed that there was something very spiritual about Bharatnatyam, or what could explain how it had survived the ravages of time? But then we moved on to chatting about her career as a successful actor who was known for her formidable dancing talent, her inclination towards dance, her marriage to an unassuming doctor, and how it is difficult for a woman to survive in a man’s world.

She said, “As a shy five-year-old, I performed Bharatnatyam for the Pope in Rome.” She went on to add that as a studious, introverted Class 10 student, her dance performance – this time for a Madras audience – caught the attention of the producers of AVM Production, and her very first film, Bahaar, with its emphasis on dance, left the audience spellbound. “Of course, my other 54 or more films continued to do, till 1968, when I opted for marriage. Thereafter I did not retire, but I relinquished films,” she quipped.

Excerpts from an interview:

When you were so inclined towards classical dance, why did you move towards films and put dance in the backseat, that too in the most creative years of your life?

First of all, even in my films, my dancing influenced the films and not the other way round. All through my film career, my dancing continued. In fact, after shooting, I’d return home to a totally, non-filmi atmosphere, where I would only have traditional arts and music and dance.

Also, I never opted for films. I joined the film industry only incidentally. I come from a traditional South Indian family, and being the only child, I led a very protective life. My grandmother wanted me to study further, but one of the directors of AVM Productions was a close family friend and when he saw one of my dance performances, he coaxed and convinced my grandfather to let me take a role. It wasn’t a romantic role but one that centred on dance. At that point, I didn’t even realise what acting was. The film was a big hit, and other films followed.

Did you ever repent joining the film industry?

Never. I have no regrets. The film industry treated me with so much love and affection.vyjayantimala bali and dilip kumar

Your name was linked with the Raj Kapoor camp…

(Looking straight at me) That was gossip. Gossip will always be there. As a film star, you are in the public eye. All this was a lot of exaggeration, especially where the RK camp was concerned. Tell me who wasn’t linked with them? In fact, all these ‘links’ are needed to boost the film, [they are] publicity gimmicks. Even in the West, all actors are linked with their co-stars for this very purpose.

Which, according to you, have been your most memorable films?

What I consider to be my best are Ganga Jamuna, Madhumati, Amrapali, New Delhi and Naya Daur.

And your favourite co-stars? 

Well, I did the most number of films with Dilip Kumar…

When your son Suchindra sees your films, how does he react?

(Laughing) He’s quite appreciative but when he’s watching one of my films and I happen to be sitting nearby, he looks at me in wonder and says, ‘Mummy, is it really you who has done all that!’

And how do you react?

I am no different. I feel the same way. I really can’t believe it’s me.

 

You quit films after marriage. You are still being offered roles but you refuse them. Why?

See, after my marriage, it was a mutual decision that I should relinquish films. And I feel that it was a very wise decision, because at that time I was at the top. Even now I am being offered roles, but I decline them. Why would I play mothers’ roles?

It is said that your late husband, Dr Bali, wanted you to quit the film industry and that’s why you did so.

No, it was a mutual decision. He was too gentle and considerate and suave to ever force his views on me. He was a Godsend to me (throws up hands as if thanking God)

How did you meet him?

That was the most interesting phase of my life. During a film shooting in Bombay, I wasn’t too well so the director got him to treat me. That’s how it started. And slowly I realised that when he didn’t come to see me, I missed him a lot. That’s how I knew it was love.

How long did it take you to realise that you were in love with him?

He told me that I realised it much later, though he had realised it earlier. I loved his company. He was a very gentle and kind person.

With her son SuchindraHow did you drift towards politics?

My husband thought that I had the makings of a politician, so he wanted me to join politics. It happened over time…in the beginning, we toured Tamil Nadu and saw the chaos around us, how funds were being misused, the people’s disillusionment with the administration. Whenever we toured, we saw another reality: how people loved Mrs Indira Gandhi. So when we visited New Delhi, we met her and told her the state of affairs, and about my inclination towards politics. She was very encouraging.

But weren’t there any apprehensions, with you being former film star?

People knew I was a very serious person. I wasn’t simply hopping from one profession to another. I quit the film industry in 1968 and entered politics in the early 1980s. Nor was I a party jumper; people knew about my integrity.

It was said that your husband was the guiding force and didn’t let you take any independent decisions…

That’s wrong. But it is a fact that I never said ‘no’ to whatever he said, because I had faith in him. I knew whatever he advised me or did was for my good. We had that kind of bond, our relationship was very strong.

Once you took up politics, was he ever uneasy with you being away from home for days?

We always traveled together. Why should I have traveled alone? Even on the tennis courts or golf course, we were always together. I changed totally with him in my life; earlier I was known to be introverted and closed, but with him around, I was full of confidence and courage. I’d developed an interest in tennis and golf, and my interest in dance became an obsession because he loved Bharatnatyam.

How did you cope after his demise?

After his death, I thought of leaving everything – dance, politics – but then I’d think, how could I leave these things? He’d have wanted me to continue.

“Dr Bali died in 1986 because of a brain haemorrhage and the unavailability of a life-saving drug, glycerol. We needed 10 bottles of glycerol, but managed to procure only one bottle. It wasn’t available at any cost. You can imagine how I must have felt! With all the resources at our disposal, we couldn’t save him because that particular drug wasn’t available. And with that I decided to set up the Dr Bali Pharma Trust, so that we could provide life-saving drugs to those battling for life.”

There was a controversy about your husband’s will, which was contested by his first wife and her sons. How did you fight that legal battle?

My son and I won in the Court. Truth does prevail. Unpleasant things keep happening, what to do? But one must have faith in oneself. I believe in this line, ‘Thus, above all, to thine own self be true’.

Is it tough for a woman to survive in politics?

Yes, it is very tough for a woman to survive. It is dominated by men. Even on all these marches or walks or public meetings, women are jostled and pushed around. It is truly terrible.

(Pictures courtesy www.kino-teatr.ru, photogallery.indiatimes.com, www.hindu.com, filmsplusmovies.com)

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Cinema@100

Sita was a politician, too

She was television’s heartthrob in the 1980s. But after her marriage, actor-politician Dipika Chikhlia completely vanished from the television scene.
by Humra Quraishi

I had interviewed Dipika Chikhlia in the summer of 1992 in New Delhi. She had already finished playing Sita on the small screen adaptation of the Ramayana, and was wildly popular for her on-screen demure grace and good looks. That year, she had also been elected as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s MP from Baroda.

It was said that after her phenomenal success as Sita, Dipika received scores of marriage proposals, at least one a day. From doing a few roles in minor films to suddenly becoming the nation’s darling to then entering politics, it was one big non-stop journey for Dipika as she juggled fame and recognition with a desire to work for people. Today, she is well-settled into family life in Mumbai, and has two lovely daughters.

After trying to get through to her for three consecutive days, I finally had the chance to fix an appointment with her. She answered the phone herself, speaking in a low voice. She consented to giving an interview but with a polite request, “It shouldn’t be more than a few minutes long. I have to leave for Parliament at 11 am.”

We met in a cramped room in Gujarat Bhavan in New Delhi. She looked so different from the glamorous girl that had charmed the nation as Sita. The sari she was wearing was a simple print on cotton. Her hair was tied up in a neat plait, and her long nails were painted in a shade of mauve. Her lips had the faintest touch of lipstick.

She sounded earnest enough throughout the interview, giving the impression of a young woman sincerely wishing to contribute to the political sphere, but she also sounded somewhat confused. She even contradicted herself a couple of times, but with every such contradiction, she carried on with a gentle smile.

Excerpts from the interview:
Why did you join the BJP?
Why not? Actually, my grandfather had actively worked for the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), so I had an RSS root in my family.

Do you agree with the opposition parties’ charge that the BJP is a party with a communal outlook?
No, it’s not entirely communal. Maybe it has a tinge of communalism. That’s all.

Just now you said that your party, the BJP, has a tinge of communalism. Do you feel this is okay in the national perspective?Dipika Chikhalia
I meant that others think that the BJP has a little bit of communalism. Not that it is actually there.

Then why don’t you clear this misunderstanding?
Why? What’s wrong with it?

You won the elections on the BJP ticket. Did other parties also want to give you a ticket?
Yes. Other parties also wanted to give me a ticket, but why talk about that now?

You are going to get married shortly. How will you manage your political life?
Yes, my marriage is fixed for November 22. Regarding my television work, I am winding it up. And as for my political work, I am appointing managers to look after my constituency. Actually the Baroda electorate cannot be taken for a ride. I just could not say to them, ‘Thappa kamal par lagao (Cast your vote for the [BJP’s] lotus’. I had to really work hard.

Do you think you won because of the Sita image you portrayed on the small screen?
No, not really. They voted for me because they found me to be a young and enthusiastic woman.

Did you have any problems with your electorate because on the small screen, you started by portraying Sita and then played Hyder Ali’s Muslim wife?
No, why should the electorate object? As an artist, I can portray any character, be it Christian, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim. I respect every religion.

What are your comments regarding the Babri Masjid?
No comments. I don’t want to give any personal comments.

Is your engagement to the owner of Tips And Toes’s Hemant Topiwala an arranged match or a love one?
It’s a totally arranged marriage. Both the families have known each other for years, but before giving the final consent, I went out with him. Then I said yes.

You are most famous for playing Sita. But in one of your earlier films, you played a character that was near vulgar. Why were you so desperate to get any role at all?
Yes, I admit that in one of my earlier films, I was badly conned. It was my biggest mistake. It wasn’t like I needed the money or that I was desperate for a film role, I was just conned. I am a practical and straightforward person, and I could not understand the shady ways of that film producer.

(Pictures courtesy myvideos.in, www.india-forums.com, www.theunrealtimes.com)

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