Rare Indian films will be screened in their original format at Films Division, Mumbai, starting today to Sunday, June 30. Be there if you love Indian cinema.
by Medha Kulkarni
Who doesn’t love our movies, right?
And some of our films have been the highest of successes riding on the fact that they were daring experiments. While some tanked, or were appreciated years later, most were recognised and hailed for their genius.
If you revel in experimentation and love the movies, you should head to Films Division today for a three-day retrospective of Indian Cinema. The event is titled ‘Hundred Years of Experimentation (1913-2013)’ and will be conducted by film scholar and anthropologist Ashish Avikunthak along with documentary film maker Pankaj Rishi. The duo will attempt to add a historical perspective to the contemporary debate to celebrate a 100 years of Indian cinema.
Works that are “not driven by the desire to just produce an aesthetic artifact but rather to create a discursive field,” have been specifically chosen by the two film experts. According to the press release for the event, “The films challenge modernity by opening up a conversation with Indian history, tradition, culture and religion.”
Several films categorised under various heads will be showcased. It starts with Dadasaheb Phalke’s 1913 silent mythological Raja Harishchandra under the heading ‘Experiments with Gods’ and was chosen since the film effectively catapulted “modernity and tradition into a cinema of religiosity – a dominant form of cinema of the silent era.”
The second category ‘Experiment in the state’ will showcase films produced by S Sukhdev and Tyeb Mehta. ‘Experiment in the school’ will showcase the works of Ritwik Ghatak and his students at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) which include diploma films by Kuntal Bhogilal, Rajan Khosa and Satyajit Ray.
Alongside these, documentary films by the likes of Pallavi Paul and SNS Sastry and short films by Ashim Ahluwalia, Natasha Mendonca and animation (co-curated by Nina Sabnani) will also be screened. Mortimer Chatterjee of Chatterjee and Lal will co-curate the section on video and installation featured in contemporary art galleries over the past 10 years and which includes works by artists Nikhil Chopra, Hetain Patel, Sahej Rahal, Nalini Malani, and Kiran Subbaiah.
The festival is on from today, June 28 to Sunday, June 30. It will close with a round table discussion between the curators and film makers.
Entry is free. Head to RR Theatre, Films Division, Peddar Road, Mumbai.
Nobody makes posters now – with film publicity employing slick special effects and promotion, poster-makers are lost to film history.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in
How do you learn of a new film’s release? For a few years now, the Indian film industry has woken up to the phenomenon of heavy marketing and advertising budgets, and stills from the film start doing the rounds of newspapers and websites before the film actually hits the screens. We’re inundated by ‘news’ snippets about the film’s cast and crew, there are sudden outbreaks of romantic liaisons (or bitter breakups) while the publicity is on, and huge hoardings declare the film’s arrival all over the city.
Today, filmmakers would be silly to bank on merely displaying film posters to get the job done.
In simpler times, film posters were the soul of the film. The Hindi film industry, especially, boasted of a parallel film poster-making industry, which in turn, boasted of a bevy of skilled artists and painters who drew the dreams of millions on giant canvasses. The posters were often detailed, some depicting key scenes from the film, and comprised the film’s star billing, its director and musician, and of course, the producer. Often, one marked a lack of likeness between the faces on the poster and the actual face that inspired the painting, but with all their glitches, film posters were the audience’s first and sometimes, only glimpse of the film that was to come.
We don’t make film posters like those any more. Naturally, several artists’ brushes had to be packed away as film posters began to comprise actual photographs. The poster-painting industry closed down, the displaying of a new film acquired different dimensions.
And since such film posters are not being made today, we thought we should put together 25 of the Hindi film industry’s iconic films in traditional poster form. Happy viewing!
Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki, starring Nutan and Vijay Anand
Aradhana, starring Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore
Devdas, starring Dilip Kumar, Suchitra Sen and Vyjayantimala
Devi, starring Mahmood and Aruna Irani
Do Aankhein Baara Haath, starring V Shantaram and Sandhya
Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman
Do Bigha Zameen, starring Balraj Sahni
Himalay Ki God Mein, starring Manoj Kumar and Mala Sinha
Haathi Mere Saathi, starring Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja
Jawani Diwani, starring Jaya Bhaduri and Randhir Kapoor
Khubsoorat, starring Rekha
Mahal, starring Ashok Kumar and Madhubala
Maya, starring Dev Anand and Mala Sinha
Milan, starring Nutan and Sunil Dutt
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Ravi Baswani and Bhakti Barve
Nagin, starring Pradeep Kumar and Vyjayantimala
Pakeezah, starring Raj Kumar and Meena Kumari
Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee and Vinod Khanna
Parichay, starring Jeetendra and Jaya Bhaduri
Pyaasa, starring Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman
Seeta Aur Geeta, starring Hema Malini and Sanjeev Kumar
Zanjeer, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri
Bobby, starring Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia
Sahib, Bibi Aur Ghulam, starring Meena Kumari, Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman
An Evening In Paris, starring Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore
Most of us identify Gemini Ganesan as film star Rekha’s father. However, there was more to the superstar than cinema.
by Humra Quraishi
I chanced upon a book, Eternal Romantic: My Father, Gemini Ganesan, by journalist and writer Narayani Ganesh, a few years ago. The book is about the halo around the Tamil superstar, the lesser-known things about him, and most importantly, it captures him in the context of the times he lived in, the Tamil Nadu of his birth and work, and everything else in between.
As per the book, Gemini Ganesan spent his formative years in the royal principality of Padukottai in Tamil Nadu, followed by a year in the Ramakrishna Mission Home in Chennai, where he learnt yoga and attended Vedanta classes. This was followed by his years at the Madras Christian College, and much later, with a glorious career in cinema.
Written with a great deal of transparency, the book dispels the mystique around Gemini Ganesan, making him out to be normal family-oriented man who was not at all filmi. From the several pictures of him and his family in the book, he appears to be a traditional family man, surrounded by his large family in an old-world setting.
Frank and devoted
He was known for being far ahead of his times, both in his work and personal life. He was candid about his relationships with his co-stars, and did not ever deny the existence of film stars Pushpavalli and Savithri in his life. He married them, fathered their children. Amazingly, his first wife, TR Alamelu, popularly called Bobjima, appeared to be utterly comfortable with the Gemini-Pushpavalli-Savithri situation, and also their children. Even more surprisingly, all of his children, with all three women, got along well with their half-brothers and sisters. One of these children was Rekha, who would later become a superstar in Hindi films.
The more I read, the more I pondered on Bobjima and the courage with which she faced her husband’s relationships. She seems to have been a woman completely in love with her husband, and she was with him right till the end. If a film was to be made on the life of Gemini Ganesan, Bobjima would definitely play the heroine in an extraordinary relationship that endured till the end.
Narayani was born to Bobjima. She writes, “When I think of appa, the words that spring to mind are charming, handsome, affectionate, witty, responsible and compassionate. He was an interesting person…because his interests went far beyond cinema. As a dashing romantic actor, appa did have relationships outside his marriage, but his relationship with us remained the same. He was the same caring father, son and nephew, but of course, I would not be able to say what went through my mother’s mind. Because children were not part of their private discussions (if they had any) and my grandmothers were so benign and full of love – for appa and for all of us, so there was no question of ugly fights or hurling of accusations and that sort of thing.
“I would say that we all had a great deal of respect for him and for each other. As an actor, appa’s USP was that he had a way with women; he oozed charm and with his candy-box good looks, wide-eyed innocence and gentle ways, he won over the hearts of more than a generation of fans. For them, he was the eternal romantic hero…”
About Rekha
Narayani writes about Gemini Ganesan with touching honesty, leaving out nothing. “At Presentation Convent, Madras, where I studied, a girl struck up a conversation with me after school one day. I must have been nine or ten years old.
‘Why do you and your sister go home in different cars?’ she asked. I was puzzled. My two older sisters had finished school. My younger sister was still a baby. ‘Come, I will take you to her,’ the girl said, taking me by the hand. I met Rekha for the first time. She was pretty and her eyes were lined with mascara. She said her name was Bhanurekha. ‘What is your father’s name?’ I asked.
‘Gemini Ganesan,’ came the reply. My eyes filled with tears. How can that be? He was my father. When Chinamma came to take me home, I blurted out the story. ‘Never mind,’ she said.
“Another day, I pointed out Rekha to Chinamma and she said, ‘She is like your sister. And she’s pretty.’ Then there was Rekha’s younger sister, Radha, who was even prettier, I thought. Her resemblance to appa was startling. When I was a little older, I learnt that they were born to Pushpavalli and appa, and that they lived with their mother and other siblings, too…”
Other interesting details about Gemini Ganesan the father were that he was very particular about his children’s teeth and their upkeep. “One of the earliest memories I have of my father is of him asking me to show him my teeth. He would inspect them regularly, and horrified that my two upper front teeth were parting ways, leading to an A-shaped passage behind, he whisked me off to the dentist!”
Actor Kamal Haasan, who’d worked with him as a child actor in his movies, mentions in the books’s foreword, “Gemini mama (uncle) was larger than life; there was so much more to him than his screen persona. That was what was so exciting – cinema was not his entire life, it was a vocation, a profession he chose over others. ‘To me, life is oxygen, not cinema!’ he would say. If he hadn’t been an actor, he might have retired as an academic, with teaching stints in, who knows, Pudukkottai, Chennai, Delhi, UK, USA. He let his laurels rest lightly on his shoulders – to him, success was neither a crowning glory nor a heavy cross. And at a time when celebrities made it a point to publicise their acts of charity, he did it quietly, without fuss…
‘I touched and felt film ‘stars’ for the first time in my life when I was three-and-a-half years old. The stars were Gemini Ganesan and Savithri, and I was to play their son in the film Kalathur Kannamma. Till then, I had no idea that actors were flesh and blood humans – I cannot forget the experience as they held me close in their arms, their ‘child’. I began addressing them as amma and appa on and off the sets. I’m told I had to be ‘weaned’ away from my screen parents!’
She won the first Academy Award for India. She’s currently working on her second book and is far from retirement.
by Humra Quraishi
I interviewed Bhanu Rajopadhye Athaiya around the Spring of 2010, soon after her book The Art of Costume Design (Harper Collins) was launched in New Delhi. This Mumbai resident needs no introduction, as she is India’s first Academy Award winner for the film Gandhi. But few know that she is originally from Maharashtra, that she has worked with all the legendary names in Indian cinema, and that at over 80 years of age, she works like a 16-year-old.
Excerpts from an interview with her:
You have designed costumes for almost all leading Bollywood men and women. Please recount some of the tough times when some of those filmi personalities acted difficult and fussy. How did you handle some of those hyper actors and directors?
At the outset, I do not acknowledge the term ‘Bollywood’. The film industry has given me a platform to express my ideas. I joined the films because of my love for creativity, which I expressed through my costumes. All my directors and actors whom I have worked with through the years appreciated my ideas, put their trust in me and gave me full scope to express myself freely… at no point was I ever a part of this industry for anything other than work. I would wake up with work on my mind, go to my workshop where my hands were full with multiple projects and after that I would have to go to a set. There was no time for taking notice of anything else.
I am a directors’ designer and I follow their dictates when coming up with the right contribution to suit the characters. I have had the most fulfilling and fruitful journey in the movies. And I continue to do so.
Who all from the new crop of actors are you ‘dressing’ up currently?
As you would know, some projects can be spoken about and some cannot. While there are projects with me, they have not yet begun for whatever reason and I cannot divulge information about them. Meanwhile, I am doing a Marathi film (Marathi is my mother tongue) called Swadesh. It stars Dr Sriram Lagoo, Sulabha Deshpande, Milind Soman, among others. It is directed by Jayprad Desai. I have worked for two well-known Marathi films, one of which won me the Maharashtra state award for Katha Don Ganapatravanchi for Best Costume. As and when the other films start and move nearer towards production, their details will be disclosed.
You designed costumes for the film Gandhi. Were you given absolute freedom or were there inputs /directions from Lord Richard Attenborough?
When Lord Attenborough chose me to work as a costume designer for his film Gandhi, he handed me the script to study and then went back to England to carry out other responsibilities pertaining to this film. He returned in time to report for the first schedule of shooting.
Meanwhile, I was given total control of designing the entire wardrobe, right from Gandhiji’s character to other principal characters and the huge number of people who comprised the crowds. It required a deep study of Indian culture, which is my forte. It was my job to do whatever was required.
The film covered 50 years of Gandhiji’s life span. It demanded the changing looks from several regions of India over a period of 50 years. Right from Gandhiji’s South Africa days, where one saw him in an Anglicised look, to the changes that took place post his return to India (see pic on left) to the stage where he dressed himself in a loin cloth and shawl – I was solely responsible for creating all these looks as well as the other characters and background, the entire canvas. Lord Attenborough left all research, planning and execution in my hands. There was no question of any interference because in the Hollywood model of filmmaking, each Head of Department is given absolute freedom and charge.
Looking back, do you think the earlier era was better for creative people connected with the film industry — better for genuine creativity to come to the forefront in the actual sense of the term?
I have worked with great directors like Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra, Ramanand Sagar, Conrad Rooks, BR Chopra, among others. In recent times also, I have been fortunate to work for Ashutosh Gowarikar for his films — Lagaan and Swades. They trusted my ability and allowed my creativity to design costumes for their diverse characters, each with appropriate looks, which is more important for a film.
There is no right or wrong time for ‘genuine creativity’. It depends on how you choose to express it. I wanted to handle each film entirely. My forte is to take control of each and every character in the film so that I can have the full cake, rather than just a slice. Good projects came my way earlier and continue to do so. These projects, both of the past and present, have great substance and scope to show creativity.
Do you agree with the oft-repeated comment that professionally successful women suffer on the personal front?
I have handled both my professional and personal fronts without any difficulty. I am focused on whatever I do and believe in time management.
Your book starts with your (ancestral) family’s journey from the heart of Uttar Pradesh to Maharashtra via Central India. In this context, can you comment on the rather controversial-cum-provocative ‘Mumbai only for Mumbaikars’ slogan?
There is a misconception among people that I am from North India, when the fact is I am a Maharashtrian, born in Kolhapur. My ancestors came from a Maharashtrian Pandit family. Their vocation of mastering scriptures took them from Central India to Benaras, which was the seat of learning. Then, the Maharaja of Chittor invited them to be part of the court of the royal family. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s ancestors were part of that royal lineage, who later on moved to Raigad in Maharashtra, taking along my ancestors. Eventually, Maharani Tarabai, daughter-in-law of Shivaji, founded Kolhapur and my ancestors came along with her to work in this princely state. It is a misconception that I am from UP. Let me clarify that I am a Maharashtrian all the way. So, it would be unfair, unjustified and uncalled for when you compare my family’s association with Maharashtra over hundreds of years with the migrant issue of today, which you are hinting at.
Tell us how you could achieve tremendous success as a designer. Also, how did you deal with the hurdles that must have cropped up?
I have studied art and also culture. I keenly observe life around me and absorb from it. I am willing to go that extra mile to acquire information required, to achieve the best for the job I undertake. The traits that make me a success are hard work, dedication, obsession, passion and positivity.
How did I deal with hurdles? I never took notice of any of the hurdles. I kept my focus on the goal I had to achieve and did exactly that. The rest faded into the background. I am like a soldier who has to always be on the toes. Like I said earlier, I never had time for negativity. I never let anything interfere with my work.
With which stars and directors did you establish a bond and with whom did you enjoy working?
Like I said earlier, directors and actors gave me an opportunity to showcase my talent and I managed to live up to their expectations. My work spoke for itself and it was this that led us to have many associations down the years. So, I ended working repeatedly for many directors over a span of four decades. Some of these directors include Guru Dutt, with whom I did five landmark films. I also did some memorable films with Raj Kapoor. Others names include Yash Chopra and BR Chopra on whose path-breaking films I worked. Additionally, other people with whom I have shared great rapport include Ramanand Sagar, FC Mehra, Lekh Tandon and Dev Anand. The list goes on! They were all happy with my work and I was thrilled to be working with each of them.
Among the stars, I worked with Waheeda Rahman on many films, one of the memorable ones being Guide. Hema Malini, Kamini Kaushal, Zeenat Aman, Simi Garewal, Sunil Dutt, the Kapoor family are among many other names I worked with. With all of them I share happy memories and good friendship.
It is said the film industry is ruthless. Comment.
I have never encountered this in my work as you can see by the way I have written about my association with the film world in my book. Had it been ruthless, I would not have been able to do all the work I did and finally talk about it in my book.
The latest projects you are working on?
For the last two years, I have been busy with my book which needed total attention. Now that the book has been published, I have started accepting new assignments. I have also been approached for some exciting projects. There is one Marathi film in progress. I am also studying some scripts for a couple of Hindi films. I have also started work on putting together my second book.
You are in your eighties, yet there’s been no stopping you…
I am full of enthusiasm when I wake up in the morning. I am bubbling with ideas and I am anxious to get busy with creative activities. There is never a dull moment for me. I get along with young directors, I am open to new ideas. I travel a great deal and I’m ready to absorb new ideas and enjoy being on the job…in the creative world and with creative people, there are no age limits. Creativity knows no age. I have the frame of mind of a 16-year-old and I am always in love with life.
Rajat Tara became famous when his girlfriend, Sushmita Sen, became Miss Universe in 1994. Then their relationship ended shortly after.
by Humra Quraishi
They went steady for a year before the universe opened its arms to her. Sushmita Sen was all of 18 and even then, unapologetic about her personal life. She had been seeing Rajat Tara, the son of a high-profile public relations man in a Government embassy in Delhi, and she had never hidden her relationship status even on winning the Miss Universe crown.
Naturally, as the country sat up and took notice of India’s first Miss Universe in 1994, the spotlight was also turned on Rajat and the relationship. I had the chance to chat with him after Sushmita’s famous win and when she was on a world tour – he had been unable to accompany her “because of stupid MBA examinations” – and he had been friendly and honest, though he declined a face-to-face interview, preferring to speak over the phone.
They didn’t break up for a while after Sushmita’s big win. When she returned to India after being crowned, Rajat was there with her on all her outings. The breakup happened after Sushmita’s one year as Miss Universe was up. And after that, she seemingly never looked back as she entered the world of films.
Rajat sounded like a simple 24-year-old, cautious and to the point in his answers. Once in a while he became quite frank, but any slip-up was to be expected: here was a young man suddenly famous for no fault of his own, and answering personal questions is never easy.
Excerpts from the interview:
How long have you been dating Sushmita?
For about a year now.
Where did you first meet her?
At the Air Force Golden Jubilee celebrations. There was this fashion show where both of us took part.
After her becoming Miss India and now, Miss Universe, has there been any difference in your relationship with her?
No, none at all. Why should there be a difference?
You haven’t felt even a bit insecure? She is travelling the world, meeting new people…
Not at all. I am not really bothered. We are very good friends. She has been calling me up daily. She calls, or if she doesn’t, I call her.
How long do your chats last?
For about five minutes or so.
Do you plan to marry her?
Marriage is a long way off, for both of us. We still have a lot to do in life. So we have no marriage plans for at least three or four more years.
Did she ask you to come along with her to Manila, for the Miss Universe contest?
Of course she did. But I had to take these stupid MBA examinations…
Do you feel that her parents would have been okay with your going with her?
Yes, her mother is very friendly. Her father, though, is a bit reserved.
It is being said that to any questions put to him about you, her father replies with “I don’t know”…
Yes, I told you he is a reserved sort. Fathers are like that. I suppose this is a normal human attitude. But her mother is very open and friendly.
Your examinations end on May 31. Would you join her after that?
No, because she would be busy travelling. She is the property of MUI (Miss Universe International) and she has to go to different parts of the world for charity shows, fund raising programmes. How can I afford to go along?
What attracted you to Sushmita when you first her?
She was great company.
What about her looks?
Yes, looks are important, but they are not everything. I really enjoy her company. In fact, what upsets me now is that I won’t be seeing her for quite some time. She will be back her for just a month, then she’ll be out for nearly 10 months.
Rajat I must again ask if you aren’t the tiniest bit insecure. Your special friend is Miss Universe, and you are here with your books…
No, and I have never felt insecure.
Even in the past one year when she has been modelling? Men must pass comments on her?
Yes, men pass comments, but then they pass comments about everybody. The best thing is to ignore all this.
Were you confident that she would become Miss Universe?
Yes, I was. And she was so confident herself.
Do you think that her being Miss Universe could cause a strain on your relationship?
There can be no fun (in the relationship) without problems.
But too many problems can cause serious cracks in even the best of relationships?
Sure, but relationships can crack even without problems.
Is Sushmita the kind of person who does things her own way?
Yes, she has her own mind. She is today’s woman.
Has she thought of a film career?
I’m not sure. But I don’t see why not.
Are you the only male friend in her life?
Yes, I believe so.
With so much happening, with Sushmita being crowned Miss Universe and so much attention on you, how has this affected your studies?
To the extent that I’m finding it difficult to concentrate. And even this interview has disturbed my studies!
Up to the 1980s, Indian film stars would change in makeup rooms or people’s homes or even in secluded woods. Vanity vans didn’t exist till the late 1980s.
by Jatin Sharma
Vanity vans are an essential part of film stars’ lives today. Why just film stars, even starlets shooting for music videos or ads get their own vanity van these days, depending on the production house and its budget.
Shahrukh Khan’s vanity van costs almost the same as the budget for a small movie: a whopping Rs 3.5 crore. It has all the facilities that a little house can provide: an air conditioner, a refrigerator, an oven, a master bedroom, massage seats, and many more that one could never imagine were fitted inside what is, essentially, a vehicle.
Salman Khan’s vanity van took about seven months to be designed and finished as it had to be customised for the Khan. His van even has a ramp that allows his car to get in and out.
Though you’d think that vanity vans have been around forever – after all, how would one dress and put on makeup and rest in between shots, if not for a vanity van – you would be suprised to know that yesteryear megastars like Rajesh Khanna, Madhubala, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Hema Malini, Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan spent most of their careers without a vanity van. In fact, the first vanity van came to Bollywood in the late 1980s when Manmohan Desai (in pic on left) gifted one to Amitabh Bachchan.
This information was shared by the ever-charming Dharam paaji when I interviewed him during the promotions of Yamla Pagla Deewana, in which he starred with his sons Sunny and Bobby. Dharam paaji revealed lot of things about the Hindi film industry, and one of them was interesting story about what stars and indeed, all actors, did before vanity vans became the norm in Bollywood.
I asked him, “How did the stars manage before vanity vans?”
He replied, “Whenever the shooting was in the studio, we would share makeup rooms. We would get an individual makeup room if we were that important. And whenever we used to go to shoot outdoors, we would ask the production people to form a circle and change our clothes on the roads or behind the trees, sometimes.”
In the case of female actors, he said, the story was even more interesting. “They would go to people’s houses in the vicinity of the shoot. And if the location was not closer to the shoot, then a four-pole tribal tent would be erected, where the actress could change. Five or six production people would provide security for her.”
He added that makeup would be done on the road or in the production bus, whose actual purpose was to shift the film equipment and crew from spot to spot.
“It was Manmohan Desai, the director and producer who was a visionary. He got the first vanity van for himself as he had a back pain. (In it, he is learnt to have fit a bed, a television set and even a mirror to watch the TV even with his back to it!) And later he got the first vanity van for his star Amitabh Bachchan. All the other stars of Indian cinema then got exposed to the luxury of a vanity van, and realised they could enjoy some privacy if they had a vanity van of their own. Now, of course, everybody has one.”
Works that are “not driven by the desire to just produce an aesthetic artifact but rather to create a discursive field,” have been specifically chosen by the two film experts. According to the press release for the event, “The films challenge modernity by opening up a conversation with Indian history, tradition, culture and religion.”
