Bhawana Somaaya

Once upon a time not very long ago when we needed to communicate with friends, we drove across to their homes and offices and chatted face-to-face. As technology advanced and our modes of communication multiplied from telephone, courier, fax, email, mobile blogs, skype and now social networking like tweets, we travel less and bond with people electronically.

Some years ago when Princess Diana met with a tragic end, the old guards blamed her death to paparazzi. Then we proudly claimed that such calamities can never occur in our country because India does not invade private spaces of people.

Perhaps we spoke prematurely.

In just a few years’ time the media has transformed beyond recognition and turned into a monster! Today, the smallest disagreement between colleagues becomes breaking news and the most intimate issues between couples becomes a subject of debate!!

A glaring example of this is the recent Priyanka Chopra’s IT raid. The only question journalists wanted an answer for was whether Shahid Kapoor was in her house that morning? Why is it their concern and why Priyanka must owe them any explanations? Nor does Bipasha Basu for whether she marries John or not; it’s her private life and not open for discussion.

A while ago the media went berserk with the ‘Malaika Arora- Arbaaz Khan Split story’ in the tabloids. The couple did not immediately deny the news because they were under a contract with an agency to remain inaccessible till the product was launched. Who would have imagined that the news was staged by the advertising agency with or without the client’s approval? My worry is why would a happily married couple stake their reputation to indulge in a cheap publicity stunt for the sake of an endorsement? I’m certain that neither Malaika nor Arbaaz were in the least bit prepared for the outcry that followed.

The episode brought back memories when Vishesh Films advertised their forthcoming film Criminal some years ago with a sensational headline ‘Manisha Koirala murdered’ or another example in the 90’s when a film glossy featured an Amitabh Bachchan look-alike in an intimate feature with a starlet alleging an involvement between the two.

The reactions to the above story were divided into two groups. Those who agreed with the prank and treated it light heartedly and those who were outraged that a superstar had been exploited for an April fool joke. One thing became evident that reputation was no more sacrosanct and we had become desensitized to scandals.

Over the years it was no longer a matter of embarrassment that Sridevi was mentioned in a cheque bouncing case or Sushmita Sen was blamed of duty evasion in car purchase case. In the olden days people evaded visiting police stations; now even veterans like Saira Banu consider it her right to register a complaint on receiving lewd messages on her mobile phone.

It is no more fashionable to exercise caution even though this often leads to trouble. A few years ago an emotional Govinda got carried away at a press gathering and lashed out at the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and as if that was not enough, a few days later the actor’s body guard got into a scuffle with a shop keeper at a mall and the matter was reported to police station. Govinda tried his best to suppress the story but by then the damage was done.

Time and again some old skeleton springs out of a creaky cupboard when the star is least expecting it. A few years ago somebody uploaded an explicit love scene between Shah Rukh Khan and Deepa Sahi in Maya Memsaab released in ’93 and put it all over the internet. The only motive I can read behind the action is to embarrass Shah Rukh Khan. They did it to Akshay Kumar as well by blasting his picture with Katrina Kaif in a cricket stadium and later with Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Paduknone. Media’s new target is the young pair Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh and it is not surprising.

The media craves for juicy details of their favourite stars. It makes me wonder that there has to be an aching void in their personal lives for them to be so obsessive about the private lives of the dream merchants.

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Overworked, insecure and constantly in the public eye, film stars have to deal with more stress than most people, especially the heroines. Some escape, whereas others just crack up.

Insecurity is an overwhelming emotion in any creative profession. There are more emotional wrecks in the film industry than anywhere in the world. There’s hardly an entertainer alive who hasn’t suffered the highs and lows of a showbiz career. There’s the superstar who becomes the jinxed star, the oomph heroine who becomes a C-grade glamour queen and the box-office director who ends up a has-been.

Drug addicts…secret hospitalization…All kinds of therapies, all kinds of doctors… Some play games, the clever ones. They are better fighters, they survive. Some hit the bottle, the weaker ones, they escape. Some turn to involvements, the lazy ones, who need live crutches to overcome crisis.

One reason for this being that they live their most intimate moments in the glare of publicity…Shabana Azmi once said that just when everything is going all right, the media has a way of destroying it. With a vengeance, journalists dig out skeletons and the tension starts all over again. Rekha adds that a happy moment has unfailingly followed with something ominous. “Not one, but several things go wrong in a row.”

So accustomed are the stars to a regular dose of pressure that in its absence, they become suspicious and restless. Dimple Kapadia confesses that she feels at a loss when she has nothing to worry about. “When I made a comeback in films, journalists were forever dragging my growing daughters into gossip columns. This was unnecessary and it hurt.”

Moushumi Chatterjee opines that it’s very difficult for a married actress to succeed without family cooperation. “The strain is too much. The profession demands that you look beautiful, perform on the sets and also remain disciplined. It is not easy to play the perfect professional and also run an efficient home. Stardom is a full-time job. If you are not shooting, you are dubbing, traveling, holding story-sessions or partying.”

Poonam Dhillon agrees. “How can we lead a normal life when we are encountering abnormal experiences all the time? A minute before the shot we are laughing and joking with the hero and the next minute, the scene demands that we burst into tears. We do emotional scenes when we are cheerful and comedy scenes when we feel low.”

All these pressures take its toll. Sometimes, they result in serious health hazards. After ten years of successive rain sequences, Moushumi suffers from Eosinophilia. Legendary actress Meena Kumari was advised by her psychiatrist to take a break from tragedy roles for it was leading her to chronic depression. A cross-section of interviews with star physicians reveal that almost all of them suffer fear psychosis and psychosomatic ailments like asthma, acidity, diabetes and insomnia are common among celebrities.

In the ’70s when Sharmila Tagore was working round the clock, she was well-known for her fiery temper. Today, Sharmila regrets the image. “I was overworked and expected everyone to understand forgetting that they have their own problems too.”

A lot of heroines particularly from the olden times faced immense pressure from within the family itself. A lot of them were the sole earning member of a large family and after a lifetime before the camera, managed little savings to call their own. Says Aruna Irani, “When I was working in C-grade films, my brothers and sisters were mere toddlers…The family had to pay off large debts and by the time I started making money, their expenditures had multiplied too.”

Madhubala, Nanda, Waheeda Rehman, Bindu, Rekha are examples of sibling sacrifice. Meena Kumari was pushed into acting at tender age of eleven. Lonely and high-strung, she sought refuge in alcohol. Nadira called her a masochist but there were many who empathized with the extra-ordinary artiste. Sarika made her debut when she was only five. She recalls how her mother used the travel money paid to her by producers to buy groceries. She reveals that she would be fast asleep on the sets and would be jolted awake because the shot was ready. Today, an older and wiser Sarika says that she’d hate her daughters to go through what she did.

Stardom offers no explanations for pushing artistes into oblivion. Vyjayanthimala, Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit have all had to vacate thrones. The first time Waheeda Rehman played a mother role, she felt disoriented and the first time Raakhee played mother on screen she was unprepared for the paradigm shift in her career. Show business is a cruel world where physical appearance is emphasized to a point of obsession.

Padmini Kolhapure and Madhuri Dixit going through adolescence at that time were forever made to feel guilty about a common problem like acne. Every time Padmini’s mirror showed a pimple in the morning, her first thought was not what her boyfriend said, but what the director would say. The last time it happened, the cameraman had scowled and said, “It disturbs my close-ups.” In a world where per day costs raked in crores, common courtesy was the last priority.

The name of the game is business and when it was time for curtain call, everybody had to take a bow. Tabu felt threatened by Manisha Koirala, Manisha by Karisma Kapoor, Karisma by Urmila Matondkar and so on and so forth. Treated like products, their price fluctuates faster than the stock market. When their film is a hit, their market goes up, whenthy flop, their price comes down. Happiness for most is an alien zone.

Some like Shabana Azmi are able to analyze the vicious cycle and rise above it. “If everyone is insecure all the time why even bother to rationalize what goes wrong and why?” And showbiz respects the likes of her. Not all are as intelligent and therefore suffer.

Hopping from studio to studio and make-up room to make-up room, changing costumes and characters in film after film and year after year cannot be all that simple. It is after all a profession of heightened consciousness; the stars in their violent outpourings before the camera, cease being realistic and bottled up emotions give way at the most unexpected moments… A dinner party, a shooting, a family gathering…

Predictably, all of them shy away from any mention of psychotics. Only the late Divya Bharti admitted to seeking counseling and Farha admitted to being suicide-prone.
Veteran actress Achala Sachdev, who played the charming mother to many heroes in the `60s, quit films after a nervous breakdown.

Surprisingly, learning lines is a common cause for tension for most actors. Says Mahesh Bhatt, “An actor remains a student until his dying day…Everyday, he has to go through the ordeal of learning scenes or dance steps and he does this in the presence of an entire unit. We don’t realize this but this in a way demoralizes him.”

Hollywood is full of stories of stars cracking up. Our stars are learning to emerge out of their success stories unscathed but not all are able to do it. In the past, Rekha would break into a rash every time she was depressed. Not anymore. Years ago, Shashikala sought solace in spirituality, Parveen Babi in anonymity, Preeti Ganguly in drugs, Suraiya in isolation.

Aishwarya Rai after marriage continues working, Madhuri Dixit finds peace in domesticity and Rani Mukherjee in exercising. Hema Malini finds self expression in dancing, Sridevi in rearing her girls. Pooja Bhatt spends her free time writing scripts. Sarika punches stories on the computer and Meenakshi Sheshadri goes for long walks.

By their own admission, they’ve come to terms. They are happy… Well, almost!

Over the years, MAMI’s sidebar Film Worldwide (FIW) India goes across the globe in search for that intriguing film genre – one essentially international in concept and yet connects intrinsically with the Indian film scene.

This year FIW presents five films that have been made by directors or producers of Indian origin settled elsewhere who look to a remembered homeland. There are also films made by international directors who increasingly turn to India for their creative inspiration. Collectively, these films represent a merging of international talent that spans continents and cultures, triggered by a love and regard for India.

The FIW film package provides a deeper perception of the immigrant world of cross-cultural lifestyles and preoccupations. The section has a special place in a festival held in Mumbai, India’s film capital. MAMI offers them the invaluable venue and opportunity for distribution and sales.

A look at 2010 package of films

Florida Road
South Africa / 2009 / Digital / 104 mins
Director: Brad Glass

Synopsis: This directorial debut by California-based Brad Glass is the culmination of a ten-year dream. The film revolves around the good-hearted Shaan Sahay who moves with his wealthy Indian family to the city of Durban (the film’s title derives from the city’s main highway where it was shot). Shaan yearns for his father’s love and approval as he pursues his passion for writing.

He struggles trying to discover his identity and the importance of his culture and the love of family, when a tragedy hits his home and secrets are revealed. The director says, “Florida Road has a Bollywood flavour with the Hollywood traditions that people all over the world can enjoy.”

The film stars popular Mumbai-based actors Ashmit Patel, Vipin Sharma, Smita Jayakar and Priyanshu Chatterjee. They are teamed with South African actors Cokey Falkow, Corine Du Toit and Vicky Davis. Florida Road has traveled extensively to festivals within the United States as well as to Wales (UK) and Stutgart( Germany ), collecting awards along the way. The screenplay was written by Hollywood veteran Fred Fontana who also co-produced the film. Fred Fontana has worked on many Hollywood Big Budget films including, ‘The Specialist’ (Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone).

Produced by Fred Fontana, screenplay by Fontana the film stars Ashmit Patel, Vipin Sharma, Smita Jayakar, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Cokey Falkow, Corine Du Toit and Vicky Davis.

Director Glass started his acting career in his late 20’s, with bit parts in TV soaps. He later acted in several TV commercials overseas in Europe, Australia and Asia . His interest in direction began while working in the Philippines as a lead actor, as he observed takes from behind the camera. Brad eventually travelled to South Africa , a place he fell in love with, where he continued to work in TV commercials while he began pre production on ‘ Florida Road.

When Harry Tries to Marry
USA-India/ 2010/35mm/Col./101 mins
Director: Nayan Padrai

Synopsis: Harish is a ruggedly good-looking American of desi origin who is on the verge of graduating with that coveted New York college degree. Harish as he was named, or ‘Harry’ as he is now known, has developed an aversion to the concept of a ‘love marriage’ because he is convinced that it will only leave him as bitterly divorced as his parents are. Everyone who hangs out with easy-going Harry is therefore in for a shock when he opts for an arranged marriage with Nita, a young woman from India who seems pretty perfect, but whom he hardly knows.

he embarks on the journey towards marrying his perfect bride, the unfolding events begin to make him wonder if there really is any such thing as the perfect match. What is the formula, if there is one, to prevent mistakes in marriage – whether arranged or love? The more adamant Harish gets about his goal, the more Indian and American cultures clash through the two contrasting families – both pushy in their own right and both determined to uphold their own cultural traditions and customs. His growing friendship with an American girl, Theresa, adds to his confusion. Will Harish or Harry prevail?

Produced by Sheetal Vyas, Nayan Padrai, Ritu Ahuja and script by Ralph Stein and Nayan Padrai it has music by Siddharth Kashyap and stars Rahul Rai , Stefanie Estes , Freishia Bomanbehram and others

Director Nayan Padrai was born in 1975. He studied screenwriting and filmmaking at The School of Visual Arts, NYC. He was the President and now is Co-Founder of CineMaya Media, one of the largest South Asian media, entertainment and marketing conglomerates in the US. Padrai has written, produced and directed over 300 hours of Indian television programming across genres. Padrai and his writing partner Ralph Stein have written over a dozen screenplays together. He adapted Beneath a Marble Sky based on the acclaimed eponymous novel. When Harry Tries To Marry which was one of the top ten finalists of the 2009 Creative Screenwriting magazine competition.

Punyam Aham Limpid Souls
India/ 2010/ 35 mm / Col. /109 mins
Director: Raj Nair

Synopsis: Punyam Aham is a Malayalam-language feature about a man’s search for his own true identity, set in the heart of a small village in the North of Kerala. The film follows the story of Narayanan Unni, who has lived in the agony of the story of his origin for many years, and now wants to find the answers that will put an end to all the doubts, questions and unfulfilled desires.

His father was a high-caste, fair complexioned Brahmin from a highly respected family. During the communist revolution, he married a low-caste, dark-skinned Parayee or a woman from the untouchable caste, from a southern farming community.

Having done this deed that he considered to be noble, his father then left his family behind, and set out for the capital city, never to return. All these years later, Narayan Unni sets out for the capital in his father’s footsteps to discover why his father left in the first place. He is motivated by the sheer disgust he feels at what he considers his father’s grave misdeeds.

He finds his answers upon this journey of discovery and they lead him to understand that people are ultimately enslaved by their heritage and genes.

Produced by Raj Nair, Shyam Chengalath, Janardhan Menon, screenplay by M J Radhakrishnan the film starsPrithviraj Sukumaran, Samvritha Sunil , Nedumudi Venu , M R Gopakumar

Director Raj Nair was born in Kerala. He studied in London and Harvard universities and is now settled in Australia. He is the author of fiction, poems and short stories. He published his first novel Nishabdathayilae Theerthadakan (A Pilgrim of Silence) in 2001.

In 2004, his made his debut as in films with his feature length docu-drama, The Exhibits, on his grandmother, widow of famous Indian author, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. Although he has spent a major part of his life in the west, his lineage inspires him to write in his mother tongue Malayalam on social issues of his birthplace, Kerala.

Sound of Mumbai: A Musical
UK/ 2010/ HDCAM/Col./ 64 mins
Director: Sarah McCarthy

Synopsis: Sound of Mumbai: A Musical captures the moving story of a choir of children from the slums of Mumbai who stage a concert of songs from the film, The Sound of Music with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra.

The venue is the National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai, a grand theatre normally inaccessible to the poor. The choir comes from Muktangan school, an initiative of the Paragon Charitable Trust, which provides high quality education to low income families.
The story is told through one of Muktangan’s best students; eleven-year-old Ashish, whose cheerful optimism and enthusiasm for songs from a film he has never seen would make you forget he lives in a slum.

Ashish is performing a solo and the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious concert cannot help but set him daydreaming of opportunities that could open up for him. How far will singing songs about climbing mountains help him find his dreams? Ashish hopes to move a patron enough to sponsor his education and to win the affections of an upper class girl. The stakes are high and under the eye of the camera, Ashish’s story encapsulates the ambition and competitiveness that characterize growing up in Mumbai.

Produced by Joe Walters, camera work by Liam Iandoli and music by Jody Jenkins, film stars the children from the Mukutangan School, Mumbai.
Director Sarah McCarthy is a British documentary filmmaker who was born in Sydney and studied film in her native Australia, graduating with honours. She moved to London, England and worked in development for the BBC and RDF Media before working as a director. Her documentary heroes include Errol Morris and Werner Herzog.
Her TV documentaries include Murderers on the Dancefloor and Black Widow Granny. The Sound of Mumbai:: A Musical is her third documentary and was screened as an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival, 2010. McCarthy is currently working on her next film The Dark Matter of Love.

Next Year In Bombay
France/ 2010/HDV/Col./ 55 mins
Directors: Jonas Parienté, Mathias Mangin

Synopsis: The documentary Next Year In Bombay is based on the lives of the Bene Israeli community of Indian Jews who sought asylum from religious persecution in India over 2000 years ago. The community lived without experiencing anti-semitism in India for centuries and yet, chose to move to Israel in the 1950s.

Today the population of Bene Israelis in the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and its nearby regions and districts number about 4000. The film focuses on the last two educators of the Bene Israeli community – Sharon and Sharona Galsulkar, who have been training in a yeshiva in Jerusalem and who have dedicated their lives towards bettering life for the Jewish community in India.

As their daughters are getting older they are faced with the debate– should they remain in the country that has been their religious and social home for centuries and devote their work efforts here or should they relocate to their spiritual home in Israel and reunite their daughters with the promised homeland? All they want is to provide their children a good Jewish life. How much will uprooting a family that can trace its harmonious roots in a culture back to generations damage that very culture?

Produced by Jonas Parienté, Mathias Mangin, Sophie Goupil and script by Jonas Parienté , Mathias Mangin the film has music by Raphael Elig and stars Sharon Galsulkar, Sharona Galsulkar, Joseph Dandekar, Aadiyel Wakrulkar

Director Jonas Parienté gained a Masters degree in Sociology in Paris and an MFA in Integrated Media Arts from New York, where he directed his first two documentaries. His film Bodies & Soul was about a former heroin addict who became a body builder. His A Rickshaw In The City is about the urbanization of Mumbai. Mathias Mangin was born in Sao Paulo but grew up in Paris, graduating in finance from Edhec Business School.

He studied photography in Sao Paulo and filmmaking in New York. His short The Chance was selected in Paris and Toronto festivals. Mathias is currently writing fiction in the Atelier Scénario, Fémis.

Bhawana Somaaya
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