Pritish Nandy recalls where he met Kaifi Azmi for the first time and how a bond developed between the two…

The Best Film Gujarati at the Critics’ Choice Film Awards 2019 went to Brainbox & Baroda Talkies Paresh Vora produced and Rahul Bhole-Vinit Kanojia directed Reva based on Sahitya Akademi writer Dhruv Bhatt’s 1998 released book, Tatvamasi. Reva was shot listed out of a total 57 Guajarati films released in the year 2018.

It tells of a spiritual journey along the banks of River Narmada that celebrates and salutes the culture and heritage of Gujarat. Reva breaks stereotypes and dispels superstitions associated with tribal and witchcraft. A moving story of a pilgrim returning to his roots with haunting music and picturesque locales, Reva is a story of faith and submission with a contemporary message for the youth.

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Long queues at the polling booths… No fans and no arrangements for water. No special counters for senior citizens either and yet everyone is in Great Spirit and exhibiting the right attitude.

This is called national pride.

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Watch it for Varun and Alia

Film: Kalank

Date: 17 April 2019

Director: Abhishek Varman

Writers: Abhishek Verman, Shibani Bathija

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Kunal Khemu

Ratings: 3 stars

The heroine while offering her hand to the hero before getting on to the boat says, “I am married” to which the hero responds “So when did I say I was proposing to you”. The communicationis provocative for a love story set in 1940 in a buzzing town called Husnabad, near Lahore, a few years before the Partition of India and Pakistan, 

Through lotus filled ponds and much fun and frolic on the streets, director Abhishek Varman introduces us to the Muslim working class and the affluent Hindu family on the other side of the stream. The Chaudhrys – Balraj/ Sanjay Dutt and his son Dev/ Aditya Roy Kapoor are publishers of a liberal newspaper called The Daily News. 

Dev’s wife, Satya Choudhary/ Sonakshi Sinha is diagnosed with a fatal illness so looks for a bride who will adequately fit into the mansion and her husband’s life after she is gone. Satya optsfor the spunky and educated Roop / Alia Bhatt who agrees to the contract but sets her conditions. Roop is relieved when Devgrants her space and uses her freedom to explore the city.

She is attracted to music emanating from Bahar Begum/ Madhuri Dixi’s palace every night and expresses desire to learnfrom the courtesan. The family is alarmed but she is adamant and frequently visits the tainted address where she meets a volatile and bitter Zafar/ Varun Dhawan whose only mission in life is revenge.

There are some films you remember for the story, some for thetreatment and some only for the characters. Kalank falls into the last category that elaborates on interpersonal relationships, their misgivings, pressures and unfulfilled dreams.

The problem with the film is it is too long (2 hours 48 minutes)and not of everybody’s temperament. It fails miserably in trying to create a period drama. The production design is faulty and the opulent sets and flowing costumes embarrassingly unauthentic. The biggest letdown is the choreography, a pity that the combined efforts of four ace choreographers cannot come up with a single dance that touches our heart.

What works for the film are dialogues, music, lyrics, casting, cinematography and some social issues. The little colour that creeps into the characters comes from the majestic star presencebe it Sanjay Dutt in a special appearance, a quiet Aditya Roy Kapoor and a subdued Sonkshi Sinha. 

Madhuri Dixit is always dependable but this time she is deprived of an opportunity to shine in a scene or a song and that’s a bigbig letdown.

 Varun Dhawan yet again proves that he can juggle action/ romance/ dance/ drama, his chemistry with Alia Bhatt lights up the screen when they are together.

Alia Bhatt is sparkling yet again and lends her innocence and simplicity to Roop in a manner that is touching. Roop is educated and makes her own decisions. She is married, not a captive and exercises her freedom of choice in career and love.

Kalank ventures into a surreal world and views love in a poeticmartyred way, it is up to you if you approve of this tainted poetry or get impatient with it but it is worth a dekho for Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan for sure.

Bhawana Somaaya

Arjun Kapoor is never at a loss with words, give him any topic, throw him any question he is far feom intimidated. He is as comfortable before the camera as he is behind it. In that sense he is his father’s son.

You have paired with all the top heroines, is it a a heady feeling

Well I did Gunday with the beautiful Priyanka Chopra and all of us – PC, Ranveer Singh and I had so much fun on the sets. 2 States was challenging because nobody conceived me as a romantic hero until then. I had not read the book and didn’t want to because I wanted to discover my character as we shot the film and being with Alia Bhatt was such a joy.

What about Finding Fanny with Deepika Padukone?

Not just Deepika but glorious actors like Dimple Kapadia, Naseerudin Shah and Pankaj Kapoor. I was very nervous doing a film in English because speaking dialogues in English is a different challenge. The experience of doing this film was an enriching experience.

What did your father’s home production Tevar teach you?

That you must work within a budget and no matter what the creative temptations you must know where to draw a line. Dad doesn’t, but because by temperament he is not just a producer but a passionate filmmaker. I’m not like that, I will not invest my hard earned money into production but I will most certainly direct a film soon.

There are rumors that you will be getting married soon?

Sab upar waale ki marzi se hota hai khaas taur par shaadi toh dekhte hai mera number kab aayega.

When you do, will your relationship with your partner be like your film Ki & Ka?

Why not, I have been surrounded by empowered women in the family and it is time we look at our relationships in a different perspective. I was always conscious about this but after the film I’m all the more sensitized.

@bhawanasomaaya

I have known of Arjun Kapoor literally from the time he was in his mother’s womb. Over the years as one watched him grow from an awkward adolescent to an overweight adult and gradually transform into a lean, hardworking actor, one was surprised by his success and popularity.

In his personal life Arjun has proved wiser than his age and sometime ago, when his father’s second wife Sridevi passed away he and his sister Anshula stood by their half-sisters Jhanvi and Khushi Kapoor like a rock.

There are strong rumor that Arjun will soon be getting married soon but that is not the topic of my conversation with him today.

Had you ever envisioned that you would travel so far and fast?

Honestly no, mine has been a fairy tale of sorts. In the very beginning when anybody asked me what I wanted to do when I grow up, I always said I will become a filmmaker, which was natural coming from a film family. Then suddenly, I met Salman Khan who sensed I wanted to become an actor but was to shy to admit it. He broke my inhibition; put me on an exercise regime. I was lucky to be signed my YRF banner, lucky to get a break like Ishaqzaade.

You played a bad boy in your debut film, did you fear getting typecast?

I wasn’t thinking so far, I was happy to be launched and trusted my producer and director. I was further lucky to get a double role in Aurangzeb and be pitched against Rishi Kapoor who I have admired all my life.

To be continued

@bhawanasomaaya

 Revisiting History

Film: Tashkent Files

Date: 12.04.2019

Writer/Director: Vivek Agnihotri

Cast: Shweta Basu Prasad, Naseerudin Shah, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Pankaj Tripathi

There are many ways to describe Vivek Agnihotri written directed Taskent Files, you can call it a political drama, a reflection of current journalism where everything boils down to either breaking news or fake news, or you can describe it as revisiting history rather reinvestigating a closed chapter.

What really happened 53 years ago when our ex-Prime Minister Laal Bahadur Shastri visited Tashkent to sign the Indo Pak treaty after the 1965 war? What transpired on that fateful night that a robust leader who was strolling in his room a few minutes ago suddenly dropped dead?  Why has history forgotten the tragedy of a leader who returned to his motherland as a corpse? Why is the year 1966 in Indian politics shrouded in so much mystery?

What works about Tashkent Files is the extensive research comprising exclusive archived video interviews of important players of that time, journalists/ politicians/ Shastri’s well-wishers and family. The film attempts to answer every query/ doubt that arises in your mind. There is a reference to Dr Bhabha and his pet project, to the disappearance and disguise of Subhash Chandra Bose, to secret documents unearthed by spies and to meddling with the wording of the Indian Constitution, so there is enough drama to make an engaging narrative but that does not happen!

The problem is primarily the structure, an 8 member committee comprising historian/ activist/politician/judge/bureaucrat/other leader and a journalist is set up to investigate the mysterious demise of ex-Prime Minister Laal Bahadur Shastri. The members are locked inside a room for hours at a stretch to debate the issue and arrive at a collective closure and predictably there are outbursts/ accusations/ confessions inspired from 12 Angry Men but not as volatile or effective.

Taskent Files presents eight different narratives via strong opinions/ disagreements/ theories/ suspects and alarming proofs but the screenplay fails to do justice to the characters who are embarrassingly devoid of any detailing or subtext except Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi and Pankaj Tripthi. Naseerudin Shah as politician Natarajan is portrayed chatting with his dog while wife Archit Kaur stares at Naseer blankly. One assumes Archit will spring a surprise in the climax but she is wasted too. As the protagonist Ragini Phule, Anuradha Basu Prasad is sparkling as long as she is not screeching.

The most confusing for me is the message of the film. I am confused if what was preserved as a secret all these decades is the truth or what is unraveled via the film, the truth? Is the apparent propaganda based on selective memory or is there merit in the documents disclosed in the end credits?  The lines have blurred between informers and the investigators/ the politicians and the media house and most important between what is official and what is unofficial and it is time for us to make that decision.

The 144-minute political drama is long, often hysterical but worth a watch to revisit history and decipher fact from fiction. For introducing a bright new actor/ Shweta Basu Prasad and for turning the pages of history I rate Tashkent Files with 2.5 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya