Rakhee Gulzar and Prosenjit Chatterjee at the Kolkata International Film Festival

Zinia Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; November 15, 2019)

Ahead of Rakhee Gulzar’s press con at the 25th Kolkata International Film Festival Nandan for Gautam Halder’s Nirban recently, the message conveyed to all by the organisers was, ‘No personal questions to Rakheedi please.’ When the actress came, looking pristine in a beige sari, she not only gave Kolkatans information on their city that not many are privy to, won hearts and became everyone’s Rakheedi by the end of it all.

She said, “I came here thanks to the West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. She remembered me and called me with a lot of love. I had two reasons for coming here. First was the film festival and the second, the film I am a part of. I have worked in films for many years. But this time, I am doing everything to make this film reach out to all. I want people to see Nirban for the story. I want people to appreciate Bijolibala, not me.”

Based on Moti Nandi’s Bijolibalar Mukti, the film has Rakhee playing the protagonist. About how she landed the role, Rakhee said, “I did not know the director. But the day this proposal came, I was at the hospital. My grandson was born. Later, I called him to my farmhouse and when I heard the story, I suddenly felt like doing it. It’s very relevant in today’s time.”

The actress spends most of her time in Panvel, which is a couple of hours from Mumbai, however she does visit Kolkata regularly. “I roam around quietly. I go to the machher bazar, I know Radhubabur dokan, Tyangra, all the roads… Do you know there’s an amazing fish market after crossing Tollygunge? Not many people can identify me and that’s the best part,” she said, adding that she did not want to do more films. “When people can retire from jobs, why can’t actors do that? I wanted to spend my time amidst nature and with animals and trees, but that didn’t happen,” she said.

Not one to watch Bengali films regularly, she said she really liked a recent movie. “During Durga Puja, I saw a film called Bhooter Bhabishyat on TV. It had already started, but it was such a fun watch.”

On being asked why she hasn’t been part of any film by daughter Meghna Gulzar yet, the actress said, “I did not make Bosky (Meghna) an actress. As a mother, it was important for me to understand her knacks. She does films on serious subjects, a lot of research goes into them. Why should I act in it if I don’t fit into a role? Just because I am her mother? Why should I be a burden for her?”

As an actress, Rakhee said it’s important to know where to stop. “I used to work in cinema when it was very different. But I have no regrets about stopping or, about not working with directors I have not worked with. My favourite director is Tapan Sinha, I love the way he made films for everyone. As an actress, I have had the same beliefs,” she said.

‘RAKHEE AUNTY IS A FABULOUS ACTRESS AND A GREAT COOK’

Rakhee aunty is a family friend. She is a fabulous actress and a great cook. One of our films together — Maa — celebrated its golden jubilee. She would cook for me. I remember her playing a small role in Baghini (1968). From there, she went on to essay lead characters in many, many films. It shows where perseverance can take you

— Prosenjit Chatterjee

The Four Weddings And A Funeral, Sex, Lies, and Videotape actress visits Mumbai and Rajasthan on her trip
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 2, 2019)

Mumbai seems to have become the hot favourite for Hollywood stars. Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan was in the Maximum City for a week in September with his actors John David Washington and Robert Pattinson to shoot Tenet. Now, we hear American actress Andie MacDowell paid a visit earlier this week.

According to a source close to the development, the actress who has featured in films like Four Weddings And A Funeral and Sex, Lies and Videotape, landed on Tuesday. “Besides sight-seeing, she met Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and has extended support to his Film Heritage Foundation as well as a film preservation and restoration workshop, to be held in Hyderabad next month. On Friday, she was in Jodhpur and will next be visiting Udaipur and Dungarpur,” the source informed.

On November 8, she will be in Kolkata to attend a film festival as the guest of honour. “A masterclass with Andie is scheduled to take place at the event where she is expected to speak on her career, philanthropy and also her daughter Margaret Qualley, who was recently seen in the Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt-starrer Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” the source revealed.

The actress, 61, shared an image from her visit to the Elephanta island near Mumbai, describing it as “beautiful ancient ruins from the 14th century man-made caves”. She was equally enamoured by Jodhpur. “Overwhelming beauty and at the same time a place of need. My senses are blown. I have a deep love and empathy for everyone that lives here. I open my heart to experience every portion of the country… (sic)” she noted.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; November 2, 2019)

Director Steven Soderbergh’s acclaimed film Sex, Lies, and Videotape, propelled American model-turned-actress Andie MacDowell to global stardom and helped her bag her first Golden Globe nomination. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) co-starring Hugh Grant, was another career highlight. On her first visit to India, Bombay Times caught up with the Hollywood actress in Mumbai as she soaked in the sights and sounds of the Maximum City. Sporting her trademark curls, Andie was noticeably fascinated by the Indian head shake, our traditional saris and warm hospitality. In an exclusive conversation by the sea, the actress, 61, spoke about her maiden India visit, causes close to her heart, the need for age inclusivity in cinema, the Timesup movement, her challenging childhood, and more. Excerpts...

This is your first visit to India. What’s on the cards?
I will be here for a little over two weeks. I have been meaning to come here for over 30 years. India is amazing, and it’s also so diverse and complex. I landed here a few days ago, and you don’t know where and how to start, but the intention is to take off the beaten path and not explore just the regular tourist places. I want to feel like I am experiencing real India and real people, so, we went to have dinner at someone’s home. Not everyone gets to do that.

We will be going to Kolkata, Udaipur and Jaipur. I have noticed so far that people here are super happy. They are open to welcoming you without feeling like you are invading their space. Everybody is so chill, and I find the Indian head shake fascinating.

What took you so long to visit India? Your timing was perfect though, since you got to see our festival of lights, Diwali...
I used to watch videos on India, and I kept waiting for the right opportunity. I told my friend Karen who works for an American home video distribution company, to see if we could visit India during some film festival. So, she figured out this trip. We will be attending the Kolkata International Film Festival (Andie will be the guest of honour there). Yes, the timing was also perfect since I got to see the fireworks at Marine Drive till wee hours of morning (during Diwali). I also took a local train ride (from Churchgate to Mahalakshmi), saw the Dhobi Ghat, Banganga temple and Sassoon Docks. I love the style in which the fisherwomen of Mumbai wear their saris.

Are you familiar with Indian cinema?
I told Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan) when I met her in Paris recently, that I will be going to India. She is lovely. I think Indian movie stars — male and female — are the most beautiful. They are like a sculpture or painting. I watched Satyajit Ray’s The Apu Trilogy and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur’s Celluloid Man, a documentary on legendary Indian archivist P K Nair. I’d like to watch more Bollywood films. I saw one on the flight, but I was tired, so I can’t recollect the name. It was fascinating because half of it was in English. I didn’t realise how much English is spoken in this country. Back in the US, if an Indian film is nominated for the Academy or if you are a total film buff, you get to see the Indian films that are supposed to be seen. Film people are exposed to Indian films for sure.

Speaking of diversity and inclusion, you’ve been vocal about the lack of representation of women in cinema, especially if they are over the age of 40. Good opportunities are hard to come by for actresses who have crossed a certain age, and this problem is prevalent in Hollywood and in India, too...
Hollywood has become much more diverse over time. We are not as white as we used to be. We have more Asian and Indian characters in our movies now, so that has noticeably changed. As far as age is concerned, worldwide, most movies are made about characters who are in their 30s. In general, the leads are young people. The concept of how you see mature people doesn’t exist. The younger generation starts to have more control and they want to see themselves on screen, so they don’t use us as much. Why is the story of someone in their 60s not interesting? Younger people see the world from their perspective. They want to put us in a box, but we are not really like that. We can’t be discounted. I am 61 now, but there is a lack of stories even for women in their 40s and 50s. You just don’t have great stories being told about people of my generation. When I turned 40, it was most frustrating and it was normal for a journalist to ask, “How does it feel to be 40 and know that you won’t get any work?” It’s so normal for people to expect women to disappear once they turn 40! At least now, we are asking questions and talking about this issue, which is a step forward.

You once even said that there’s a perception that ‘people go to the movies to watch men and not women’...
That’s Hollywood for you. I won’t name who, but an actress said that to me. It is a concept, but I have to say it’s true. There’s a lot of men out there and that’s how they hold on to the power. They want to believe that’s true. But there are also a lot of men who don’t feel that way. They are team players. They are allies who love their mothers and daughters. They want equality. But there are a lot of men who enjoy that power.

Your daughters have pursued acting as a career. Your younger daughter Margaret was the breakout star of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Were you overtly protective of them being a part of showbiz? In the wake of the #TimesUp movement raging in Hollywood, what is your advice to your daughters Rainey and Margaret?
Did I feel the need to protect them? We have had these conversations since they were little. I talk about sex with them. We talk about everything, so it helps. It’s easier for me to help them protect themselves. The #TimesUp and #MeToo issues are not just an issue within the film business, but it’s an issue of the world. Boundaries need to be drawn and you need to stand for yourself and be less tolerant. My daughters teach me a lot, too. They feel I say sorry way too much. I am programmed to be submissive since I was raised in the South (Carolina) and women are expected to be docile there. They are not seen as leaders, so we learn to say sorry way too much.

You did a nude scene for the first time in your career in Love After Love (2017), at the age of 60. Was that liberating, unnerving, or both?
I was raised in a religious background. There was a lot of shame attached to nudity. It’s still hard for me. Also, that scene in the movie was very vulnerable, it’s not about titillation. I think there’s something fabulous about doing a nude scene at 60. My daughters are freer with their bodies and they thank me for not making them feel shameful about it. They don’t want to be used in a way that’s inappropriate, but if it’s an important aspect of a story, they won’t find it embarrassing or shameful. Will my aunt see this? I didn’t want them to have those issues as an artiste. Margaret has studied painting in New York, and they have nude models. Museums all over the world have nude bodies. Bodies are beautiful and it’s liberating to have the freedom (to show it off). I wish I was comfortable about my body when I was younger and didn’t think of nudity as vulgar or something wrong. Even Helmut Newton (late renowned fashion photographer) had asked me to do it (nude photoshoot), but I didn’t. I tell my daughters that they need to find a good photographer and do some nudes. Not penthouse nudes but beautiful artistic nudes. I made safer choices because of my taste and sensibility and where I came from.

You are passionate about environment and film preservation. Your visit here is integral to that, isn’t it?
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur’s Film Heritage Foundation supports the conservation, preservation and restoration of film. He invited me here. My visit here is to support the cause as my friend Karen is into film preservation. I prefer film. Love After love was done on 16 mm film. I like the quality of it. Texture and light are better and the way a picture looks. Imagine not having Satyajit Ray’s films! That would be horrible. Every frame of Satyajit Ray’s film looks like a painting. I will be heading to the Kolkata Film Festival to speak about the cause and my passion for acting. I am also really concerned about the environment as far as causes are concerned. I love what Jane Fonda is doing right now. I should go join her and get thrown into jail at least once.

When you were growing up, your mom was battling alcohol addiction. You had to be responsible from a young age. Do you look back and wish you had a normal childhood?
Probably yes. We worked at a restaurant together. She was a teacher, but she kept losing her job because of her alcohol problem. She would pass out and I couldn’t get her off the floor. I would put a pillow under her head and a blanket on top. It was terrible. She even lost the restaurant job. I tried to get her sober. She died five years after that. I dealt with a lot of psychological stuff as a child, but it also made me who I am. I don’t know how many people come from a perfect family. I loved her and didn’t have any animosity towards her. There was a lot of empathy. Mental issues are so complex. Right after I was born, she had gone to an institution for intense depression. They diagnosed her as schizophrenic, but she wasn’t that. I think I understood that mental issues are health issues. They don’t mean that you are crazy. It’s just like another part of the body. The brain is the most complex part of our body and we still don’t acknowledge that.






Andie MacDowell at Churchgate Station