Showing posts with label Amrish Puri. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amrish Puri. Show all posts
Remembering Tamas: A lesson in history for the ‘reasonable and strong-minded’
10:16 AM
Arushi Jain (BOMBAY TIMES; August 14, 2026)
As India observes Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, Govind Nihalani’s Tamas remains a searing depiction of Partition. First telecast on Doordarshan in 1988, the six-part adaptation of Bhisham Sahni’s novel tells the story of the violence and upheaval that accompanied the splitting of a nation into two. Nearly four decades later, its questions around history, memory and intolerance remain relevant. While Nihalani has maintained that a work like Tamas is not easy to make today, late actor Om Puri believed it would remain relevant for generations.
‘Those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it’
Adapted from Bhisham Sahni’s 1973 novel of the same name, which won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1975, Tamas brought together a formidable cast of Om Puri, Amrish Puri, A K Hangal, Pankaj Kapur, Dina Pathak and Surekha Sikri. Sahni himself was closely involved with the series, though certain details were altered to create a more compelling screenplay.
Every episode started with a reminder: “Those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it.” The series unfolded in a fictional Punjab town, beginning with a pig carcass left on the doorsteps of a mosque, an act that sparks riots. From there, it traced how rumours snowballed into violence, how neighbours turned into enemies, and how women took their own lives to escape dishonour.
Years later, at a 2011 event, Om Puri explained why Tamas remained relevant: “A film like this should be shown to every community. This is a work of art which should be shown to every child, and it will be relevant for generations to come.”
Govind Nihalani had a story, but no money to make it
Making Tamas was not easy. Born in Karachi, Nihalani had long been intrigued by the Partition, but the courage to take it on as the subject of a film came only after he stumbled upon Bhisham Sahni’s novel. “I first saw the book at a store in Mandi House. I didn’t know the writer or what it was about, I just read the title and liked it. I still remember the first sentence – it read – ‘Aale mein rakhe diye ne ek jhapki lee’. And as I finished the first paragraph, I said to myself, ‘This is it. I am going to work on it.’ But I had no money to make the film,” he recalled in a 2017 interview with Delhi Times.
The same year, he met then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Delhi. During their two-minute conversation, Nihalani asked if the government would support a film on Partition. She told him, “It will all depend on the political condition of the country when you make the film.”
Nihalani soon realized that turning Tamas into a film would be a herculean task, particularly when it came to finding the money. He eventually found Lalit Bijlani of Blaze Films, who had produced Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974), willing to back the project. Nihalani had warned Bijlani that the film could be controversial, but he went ahead nevertheless.
His apprehensions proved right when Tamas ran into controversy after its 1988 Doordarshan telecast, with Nihalani facing threats and court cases. Yet, the film has endured as one of the finest works on Partition.
‘Making Tamas was an act of faith’
“When Partition happened, I was a little kid, but my first memory of fear, panic and blood comes from that period. My family migrated from Karachi and we settled down in Rajasthan. I was very emotional while making this film,” Nihalani had said in a 2013 interview.
That personal connection also shaped the making of Tamas. “Making Tamas was an act of faith,” Nihalani had remarked. He said he was fortunate to find some of the finest artistes for the project, “I was just lucky.”
'Some roles change your life’
For the actors, too, the series was transformative. Ila Arun, speaking at a 2011 event marking its DVD release, had said, “I didn’t know the pain of Partition until I played Lalaji’s wife. I understood what the Partition took away from people. After working on Tamas, I learnt a lot about humanity and Hindu-Muslim friendship.”
Deepa Sahi had also echoed the sentiment: “Some roles change your life and Tamas is one of those. I can write a book on my experiences from the Tamas shoot.”
Amrish Puri, though wary of overexposure on television, agreed to play an elderly Sikh community leader at Nihalani’s insistence. “It really was an agonizing role in Tamas. I was very selective about television appearances and accepted this for the sake of personal associations. When Govind wished to cast me, I didn’t allow stardom to affect my decision,” he recalled in his autobiography.
Tamas takes us to a historical past – unpleasant at times, but revealing and instructive
The Supreme Court in its 1988 judgment
Om Puri, who played the tanner Nathu, believed the show carried a larger lesson. “It is a reminder of the price we pay if we divide on the basis of communities,” he had said at the 2011 event. To look the part, he shed further kilos despite already being lean.
Tamas went on to win three National Awards – for Nihalani (Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration), Surekha Sikri (Best Supporting Actress), and music director Vanraj Bhatia (Best Music Direction). The series is currently streaming on YouTube.
‘Tamas is not entertainment. It is history’
The telecast was followed by legal battles. On January 21, 1988, a writ petition led to a Bombay High Court stay on further telecast of the serial. But two days later, on January 23, a division bench of the Bombay High Court, comprising Justices Bakhtawar Lentin and Sujata Manohar, overturned it after watching all six episodes in one day. The court famously declared: “Tamas is not entertainment. It is history. And you cannot wish away history simply by brushing it under the carpet.”
The controversy didn’t end there. There were protests, demonstrations, and Nihalani received threatening calls and needed police protection. The case reached the Supreme Court, where Soli Sorabjee, India’s former Attorney General, argued on Nihalani’s behalf that free speech could not be judged by the standards of a fanatic. On February 1, 1988, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s decision, ruling that Tamas must be seen through the eyes of “reasonable, strong-minded” citizens.
The court added that the HC judges who had seen the film had come to the conclusion that “the average person will learn from the mistakes of the past and realise the machinations of the fundamentalists and will not perhaps commit those mistakes again.”
An India Today report from the time had quoted Nihalani as saying, “We are becoming polarized as a society and strong consciousness is needed among people so that the saner elements in each community see this pattern.”
Ironically, the controversy also boosted sales of Bhisham Sahni’s novel. By the time the final episode aired on February 13, 1988, Tamas became both a cultural flashpoint and an important case on free speech.
Amrish Puri featured as elderly Sikh community leader Teja Singh
People hardly know me, want to remain that way, says Hanuman Ansh's Shobhinaw Satyaa
10:26 AM
Deep Saxena (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 10, 2026)
With Hanuman Ansh emerging as one of the year’s surprise box-office successes, its 31-year-old lead Shobhinaw Satyaa has found sudden fame playing spiritual guru Neem Karoli Baba.
But the actor would rather remain an enigma: “People hardly know anything about me, and I want to remain like this and about my personal life details. I have a reserved nature! Now, I use Instagram somewhat, but before the film’s teaser release I had hardly 2-3 posts and about 200 followers (now 225K). I prefer staying away from my mobile for hours.”
Satyaa says he takes inspiration from late actor Amrish Puri. “I am a big fan of Amrish sir for how he kept his real life and voice hidden from public glare and kept it for the screen. I will keep following the path that Hanuman ji shows – jahe vidhi rakhe Ram, tahe vidhi rehiye!”
'Trailer started 10 years back'
His casting in Hanuman Ansh, directed by Dr Vishal Chaturvedi, was itself unexpected. On his magical journey he says, “Everyone knows that from an assistant director, I landed in this role after the actor fell ill but the magic started 10 years back. I was assistant director in a student film Dhai Kalo by Vivek Kelkar in FTII, Pune and the lead actor got stuck and I did the lead role. Hanuman ji ne then tab trailer dikhi thi ab puri picture dikha di.”
Shobhinaw knew he had a career in acting but had no idea how to go about it. “I just wanted to do something big and now my friends say you manifested it but I did not realise it then. It has been 10 years and I kept my promise to myself that kuch chota-mota role nahi karoonga!”
No to abuse and voilence on screen
He reveals that not been approached by anyone till now. “I am not even thinking about it right now and focusing on how this film and Baba’s name can reach everyone and everywhere. I will surely experiment but apni maryada ka khayal rakhonga my whole life – any saint, culture or great Indian personalities. I can’t abuse and do violence on screen as in real life too. I don’t speak such language, nor do I smoke or drink and live a satvik life. So, I will not do what I am not as I won’t be able to do justice to it!”
He feels that actors don’t get typecasted anymore like during the days of old Ramayana, Mahabharata and Sai Baba shows. “Now, things have changed. Earlier, people used to get stuck in one image but now industry and audience both accept actors, thanks to the Internet and social media.”
About Shobhinaw:
Shobhinaw was born in Khairabad, Sitapur and then after class VII shifted to Lucknow after hiis father’s posting and studied from Brightland Inter College.
“I joined Lucknow University but man nahi laga so did graduation from Faizabad University and simultaneously did acting course from Opulent School of Acting & Films in Lucknow and a small course at FTII, Pune. My father retired from the education department, mother has been a teacher, and I have a younger sister. They watched the film and had tears in their eyes. But, they roasted me in an interview saying ‘yeh ansoon baba ke liye hain, Shobhinaw ke liye nahi’.”
‘Please don’t touch my feet’
“When people touch my feet, I get very embarrassed as mere liye paap hai yeah. I tell them to hug and go touch the feet of Baba’s Shrimurti as I am only his daas and I have done this role on his direction,” he says and adds, “I first got introduced to Baba in 2009 when I was in High School when my friend Shubham Mishra showed my Baba’s story and his grandfather has done seva of the Baba so I heard many stories of him and since then I have become his follower.”
I don’t think anyone should ever try playing Mogambo. You must never touch gold-Vardhaan Puri
2:47 PM
Vardhaan Puri revisits the magic of grandfather Amrish Puri’s iconic Mogambo ahead of Mr India turning 39
Vinay MR Mishra (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 26, 2026)
As Mr. India completes 39 years, actor Vardhaan Puri is celebrating not just the cult classic, but also the towering legacy of his grandfather, the legendary Amrish Puri, whose portrayal of Mogambo remains one of Indian cinema’s most iconic villains.
Speaking to Mirror, Vardhaan revealed that he has watched the film “at least 200 times” since childhood. “I would possibly have watched Mr. India at least 200 times from start to finish. There used to be a time when I would not eat my lunch if Mr. India wasn’t playing on the television in my dining room. I used to get hypnotised during the running time of the film,” he shared.
The actor admitted that every viewing of the film was essentially for his grandfather. “Every time I have watched the film, it has been for my grandfather. He is on a different level of conviction in the film. No wonder the portrayal is still celebrated today, especially among children,” he said, while also praising Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Satish Kaushik, and Annu Kapoor.
"Everybody is equally fantastic in the film, especially Anil Kapoor uncle, my favourite Sri ma’am, Satish ji, Annu Kapoor ji, etc. But the real heroes of the film are Shekhar Kapur sir due to his vision and Salim Saab, Javed Saab for the wonderful writing," he added.
Ask him whether he would ever consider stepping into Mogambo’s shoes on screen, and Vardhaan instantly shuts down the possibility. “I don’t think anyone should ever try playing Mogambo. You must never touch gold. I feel like that character was destined to be played by one man only — Mr. Amrish Puri. When I’m an artist as seasoned as Dadu was in 1986 during the shooting of the film, I would love to do something on those eccentric lines, but I’ll repeat — I do not think anyone should ever try playing Mogambo again. It’ll be impossible to match that level of aura," he said.
Interestingly, as a child, Vardhaan rooted for the villain over the hero. “As a child, I felt that Mogambo was the hero of the film and Arun bhaiya was the villain. I have forever been celebrating the super villains and clapping and screaming every time Dadu came on screen and did his magic,” he concluded.
Stuck for nearly four decades, Rajinikanth-Shatrughan Sinha-starrer Hum Mein Shahenshah Koun set for theatrical release
10:09 AM
A poster of Hum Mein Shahenshah Koun and (right) producer Raja Roy
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; January 22, 2026)
Producer Raja Roy, brother of actress Reena Roy, has revived his long-delayed Hindi film Hum Mein Shahenshah Koun, starring Shatrughan Sinha, Rajinikanth, Hema Malini, Anita Raaj, Prem Chopra, the late Jagdeep and Amrish Puri. Shot in 1989, the film remained unreleased for 37 years and is now finally set for a theatrical release.
After principal photography was completed, Raja moved to London, leaving the project unfinished. Although there were attempts to revive the film over the years, a series of personal setbacks, including the untimely loss of his son and later the death of director Harmesh Malhotra, pushed it further into limbo. Eventually, Raja returned to India with the resolve to complete the project.
Reflecting on the film’s long and difficult journey, Raja said, “We never lost hope for this film. Many tragic events have unfolded over the decades, both personally and professionally. Today, I feel grateful that we are finally able to release it in cinemas. This film has endured grief, setbacks, and silence, yet it has survived. This is not just a movie for me; it is my child.”
Speaking about the technical upgrade, Raja explained, “It is an action film driven by Vendetta. We have used the latest technology to enhance the viewing experience. AI tools were employed for visual smoothing, audio mastering, and to bridge gaps in certain scenes, ensuring continuity without compromising the original performances or narrative structure. I have embraced new-generation techniques while retaining the soul of the film. The final result is now in the audience’s hands.”
Shabana and Aslam Mirza, associate producers of the film, played a key role in restoring and completing the project using modern technology.
Aslam said, “For nearly five years, I have been working to revive this film. Many people advised me to release it with minimal corrections, but I felt that would be unfair to the film, especially considering Raja Roy ji’s passion and the years of waiting behind this project. The film deserved to be completed properly and presented in a digitally refreshed, modern format on the big screen. We have also added a new song with a contemporary feel to complement the film.”
Addressing the legal clearances required for the revival, Raja shares that the necessary permissions were secured decades ago. He said, “We obtained NOCs from all the actors back in the 90s.”
Speaking about the cast’s response to the film finally seeing the light of day, Raja shared, “I share a very warm relationship with Shatrughan Sinha ji. When I informed him about the release, he congratulated the entire team and expressed his willingness to actively participate in the promotions. I am in discussions with Rajinikanth ji and will be meeting him soon to talk about promoting the film in the South.”
When we reached out to Hema Malini, she chose not to speak about the film but wished the team the very best.
Rajinikanth and Prem Chopra in a still from the film
After playing Duryodhan, I’m excited to play Raavan on TV-Puneet Issar
8:56 AM
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; November 5, 2025)
At 32, Puneet Issar became popular as Duryodhan in B R Chopra’s Mahabharat, and now at 65, he’s all set to play Raavan in the TV show Shiv Shakti Tyag Tandav. The actor says, “When I played Duryodhan at that time, my age, height, physical structure... everything matched very well. It was like I was born to play the role. People still recognize me as Duryodhan.”
Now he’s excited to play Raavan on TV. “I have essayed this character in plays such as Ishwar and Raavan Ki Ramayan earlier, and now I’m happy to do that in a TV show.” He adds, “I feel at 67, this is the right time for me to play Raavan. He was a man in his mid-60s when he faced Lord Ram. The grace, poise and wisdom — they come naturally to me now.”
Beyond mythology, Issar has also been part of many films, from Coolie to Jayeshbhai Jordaar, “I’ve played the villain opposite three generations of heroes,” he says, happy to be balancing different medium, including theatre. “I’m passionate about plays, I call theatre my creative backbone. It keeps you alive and sharp,” he adds.
‘Today’s villains lack the fierce aura’
Issar believes that Bollywood villains no longer exude the same menace and authority they once did. He says, “Earlier, we had daunting and fierce villains — whether it was Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh, Amrish Puri ji as Mogambo, or Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Shakaal. Somehow, such powerful, one-dimensional roles are not being written anymore. I don’t know who’s to be blamed for that.” He adds, “The villain has to look more towering than the hero. Only then does the hero’s victory look strong. But I don’t see that too often now.”
Mogambo’s tailor, netas’ favourite: Meet the dressmaker of icons
3:13 PM
Madhav Agasti has stitched clothes for Amrish Puri, Bal Thackeray, Pranab Mukherjee, Narasimha Rao, L K Advani…. He’s been a friend of Sanjeev Kumar, Dev Anand, Mehmood. Farooq Abdullah discovered his tailoring skills in 1984 and never left him. After 50 years, Agasti is still going strong and is full of stories of the people he met and dressed
Sharmila Ganesan (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 31, 2025)
Madhav Agasti’s mobile rings as we step into his tailoring shop in Bandra. “Farooq Abdullah,” Agasti tells his son, Shantanu, before answering. The first time he had met Abdullah, then the chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir, was in 1984. Agasti was at the Delhi airport, and so were Abdullah and Congress’s NKP Salve. Salve was in a bandhgala and Abdullah had admired the cut. And that is how the serendipitous meeting took place. Spotting Agasti, Salve introduced him to Abdullah. Then things moved fast. Agasti requested Abdullah to accompany him to the VIP lounge. Out came Agasti’s measuring tape — he always carries one — and the measurements were done. What followed a few days later was an impeccable sherwani. Abdullah was impressed. He ordered a suit next, then a pathani, followed by a safari suit. “He remains my client to this day,” says Agasti.
Agasti’s 76 now. And had invited Abdullah to his Andheri home for Ganeshotsav. But Abdullah called because he thought he would not be able to make it. But he’s promised to be back soon for new measurements.
Nagpur To Bombay, Via Calcutta
Agasti’s father was a bhikshuk in Nagpur, a wandering monk who stitched coats for a lawyer named Shewde. Agasti’s ambitions were likely sparked by his father’s skills. He left Nagpur for Calcutta, a young man in his early 20s. He found himself a job as a “cutter” in the city. Then he travelled to Moradabad to learn how to stitch sherwanis and then to Mhow, a cantonment town in MP, to study how to make military uniforms. He travelled back to Calcutta, and, this time, landed a job at a tailoring counter because he could speak English.
In 1973, he moved to Bombay. “I was smoking outside Citylight Cinema in Mahim when I noticed a man with scissor marks on his hand, the hallmark of an assistant tailor. He worked at Super Tailors, dressmakers to Hindi film actors,” recalls Agasti. Soon enough, Agasti landed himself a job there.
A door had opened for him. But what worked wonders was his learning from Mhow; 14 years later, that would catapult him to even higher tailoring fame. He stitched the military uniforms for the 1973 film, ‘Dhund’. And Danny Dengzongpa, who played the role of a cruel, wheelchair bound husband of Zeenat Aman in the film, loved the tailoring.
Agasti had been noticed. His star was on the rise. Plus, his Nagpur-honed Hindi was good, and so was his Marathi. He quickly began to acquire admirers.
Actor Sunil Dutt was the first to suggest that he strike out on his own. “There were no Maharashtrians in tailoring then,” Agasti says. He set up a small shop in Dadar in 1975. Word spread fast. Soon, ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh (“he loved safari suits”), Gopinath Munde, Pramod Mahajan (“he wore kurtas without pockets”), Sharad Pawar and Lal Krishna Advani (“three-button jackets”) were clients.
Through lawyer Shirish Gupte and theatre veteran Mohan Wagh, he met Bal Thackeray in 1981. “Balasaheb asked me to design clothes in such a manner that his legs wouldn’t show in photographs,” says Agasti. He crafted a white kurta-pyjama that became the late Shiv Sena chief’s signature look. “I got him a shawl from Kashmir. He mostly preferred white and off-white,” adds Agasti, himself in off-white shirt and pants today “because this way, I don’t have to worry about combinations”. Thackeray nicknamed him “Rajshimpi” (politicians’ tailor).
Mogambo… Khush Hua
But you could also call Agasti a film stars’ tailor. Last month, he received the Bharat Gaurav Award at the UK Parliament in London for designing Amrish ‘Mogambo’ Puri’s unforgettable costume in the 1987 blockbuster, Mr India, and also Bal Thackeray’s signature kurta-shawl look.
He is now preparing for the release of his memoir, ‘Stitching Stardom’. The book traces his journey of image-making across comedians and chief ministers, prime ministers and presidents. Much has changed in tailoring — technology, speed, the churn of fast fashion — and much hasn’t. “Earlier it was about who you knew,” says Agasti. “Now it’s word of mouth.”
As tea is served for unannounced guests — BJP’s Raghunath Kulkarni and former national secretary Sunil Deodhar have arrived in the shop — the septuagenarian darzee holds forth on his craft, his clients, and his takeaways from 50 years of dressing up the who’s who.
“Contrary to perception,” he says, “politicians are the easiest clients and the best paymasters.” Many believed his “lucky hand” made their measurements special. As he reminisces about designing costumes for five villains in Anil Kapoor’s ‘Ram Lakhan’, his eyes settle on the crisp shirt Kulkarni is wearing. “The linen suits you,” Agasti says. “It’s linen?” asks Kulkarni. “Yes, and the American cut sits well,” replies Agasti, seated in the shop he opened in Bandra in Nov 1985, its launch postponed by 15 days to mourn the death of his friend Sanjeev Kumar.
Dev Anand would sneak in through the back door, head bobbing, calling out: “ Ey Madhav, kya banaya hai mere liye?” while Sunil Dutt preferred the front, greeting him warmly as “Madhav Seth”. He even kept a special stool for Mehmood, who would arrive most evenings, leaving the tailors in stitches with his antics.
But the costume that cemented his name in Bollywood lore was Mogambo’s in Mr India. The now-iconic piece with its high-collared military cut and gold trimmings was meant to project both colonial grandeur and zamindar-like menace. Puri, who exclaimed “Mogambo… khush hua” on seeing it (here, in the Bandra shop), wore it with relish. “I worked with him from his first film till his last. After he passed away in 2005, I slowly stepped away from films,” says Agasti, who found the era of menacing villains fading from the silver screen. Soon, it was in politics, rather than films, that his reputation as a tailor of image flourished.
A Politicians’ Tailor
From the dhoti-kurta and Jodhpurs era to the rise of the suit-boot and back, Agasti has seen political sartorialism in India come full circle. Various chief ministers, prime ministers and presidents — including Pranab Mukherjee — have taken oath in his creations. The busy Narasimha Rao would often be exercising on his stationary bike at 6 am when Agasti would get an appointment with the silk-jacket-favouring polymath.
Someday soon, he hopes to tailor PM Narendra Modi’s clothes. “I’m a big fan of Narendra Modi ji,” he says. “He dresses sharply, always to suit the occasion.”
Today, as he marks half a century in the trade, the shop is lined with mementoes. Pride of place goes to a cap gifted by former Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane upon retirement. “Clothes make the person,” says Kulkarni. “By that measure, he (Agasti) is a personality builder.”
Deodhar sizes him up as a “self-made man with networking skills and a sharp memory,” adding one enduring quality: “He calls himself a tailor with pride at a time when many look down on the profession. And… he always has a measuring tape handy.”
30 Years of Andaz Apna Apna: Amrish Puri was supposed to play Zorambo, Mogambo’s younger brother
11:01 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; November 11, 2024)
In the early ‘90s, when Salman Khan and Aamir Khan were both “rising stars and heartthrobs, girls were chasing them everywhere.” This inspired director Rajkumar Santoshi, who had signed both actors even before finalizing a story, to come up with a plot – what if they are in a film where they were the ones chasing girls? “Dono ke apne apne andaz hain aur dono apne apne style mein chase kar rahe hain,” he thought – and thus began the journey of Andaz Apna Apna.
Rajkumar Santoshi and Dilip Shukla wrote the film in snippets format, with each snippet being an episode in itself. The film, with its situational, slapstick and language humour, has since become a cult comedy. As it completes 30 years, we take a look at the making of the film.
‘The trials of Andaz Apna Apna had people rolling on the floor’
Rajkumar Santoshi had organized over 100 trials of the incomplete film. At the time, Aamir had said in an interview, “Mujhe lagta hai audience iss film ko bahut pasand karegi kyunki jab bhi iss film ka trial hota hai toh log hanshans ke pagal ho jate hain. Rajkumar Santoshi ne bahut hi achhi comedy banayi hai. Usmein situational comedy hai, slapstick comedy hai, language comedy hai.’”
Santoshi also recalled in an interview that when he showed the rushes to Saroj Khan, she fell off the sofa laughing.
‘The music was designed to have a vintage feel’
Santoshi and Tushar Bhatia, the music director of the film, were both huge fans of OP Nayyar and wanted to create OP Nayyar-style music for the youth of the ’90s. They decided to keep the music vintage, which led to songs like Elo Ji Sanam Hum Aa Gaye and Ye Raat Aur Ye Doori. They decided to shoot the songs in the styles of Shammi Kapoor and Dev Anand.
Sequel confirmed
On his birthday earlier this year, Aamir was asked about the film’s sequel. He responed, “Rajkumar Santoshi is working on the script for Andaz Apna Apna 2. Zyada excitement bhi hum log nahi dikha sakte kyunki usne kaam abhi shuru kiya hai. I am glad that he started thinking about it because it will be a great film for all of us to do and for the audience to watch.”
The many references to other films
1. When Amar (Aamir’s character) is cutting the ribbon of the lockup as he’s the first one to enter it, Papa Kehte Hain from Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak plays in background
2. When someone asks Prem (Salman’s character), “Have you seen Sholay?”, he says he’s seen it 10 times. Amar says that Prem’s father has written it, which is a fact. Salim Khan co-wrote Sholay with Javed Akhtar.
3. In one scene, Salman hums Dekha Hai Pehli Baar from his own film Saajan (1991)
4. When Amar and Prem are doing the coin toss, Amar says, “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar aur jo haara woh hai bandar” and the JJWS music plays in background
5. Aamir’s character calls Juhi Chawla J-J-J-J-Juhi, mimicking the K-K-K-K-Kiran dialogue from Darr, in which Juhi played Kiran
6. Mehmood’s character owns a film studio called Wah Wah Productions. This is a reference to Mehmood’s earlier film Pyaar Kiye Jaa (1966), in which he also owns a Wah Wah Productions
7. Gogo refers to himself as Mogambo ka bhateeja – the villain in Mr India Source: IMDB
DID YOU KNOW?
- Initially there was another villain in the film – Zorambo, Mogambo’s younger brother, and to be played by Amrish Puri. Santoshi recalled in an interview that the character was supposed to be the opposite of Mogambo. “Amrish ji was playing Mogambo’s younger brother Zorambo. His dialogue was, ‘Mera bhai choti choti baaton mein khush ho jaata tha, main khush nahi hota. Nobody can make me happy.’ Zorambo’s costume was white, a stark contrast to Mogambo’s black attire.” However, the character was dropped from the film as it was getting lengthy.
- Aamir’s character was inspired by the Archie comic’s character Reggie. Archie was supposed to be Salman Khan’s character.
- Originally, Tinnu Anand was supposed to play Gogo. However, he was abroad during the shoot and couldn’t return on time. Nearly 70% of the filming had already been completed when Shakti Kapoor came on board.
Amrish Puri's grandson Vardhaan Puri bags Shekhar Kapur's next
8:17 AM
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; September 17, 2024)
Actor Vardhaan Puri would unite with Shekhar Kapur, 35 years after the birth of the iconic villain character Mogambo, curated by the filmmaker with the former’s grandfather the late Amrish Puri.
“The news is indeed true,” confirms Vardhaan, adding, “I find it very exciting that after collaborating with my Dadu in 1987 on Mr. India and creating the iconic character of Mogambo, now I am going to be associating with Shekhar sir’s beautiful mind, body and soul. It’s a big responsibility and I want to make him proud.”
The two would work on a medical drama/thriller Next To God, which would go on floors later this year. “It is inspired by the true incidents of abuse and violence that real Indian doctors have experienced. It speaks about the urgent need for safety in the medical fraternity. Shekhar sir is mentoring me and the film,” Vardhaan shares.
Ask him if there is any pressure on uniting with the senior filmmaker and he replies, “I don’t take any pressure. It messes with my sense of creativity. I am just constantly seduced by the film’s story and characters.”
He clarifies that the filmmaker and him have bonded well. “Even though Shekhar sir is senior to me and so much more experienced, we are good friends. We usually discuss ideas, life, cinema, and food. Shekhar sir is constantly curious like a child, forever learning, and embraces any change and innovation like a boss - something I find so inspiring. Dadu and he shared a great camaraderie and Dadu would always refer to him as a 'genius'.”
During a conversation we had while playing table tennis recently, “Shekhar sir told me, ‘Mr. India is what it is because of what Amrish Ji made from Mogambo. I asked him to perform Mogambo like one would perhaps perform Shakespeare for 8–10-year-old children, and he followed my instructions so perfectly and made the character immortal.’ How gracious of him to say this,” Vardhaan states.
Rumour also has it that actress Manisha Koirala would headline the medical drama. While Manisha did not respond to our queries, Vardhaan mentions, “At this point, all I can say is that Manisha Ji is one of my favourite actors of all time, and who would not want to work with her? She was so nuanced and so effortless in Heeramandi. I will be working along with a stellar cast that will soon be announced.”
Nobody writes for villains anymore; all the focus is on heroes-Nikitin Dheer
9:34 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; September 4, 2024)
After a five-year hiatus, Nikitin Dheer returned to television to take on the iconic role of Ravan in Srimad Ramayan. The character has had such a lasting impact on him that he recently got his third tattoo as a tribute to the experience.
He shares, “Playing Ravan was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s been an enriching journey.”
While his TV appearances have been sporadic, he maintains he doesn’t favour one medium over another.
He says, “I have always believed that no actor is greater than the medium. I don’t dismiss any platform or believe one medium is superior to another. I returned to television because of my desire to play Ravan, and I am grateful the audience accepted my portrayal. I plan to explore OTT and films again, and if a compelling role comes up on television, I will certainly consider it.”
In films, he is best known as the villainous Tangaballi in Chennai Express. Admitting that he has been typecast, the actor, who has been part of films like Shershaah and Sooryavanshi, says, “I began with a negative role and followed it with similar roles. Once you are on a certain path, it’s rare for producers to think outside the box. Few people dare to break the mould and see you in a different light.”
Nikitin also points out that today’s villainous characters lack the depth and menace they once had. “It’s not just me; an entire generation of actors, particularly those playing villains, have seen their roles diminish. Since the era of Amrish Puri ji and the 90s, the presence of strong villains has declined. Nobody writes for villains anymore; all the focus is on heroes. A strong villain enhances the hero, but it’s now rare to see a well-crafted villain with depth,” says the actor, who is set to begin shooting for a web series and a film.
I feel angry that filmmakers have never seen me in a different light-Farida Jalal
2:58 PM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; July 31, 2024)
In a career spanning 50 years, Farida Jalal played leading parts long before she gracefully transitioned to the lovable maa and dadi roles in films and TV shows. The veteran actress, who was in the news sometime ago after attending the premiere of a web show in which she featured, was surprised by the way people reacted to what they called ‘a rare appearance’ by her.
She tells us, “I don’t know why people were so surprised to see me. It’s not like I have stopped working, I have been busy with various projects. It’s just that I have been away from the public glare, but that has always been the case with me.”
‘I’m waiting for a challenging role where I can showcase my versatility’
The Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge actress is happy that today, senior actors are making a comeback and hopes that filmmakers also offer her something beyond what she has been portraying all these years.
“I’m waiting for a challenging role where I can showcase my versatility. I feel ki chalo, ek aur maa ka role laaye, aur ek dadi ka role laaye mere liye. Same wahi sab kuch. I’m disappointed that makers don’t think I can do more than that. I want to do something exciting. My male counterparts got to do so much. From the late Amrish Puri to Anupam Kher, they played villains as well as comedians so well. They were not limited to playing only fathers or dadas on screen, but unfortunately, I have been given just one slot,” she says.
‘I have played mother and dadi to all the actors and I am happy about it’
The actress is making the most of whatever comes her way. “While I hope to get meatier roles, I am enjoying my work. I am an actor and would love to showcase more of what I can do. There is a lot I can offer, but nobody is tapping my talent. ‘Jeete raho beta, khush raho beta’ karti rahungi filmon mein. Meri mamta se koi nahi bacha hai... I keep saying that (laughs). I have played mother and dadi to all the actors and I am happy about it,” she says.
‘I will never stop working’
In 2020, Jalal was seen in the Saif Ali Khan-starrer Jawaani Jaaneman and Ittu Si Baat in 2022. She was recently seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s web series, Heeramandi. Talking about her upcoming projects, she says, “I have completed a couple of projects, including Dua Qubool and a film in which late music composer Aadesh Shrivastava’s son is making his debut. I love my work and will never quit working.”
I'm just getting warmed up for the next 30 years-Ajay Devgn
8:17 AM
Ajay Devgn looks back at his journey of three decades and shares how debuting with Phool Aur Kaante turned things around for him
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 22, 2021)
In 1991, actor Ajay Devgn entered everyone’s hearts, riding on top of two motorcycles in the film Phool Aur Kaante. Today, as the 52-year-old completes 30 years as an actor, he says he is all “warmed up for the next 30”. Excerpts...
Sustaining in showbiz for three decades wouldn’t have been easy. Correct?
You are right, it is herculean. Sustaining in any field for three decades needs constant evolving, and a certain level of maturity — not just in age, but also in craft. It needs constant experimenting, and learning closely from the colleagues and filmmakers you work with. It’s a never-ending process. I look back at the last three decades as one terrific journey, in which I’ve made countless mistakes and struck innumerable home runs. Either way, I am happy.
When you started out, were you sure about making it big, as an actor?
Frankly, it was my father’s (late Veeru Devgan) dream to launch me as an actor. I was just required to focus on realizing his dream. Whether I’d be successful or not is a thought I didn’t toy with at that stage. No one can enter the films planning stardom. You have to work hard and pray your destiny carries you forward. When Phool Aur Kaante became the craze it did, I was catapulted to stardom. I was immature, young, unprepared for stardom.
How was it working in the film?
Kuku Kohli, my director, set out to make a volatile love story with two newcomers — Madhoo Shah and me. He picked up the best music directors of that time, Nadeem-Shravan, brought in my father for action choreography and had a stalwart like (actor) Amrish Puri, who played my father and the antagonist. So, I had to just play my part. I was raw and consumed by delivering the kind of action my father wanted.
Your entry on top of two motorcycles became a rage. How did that go?
I can’t recall the exact feeling I experienced when I stood astride those two motorcycles. However, I know it was a moment of complete madness. Three decades ago, we didn’t use body doubles and safety nets. We just went for it. It was a leap of faith.
We have stopped celebrating villains in Hindi films-Nikitin Dheer
8:05 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 7, 2021)
Nikitin Dheer’s role as the tough antagonist, Thangaballi, in Chennai Express (2013) cemented his skills at playing the baddie. But even before that, the actor had played negative roles in Dabangg 2 (2012) and Ready (2011).
However, the recent release Shershaah gave Dheer a chance to break away from essaying similar characters, and play an Army officer. Ask him if he feels being typecast would hurt his career and he replies, “I don’t think anything is a roadblock as long as you are doing your job well. In other parts of India, be it Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, or Kannada, the villain is celebrated just as much as the hero, not only in the narrative, but also storytelling.”
Recalling some iconic villain roles Hindi cinema has produced previously, the 41-year-old adds that the trend has been missing in the industry for the last few years. “I really hope that comes back to life, so that young actors like us can aspire to be the next Amrish Puri or Praan saab. It is not only negative, but a whole range of characters they explored. People never treated Amrish ji as villain, they loved him as Mogambo (Mr India; 1987). Aise characters roz-roz nahin likhe jaate. Villains can be celebrated again,” says Dheer, who will be seen next in Antim: The Final Truth.
Talking about the need for variety in the characters he chooses to portray, Dheer says that he has just “started off”, and is trying his best to not be repetitive. “I see my career, whatever little I have done, and it’s all different from one another. I don’t repeat any character, and I’m in a space that I’m comfortable in,” he signs off.
Once a villain, always a villain notion doesn’t exist anymore-Chandan Roy Sanyal
7:45 AM
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 25, 2021)
For actor Chandan Roy Sanyal, playing a baddie onscreen is quite fun, as he believes one doesn’t have to worry about getting trapped in the image of a villain, now.
“A villain’s role has changed immensely in Bollywood. Previously, we have had some very famous villains such as Pran sahab, Amjad Khan and Amrish Puri. They were the quintessential villains of Hindi film industry,” Sanyal states.
The actor feels they kept on doing roles of a villain because “once a villain always a villain”. However, that’s how it was then, but not anymore.
In his career, Sanyal has explored the negative roles through projects such as D-Day (2013), Jazbaa (2015), and Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017).
“After I’ve played a villain, I take a break and do something else, or try a different language,” he reveals.
As for his motivation, Sanyal derives it from the script itself. “There is nothing special that I do, thinking that it is a role of a villain, and thinking how I will walk or act. I just play it like a role. In my vocabulary, there is nothing such as a villain or negative role,” says the actor, who is currently busy shooting for Sanak, co-starring Vidyut Jammwal, Neha Dhupia and Rukmini Maitra.
Being Amrish Puri’s grandson is a responsibility, which I take very seriously-Vardhan Puri
7:45 AM
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; November 19, 2019)
Vardhan Puri will make his debut with Yeh Saali Aashiqui that releases this week. Not only is he playing a character with grey shades in his first film, but he has also penned the story and has been a part of the film’s production journey. Even though he is veteran actor Amrish Puri’s grandson, he’s not had it easy so far. In a conversation with BT, he relives the road travelled and what lies ahead for him:
Despite being in and around the film fraternity, how did you skip the paparazzi radar?My father is not really a member of the fraternity and doesn’t hang out with the film folks. He has a different line of work and his circle has people from the world of finance. My parents are not even social in that sense; they rarely party. Fraternity parties are where you meet people from the industry, but I seldom went to those. I worked at a film studio and was busy learning the ropes of filmmaking. I still don’t have an industry friend though I know people. My buddies are the ones who’ve been with me since my school days. The reason the paps never spotted me was that I was never at the parties. I was behind the cameras on a job. It’s important to find your film; the paps will automatically find you. No sensible casting director in the business casts you because he bumped into you at a bash. He or she will chase you if you’ve knocked it out of the park at an audition. Theatre teaches you to be focussed on the prep and rehearsals, so when the time comes, you don’t have to think too much. I worked on that without compromising on my focus.
With a lineage of strong character actors like your grandfather Amrish Puri and his brother Madan Puri, the industry and the audience expects a lot from your debut film. Do you feel that the pressure you face is different from that of a star kid, like Sunny Deol’s son Karan for instance?
I think it’s a responsibility which I take very seriously. People love them both, especially daadu (Amrish Puri). I want people to love me, too. I can’t be Amrish Puri, I don’t want to be him and I can never be him. We look and sound different. However, our core values, drawn from theatre, are the same. So, our understanding of cinema is quite similar. Veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra had once told me that if I ever decide to be an actor, I should refrain from aping my grandfather. He had also told me that the reason my grandfather became successful is that there was no one like him. Gaanth baandh li maine unki iss baat ki. A superstar is someone who lives in the minds of cinegoers forever. Amrish Puri is an eternal superstar who is in people’s minds even now. Sunny sir is a brilliant actor, and I am sure Karan will live up to his family’s name. Our job as actors is to deliver great performances. I will upset my grandfather if I don’t do that. I’m following his principles. He believed in the work he did, which is the reason you will never find his performance below par even if the film was not all that great. Daadu’s taken my family’s name to a certain level and I have to work thrice as hard to keep it up.
You have co-written your debut film and played a big role in getting the project off the ground…
I’ve been a theatre actor since I was five years old. I was trained by theatre veteran Satyadev Dubey, who was also my grandpa’s coach. After graduation, I started working with a studio where I assisted on Ishaqzaade (2012), Shuddh Desi Romance (2013) and Daawat E Ishq (2014). That’s where I decided to learn film acting because it’s different from theatre. I had picked up things while assisting filmmakers and I also learnt it formally, and then, I started auditioning. There were two films that I could have made a debut with, but they didn’t take off. I was upset and emotional with what had happened. Around that time, I met Dr Jayantilal Gada while I was auditioning and he was keen to launch me. I had an idea that I decided to develop with my friend Cherag Ruparel (director of the film). The reason we decided to write and pitch on our own is that no one wants to give you a chance. As an actor, people saw my auditions and were willing to cast me, but they didn’t want to hear my stories. A writer is the most important member of a team; it’s that content that takes the shape of a film. Also, once, Yash ji had told me that if I ever make my acting debut, it should be somewhat like Shah Rukh Khan’s role in Darr (1993). I pitched my idea to my father. He liked what Cherag and I had put together. We met Jayanti uncle soon after and things got going. It may all sound very easy today, but it was a long ride and wasn’t planned. It was destined to play out this way.
Wasn’t production, writing and acting a lot to handle for a newcomer?
This film is my baby. I did a lot of work on this project, not by choice but by chance and majboori. I needed to find something exciting and good to work on when my first two outings didn’t take off. My father is a businessman and he wouldn’t have made a decision purely on the basis of emotions. Making this film was like going to a film school three times over. Handling a 200-member team is tougher than handling babies.
While children from film families do have an advantage when it comes to getting a break, do you think that the story of your struggle might change the perception of those who think the industry is too nepotistic in its approach?
I don’t know about that, but I just feel that this struggle was a real blessing. I wouldn’t have learnt anything if all of this had fallen into my lap. I would not have appreciated things so much. When I was turned away from offices, rejected at auditions I remembered Satyadev Dubey, who had told me that rejections and humiliation teach you the most. There’s no actor who hasn’t faced rejection. I would give three auditions in a day. People were fed up of seeing my face at the auditions every day, but I was persistent. I remember that on one particular day when I didn’t turn up for an audition, one of the casting guys called to check on me. It was funny.
Talking about your debut, it has a strong romantic angle and it taps the grey side of romance. Was it one of your own experiences that pushed you to write this?Yes, in some way, it does stem from one of my relationship experiences. There was something crazy that I went through, and funnily enough, even Cherag went through something similar. We started questioning the very emotion. Gradually, I realised that one should never give anyone the power to influence emotions so much. Sometimes, we have these forbidden experiences where we fall for people we should not be with. The idea behind this film is to drive home the point that it’s a double-faced world, and one should be careful while choosing a companion.
Do you still believe in love?
Of course, I’m old-school when it comes to that. Main romantic aadmi hoon. If I love someone today, I will think of a life that we can make together; I’d like to marry her. I’m not the one-night-stand kind or a hook-up type of a guy. I have been in love before, but right now, I’m single and gladly so. If I was dating someone, I would not have had the time for her, which would’ve been unfair. I will be happy to tell the world about the woman I’m with. My father and grandfather should get the credit for this. Despite being a busy actor, there’s not one scandal about my grandfather. He loved being with his family when he was not at work. My parents have been together since they were in their late teens. They’re best friends.
Lastly, while you play a cross between a hero and an anti-hero, your grandfather often played characters which were pivotal to the story. Do we see you going that route, too?
I would be lying if I say that I don’t want to lead the cast in my films, but every actor wants to play a great character today, because everything is driven by that. Sometimes ensemble cast films have a lot to offer to actors. So, if a film with a great character ticks certain boxes for me, I’ll be game for it.
Initially we were disappointed, but agreed with CBFC-Vardhan Puri
7:48 AM
Vardhan, Amrish Puri’s grandson, on why the title of his debut had to change, and an ode to his dadu in the film
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 12, 2019)
Mirror (August 8, 2018) was the first to report that taking the legacy of his late grandfather, Amrish Puri forward, Vardhan Puri will make his acting debut with director Cherag Ruparel’s Yeh Saali Aashiqui. Last week, he unveiled the trailer of his romantic musical thriller and admitted that he couldn’t sleep the night despite going to bed early, at 11 pm. “At 7.30 am, I gave up and started exercising. More than nervous, I was excited. Aur yeh toh sirf trailer tha, picture abhi baaki hai mere dost,” laughs the debutant who has been an actor-in-training since he was five, learning the craft under the tutelage of his grandfather’s mentor, National Award-winning actor-filmmaker-writer Satyadev Dubey.However, Vardhan, who has done over 90 plays, found his first teacher in his grandfather. “Dadu always told me that theatre is my root and I should never forget that. As the saying goes, television is the writer’s medium, film the director’s and theatre the actor’s. Also, for him prep and hard work were key,” smiles Vardhan, whose favourites among his grandfather’s films include Mr India, Ghatak, Virasat and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. “Dadu is my idol and I am his greatest fan, so there is something special we have done in the film as an ode to him,” he promises, refusing to divulge details.
He plays Sahil Mehra and describes him as a “complex character with experiences which normal people usually don’t face”. “I shared the script Cherag and I have written with a few people for their feedback and while everyone liked it, many questioned my decision to start out with such a character. However, having played complex parts like Sakharam Binder, Muhammad Bin Tughluq and Albert Einstein in plays earlier, I was confident I will pull it off,” says the actor who also aspires to direct at some point.
The film produced by Jayantilal Gada and Rajeev Amrish Puri was earlier titled Paagal but the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) objected to it. Vardhan admits that after the controversy over Mental Hai Kya which was retitled Judgementall Hai Kya, they were anticipating this. “Sometimes as filmmakers we get carried away while making a film. But at the end of the day, we have to be socially and morally responsible. The word ‘paagal’ carries a social stigma which may hurt people. Initially, we were a little disappointed as we had stuck with that title all through the filming, but we agree with the CBFC and after brainstorming for 35 days, we zeroed in on Yeh Saali Aashiqui which the board approved of,” he informs.
Meanwhile Vardhan has been reading two scripts, one of which is a comedy. “Both are fantastic and with established filmmakers. I hope I can sign both,” he says.
My surname is a responsibility-Vardhan Puri
8:18 AM
Vardhan Puri on carrying grandfather Amrish Puri's legacy forward
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; November 10, 2019)
"'Be original' is what dadu [late actor Amrish Puri] said," says Vardhan, who is foraying into Bollywood with the Cherag Ruparel-directed Yeh Saali Aashiqui. While the newbie is aware of the responsibility, he expresses no fear of comparison. "It's a huge responsibility to have this surname and carry the legacy forward, but I am not thinking about any comparison, nor am I feeling the pressure."
Aiming to stay original, Vardhan explains that he doesn't intend to "mimic anyone". "My personality is different. My aim is to not mimic anyone. I want to create my own identity. It is my responsibility to make my family proud." After exploring theatre, Vardhan started his career as an assistant director with Yash Raj Films. He claims that being part of the film industry has been a life-long dream. "Rather than being an actor, I aspired to become an entertainer. I started performing theatre at the age of five and my parents knew that I'd be engaged in something related to films. I hope the audience accepts me."
Amrish Puri with grandson, a young Vardhan
I’d ask Amitabh Bachchan solicitously, “I hope I didn’t hurt you too much?”-Shatrughan Sinha
8:29 AM
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 19, 2019)
For the millennials, Dostana is Karan Johar’s romcom which got John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan, playing roomies pretending to be gay so they can live in an apartment of their choice with Priyanka Chopra, the best jodi of 2008. But for those who date back by a few decades, Dostana is Karan’s father, Yash Johar’s action-drama, featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha and Zeenat Aman, which opened in the theatres on October 17, 1980. “Thank you for reminding me of the fiilm,” Shatru ji’s distinctive baritone booms across the wire. He’s in the midst of hectic campaigning for the state elections,but happy to recall that despite much skepticism, director Raj Khosla had expressed confidence in him, asserting that the role of the lawyer, Ravi Kapoor, could only be played by Shatrughan Sinha. “Amitabh, my friend from my struggling days and the favourite of the nation then, played my bestie (police officer Vijay Varma) with Zeenat, a common friend, as the lady we’re both in love with,” he informs.He flashbacks to a three-day shoot at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studio, for which an expensive set had been erected. Following the sudden demise of his make-up man Prasad, a devastated Shatru ji, busy with the funeral arrangements, had not turned up for the shoot for the first couple of days. His producer was very understanding, but on the last day, there were urgent summons for him to film one important scene with Bachchan as the set had to be dismantled. He was also informed that since his co-star had another commitment, he would be there only till 2 pm.
Shatru ji assured everyone that the show would go on and drove in through the gates at 1.30 pm. “My director was sure I would pull off the intricate trolley shot despite several pages of dialogue within the deadline. But as I walked into the set, I could see from the worried faces around me that others weren’t so sure,” he reminisces, informing that while the make-up man touched up his face, an assistant director read out his lines to him, following which his moves and the camera field was explained to him. “At 1.40 pm, I stood up and said, ‘Okay, let’s go for a take.’ Raj Khosla had so much faith in me that he didn’t argue.”
As the camera rolled, the faces around him grew more tense as they were going into the shot blind, without even one rehearsal. It was a difficult shot, with a drunk Ravi confronting Vijay with several allegations, and slapping him. “I don’t know what I said or did that day, I was in a trance, but as soon as the director called ‘Cut’, there was a roar of applause, followed by Raj Khosla’s ‘Bravo.’ Then, as Amitabh hugged me, others milled around, congratulating me on a perfect shot. The time was 1.50 pm.”
Everyone was satisfied, except Shatru ji himself. There was still 10 minutes left and he pushed for another take. “The camera started rolling at 1.55 pm, but halfway through that shot, while he was still in the frame, Amitabh walked up to me and hugged me, saying, ‘Lalla, let’s not do this anymore, usse better nahin hoga.’ And it was from this healthy competition, mutual admiration and warm camaraderie that Dostana was born. It remains an object lesson to young actors almost 40 years later; to not just think of themselves, but work with co-stars to create magic on camera,” says Shatru ji.
Interestingly, the film also reunited, Prem Chopra and Amrish Puri, who knew each other from their theatre days in Shimla. “He was around five years my senior, a jolly good fellow and a stickler for details. We both performed at Shimla’s Gaiety Theatre, did a couple of plays together, for which I won some awards and the desire to be an actor was born,” says Chopra, all praise for the late actor, his generous producer and versatile director.
Prod him on the two leading men and he recounts a scene when he holds Ravi and Vijay captive, and whips the latter for details. “After every shot and every lashing, I’d ask Amitabh solicitously, “I hope I didn’t hurt you too much?” Finally, when he wondered why I kept saying that and I pointed out that it was my turn to get beaten up next. ‘I want you to be gentle with me when the time comes,’’’ he concludes with a laugh.
Girish Karnad was a suitable mind for all seasons: Khalid Mohamed pens a tribute
8:02 AM
Writer, actor, humanist, Girish Karnad never minced words while championing the idea of inclusive India
Khalid Mohamed (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 11, 2019)
In creased camel-colour corduroy trousers, a baggy maroon shirt, dangling a cigarette Humphrey Bogart-style from his lips, and propped against a wall of the Shanmukhananda Hall – the Filmfare Awards ceremony used to be conducted there – he could have been construed as a misfit in the star-freckled crowd.
That was his USP though, prompting a senior female colleague to gasp, “He’s so dishy among all the suits here.”
Girish Karnad, who passed away at the age of 81, wore his ruddy-complexioned, movie star good looks, lightly. If he acted in a stockpile of Bollywood films – the offbeat as well as the onbeat, he would declaim, “It’s only for the money,” and trill an aria of the Abba chartbuster, “Money, money, money…must be funny...in the rich man’s world.”
Self-deprecating and yet fiercely individualistic, he was the flexible savant who understood that popular cinema was a route to audiences of varied tastes. In fact, his contribution towards the aesthetic and commercial cinema would come up equal on any given scale of justice.
Of course, cinema was just one medium which the actor-playwright-scriptwriter-director-novelist-translator-documentarist gravitated towards inexorably. Gravitas at one end of the spectrum, and the hyper-fantasticated on the other, were the realms he pursued presciently.
Unarguably though, Karnad will be revered far more, and correctly so, for his pioneering theatre work, and for being a frontrunner during the 1960s in the renaissance of Kannada literary movement.
His instincts were eclectic, accounting for his collaborations most notably with Shyam Benegal and theatre stalwart B V Karanth. In the course of a conversation, he was at pains to emphasise that he had no issues with the avant-garde cinema of Mani Kaul and Kumar Shahani, adding that the films of the so-called ‘medium-wavewallas’ would also go on to become milestones. He was spot-on.
Seeing no divide between the extremist cerebral and the accessibly humane, indeed here was a beautiful mind who defined intellectualism. Intellectual, did I say? Unfortunately, it’s a gratuitously-reviled and lost quality, what with ‘libtards’, ‘fetishists’ and ‘elitists’ being the en vogue argot today. For Karnad, intellectual is the perfect fit.
Honoured with the Padma Bhushan and the Sangeet Natak Akademi and Jnanpith Awards, his childhood years were his formative phase. Because of social taboos, his widowed mother Krishnabai Mankikar had to wait five years before her marriage to Dr Raghunath Karnad. Born in Matheran, his growing up years were spent in Sirsi and Dharwad. Subsequently he graduated from the Karnatak Arts College, was selected as a Rhodes scholar and mastered in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University.
Back home, initially he worked at the Oxford University Press. At the age of 23, he wrote his first play Yayati followed over time by other pathbreakers such as Tughlaq, Hayavadana, Naga-Mandala and Taledanda . Influenced by the traditional Yakshagana theatre form, his plays are regarded as allegories drawn from mythology, history and the epics. For instance, Tughlaq, while focusing on the 14th century’s controversial Delhi Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, was clearly a take on the lost ideals of the Nehruvian era.
Girish Karand was a rationalist; his every word was modulated, rooted in personal experience and study. Still he wasn’t entirely satisfied, frequently dismissing some of his works as not quite up to mark. Neither would he mince his words while expressing his concern against religious fundamentalism and bigotry. A staunch secularist and feminist till the last, even while his health deteriorated, he wouldn’t lose an opportunity to critique the ruling government. Death threats couldn’t arrest his verbal bullets.
Political correctness was not his forte. Breaking protocol at a literary festival in Mumbai, circa 2012, he downsized V S Naipaul “who has no idea of how Muslims contributed to Indian history”, besides lambasting the Nobel laureate for his reported visit to the BJP office on the heels of the Babri mosque demolition. Not the sort to buckle under the backlash, he stated that the Bengaluru International Airport should be named after Tipu Sultan and not after Kempe Gowda, the 16th century ruler of the Vijayanagar empire. Agree with him or not, he could go on record to say that Rabindranath Tagore’s plays were “unbearable”.
Catalysed by the rising incidence of intolerance, Karnad’s activism had intensified towards his end years, soldiering on even while wearing a nose cannula to facilitate breathing, both at rallies and for his on-screen appearances.
On another note, for a video interview for a documentary on Shyam Benegal he had made it clear that his statements should not be censored. They weren’t. He clarified that the script of Manthan was extensively rewritten by him although the National Award for the Best Screenplay was presented to Vijay Tendulkar. Amrish Puri, he felt was grossly miscast as the abductor of Smita Patil in Bhumika, and the script of Kalyug had to be refashioned to be in sync with the approaching corporate ethos of “all’s fair in deceit and business”.
Benegal, on his part, had pointed out that it was Karnad, who during his brief tenure as the director of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune (1974-75), had first noticed the potential of Naseeruddin Shah. “Girish had recommended Naseer for Manthan,” the filmmaker had recalled. “He had warned me that he was a pain in the neck on the campus but that he was a brilliant actor.”
As an actor, Karnad had no delusions of grandeur although he excelled as a guilt-ridden Brahmin in Samskara. As a timid schoolteacher in Nishant, however, he appeared to be ill-at-ease. A demanding scene requiring an outburst had to be abbreviated. As the male lead, he was gallant and honest enough to play second fiddle to the heroines, be it Smita Patil Nutan (Meri Jung), Hema Malini (Ratnadeep), Shabana Azmi (Swami) or Smita Patil (Umbartha). The transition to character roles – as a kindly father, cricket coach, inspector, or the RAW officer in Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai – was so much water off a duck’s back, his fluency in Hindi and understated dialogue delivery pitch aiding him consistently.
While Vamsa Vriksha and Godhuli helmed by him have stayed in the memory files, his attempt to direct the period pageant Utsav, hasn’t. “I think Girish feels so guilty that it didn’t do well,” the film’s actor-producer Shashi Kapoor would laugh, “that he has never met me again or sent me a Christmas card! I’d love to hear from him and his wife some time.”
Karnad and his wife Saraswathy moved from their Bandra seafront apartment to Bengalaru, where they were cut off from the Bollywood bustle. His was a late marriage at the age of 42. ‘Saras’ as he called her is as gregarious and socially-concerned as him. Of their children Radha and Raghu, the latter is a journalist.
To return to the evening at the Filmfare Awards, Karnad was soon joined by Dev Anand and Tina Munim. To their Professor Higgins and Eliza Doolittle he was playing Colonel Hugh Pickering in Man Pasand, an adaptation of My Fair Lady. Crushing his cigarette under his sandal’s sole, he had said, “I hope Dev saab doesn’t scold me for not wearing a suit.”
He didn’t need to. After all, Girish Karnad was a suitable mind for all seasons.
His was a late marriage at the age of 42. ‘Saras’ as he called her is as gregarious and socially-concerned as him; Catalysed by the rising incidence of intolerance, Karnad’s activism had intensified towards his end years; Shyam Benegal had pointed out that it was Karnad who had first noticed the potential of Naseeruddin Shah
After Sridevi, I have even more reason to make Mr India reboot now-Boney Kapoor
8:02 AM
Producer Boney Kapoor confirms reboot of cult movie Mr India on cards
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 30, 2019)
Such has been the appeal of Mr India (1987) that the film's dialogues are excitedly mouthed by ardent fans even 32 years after its release. Last year, after the untimely demise of Sridevi, producer husband Boney Kapoor and actor Anil Kapoor announced that they had aborted the plan of a sequel to the superhero film.
However, a year later, the two seem to have had a change of heart. Only days after Anil and director Shekhar Kapur posted cryptic messages on social media, hinting at another collaboration, Boney tells mid-day that a reboot of Mr India is on the cards.
"The idea is to create a reboot first, and then, make a franchise of it. It needs to be made more contemporary. We have a basic structure in mind. We haven't decided on a timeline yet, but intend to make it soon," he says.
Boney recalls that mounting a film on a budget of Rs 4 crore was unheard of, in the '80s. "We put up a large set near Versova beach. I was so happy with the costumes that I paid a bonus to the stylist. Amrish Puri as Mogambo was a masterstroke; he brought the character alive. While Sri was considered a glamorous star earlier, the audience's perception of her changed after Mr India — then on, she was seen as a powerful actress. Anil too became more legitimate a performer with the film. After Sri, I have even more reason to make the film now."
Ask him if Kapur will helm the offering, and he says, "If Shekhar is free, he can direct it. The cast and crew made the film what it was, and if anyone from the original line-up wants to be part of it, they can join us again."
Amrish Puri’s grandson Vardhan to debut with Paagal
8:11 AM
In an exclusive chat with BT, Vardhan Puri talks about his growing-up years, his debut film and the influence of his legendary grandfather
Rachit Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; September 25, 2018)
The late Amrish Puri’s grandson, Vardhan, is all set to make his Bollywood debut with Paagal, which will release sometime in the summer of 2019.
About his dream of being an actor and the long build-up to his debut, Vardhan says, “I have been an actor and entertainer in my home since the age of five. In my free time, I used to wear my grandfather’s wigs and roam around the house in his size-12 shoes, speaking out lines from his films at the top of my voice. That was when my family realised that I would be an actor. My sister Sachi, her friends and my domestic help were my audience back then. In terms of my debut, I was initially supposed to do something in the historical genre, but I fell in love with the story of Paagal and my character, when I heard it.”Vardhan, a graduate in business management, has been involved with theatre since a very young age — both as an actor and a backstage hand. He adds, “I read a lot of Freud’s works to understand the human mind, because I believe that the mind is where all the ideas of acting come from.”
He’s also been an assistant director with filmmakers like Habib Faisal and Maneesh Sharma. About his internship days, he says, “On the sets, among other things, I used to work closely with all the actors and that taught me a lot. Afterwards, I got trained in acting and watched a lot of world cinema and all of Charlie Chaplin’s films. In fact, Chaplin is my greatest influence. I have had to disconnect with all my friends for over 18 months to prepare for my debut film. That’s something the character demanded.” The young actor says that his grandfather has had a strong impact on his life. He shares, “I feel that my grandfather is one of the most honest and powerful actors the world has ever seen. His contribution to cinema is irreplaceable. For me, Virasat (1997) was one of his best works. I also love Mr. India (1987), Muskurahat (1992), Gardish (1993), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Ghatak (1996). I remember being part of most of his narrations and readings from 1995 till 2005.”
About the qualities he imbibed from his dadu, he says, “I am inspired by his versatility and his sense of discipline and diligence. Most importantly, I learned from him that making films is all about community building. Also, the more authentic you are in real life, the better you will be as an actor.”
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