Showing posts with label Amrita Pritam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amrita Pritam. Show all posts
I want to be the bridge between poets and listeners of music-Kavita Seth
8:28 AM
Kavita Seth on taking further her music series that celebrates poets, with Amrita Pritam
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; September 2, 2019)
After reviving the works of Urdu poet Wasim Barelvi, Kavita Seth has trained her focus on the late Punjabi poet, Amrita Pritam to further her music series, Main Kavita Hoon. The passion project evolved from a web series, to live concerts, and finally, a line-up of albums, all of which, she says, have been well-appreciated, "with or without promotional nudges".The success recipe, she suggests, lies in selecting songs that first boast of their lyricism instead of their ability to make for good compositions. "I started this series with the aim of promoting good poetry. The criterion for selecting any poem is hence the lyrics; we think about the composition later. I recall that the album based on Wasim ji's works enjoyed good streaming numbers, even though there was no promotional work involved. That's because good lyrics always find takers. It's also the lack of promising lyricism that has reduced the shelf-life of today's songs," she says, asserting that she even taps into the works of the less celebrated, if their verses have had an impact on her. "I am not promoting only the famous. I am also reviving the works of the less popular so that their poems are not restricted to books alone."
For Pritam's poetry, she recalls being challenged while composing the eight tracks that comprise her latest album. "While [her poems] have rhythm, there are many free verses as well. Composing for them was hence hard. I had her book in hand 24 hours a day, and would even sleep with it under my pillow. Once, I woke up with a tune at 2 am and began to work on it. She had a specific way of writing that was unique to her. The manner in which she describes her relationship in Main Tenu Phir Milangi is something only she could do."Working on Dr Bashir Badr's (left; above) poetry, on the other hand, was simpler because "the way he wrote was simple". The Urdu poet's collection will be part of Seth's forthcoming album that eyes a release after two months. "We enjoyed practising for the recording of his poem, Kaun Aaya Raste Aaina. But when we took the song into the studio for the live recording, we enjoyed it even more," she says when prodded about her most memorable numbers. "I'm proud that I've grown up listening to such material from our artistes. So, I want to be the bridge between poets and listeners of music."
The first victim of a script edit is always the woman’s character-Rasika Dugal
8:23 AM
Actor Rasika Dugal on stereotypes, and the evolution of a woman’s character in scripts
Deebashree Mohanty (TIMES LIFE; June 16, 2019)
You’ve said unlike films, web space is path breaking when it comes to women’s representation
A lot of interesting and nuanced scripts are being written these days. The digital space has room for a true ensemble. There are multiple tracks that can co-exist and each character can get its time and space. If you are shooting for a digital series, which might be typically eight episodes, it is effectively like shooting for five films – you have the luxury of time.
Very often in films, due to lack of time, the first victim of script editing is the woman’s character. In the digital space, there is room for multiple characters to flourish. This space has also finally given attention to good writing, and it has acknowledged that good writing is more than half the job done. Better nuanced scripts definitely lead to more nuanced women’s roles. But we still have a long, long way to go.
Is it the age-old prejudice that women can’t sell a film?
It’s a prejudice so deeply ingrained in society that it cannot disappear overnight, and will find its way into the script somehow. It’s funny how we see it everywhere and we say to ourselves... ‘oh my god, we still haven't gotten over such prejudices’.
How far do you think the empowered portrayal of women has helped the cause?
It hasn’t actually. In an attempt to move away from one kind of stereotype about women, we might be falling into another stereotype – where the woman’s character resembles a man’s. She would do everything that a man would do. Her femininity is not celebrated. That is something I find in a lot of films and series I have watched.
After doing Mirzapur, I also felt we possibly don’t have a visual language in which we can acknowledge women as sexual beings. Our existing visual language is so sexualised that we are scrambling to find something new. Things are moving towards a better scenario but we’re not quite there yet.
Though things are slowly changing, there are still not enough scripts exploring women’s sexuality…
Every time you put yourself out there and acknowledge yourself as a sexual being with sexual needs, there is so much misogyny thrown at you that it’s startling. First, it’s this reality check. Then, it also gets quite disheartening. With social media and so much accessibility, you realise every day what a prejudiced world you are living in. But it’s a battle we have to fight today.
Some directors and storytellers are trying to find a visual language that works... but not everyone has the sensitivity or the skill for it. There is a long journey between the script and the visual that one gets to see. That journey depends a lot on sensitivity.
You’ve been a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement. Has there been any tangible change in your work environment?
I’m happy that there’s a movement that has been acknowledged, and finally there is a conversation around it. It is not fair to expect tangible changes so soon. I do my bit by familiarising people I work with about the POSH rules, and how they are implemented. I also make sure production houses are in compliance with those rules before I sign up with them.
Change takes time. But today, I see that in a work environment if someone says something sexist, there will be enough people to call it out. That’s a start.
You’ve mostly picked projects that aren’t mainstream. A conscious decision?
No. I believe that as actors the work you truly, deeply want to do finds you. So, even though a chosen film may not have a conscious decision towards a goal, somewhere you are doing things that lead you to those goals. I have been open to all sorts of films; just that the kind of films offered in the commercial space have not been very compelling in terms of screen time and quality.
Is there a commercial film you think you were cut out for?
Queen. I’d have loved to do that film. The other role I am dying to do is a biopic on Amrita Pritam.
In between all this, where is the time for love?
There is always time for love. I love the time I get with my love anyway. My husband, Mukul (Chadda), and I know how to give each other space and when to give each other priority. We also enjoy our private time to the fullest. We've been a little lucky as far as media attention is concerned. Married celebrities are a little less interesting than the unmarried ones.
QUICK TAKE
De-stress schedule:
I usually de-stress by learning something new. It really changes the way your mind works. I have taken up Urdu classes, started learning sign language and have also enrolled myself for singing lessons. New things make me happy and relaxed.
On your bookshelf:
I have been reading Becoming by Michelle Obama for the last three months. It's very interesting but I don't have the time to finish it.
Music playlist:
I've been listening to the soundtracks for This Is Us S2 and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel on loop.
Describe your den at home:
I have this nice relaxing chair in a corner where there is just a book shelf and an antique lamp. It is right next to the window from where I can see a little bit of the sea... that’s my rewind zone.
We are caterers of mediocrity-Rekha Bhardwaj
8:28 AM
Rekha Bharadwaj breaks down why the finesse in the independent music industry isn't arguably translating to Bollywood
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; February 18, 2019)
Ashe chronicles the goings-on in the Bollywood music industry, Rekha Bhardwaj sprinkles this conversation by drawing examples of artistes and films, spanning decades. Her fine observation skills and deep understanding of cinema trends are made evident, even though she isn't one to go to town when critiquing the industry. Set to serenade fans on an upcoming episode of MTV Unplugged, Bharadwaj talks to mid-day about the reason behind the increasing gap in the quality of music being churned out in and out of the film industry.
Edited excerpts from the interview:
There is a lot of talent in the independent music scene. Why do you think that quality arguably isn't translating to Bollywood music?
[Independent music] platforms still have a long way to go [before they can become popular]. Abroad, an artiste first releases an album, then the song is picked up for a film. But, songs are an integral part of our films, [and hence] we have incorporated film songs [on this platform too], to meet the demand. We are, primarily, a melodramatic society, and caterers of mediocrity. A majority of our population appreciates mediocrity, and that's why it exists in films and fine arts. Also, since crores are invested in films, certain requirements must be met. Today, the film business is a three-day affair, governed by collections from Friday through Sunday. Few are [driven] by a creative pursuit. The independent music genre has come to the fore after 20 years. I struggled for 11 years to release the album that was to launch me. There's a lot that we have to do to put up the quality [of music] that we desire. Rural audience won't appreciate sophisticated music. They would prefer folk music, while the youngsters would, maybe, choose noisy tunes. Remixes too are horribly executed. They are derogatory to the original classic.
How do you suggest that can change?
Artistes should be more concerned about content, [which comprises] language, diction and musicality. The younger musicians must educate themselves about our musical heritage. Also, [a lot depends on] aesthetics. I've sung many item songs, and am proud of all of them, including Namak Ishq Ka, and Ghagra. When Gulzar sa'ab writes a naughty, raunchy song, you will still find it aesthetically appealing. Aesthetics must be maintained in the lyrics, composition and rendition.
Is the industry receptive of singers with unique voices, like your own?
After Namak Ishq Ka, a lot has changed. The younger lot of composers have a background in Western music, and are hence open to experimenting with all sort of voices. Jagga Jasoos, for instance, had so many new voices, and a beautiful range of singing. Also, pronunciation must be paid heed to. For example, in Bombay Velvet, all the songs were nice. Some singers, like Neeti Mohan, paid attention to diction. When singing in Urdu, one should be certain to pronounce correctly. Neeti was, while a few others weren't. When the diction is correct, 60 per cent of your job as a singer is done. Unfortunately, even lyricist don't care if their words are being pronounced right. We pay heed to accents and pronunciation when singing English numbers. But, Hindi songs are tackled with carelessness.
You've often spoken positively about the influence of Western music in India. Why is that so?
This is something that was even evident in old music. In fact, earlier, Catholic musicians from Goa formed a major part of our industry. If you listen to older melodies, like Madan Mohan's Khelo Na Mere Dil Se, you'll notice that the introductory music will not reveal the melody that comes in later. The music arrangers then were classically trained in Western music, and also understood Indian nuances. The young generation is talented since they are exposed to all genres. But, there's a thin line between good and bad influences.
How does a platform like MTV Unplugged benefit the industry?
When a song is composed for a film, it's based on situations. Here, we're not bound by demands. I've recreated Darling [for the show], and used a brass section. There are two originals too, one of them being an Amrita Pritam poem.
Shekhar Suman and Deepti Naval's play Ek Mulaaqat to complete 75 shows tomorrow
7:05 AM
Shekhar Suman and Deepti Naval talk about Ek Mulaaqat, their play that will complete 75 shows tomorrow
Deepali Singh (DNA; March 16, 2018)
Watching Deepti Naval transform into Amrita Pritam and recite her Punjabi poetry on stage, one would find it difficult to believe that Ek Mulaqaat is the actress’ first theatre outing. As for Shekhar Suman, the actor, in his own words, was born to play Sahir Ludhianvi — the Urdu poet and lyricist. The play, which is based on their love story and directed by Saif Hyder Hasan, has received a positive response from audiences across the world and will be staged for the 75th time tomorrow, in Mumbai.
Connecting with audiences worldwide
Shekhar tells After Hrs that the first time he heard the script, two thoughts ran through his mind. Apprehension, because he wasn’t sure if the audience would connect to this drama and, absolute joy because he felt that it was destiny that made this role come his way. He says, “I didn’t know if there is still a discerning audience that will connect with the nazms and poetry of Sahir and Amrita. A lot of the play is in Urdu and Punjabi, so that was a concern as well. But all my apprehensions were put to rest in the first show itself, when people came up to us and said that they had been waiting for a production like this,” he recalls. After doing 74 shows that have gone houseful not only in different cities in India, but also in places like Singapore and London, Shekhar says he has realised something. “Poetry, music, literature — anything that is beautiful has no language. People relate to the essence of it,” he opines.
While Shekhar might have had his doubts, Deepti, who is one of the finest actresses on screen, had her own misgivings which had nothing to do with the play itself. “Ek saath itni lines kabhi yaad nahin ki thi. I was so sure I was going to forget my lines; I was panic-stricken!” she laughs. She thought the story was “wonderful” when she read it for the first time, and knew it would go down well with the audience as well. “But the fact that it received so much love from them, came as a pleasant surprise,” she adds.
Becoming Sahir and Amrita
For Shekhar, portraying Sahir came easily. Not just because he is quintessentially a theatre actor, but also because he was obsessed with the artiste’s nazms. “Even at an age when I didn’t understand his poetry, I would recite it because I liked the sound of it,” he recalls. The role went to many actors before landing in his lap. He says, “At the cost of sounding dramatic, I am Sahir.”
"I was pre-destined to play him. I knew so much about him that I had to learn very little once I said yes to it,” says the actor, who even visited Government College, Ludhiana, where Sahir had studied. “I went to the auditorium, now known as Sahir Auditorium, and touched the ground where he once stood and rendered his nazms,” the actor tells us.
For Deepti, too, playing Amrita carried its own significance. Not only because she is a huge fan of the poetess and writer’s works, but also because she knew Amrita on a personal level and had met her several times, when the latter was alive. “I would visit her at her residence in Delhi whenever I would get the opportunity to go there and we would talk about life and poetry. I also have very fond memories of Imroz saab (Amrita’s husband). Though this play is not about him, theirs is a crucial love story, too. Of course, Sahir-Amrita is unrequited love. Somehow, jo cheez nahin milti, uski ahmiyat badh jaati hai,” she says with a smile.
The show will go on
What also worked in the play’s favour was the fact that the two actors have mutual admiration and respect. “Shekhar is such a man of words and diction and lehja. So, it has been a pleasure to work with him. Of course, I’m also known for my work and diction, so I can say it’s a play of equals,” she smiles.
Shekhar, on his part, remembers how he had to “coax and mollycoddle” the stage-newcomer since she was “mortally afraid of being on stage”. He recalls, “She just kept wanting to wriggle out of it and I kept insisting that she will enjoy it because theatre is the only medium where actors get instant gratification. So, I told her not to be scared and try it out and she’s so happy that she did it. And now, her first question after every show is, when are we doing the next play?”
The play will be staged tomorrow at 7.30 pm at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi.
Priyanka Chopra to arrive in Mumbai tonight; to sign next Hindi film, possibly Amrita Pritam biopic?
8:05 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 7, 2017)
Barely a week after her debut Hollywood film, Baywatch, hit theatres, Priyanka Chopra is headed to Mumbai to sign her next Bollywood project. The actress is scheduled to touch down tonight for a four-day trip, which will also include taking stock of her ongoing and upcoming productions and fulfilling brand commitments. Rumour is rife that PeeCee will be meeting filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali for his longplanned project, a biopic on Punjabi writer- poet Amrita Pritam. “In all likelihood, Priyanka’s trip will culminate in the project being locked. An official announcement, however, will be made only after the male lead [ for the part of legendary poet Sahir Ludhianvi] is cast,” says a source.
Titled Gustakhiyaan, the film will follow Sahir’s relationship with poetess-novelist Amrita Pritam before he went on to court singer-actress Sudha Malhotra. Names of Shah Rukh Khan and Abhishek Bachchan had emerged earlier as the male lead.
Last month, we had asked Peecee about collaborating with Bhansali for Gustakhiyaan when she told us, “When we meet, we inevitably discuss work. I can never say no to him, and will work with him whenever I get a chance. We are yet to figure out our special next.” Priyanka was last seen in Prakash Jha’s 2016 thriller, Jai GangaaJal.
During her brief Mumbai stay, Priyanka will also complete her magazine shoots. Once back in the US, she will start prepping for her Hollywood project, Isn’t It Romantic, starring Rebel Wilson, that rolls in July. She will also start shooting for Jim Parsons-starrer A Kid Like Jake as well as for Quantico’s third season starting September.
Sonakshi Sinha skips Tevar promotion to meet Narendra Modi; invite him for brother's wedding
7:52 AM
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 9, 2015)
Sonakshi Sinha's brother Kussh is marrying Tarunna, daughter of Subodh and Abhinanda Aggarwal, in what is perhaps one of the most hush-hush weddings in Bollywood. When prodded for details the usually affable groom-to-be turned mum, saying, "My wedding is a private affair. Sonakshi is an actress and she has 3 million followers on Twitter while I have only 1000. That should tell you the kind of person I am."
His star sister is equally careful not to reveal any details. Every query on the subject-from what she will be wearing, if she plans to dance to any of her of her popular hits, her equation with her soon-to-be-bhabhi to even the date and venue of the wedding is adroitly side-stepped. All that is known is that the Sinhas-Shatrughan Sinha, wife Poonam and Sonakshi-met the Prime Minister earlier this week.
"It was a personal visit and we as a family went to invite him for my brother Kussh's wedding. Whenever I have met him, the Prime Minister has been warm and cheerful. It was a wonderful meeting and he wished me well for the release of Tevar," Sonakshi told Mirror.
The actress was to visit Patna to promote the upcoming film. She had been there earlier during Son Of Sardaar but this would have been her first visit to her home state after the BJP and her father's landslide victory in last year's Lok Sabha elections. "But I wasn't able to go this time as we had to go meet Mr Modi on the same day. But Arjun (her co-star Arjun Kapoor) went there to connect with the people as Tevar has great potential in states like UP and Bihar because of its earthy appeal," she points out.
Sonakshi insists it is easy to relate to Radhika, her character, who is very "real". "I'm sure when people watch the film they will feel that they have met someone like her at some point in their life. I would really love for Modiji to see Tevar. I will ask him and other colleagues of my father in Delhi if they would like me to have a screening of the film for them," she says.
Buzz is, she's gearing up to play poet author Amrita Pritam in a biopic. Bring up the subject and the actress clams up again. "I haven't signed the film yet and only believe in speaking about films once signed," she says carefully. "It's a great subject and a great role for me. The producers will be the right people to make the announcement, as and when things are confirmed."
Sonakshi Sinha to play Amrita Pritam in Ashi Dua’s film?
8:05 AM
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; October 6, 2014)
Filmmaker Ashi Dua of Bombay Talkies fame has apparently approached Sonakshi Sinha to play the role of Amrita Pritam in her film that revolves around Sahir Ludhianvi and Amrita Pritam’s love story.
Says a source close to the actor, “Sonakshi has been approached to star in the film and in most likelihood, she will take up the offer.” It may be noted here that earlier on, it was reported that the film’s makers were keen to sign on Priyanka Chopra for Amrita Pritam’s role and that Irrfan had been approached for Sahir’s role. Irrfan reportedly opted out of the project because of his other commitments.
But now it turns out that PeeCee is not doing the film either. So the hunt is still on for an actor to play Sahir’s character and that of Imroze, who was Amrita’s partner right till the end. The film will be based on Amrita Pritam and Sahir Ludhianvi’s love story that has been dissected in her autobiography, Rasidi Ticket.
Sonakshi Sinha and producer Ashi Dua were unavailable for comment.
Review: EK MULAQAT by FENIL SETA
10:25 AM
Saif Hyder Hasan had showcased his magic with Aaine Ke Sau Tukde featuring a lone Shweta Tiwari playing almost dozens of characters on screen. He is now back with another challenging venture Ek Mulaqat, starring the talented Shekhar Suman and Deepti Naval. Based on the unrequited romance of noted lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi and eminent writer-poet Amrita Pritam, Ek Mulaqat attempts to depict a tête-à-tête that happens between the lovers but in a musical format. As expected, it makes for a great unique experience and definitely deserves a watch!
The story: On a cold winter night, Amrita Pritam (Deepti Naval) is sitting on the terrace of her house in Delhi when two strange things occur. She gets a sudden trunk call from Bombay, making her wonder who it can be, as she doesn’t know anyone out there except Sahir Ludhianvi (Shekhar Suman). Before she could answer, Sahir appears in front of her. The two then indulge in a witty play of words and poems-shayaris which brings to the fore their love for each other, the loneliness, the anger and a lot more.
Ek Mulaqat isn’t an in-your-face experience. The play is laced with poems, shayaris and a smart play of words and one need to be very attentive and devote their full concentration to understand the layered meaning. It was a novel experience for me at least and hence, I took a couple of minutes to get into the world that Saif Hyder Hasan was trying to put forward. The latecomers coming in and creating a slight nuisance (despite the play starting 20 minutes late) contributed in breaking my attention even more. But adamant I was, I soon became a part of Sahir-Amrita’s beautiful conversation and from there, the play becomes an experience to savour. One of the riskiest things attempted by the makers is to incorporate songs like Abhi Na Jao Chodkar, Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein etc but with a change in tune. These are iconic songs and such an experiment could have gone wrong. But thankfully, it doesn’t and it adds to the magic! The climax gives a jolt, though it was anticipated.
Words will fail to do justice to the performances of Shekhar Suman and Deepti Naval. This is not just another play – the actor needed to mouth the poems and shayaris written by the legends that they are portraying and it needed to be done with the right emotion. And both the actors come out with flying colours. They look brilliant together and complement each other very well. Viewers will see both of them in a new light and with lot of respect and admiration after watching the play!
Director Saif Hyder Hasan too deserves appreciation for designing and directing this one-of-its-kind drama. A lot of research has gone in bringing alive the lives of the legends and it shows. Sahir and Amrita are not just talking about their unrequited love, but also about partition, gender inequality, marriage, whisky, cigarettes and a lot more and each of these are beautifully incorporated into their musical conversation. Nothing looks out of place. The humour element also comes out very well.
On the whole, Ek Mulaqat is a well-made venture and is worth the hype and expectations surrounding it. The use of words, poems, shayaris, the direction and of course Shekhar Suman and Deepti Naval’s bravura performance come together to provide an experience to savour and remember for a long time! For someone like me who’s not much into poetry, the first few minutes were indeed quite struggling but once you get acquainted with the world that’s created in the play (which happens soon enough), the play turns out to be quite impressive and most importantly, engaging. Hats off to the makers for coming up with the play the way they wanted to and didn’t attempt to simplify so as to make it more mainstream. The play will surely have a great run and will attract hordes of people. Make sure you book your tickets in advance!
My rating - **** out of 5!
When Sahir died, Yashji said, 'How will I make my films now?'-Shekhar Suman
9:12 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; August 17, 2014)
Bombay Times presents Ek
Mulaqat, a musical that brings you the unrequited love story of Amrita
Pritam with Sahir Ludhianvi. A love story of two of India's most famous
poets who got married only through words. A lot was unsaid in this union
of two beautiful minds. They shared a bond, where the binding
was their work. It was actually just almost a love story, where they
fell in love with each other's minds more than anything else. Over an
exclusive conversation with Deepti Naval and Shekhar Suman, we bring
you how they got to playing these legendary figures and the uncanny
connection they had with them. Excerpts:
CONVERSATION WITH DEEPTI NAVAL:
You will be portraying Amrita Pritam on stage. She died in 2005. Did you know her in real life?
I was introduced to her first in 1978 through Basu Bhattacharya, who was then wanting to make a film on one of her novels Nagmani with me in it. Basuda never got down to making that film, but he told her how I wrote poetry. I recited it very candidly to her and she took a liking to what I was writing and called her publisher and said, 'Yeh ladki toh achcha likhti hai, toh iska kitaab chaapo.' So, it was because of her that Lamha Lamha came out in 1981. Then every time I would go to Delhi, I would make it a point to meet her. I have known her over the years. I wanted to pay my own tribute to her and was in the process of recording some of her Punjabi poems in my voice, when coincidentally Saif Haider Hasan, the director of Ek Mulaqat wrote to me offering me this role. I jumped at it.
What was Amrita Pritam like in real life?
She was a very gentle person with a lot of depth obviously as she wrote about life, living and interpreting it at the same time. That is what her life was. She lived to write about life. And that was extremely inspiring for me. She would always tell me to write in Punjabi. She was very soft as a person and would constantly smoke and would be comfortably sitting on her bed in a reclining position whenever I met her. There was a two-seater couch next to her bed, where I would always go and perch myself.
She would look at me and chat about life. She was very candid about her life, talk easily about things that happened to her and mattered to her. Just today, I was searching for all the books she gave me over time and realised that I had 11 of her books autographed by her. I always wanted to play her on cinema as I have known her so closely. The last time I saw her was about a year before she died. I had taken some theatre friends from Pakistan to meet her and they wanted to get themselves clicked with her. They asked her if they could take a picture with her, but she was reluctant to get photographed. She was a pretty woman who was attractive in her own way and was not a typical Amazonian Punjabi jat woman. She wouldn't hesitate to talk about Sahir Ludhianvi as there was so much of her work surrounded around him. She was a kind of person who would never camouflage anything.
She was a very honest woman, who lived her life with great honesty and I admired that about her. She was candid and unapologetic who translated all her experiences about life into her work. I relate with that aspect of her personality. She was very warm and endearing. In the later years of her life, she moved into her quest for spirituality. She would be considered a feminist just for the fact that in those years, in the 30s, the time she was growing up, she walked away from her marriage as she thought there wasn't enough passion in it. So, for a woman to let the world know that she would not toe the line and found new definitions of life, was admirable. She was attracted to Sahir sahab's mind and his poetry. She would subtly go into his poetry while talking to me and say, 'ki line hai' (in Punjabi). She was really not concerned about what people would say.
She was more concerned about being honest to her work and was interested in what she experienced and felt. She knew her place in the intellectual world and all her novels were women-centric. Even though I grew up in Amritsar, I used to find Punjabi very crude till I met Amritaji. I remember her looking at me with her narrow eyes and I wrote a poem for her: Your face is a metaphor, for living in your eyes, I learn language. She read it and immediately said to me, 'Write it in Punjabi.' Even though I fully well knew the chapter of Sahir sahab in her life, I was always fascinated by her other equation in life, her companion Imroz sahab, who was 10 years younger to her. He worshipped her and was so devoted to her.
You are such a fine actor, but never did theatre. Why?
I am petrified. I am so fascinated by people who can go on stage and rattle their lines two hours non-stop on stage.
Do you have any influence of theatre in your life?
I grew up in New York and went to college there, so Manhattan and Broadway is a part of my upbringing. I did study American theatre and would run around all those blocks, go and see a play, come back and make and exchange notes and then have discussions on it. I studied photography with painting as my major.
Surprisingly, the only thing I did not study was acting.
How does it feel to play Amrita Pritam?
I feel a deep connect. I keep thinking if I will be able to play her and she is constantly with me. We were rehearsing her signature poem, Ajj Akhaan Waaris Shah Nu about what she wrote about the post-Partition trauma. It was an emotional experience for me and I broke down while performing it. I guess I desired too much to play Amrita Pritam in my life. When you desire something too much, I guess it happens.
Talk about Shekhar playing Sahir Ludhianvi?
It's so uncanny that when I took to writing poetry, I wanted to write in Urdu and my favourite three authors were Sahir Ludhianvi, Ghalib and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. I felt that only Shekhar can play Sahir as you need to be able to recite and have the correct lehza and pronunciation and command over Urdu that he has.
CONVERSATION WITH SHEKHAR SUMAN:
What does it mean for you to be portraying Sahir Ludhianvi on stage?
I have myriad reasons for doing this play. I started my career as a theatre actor in a repertoire company and have always been drawn to literature. Also, I have always been a rebel, who has always been an anti-establishment guy and find similarities between Sahir and me as he too was a rebel. He was nomadic, a maverick and I find myself within me the same sentiments being echoed. He was my favourite even as a kid, when I did not even have a hang of Urdu, but someone presented me his book Parchhaiyan. I knew reading it that it was something very beautiful and it was my prized possession till I lost it somewhere in the middle, while moving from Delhi to Mumbai and then within Mumbai, moving so many houses. I asked so many people, but could not find a copy of it. Recently Saif, our director, got me a cheap edition of it from Old Delhi, but that has so many errors that I landed up making corrections in it. I jumped at the idea of playing Sahir as the whole world is in love with Sahir just as I have been. I love the Urdu tehzeeb and zabaan that is redundant and sunk in oblivion now. I admire and love him for the fact that he was a jilted lover.
Every boy who is growing up wants to be a Devdas and wants to be a jilted lover. Other than the fact that Sahir was commitment-phobic while I am not, I find a lot of similarity between me and him. Also, to be able to work with Deepti, who is one of the finest actresses and coming to theatre with this, is fantastic. I also feel that theatre needs to be promoted, as the emphasis on language is just not happening and less and less of good theatre is being made today. Also, the satisfaction of performing live on stage and that too playing Sahir, is one of my strong dreams that has come true, thanks to Deepti, who recommended my name. I started meeting people who knew Sahir and learnt that he suffered from Oedipus Complex. His mother had been abused by his father. He was obsessed with his mother and possibly that is why he found it difficult to commit himself to another woman.
What he wrote was intellectually far superior to his contemporaries. Sahir changed the way you look at things. He was a rebel and his lyrics reflected that. He had the guts and courage to say things that were anti-establishment. And so was Amrita, who also did not care a fig about what people said. He was also a chain smoker and a voracious drinker and died early because of that. They said that Sahir was a short-tempered, hot-tempered angry young man. He would shout and be abusive, but the other side was so poetic and beautiful. If he wrote, that was the end of the story and no filmmaker could ever make him change that. If people did not understand, he would say too bad as he wanted them to be educated about new literary words. He worked with Guru Dutt, Dev Anand and wrote for all BR Chopra and Yash Chopra films and I believe when Sahir died, Yashji said, 'How will I make my films now?' As a kid, I remember watching Amitabh Bachchan sahab narrate Sahir's most famous nazm 'Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aata hai' and could never imagine that one day I will be narrating that myself on stage.
Ek Mulaqat brought to you by Bombay Times will be staged at Rangsharda Auditorium on August 23, 7.30 pm. Complimentary invites available at the Times of India building, Dr D.N. Road, VT on a first-come-first-serve basis from 11 am to 5 pm.
CONVERSATION WITH DEEPTI NAVAL:
You will be portraying Amrita Pritam on stage. She died in 2005. Did you know her in real life?
I was introduced to her first in 1978 through Basu Bhattacharya, who was then wanting to make a film on one of her novels Nagmani with me in it. Basuda never got down to making that film, but he told her how I wrote poetry. I recited it very candidly to her and she took a liking to what I was writing and called her publisher and said, 'Yeh ladki toh achcha likhti hai, toh iska kitaab chaapo.' So, it was because of her that Lamha Lamha came out in 1981. Then every time I would go to Delhi, I would make it a point to meet her. I have known her over the years. I wanted to pay my own tribute to her and was in the process of recording some of her Punjabi poems in my voice, when coincidentally Saif Haider Hasan, the director of Ek Mulaqat wrote to me offering me this role. I jumped at it.
What was Amrita Pritam like in real life?
She was a very gentle person with a lot of depth obviously as she wrote about life, living and interpreting it at the same time. That is what her life was. She lived to write about life. And that was extremely inspiring for me. She would always tell me to write in Punjabi. She was very soft as a person and would constantly smoke and would be comfortably sitting on her bed in a reclining position whenever I met her. There was a two-seater couch next to her bed, where I would always go and perch myself.
She would look at me and chat about life. She was very candid about her life, talk easily about things that happened to her and mattered to her. Just today, I was searching for all the books she gave me over time and realised that I had 11 of her books autographed by her. I always wanted to play her on cinema as I have known her so closely. The last time I saw her was about a year before she died. I had taken some theatre friends from Pakistan to meet her and they wanted to get themselves clicked with her. They asked her if they could take a picture with her, but she was reluctant to get photographed. She was a pretty woman who was attractive in her own way and was not a typical Amazonian Punjabi jat woman. She wouldn't hesitate to talk about Sahir Ludhianvi as there was so much of her work surrounded around him. She was a kind of person who would never camouflage anything.
She was a very honest woman, who lived her life with great honesty and I admired that about her. She was candid and unapologetic who translated all her experiences about life into her work. I relate with that aspect of her personality. She was very warm and endearing. In the later years of her life, she moved into her quest for spirituality. She would be considered a feminist just for the fact that in those years, in the 30s, the time she was growing up, she walked away from her marriage as she thought there wasn't enough passion in it. So, for a woman to let the world know that she would not toe the line and found new definitions of life, was admirable. She was attracted to Sahir sahab's mind and his poetry. She would subtly go into his poetry while talking to me and say, 'ki line hai' (in Punjabi). She was really not concerned about what people would say.
She was more concerned about being honest to her work and was interested in what she experienced and felt. She knew her place in the intellectual world and all her novels were women-centric. Even though I grew up in Amritsar, I used to find Punjabi very crude till I met Amritaji. I remember her looking at me with her narrow eyes and I wrote a poem for her: Your face is a metaphor, for living in your eyes, I learn language. She read it and immediately said to me, 'Write it in Punjabi.' Even though I fully well knew the chapter of Sahir sahab in her life, I was always fascinated by her other equation in life, her companion Imroz sahab, who was 10 years younger to her. He worshipped her and was so devoted to her.
You are such a fine actor, but never did theatre. Why?
I am petrified. I am so fascinated by people who can go on stage and rattle their lines two hours non-stop on stage.
Do you have any influence of theatre in your life?
I grew up in New York and went to college there, so Manhattan and Broadway is a part of my upbringing. I did study American theatre and would run around all those blocks, go and see a play, come back and make and exchange notes and then have discussions on it. I studied photography with painting as my major.
Surprisingly, the only thing I did not study was acting.
How does it feel to play Amrita Pritam?
I feel a deep connect. I keep thinking if I will be able to play her and she is constantly with me. We were rehearsing her signature poem, Ajj Akhaan Waaris Shah Nu about what she wrote about the post-Partition trauma. It was an emotional experience for me and I broke down while performing it. I guess I desired too much to play Amrita Pritam in my life. When you desire something too much, I guess it happens.
Talk about Shekhar playing Sahir Ludhianvi?
It's so uncanny that when I took to writing poetry, I wanted to write in Urdu and my favourite three authors were Sahir Ludhianvi, Ghalib and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. I felt that only Shekhar can play Sahir as you need to be able to recite and have the correct lehza and pronunciation and command over Urdu that he has.
CONVERSATION WITH SHEKHAR SUMAN:
What does it mean for you to be portraying Sahir Ludhianvi on stage?
I have myriad reasons for doing this play. I started my career as a theatre actor in a repertoire company and have always been drawn to literature. Also, I have always been a rebel, who has always been an anti-establishment guy and find similarities between Sahir and me as he too was a rebel. He was nomadic, a maverick and I find myself within me the same sentiments being echoed. He was my favourite even as a kid, when I did not even have a hang of Urdu, but someone presented me his book Parchhaiyan. I knew reading it that it was something very beautiful and it was my prized possession till I lost it somewhere in the middle, while moving from Delhi to Mumbai and then within Mumbai, moving so many houses. I asked so many people, but could not find a copy of it. Recently Saif, our director, got me a cheap edition of it from Old Delhi, but that has so many errors that I landed up making corrections in it. I jumped at the idea of playing Sahir as the whole world is in love with Sahir just as I have been. I love the Urdu tehzeeb and zabaan that is redundant and sunk in oblivion now. I admire and love him for the fact that he was a jilted lover.
Every boy who is growing up wants to be a Devdas and wants to be a jilted lover. Other than the fact that Sahir was commitment-phobic while I am not, I find a lot of similarity between me and him. Also, to be able to work with Deepti, who is one of the finest actresses and coming to theatre with this, is fantastic. I also feel that theatre needs to be promoted, as the emphasis on language is just not happening and less and less of good theatre is being made today. Also, the satisfaction of performing live on stage and that too playing Sahir, is one of my strong dreams that has come true, thanks to Deepti, who recommended my name. I started meeting people who knew Sahir and learnt that he suffered from Oedipus Complex. His mother had been abused by his father. He was obsessed with his mother and possibly that is why he found it difficult to commit himself to another woman.
What he wrote was intellectually far superior to his contemporaries. Sahir changed the way you look at things. He was a rebel and his lyrics reflected that. He had the guts and courage to say things that were anti-establishment. And so was Amrita, who also did not care a fig about what people said. He was also a chain smoker and a voracious drinker and died early because of that. They said that Sahir was a short-tempered, hot-tempered angry young man. He would shout and be abusive, but the other side was so poetic and beautiful. If he wrote, that was the end of the story and no filmmaker could ever make him change that. If people did not understand, he would say too bad as he wanted them to be educated about new literary words. He worked with Guru Dutt, Dev Anand and wrote for all BR Chopra and Yash Chopra films and I believe when Sahir died, Yashji said, 'How will I make my films now?' As a kid, I remember watching Amitabh Bachchan sahab narrate Sahir's most famous nazm 'Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aata hai' and could never imagine that one day I will be narrating that myself on stage.
Ek Mulaqat brought to you by Bombay Times will be staged at Rangsharda Auditorium on August 23, 7.30 pm. Complimentary invites available at the Times of India building, Dr D.N. Road, VT on a first-come-first-serve basis from 11 am to 5 pm.
Amrita Pritam's grandson sends legal notice to makers of Amrita-Sahir biopic
2:46 PM
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 5, 2014)
Theirs was not an easy romance and now the film inspired by the love story of legendary poets, Sahir Ludhianvi and Amrita Pritam, too has hit a roadblock even before it goes on floors.
The late Amrita Pritam's grandson, Aman Kwatra, has sent a legal notice to Ashi Dua, the film's producer, and to its director Jasmeet Reen.
Other than demanding that they restrain from making the film, the notice (of which Mirror has a copy) also seeks to prevent Dua and Reen from using the books written by Pritam as source material.
Additionally, Kwatra has demanded Rs 1 crore for "violation and infringement of copyrights" and "damage caused to Pritam's reputation, dignity and goodwill".
The notice mentions that the makers of the film made several attempts to contact Kwatra in a bid to acquire the rights of Pritam's autobiography from him, but he declined.
On September 16, 2013, the duo finally convinced Kwatra to meet them in Mumbai for a story narration, which was once again "defiantly disapproved" by him.
Now, Dua has been given a fortnight to respond to the legal notice and provide an unconditional apology for "causing substantial damage to the reputation of Amrita Pritam."
Reacting on the same, Dua told Mirror, "I've never claimed that I'm making a film on the lives of Amrita Pritam and Sahir Ludhianvi. What I am making is a period romance between two poets and I, as a filmmaker, have all the rights to do it."
Asked about the legal notice, Ashi said that she is yet to go through it. "I've been out of town and haven't got a chance to read it. After consulting my lawyers, I will send them a fitting reply."
Meanwhile, Kwatra told Mirror that instead of the rights to Pritam's autobiography, which would be the primary source for the movie, the family offered the producers rights to other stories authored by Pritam.
"But they weren't interested in other stories," he says. "My grandmother would have not appreciated the dramatisation of her life, which is why I've opposed it. A legal notice was sent to them in this regard brgotr, to which they didn't bother to respond."
-----------------------------
Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; August 5, 2014)
Reports have been rife about
Irrfan playing Sahir Ludhianvi in a biopic on the late poet-writer,
but the project seems to have been caught in a legal wrangle. Reason:
The family of Amrita Pritam, with whom Ludhianvi was in a long-term
relationship (she has chronicled it in her autobiography, Raseedi
Ticket), has raised objections against `fictionalising her life'.
Her grandchildren Aman and Shilpi Kwatra have sent legal notices to Jasmeet Reen and Ashi Dua, the director and producer respectively , of the biopic. Says Aman, “Ashi and Jasmeet had approached us last year for a biopic on my grandmother. While reports say they are making a biopic on Sahir Ludhianvi, the film is based on the relationship my grandmother shared with him. Their movie uses references extensively from her autobiography. We declined because our grandmother never wanted any commercial movie to be made on her life. She had consistently refused to give the rights of her autobiography to anyone."
Aman says they had sent notices to Ashi and Jasmeet on November 30, last year, but didn't receive any response. After recent reports, they sent another notice on August 2. Ashi said “We have all the ethical and technical permission for the film we are making."
Amrita Pritam (August 31, 1919 -October 31, 2005) was a writer and poet
who wrote in Punjabi and Hindi. Her novel Pinjar was made into a film
starring Urmila Matondkar and Manoj Bajpayee. It won the National Award
for Best Film on National Integration She married Pritam Singh in 1935
and they separated in 1960. She's reported to have been in a long
relationship with Sahir Ludhianvi. After Sudha entered his life, Amrita
found solace in the companionship of renowned artist and writer, Imroz.
Sahir Ludhianvi (March 8, 1921 -October 25, 1980) was born as Abul
Hayee. A popular Urdu poet and Hindi lyricist, he penned songs for films
like Pyaasa, Dhool Ka Phool, Daag and Kabhi Kabhie among many others.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1971. He remained a bachelor after two failed affairs with Amrita Pritam and singer/actress Sudha Malhotra. The Government of India honoured him with a commemorative stamp on his 92th birth anniversary in 2013.
Her grandchildren Aman and Shilpi Kwatra have sent legal notices to Jasmeet Reen and Ashi Dua, the director and producer respectively , of the biopic. Says Aman, “Ashi and Jasmeet had approached us last year for a biopic on my grandmother. While reports say they are making a biopic on Sahir Ludhianvi, the film is based on the relationship my grandmother shared with him. Their movie uses references extensively from her autobiography. We declined because our grandmother never wanted any commercial movie to be made on her life. She had consistently refused to give the rights of her autobiography to anyone."
Aman says they had sent notices to Ashi and Jasmeet on November 30, last year, but didn't receive any response. After recent reports, they sent another notice on August 2. Ashi said “We have all the ethical and technical permission for the film we are making."
Amrita Pritam (August 31, 1919 -October 31, 2005) was a writer and poet
who wrote in Punjabi and Hindi. Her novel Pinjar was made into a film
starring Urmila Matondkar and Manoj Bajpayee. It won the National Award
for Best Film on National Integration She married Pritam Singh in 1935
and they separated in 1960. She's reported to have been in a long
relationship with Sahir Ludhianvi. After Sudha entered his life, Amrita
found solace in the companionship of renowned artist and writer, Imroz. 
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1971. He remained a bachelor after two failed affairs with Amrita Pritam and singer/actress Sudha Malhotra. The Government of India honoured him with a commemorative stamp on his 92th birth anniversary in 2013.
--------------------------------
Shubha Shetty-Saha (MID-DAY; August 5, 2014)
In May last year, producer Ashi Dua and director Jasmeet Reen approached the celebrated poetess Amrita Pritam’s partner Imroze and her grandson Aman Kwatra to take permission to replay her life story on celluloid. For the uninitiated, Amrita Pritam had a tumultuous love relationship with well-known poet and lyricist, Sahir Ludhianvi; she has even spoken about this relationship in her autobiography.
However, Amrita Pritam’s family members were not happy about this love story being made into a film and they turned down the proposal. Aman, along with his sister Shilpi, met the filmmakers, but refused to give permission for the film, as they wanted to respect their grandmother’s wish of not turning her story into a movie.
So when the filmmakers went ahead and announced the project, Pritam’s family was aghast. In November, they sent legal notices to the producer and director to stop them from making the film; they didn’t get any reply. But now that Irrfan has been signed on to play Ludhianvi’s role and Priyanka Chopra is slated to play Pritam, her family has once again sent a legal notice to the makers.
Aman Kwatra says that the family is disturbed by it all. “My grandma led a simple life. She didn’t want any commercial film to be made on her life. We are disheartened that Dua is going ahead without our permission. We hold the rights to her autobiography too. How can they go ahead then? Imrozji is hurt by this. We don’t want her life to be commercialised; we want her life to be seen through the beauty of her own writing. Since Sahirji had no children, I guess there is no one to object from his side, but we will continue the fight,” he says.
Priyanka Chopra to play Sahir Ludhianvi's love interest Amrita Pritam in biopic?
8:51 AM
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 25, 2014)
Ever since the biopic of renowned poet-lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi was announced earlier this year, speculation has been rife about the film's cast. After Irrfan Khan was signed on to play the Urdu poet-lyricist, the question on everyone's mind was: Who will play Amrita Pritam, literary giant and Ludhianvi's love interest, on screen. Speculation had been rife that Priyanka Chopra may bite the bait.
Mirror now has it that Priyanka has agreed to play the female lead in the film tentatively titled Gustaakhiyaan, which is being helmed by Ashi Dua (Bombay Talkies producer) and is expected to go on floors early next year.
Priyanka took her time before giving the final nod. A source close to the film says, "She was always the first choice for the role. Ashi is sure that Priyanka fits the bill."
The 28-year old filmmaker started working on the biopic soon after her marriage to hotelier Sunny Sara in March.
Amrita chronicled her affection for Ludhianvi in her autobiography, Rasidi Ticket. The two never married and she found solace in the companionship of renowned artist and writer Imroz. Their relationship lasted 40 years, until Pritam's death in 2005.
Priyanka and Ashi remained unavailable for comment.
Shekhar Suman & Deepti Naval to play Sahir Ludhianvi & Amrita Pritam in play
7:58 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; June 3, 2014)
Shekhar Suman started his career with theatre close to 30 years back. He will once again be seen with the extremely talented actor Deepti Naval in a play titled Ek Mulaqat, where he plays the celebrated Urdu poet Sahir Ludhianvi and she, his lover Amrita Pritam. Not much has been written about their relationship and their play is inter spersed with literary references, nazms and poetry of the legendary duo. The story, set against a cold winter night, starts with Amrita sitting on the terrace of her house in Delhi. She gets a trunk call from Mumbai, but wonders who is calling her as she does not know anyone in that city, except Sahir Ludhianvi. But, suddenly, Sahir appears in front of her and there is a soul sharing conversation between the two poets, who were lovers. If Sahir is on her terrace, she wonders then who is calling her from Mumbai. The play is a musical which captures their unrequitted love and their unique relationship full of pathos.
Ek Mulaqat will also see for the first time, both Shekhar and Deepti singing on stage. After debuting in London in August, it will come to Mumbai. Well, we can't wait to see this untold love story of two of India's greatest poets portrayed by two powerful actors.
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