Guneet Monga and Kushan Nandy

Imagine not meeting Ratna Pathak Shah’s Usha buaji from Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016). Or not being introduced to the tender story of friendship in No Fathers in Kashmir (2019). The FCAT was instrumental in clearing the two films, among countless others, after their makers had a run-in with the censor board, thus making Hindi cinema all the richer.  

Several filmmakers expressed their dismay at the news of the statutory body’s abolition overnight. Director Kushan Nandy, whose Babumoshai Bandookbaaz (2017) was given close to 48 cuts by the censor board, then headed by Pahlaj Nihalani, remembers how the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer found its rightful place on the big screen after eight minor cuts, thanks to the FCAT. “The CBFC had a problem with a kissing scene and the language — this, when we had [employed] the language used in Uttar Pradesh. It had become personal, which is why a body like the FCAT was important. It resolved the issues with a liberal approach,” says Nandy. The director recounts that after the film’s screening, the matter was resolved in a few hours. “They understood that the CBFC had judged in an arbitrary manner, and there was nothing defamatory in the film.”

He echoes the sentiments of filmmakers Vishal Bhardwaj, Hansal Mehta and actor Richa Chadha who, on social media, expressed that it is a sad day for Indian cinema. “Freedom of speech is the most important for filmmakers, and I feel like it’s being taken away. How many filmmakers will have the time and money to go to high court?”

Producer Guneet Monga, whose 2017 offering Haraamkhor was banned by the CBFC until the Tribunal intervened, urges the industry to initiate a dialogue. “It is confusing for a body to be removed overnight. Was there a discussion before? This is a question I would like to be answered,” she states.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; October 20, 2018)

There’s more to her than just a glamorous personality. She’s a talented artiste and now a film producer, too. Chitrangda Singh has donned several hats in her career that took off back in 2003. She admits that she wasn’t looking to be an actor, and hence wasn’t focussed on making it big in the profession. While her acting career hasn’t seen a high in a long spell, her first production, Soorma, has cemented her space as a film producer. In conversation with BT, Chitrangda talks about her forthcoming film, Baazaar, why only actresses are asked about catfights and why the #MeToo campaign has found approval in India, too. Excerpts…

Baazaar is your second release of the year, earlier, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 didn’t turn out as you would have wished for. Given that your role in Baazaar isn’t all that long, what sort of expectations do you have from the film?
It’s very important because every film counts. It either adds to you as an actor or just affects your career. It doesn’t always come out looking the way you expect it to. Your performance is not highlighted the way you wanted it to be. So, Baazaar is important, because Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 didn’t get the response we expected. I wasn’t happy with the way things turned out for me in particular.

You also turned producer this year with Soorma, a sports drama. Your foray into production was unexpected.
Firstly, I think everyone knows that I wasn’t doing much work since 2014-15. I was also going through a bad patch in my personal life. While I was away from movies, I found time to work on ideas that I had written a long time ago and I started developing scripts. That’s the time when I met hockey player Sandeep Singh and because I was in a writing zone, I penned his story. It turned out to be an unbelievable idea for a film, better than anything I could think of. I decided to make the film and because I took the rights, I promised him that it will be made without any concoctions. So, eventually, I turned producer, but I was more involved with the creative side. It was a great learning curve and while you’re just on the creative side, it’s still a lot of work. It took us a while to find a corporate partner, because the response to the script initially wasn’t welcoming. A lot of biopics were in the pipeline at that time. Besides, no one expected me to produce a film. The thought was, ‘Arey, isko bhi producer banne ka shaukh chadha hai. Sabko producer banna hai.’ I heard that line quite often. I’ll give them the benefit of doubt, because people are hesitant till you don’t prove yourself, which is fair.

Is it tough to balance between acting and film production?
The worlds overlap to a large extent, which is why so many male actors have been doing it for years. It just gets you more ownership and control of a project that you anyway invest so much in. In the male actor’s case, it’s also their name and image that matters. With Soorma, I’ve just familiarised myself with the process of film production. It’s not that simple, you have to make a few films and experience things to learn what it is like to be a producer.

Women started making films as early as 1926 but even today, their numbers are dismal when compared to the men. Also, a woman’s entry into the filmmaking business is often met with scepticism.
I don’t blame people. I don’t want to make this about men and women. Both male and female actors will be asked as many questions if they change tracks. You need to prove yourself in the film industry. Once you’ve done that, no one asks questions. If Anushka Sharma wants to make a film tomorrow, no one will question her now. It takes time and a few films to get there. Yes, we do need more women to make films, which will make it look as normal as it is for men.

Although you have a relatively smaller role in Baazaar, do you think women, overall have been getting better-written parts than before?
The audience just doesn’t want to watch formulaic films anymore. There is a change and women are becoming more integral to the storytelling process. The characters don’t always have to be feminists and/or inclined towards women’s liberation. Take Alia Bhatt in Raazi for instance. You don't need a man to carry the plot ahead. This is the reality of life. That’s how important women really are.

At the trailer launch of Baazaar, Radhika Apte and you were asked about being comfortable with each other during the shoot. Two men working together seldom brave questions about being comfortable while sharing screen space. Why do you think such questions are posed only to women?
Were Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor asked the same question? I think it’s the nature of the profession. Actors, irrespective of their gender, are greedy and selfish about scripts and roles. They seek the best for themselves because they’re trying to impress the audience. They want to be seen, and seen well. Having said that, I don’t know why men are rarely asked questions about how it was working with their male co-star because they are just as concerned as women are about their role, work and space. I think women are asked such questions because they are perceived as people who fight. Probably, they really have to fight to get what they deserve because nothing ever comes easy for them. Women are anyway more expressive, volatile and emotional than men. Among my cousins, my brothers fought lesser than my sisters. It’s not about being sexist; it’s just that women are more vocal and expressive, and not in a negative way. It’s so refreshing that we’re fiery and spontaneous unlike most men, who are so prim, proper and practical.

Two years ago, you had stormed out of the film Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, because you didn’t agree with the kind of (intimate) scene you were asked to shoot.
I was crying on the set when he (Kushan Nandy, director) kept on telling me that I have to do as he tells me to. He was almost frantic when he jumped on the bed and started showing me how to rub myself against Nawazuddin Siddiqui. At one point, even Nawaz walked away from there. I don’t know if that is me being fiery; that’s just me. There was a female producer and a female make-up artist and everyone watched silently. It’s so strange. Today, I support Tanushree Dutta and everyone else who has spoken up about times when they experienced horrible things at work. Better late than never! You know what? It was being reported back then as well, but it wasn’t getting picked up. I think with the #MeToo campaign in the West, the cause has found some sort of approval here, too. I just hope men who are supporting this movement aren’t just doing it for the sake of sounding cool.

Why do you think women often choose to remain silent after hostile experiences?
In our society, it’s widely accepted that men need not be penalised for sexual exploitation. It’s just taken for granted. I know of mothers who would look away if their little girls tell them about being sexually targeted by someone. We hear of these stories, I have seen my friend go through this when I was in class eight. It’s in our nature to feel ashamed when something happens to us and not confront men when they wrong us. Now that we are talking, we have sent out a message that no one needs to be quiet, that the fabric of our society needs to change.

It’s been 15 years since Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, but your career didn’t quite add up to the promise you showed in your debut film.
When I look back at my filmography, I, too, feel that it’s a little too random. Maybe, the reason is that I didn’t look to become an actor and so I didn't have a strategy. Luckily, I debuted with a film like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. Then, I took a six year break, because I wasn’t looking to work at that time. Eventually, I realised acting is my true calling and I came back here. I’ve been in and out of the profession since then. When you stay away from your work space for too long, you suffer. Six years is a very long time to pick up from where you left off. I made some big mistakes — I refused some really big films, which I shouldn’t have. The breaks I took to sort out my personal life also took a toll on my repertoire, but I am grateful that my work has been decent enough to keep me relevant. That’s the reason I continue to find work and now, produce films. I think I have got far more acknowledgement than the volume of work that I have done.

What do you think kept you going during your tough times?
I didn’t have a choice; I just had to keep going. The one thing that kept me happy and excited was cinema and that’s probably why I started writing. I’ve penned two scripts — a love story and a children’s film. I plan to make at least one of them next year. I also produced a film which saved me in a way. I had to find something to keep me excited. This is just the amount of perfection you can possibly manage in a lifetime.

Chitrangda Singh revisits the torturous shoot of Kushan Nandy’s 2017 directorial
As told to Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR (October 13, 2018)

While working on Babumoshai Bandookbaaz (2016), Nawaz (Nawazuddin Siddiqui, co-star) and I were supposed to shoot for an intimate scene that was supposed to be “passionate” but described vaguely in the script. When Kushan (Nandy, director) had handed the script over to me almost a year before we started shooting, I had enquired about the scene and how he was planning to shoot it. He responded by saying, “Writers ka kaam hai, who likh dete hain, passion and all. We will see how we shoot it.” When we started filming said scene, he kept on insisting that it needed more passion and subsequently, more takes. After a point, Nawaz told him that it was enough, but he wasn’t convinced and got angry.

When I tried to reason with him, saying that I could only do so much in a sari, he said, “Dono taraf pair karke ragdo.” He insisted that I get on top of Nawaz which I couldn’t do, but he snapped at me, saying, “Upar karo and go astride.” Eventually, he got on top of Nawaz to explain what he wanted me to do. I was teary-eyed by then, but he insisted that I do as he said since he was the director. Nawaz did intervene at this point and told Kushan that he was making my job difficult by using crude language.

Nobody uttered a word and I left for my van. Kushan followed me in. When I refused to do the scene his way, he flung the script at me, which almost hit me, before storming out.

Soon afterwards, I left for the airport and I got a call from my manager informing me that Kushan was already looking for a replacement. During the film’s promotions, both Kushan and Nawaz made light of the incident. At some point, Nawaz said that I had refused to kiss him because he has a dark complexion. Even today I get messages from his fans, questioning me about it.

(Kushan Nandy and Nawazuddin Siddiqui remained unavailable for comment)

Riya Sharma and Unnati Joshi (BOMBAY TIMES; October 9, 2018)

Chitrangda Singh has faced her share of struggles when she ventured into a completely new field — production. The actress spoke to us about the kind of work she chooses to do as an actor and producer, the challenges she faced as a producer and her experience of studying at Lady Irwin College in Delhi.

‘COLLEGE WAS TOO MUCH WORK, I DIDN’T HAVE ANY FUN’
Chitrangda was a Science student before she chose to pursue Home Science in college. She recalls, “I stayed in the college’s hostel for three years. Maine Home Science ye sochke li thi ki being a Science student for so long, I was tired of studying. I thought I don’t want to work this hard, so Home Science leni chahiye. Somebody had told me that it is easy and I didn’t bother to check if that’s true. Admission mil gaya, and that’s when I realised we need to study everything in Home Science — from Zoology, Botany, Chemistry and Textiles to cooking and stitching. I was like, I can’t believe I have jumped into a bigger well from the one I was trying to jump out of. But it was a good experience. I wasn’t excited about the course, but it didn’t turn out to be the way I thought it to be. It was too much work though. I was making night suits for kids and I was stitching blouses so I wasn’t really having any fun.”

‘AS A PRODUCER, I LOOK AT THE VIABILITY OF A PROJECT IN TERMS OF WHETHER PEOPLE WOULD WATCH IT’
Chitrangda’s last project, Soorma, was her first film as a producer. She tells us that when she picks a project as an actress, she looks forward to working with the director. But when she is producing, the first thing she looks at is the viability of the project. “As an actor, you look at the director, and then the producer. Next, you see whether the project would make enough money or not. Being an actor, you are focused on the creative side of the film. As a producer, you look at the viability of the project in terms of whether people would come and watch it. For me, the transition from an actress to a producer had its hiccups. It was not smooth in the beginning, to be honest. I had to learn the business aspects of the industry. I was more excited about the creative side of films, which is something that I had been a part of since day one,” she tells us.

Many actresses who have turned producers have accepted that it is not easy to be a female producer in the industry. “It wasn’t smooth. I don’t know how fair it is to say this, but there is a reason why people give you a bit of a tough time. Being an actress, I didn’t know the business end and people had their doubts. It takes time to prove yourself and show people that you understand the project you are backing. Other than that, I have been very lucky as I haven’t faced many problems,” she shares.

‘SAIF HAS A MEAN SENSE OF HUMOUR’
Her next movie Bazaar releases next month, and she plays Saif Ali Khan’s wife in the film. “It was lovely working with Saif. He has got amazing timing as an actor and he makes it look very effortless. It is because he rehearses and puts a lot of work into it. He is fun on sets and has a very mean sense of humour which sometimes amazes me, but he is wonderful,” she signs off.
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‘WE, AS A SOCIETY, SHOULD SUPPORT TANUSHREE DUTTA’
At a recent event in Mumbai, Chitrangda spoke out in support of Tanushree Dutta. “If it is the truth and even if you speak about it after five years or 10 years, we must listen to it, give importance to it and do justice to it. I support Tanushree. She has taken 10 years to talk about it. In rape or molestation cases, most of the times, the victim doesn’t feel confident to speak about it immediately. But whenever they want to express themselves, then as a society, we should support them and give them a hearing at least.”

Chitrangda had also walked out of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, citing discomfort shooting intimate scenes with co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui. “That was my stand to walk out of the film. I believe that nobody gave importance to that matter that time. But that doesn’t matter, because now the media is doing an amazing job. The #MeToo movement shouldn’t be just about copying the West.”

— IANS

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; September 7, 2017)

If the commercial success of his latest offering Babumoshai Bandookbaaz isn’t reason enough to celebrate, Nawazuddin Siddiqui now has another cause to make merry. The actor’s brother Shamas recently gifted him his first luxury car, a black Mercedes SUV, to mark his latest accomplishment.

Evidently moved by the gesture, Siddiqui tells midday, “I did not expect Shamas to get me such a lovely car. It probably is the most expensive gift I have ever received. I have concentrated on my work, never focusing on the perks, but, this is special. I will cherish it.”

His brother says he was always on the lookout to shower his love on Siddiqui, but was awaiting the right moment. “Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is his first solo hit, so, I realised that this was the right time to gift him a car. He is a simple person and had been using his old car for four years.”

Talking about the success of the film, Siddiqui says, “Though it is an offbeat film, it was liked by critics and viewers. I’m glad it is reaching the masses.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 31, 2017)

"It's a ridiculous reply,” says Kushan Nandy, who is fresh out of the success of his film Babumoshai Bandookbaaz starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui. After Nandy had sent a legal notice to Pahlaj Nihalani claiming that the then Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief was trying to sabotage his film, he has received an 18-page counter, claiming defamation from Nihalani.

In a chat with mid-day, Nihalani, who was recently sacked from the Censor Board, had claimed, “Filmmakers like Nandy are using the CBFC diktats to garner publicity for their films.” Kushan rubbishes this saying, “There are two major problems with how Nihalani went about things. Firstly, he wrote a letter to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), trying to stop them from giving us a clearance. Secondly, he claimed that we’ve shown two different films — one to the CBFC’s Examining Committee (EC), and other to the FCAT. We have no reason to do that. I had to take a lot of pains to procure a letter from authorities to confirm that both the versions, shown to the FCAT and EC, were the same. Now that he isn’t the Censor Board chief, these are his gimmicks to make sure he remains in news.”

Asked how he plans to take the issue forward, Nandy says, “I just want to move on. The first day I met Pahlaj, he’d said if it were in his hands, he would have banned the film. Anything that doesn’t fit into his mould of sanskari, he wants to pull it down. I was reading an interview where he’d said that he can’t clear a film he thinks his daughter shouldn’t watch. I have no idea what kind of archaic universe he comes from.”

Deepali Singh (DNA; August 30, 2017)

For somebody, who came to Mumbai with Rs2,500 in his pocket, and had to struggle for more than 12 years to find a foothold in Bollywood, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has come a long way. The critics love him and so does the audience. For Nawaz, it is appreciation from the junta that keeps him on his toes. “There are times when the critics might not always be happy but the audience fills that gap,” he says, adding that while his latest film, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz also got some weak reviews, the audience is watching it. “It must have connected somewhere for them to do that,” he reasons. The actor opens up on his film roles, avoiding being typecast and what money means to him...

You are balancing big-budget films like Raees and Munna Michael, with smaller-budget films such as Haraamkhor and Babumoshai Bandookbaaz. How do you manage that?
Yes, and I will keep doing it. It’s the different topics that small budget films throw up that I find exciting as an actor. Small filmmakers come with different subjects, where actors get the scope to perform. Mazaa aata hai aisi filmein karnein mein. The budgets might be smaller, but the characters are really interesting. In a big film, you can’t take that risk. Take a film like Babumoshai... He’s a besharam character, there is no goodness in him. Big stars will not do it because they are image-conscious. If I’m getting a chance to do this, then as an actor, it’s an opportunity for me to hone my craft. So, I will always be a part of this cinema.

What emotion do you tap for negative characters like Babumoshai and Raman Raghav?
Actually, mazaa tabhi aata hai, when you do something like a Manto and also do a Babumoshai, who’s a shameless character. It gives you a chance to explore your inner world. Whatever emotions you have inside, I feel you should tap them through your character.

Babumoshai... and Gangs of Wasseypur have a similar backdrop of blood and violence. How do you ensure that you do not repeat your characters?
Repetitive characters are those of the Bollywood hero, who has been doing the same thing for the last 60 years. In the 16th century, French playwright Moliere, wrote many plays. While the plots would change, the characters would remain the same. It’s the same thing in Bollywood. Till the time we’re stuck in that, good stories will not emerge. I don’t get into that rut.

How have you avoided getting typecast so far?
It’s been an effort from my side because I don’t want to get stuck. If I do a Babumoshai, I will also do a Manto. I will do everything except play the typical hero. If I play a hero, he will be someone who exists, not somebody you can’t imagine. I can’t do those characters because I find them fake and they have no detailing.

For someone who started with one scene in Sarfarosh, did you ever think you would one day be playing lead roles in films?
No, I never imagined it. I just wanted to do good work, whether in films or serials.

Naseeruddin Shah recently said that one can’t become the character. Irrfan Khan has also expressed similar views. What do you think of that?
Naseerji, Irrfan, and I are trained from the same place. We have been taught different theories on characterisation, by (Jean-Paul) Sartre, (Konstatin) Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov amd Paul Muni. How should an actor portray a character, has been discussed for many years. Some say that you remain yourself but partly become another character. Some say that you completely become the character. Both are correct.

You’re playing Manto. How do you play someone who was loved by so many and yet, was flawed as well?
Manto mein kamaal ki daring thi. In the 1940s, he wrote what was happening in society. He didn’t get scared. I feel sad that today, there is nobody like Manto. He was an egoist because he knew that the writers of that time were not able to think like him. His stories were appreciated by writers such as Ismat Chughtai and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. He had his flaws, but that’s what made him a complete human being. I have worked on the character. He will seem like a man of today. Fark yeh hai ki aajkal log bolne se darte hain. The situation that time was similar lekin Manto bolta tha.

You’re playing Ganesh Gaitonde in Sacred Games. What drew you to this character?
Gaitonde came from a small place and he had a rise and a fall. That’s his graph and that’s also the beauty of his character. I’m happy that it will be shown in 160 countries at the same time. Now, everything is global. We see their work and they see ours.

You came to Mumbai with Rs 2,500 in your pocket. Today, you are star. What is the value of money for you?
Money has no value for me. You have to make yourself so capable that money runs after you. If you run after money you will be running after it all your life. The choice is yours. I never ran after it. I worked hard, worked on my craft. It’s the result of that, that I’m doing the kind of work I am. Apni marzi ka kaam kar raha hoon. I’m working on my terms and conditions. I’m not following anyone. I have my own style.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 25, 2017)

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz proves that not every quirky, gangster film based in the hinterlands can be Gangs Of Wasseypur and not every director can be Anurag Kashyap. There isn’t much of a story and the film does shock people at some places with its twists and turns. But after a point, these twists stop making sense. Just about anything starts happening in the film in the makers' quest to show the unexpected to the viewers. But there has to be some rationale behind it, boss! What saves the film from becoming a disaster are the dialogues, few sequences and performances. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the apt choice and does extremely well, despite getting repetitive. Bidita Bag is superb and she’s the only one who’ll benefit big time from this film. Jatin Goswami is an actor to watch out for. On the whole, this one is a big disappointment!

My rating - ** out of 5!

8 FILM RELEASES TOMORROW; ONLY A GENTLEMAN AND VIVEGAM TO MAKE A MARK!

On June 1, I had reported about deluge of Hindi releases on Friday June 2 - Dobaara, A Death In The Gunj, Dear Maya, Hanuman Da Damdaar, Sweetiee Weds NRI and Mirror Game. Apart from these releases, two Hollywood biggies, Wonder Woman and Baywatch, also hit screens apart from a Marathi biggie, FU. Something similar will happen tomorrow when five Hindi films are all set to release. Then there are also two Hollywood films – The Hitman’s Bodyguard and The Dark Tower – releasing. And down south, superstar Ajith’s Tamil flick Vivegam will hit screens which is expected to dominate Bollywood films hugely. My analysis on the Hindi releases:

A GENTLEMAN: It stars Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez and is directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, who are known to make quirky entertainers like 99, Shor In The City and Go Goa Gone. The film initially was believed to be a sequel to Bang Bang. Then the film was titled as Reload or Reloaded. It was recently that the title of the film was unveiled. From the trailers, it looks like a fun action entertainer. Music hasn’t been huge but has got noticed. Sadly, A Gentleman is not the massy action entertainer, like Dabangg, Singham or even Wanted. It looks too classy and might hence appeal more to the multiplex and urban audiences. It’ll surely get the best opening among all Bollywood releases.

BABUMOSHAI BANDOOKBAAZ: It features Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bidita Bag and is directed by Kushan Nandy. It seems more in the Gangs Of Wasseypur space. The trailer is interesting and it seems like the film has adequate dose of sex, action and humour. The film made noise recently when Censor Board asked for around 45-48 cuts. But the makers took the film to the Tribunal and got the film passed with very few voluntary cuts. Such adult-rated films anyways appeal to only a section of audiences. With competition from A Gentleman, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz will be affected despite both films being different. Opening will be just okay or even poor. A good word of mouth will ensure the film turns successful.

QAIDI BAND: This is the launch vehicle of Raj Kapoor’s grandchild Armaan Jain and Anya Singh. Directed by Habib Faisal, it is set in a jail and is about a group of prisoners who start a band inside. The trailer is highly impressive but the promotional strategy is poor. Songs haven’t worked at all. It is directed by Yash Raj Films (YRF), who are known to enhance the buzz for their films with minimal publicity. In case of Qaidi Band, it has failed to even make people aware of this film, forget making them excited for it. It’s also bewildering why this film is releasing in the midst of so many releases. It’s a big folly by YRF that can cost them dearly. Are they trying to come before Lucknow Central, the September 15 release that shockingly is also about prisoners opening a band in jail?

SNIFF: It is directed by Amole Gupte, who has made kiddie films like Stanley Ka Dabba and Hawaa Hawaai in the past. This film is about a child detective, who has extraordinary powers of smell. It is the first film produced by Ajit Thakur’s Trinity Pictures, which is a part of Eros International. The film looks great from the trailers but again, awareness and excitement is negligible. On top of it, it releases among so many films and is bound to get lost. The makers probably should have tried to release this film on a different date, even clashing with a biggie. For instance, releasing Sniff with Toilet – Ek Prem Katha would have been a more sensible decision. At least, it would have got noticed and got required number of screens.

MUSKURAHATEIN: This is a sure-shot disaster and looks unintentionally funny. The trailer begins showing Sanjay Mishra fooling around and even dancing on a booze-themed song. But halfway through the trailer, it is revealed that he’s not the lead, it’s Dr J S Randhawa who is the ‘main hero’. His acting and expressions are silly and I was wondering how on earth he bagged the role. I guessed that he must be the director of the film and I was right!

WHICH FILM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Actor on his ‘true anti-hero’ of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz and being Manto, that left him with a sense of emptiness
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 24, 2017)

You’ve hit all the right notes with parallel roles in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Raees and Mom. In comparison, what are the pressures of doing a solo hero film like the upcoming Babumoshai Bandookbaaz?
There’s no pressure for this one because the makers (director Kushan Nandy and producers Kiran Shyam Shroff and Ashmith Kunder) have worked with a controlled budget. I am confident because there is no scope of boxoffice disappointments. We’ll break even. The pressures are when the budgets are huge.

So which of the two types of roles do you prefer?
Every character has its own journey and sometimes, doing a strong supporting role can be far more satisfying, like it was alongside Srideviji for Mom. The idea is to take a character to its extremities and portray the lengths he will go to in the cinematic universe. Sometimes you have the lead role but are not able to get it right. Sometimes, a five-minute role is etched in people’s minds forever.

You’re playing a contract killer-cum-Romeo. How different is he from Faizal Khan in Gangs Of Wasseypur?
A lot of people have been telling me that the guns, lungi and the general avatar remind them of Faizal Khan. But he was an emotional man, he had values and his journey was glorified by Anurag Kashyap’s brilliant treatment of the narrative. In Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, my role defies all norms of a commercial Bollywood hero. He is a sweet talker, dancer and lover. Bollywood mein toh pyaar bhi hero hi sabse best karta hai. But my character breaks this image. He is the true anti-hero. You may hate his guts or love him, but he’ll definitely engage you.

The word ‘Babumoshai’ means a respected man, a Bengali word for gentleman…
For me, it’s never been a Bengali word but a word that impacted my life after I watched Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand during my theatre days in Delhi. Because of the Amitabh Bachchan-Rajesh Khanna relationship, it goes beyond its literal meaning and stands for life and future. “Babumushoi, zindagi aur maut upar waale ke haath hai, usse na toh aap badal sakte hai na main, hum sab to rangmanch ki kathputliyan hai…”

The film has been mired in controversy since it was announced. Shooting was stalled in Kolkata and shifted to UP; Chitrangda Singh walked out because of too many steamy scenes; then CBFC Chief Pahlaj Nihalani ordered 48 cuts…
No one makes a film to use the Censor Board as a means to promote it, likewise controversies. Yes, there were minor roadblocks but Bidita Bag is a professional actress. No one wants purposely create trouble.

Now, all eyes are on Nandita Das’s Manto biopic with you in the lead...
Manto kuch aur hi hai! I am so happy that I was able to work with veteran actors like Gurdas Maan, Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal. For three months, I became Saadat Hasan Manto. It was depressing when I was done being him, it was like he was leaving my body, mind and soul. I felt empty, like nothing in the world would surprise me anymore. I’d incorporated Manto’s daring, candour and progressive social views into my being. I felt like the most honest man I could ever be. When the film was done, it was like going back to being an imposter, putting my actor’s face on for the real world…

Doesn’t that thought process drive you crazy?
It does! I wonder who I am in real life and how I feel. After Manto, I felt like I had given away too much so I spent time with my children, Shora and Yaani, and wife, Aaliya, to feel normal again. My life sometimes feels like the (Michael Keaton) film Birdman, which is about a man who is but isn’t at the same time. There’s a world I am a part of and another one I fantasise about.

Buzz is, you’ll soon start your first Brit film, The Confessions Of Sultana Daku.
Yes, prep is on track and my dates are locked. Whenever they decide, we’ll shoot.

There was a video of you mouthing dialogues from Game of Thrones. Are you a fan?
No! I don’t watch it. I’m a Narcos fan. Pablo Escobar for the win!

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; August 24, 2017)

DNA (August 23, 2017)

Crowded Fridays are no longer an isolated occurrence. We frequently face a flurry of releases on Friday. But the coming Friday will see four interesting Hindi films and two Hollywood biggies, The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Dark Tower, vying for attention. ​While Seema Kapoor, the late Om Puri wife, has decided to take her directorial debut Mr Kabaadi to a later date, September 8, the others are determined to weather the storm come what may.​

Leading this week’s gallery of eyeball grabbers are two bandook wallahs belonging to very different breeds of violence. Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Kushan Nandy’s Babumoshai Bandookbaaz culturally and geo-politically far removed from Sidharth Malhotra’s gun-slinging super-slicker in A Gentleman. But at the end of the day they are both trigger-happy heroes romancing sexy women, shooting down the baddies and revving up that highway in fast-flying automobiles.

A Gentleman’s co-director Raj Nidimoru says, “Our producers Fox-Star had announced this date (August 25) long back. There were no other films scheduled for that Friday when we announced A Gentleman. By and by, the others also came in for this Friday. I feel the other films that are releasing this week are in a completely different zone. I think every film will have its own audience. No film gets an all-clear solo release these days.”

Ajit Thakur, who produces this week’s third major release Sniff on behalf of Eros International feels the choices for producers to release their films has narrowed down markedly. “We have to release our film along with others in the hope that the unique content — Sniff is about a child detective — will be its USP.”

Aadar Jain, who gets his big launch this Friday in Yash Raj films’ Qaidi Band, expresses helplessness at the clutter of releases. “It’s not up to me to decide the release date. I think Yash Raj Films would be better able to explain the release strategy.”

Explains trade analyst Atul Mohan, “We had three back-to-back big-budgeted films Mubarakan, Jab Harry Met Sejal and Toilet - Ek Prem Katha. Usually, when one big film releases, the subsequent week is avoided by smaller films. But this time we had three biggies in a row which resulted in this pile. We have only 52 weeks to accommodate every film. We also have festive season beginning this week to be followed by Shraaddh when releases are avoided, which will take away two weeks. So the mad rush.”

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 22, 2017)

BOMBAY TIMES (August 18, 2017)

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 16, 2017)

MUMBAI MIRROR (August 16, 2017)

Gritty dialogues, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s stellar performance and glimpses of Bidita Bag’s screen presence, have garnered an overwhelming response to Kushan Nandy’s, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz.

Set to impress in an unconventional debut, essaying the role of a cobbler, Bidita Bag had been vying to work with Nawazuddin and when she finally got an opportunity she wanted to deliver only her best.

The evident chemistry between Bidita and Nawazuddin in the thriller is much talked about. It was recently revealed that Bidita insisted on multiple retakes for an intimate scene in the upcoming film. Being an ardent fan of the powerhouse performer, the actress wanted to look as comfortable as possible and on par with Nawazuddin’s impeccable acting skills. According to an insider, the actress’s love for the actor has tilted to an obsession with her sending him continuous messages.

Bidita Bag says, ”Phulwa, my character in the film is very unusual. The first two takes were looking very innocent, cute and lovey-dovey. The character’s boldness, the rawness, her overpowering personality and her passion was not showing. So I insisted on retakes to bring about that rawness. Also, I was cast opposite Nawazuddin, a perfectionist. While kissing for the camera, two people shouldn’t merely be rubbing at each other’s lips. A kiss should be true to the characters they are playing.”

Despite this being her first film with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the actress had no apprehension or qualms about performing intimate scenes before the camera. Bidita has often mentioned that Nawazuddin comforted her and their chemistry stems from there. Chitrangda Singh, who was formerly signed for the thriller, had already shot for the intimate scenes earlier. As she is no longer a part of the film, Nawazuddin had to re-shoot for the scenes with Bidita. Now that The Tribunal has passed the film without cuts, the intimate scenes can be seen in theatres.

Produced by Kiran Shyam Shroff and Ashmith Kunder, directed by Kushan Nandy and written by Ghalib Asad Bhopali, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is scheduled to release on August 25, 2017.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 13, 2017)

He has had four releases this year — Haraamkhor, Raees, Mom and Munna Michael — but he is far from done for 2017. He is gearing up for his next, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, which courted controversy after the Censor Board asked for 48 cuts. We catch up with the actor at a suburban club. He is no longer the demure guy making monosyllabic responses. He has reinvented himself as a thinking man’s actor, an artiste with global recognition and someone, who the common man can look up to as the changing face of films in India. In an hour-long chat, we deconstruct the new Siddiqui — raring to go, daring to experiment and unafraid to call a spade a spade. Excerpts from an interview:

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz makes a massy hero out of you. There is dance and dialoguebaazi like one. Was that the agenda?
Actors get excited about each and every film of theirs; some films more than others. This is my testing ground. I am doing action and dance, but it will be a failed effort if the audience doesn’t take it well. As actors, we can do our best and hope for the best. But in the current lull in the film industry, everything is a gamble.

It’s incredibly bold too to make a hero of a man who has no social values. Did the censor folk put you in a sense of doubt or reassess your judgement of the story at hand?
Forty-eight cuts is no a laughing matter. Audience kuch aur dekhna chaah rahi hai and CBFC kuch aur dikhana chaah raha hai. There is such a hue and cry about box office figures dwindling and films not making enough money. But the stories need to reassessed. If we study the shift to Netflix or to the web, we’ll realise it’s due to better content. The films that the censor folk rang alarm bells for have fared well. The recent release Lipstick Under My Burkha was lauded. So was Udta Punjab last year. There is an eerie dichotomy between the content people desire and the impositions of the certification board. This cannot be good news for content in general. People favour authenticity, real topics. When you show reality, you need to add the local flavour. Real people have a different lifestyle now, unke bhasha, unke pyaar karne ka tareeka sab badal gaya hai. What does the Censor Board want? We don’t touch upon real subjects and issues. At the end of the day, these are the films which put Indian cinema on the global map. Safe romantic comedies are not the ones for festivals. There is a hunger in the world to explore India for what it is. We aren’t making enough local films.

Your next film is based on controversial Urdu writer Sadat Hasan Manto’s life and works. Are you worried?
We are petrified. After the 48 cuts in Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, I wonder if we will have anything more than the posters to show. Manto took on subjects, which people squirm from discussing even now. He was controversial for the right reasons; he was holding a mirror to the world. I am keen to show the film to everyone. We finished shooting a month ago; now the VFX work is on. It releases in March next year.

Your recent short film on Manto ends with Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s words “Bol ke lafz azad hai tere… ” In some ways, the short suggested the world is moving backwards.
Isn’t it? The things we could show in the ’70s, we can’t anymore. The world wants to watch path-breaking stuff. Our filmmakers don’t have the free hand to show it. With content going digital, everything is a click away so why are we being prudes? Let’s look away from the hypocritical society we live in. To say that things films are showing aren’t happening for real, is living in denial. We are compromising on content, which we shouldn’t be doing.

In your zest to experiment, you did a film like Munna Michael. Did its failure affect you?
Munna Michael wasn’t my space, but I wanted to give it a shot. Reactions were polarised. Of course, it feels bad when films don’t work. This isn’t my space, but I take on such roles to stop myself from falling prey to monotony. So, there are no regrets. Critics panned the film. I am used to good reviews. But I have become a pakka industrywallah. This universe is made of praises and criticisms, flops and hits... we have to walk on. I learnt this the hard way after Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) when international media raved about the film. The reviews here didn’t say the most flattering things. There were lines like: It was distastefully gory. Anurag and I had joked then that we thankfully edited a scene of me cutting a man’s throat in Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012), with a peppy song playing as the blood spills out. The Indian audience does not have the taste for gory cinema; it’s an acquired taste. May be someday, such films will work too. People are foolish if they think one flop can stop me from doing such films. I love my dark zones, complex characters with layers, brooding personality and dysfunctional mind. That’s my training.

You’ve worked with Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan because you felt it helps you get a better audience for your indie films. Now with the audience panning their films, is it time to be more optimistic?
It is presumptuous of us to say if a film doesn’t work, their star value is losing the Midas touch. They are superstars, their holding is different but yes, the space and respect for content has gone up by notches. I am happy with the offers coming my way and the success. I feel empowered to pick up bold characters. I could have been overconfident, but when you’ve worked in theatre, you know that overconfidence is a mirage. You’ll have bad days still and fall with a thud often. I think after Manto, I will take time off work and rest a bit. I want to go back to my acting coach and get yelled at. Relearning is the most important process for any actor to keep his craft polished.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; August 3, 2017)

An allegation of gender misconduct by the makers of the upcoming Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Babumoshai Bandookbaaz has opened up a new can of worms for the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC). The makers claim that the film’s female producer Kiran Shroff was “humiliated” by members of the board for her choice of subject and clothes she wore during the censor screening.

The film’s director Kushan Nandy says, “After the screening, one of the board members commented on my producer’s clothes.”

Kushan adds that he met the CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani who “threatened” him with more cuts. “He told me I had two options. I could either go to the Revising Committee where I’d be given even more cuts or I could take my film to the Tribunal. I chose the latter option. He spoke to me in an arrogant tone. I tried to reason with him about the cuts. One of the dialogues that his Examining Committee ordered out drew an inference to an erection. But I pointed out to Mr Nihalani that he had shot a whole song called Khada Hai 20 years ago in celebration of an erection. But he wouldn’t hear any of it,” says Kushan.

But a livid Nihalani has a completely different story to tell. “Kushan is lying. No untoward incident happened with his producer. If that was the case, why didn’t he mention the incident when he met me? Yes, he met me after his film was rejected by our Examining Committee for what he calls a ‘private meeting’.”

He adds, “He tried to intimidate me and get the cuts in his film restored by using his political connections.” Nihalani feels Kushan is being provoked into badmouthing him. “Since I was brought in as the chairperson, these handful of team members have been working against the CBFC’s interests. They want to project themselves as the liberal forces, never mind if they end up flouting CBFC guidelines and rules,” says Nihalani.