Showing posts with label Chandan Roy Sanyal interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chandan Roy Sanyal interview. Show all posts
Makers focus on songs that play a role in marketing instead of those that take a story forward-Abbas Tyrewala
8:16 AM
Accompanied by Chandan and Abbas while discussing The Playback Singer, composer Mohan on his tryst to find a singer who could convincingly trace the protagonist’s journey from being a novice to a skilled musician
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; May 15, 2023)
In what may best be termed as a glimpse into the collaborative conversations that take place within the studio as they join hands for The Playback Singer, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Mohan Kanan and Abbas Tyrewala pique curiosity with the promise of transporting us back to the ’90s as they narrate a tale of music and ambition.
In this interview, they discuss the making of the project that promises to present a musical that film aficionados will remember.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
Chandan, you’ve stated in past interviews that you believe the genre of romantic musicals has gone amiss. What do you think has gone wrong?
Chandan: I wouldn’t say anything has particularly gone wrong. When I was growing up in the ’90s, and wasn’t exposed to world cinema, my father would listen to music by [Mohammed] Rafi, Kishore Kumar, and Manna Dey. It was always about music, and story-telling through music. If the music isn’t good, audience members would sneak out for a smoke, return and say that they couldn’t comprehend the film. That [magic] is now missing. Now, it’s all about collaborations. You never have two hands come together to take a story forward, in the way that Mohan and Abbas have come together. It’s all about understanding what the character feels, and how they take the story forward.
Mohan, as a musician, you would probably have an opinion on the best way to approach a musical?
Mohan: Chandan had involved me in the production work right from the beginning; it has been six years now. Abbas and I have worked together in different capacities; as co-musicians and a director [and composer] too. In this film, the storytelling goes ahead with music. We are back to lip-syncing. Casting a singer has become important, like it was in the past. For instance, if Kishore Kumar sang a song for an actor, it appeared that that voice belonged to that actor.
Chandan: When Mohan would explain [a song] to the singer, I could see him help them understand its emotion. A singer may be skilled, but to help them find the voice of the character is a different process. That’s what you will get to see in this film. The characters blend with the music, which blends with the story, and the film.
What was the difference in your approach to creating music for the ’90s?
Mohan: In ’92, cassettes were on the way out, and CDs were in. In the ’80s, people started to record singers and musicians separately. That was a change that began to happen. Also, A R Rahman entered the industry then, and changed its soundscape. With Roja, not only did he introduce a distinct south Indian flavour to music, but there was a difference in the production too. For me, this was exciting. I’d keep telling Chandan that [we could divide the music of the film] into pre and post Rahman. That was an idea I held in my mind. I was excited to show such a varied soundscape.
To highlight my point further, I’d discuss casting the [voice for] the lead female character, Suman. We are showing her journey from being a less confident singer, with a raw voice, to one who goes to auditions, and finds her place on the [stage of the finale round of a competition]. I had to find a singer who could do justice to this journey with her voice — showcase rawness in the early part of the film, and then mould it into a mature voice as she became better. This was tough, because it’s tough to fake that and make a singer sound bad, deliberately. So, I had to make a composition that was not in the singer’s comfort zone, so that she could sound raw, but good.
Abbas: In commercial cinema, it is not like we don’t have musicals. But, [makers focus on] songs that play a role in marketing instead of those that take a story forward. Now, we consider a film a musical if it has popular songs. But this may not be accurate. Our film, of course, is one that uses music to take the story forward. Working on it has hence been enjoyable.
To give you an example of how we are approaching it, we have been discussing our take on one of the songs, which will be in either Malayalam or Tamil. We are considering how we should approach the song-writing for the translated Hindi version. The lyricists then, were not very accomplished, so, the writing wouldn’t sound as polished as a piece written by Gulzar would. We are wondering if our translation should hence be one that doesn’t seem polished or well-rounded, as it was then. We aim to capture the same feel. That is an enriching process.
Mohan: Also, we are trying to create a back story for each song. In one [of the early] scenes, she sings for a few people on her terrace. We’ve given thought to why she would sing that song, which is one that her grandmother would sing to her. And the reason is that because it’s a song she has known since her childhood, she’s comfortable singing it. As the film progresses, and her personality changes, you can see her become confident and ambitious. At that point of time too, we have thought about why she would select the songs that she does.
Since this film tells the tale of a female protagonist, was there ever the need to get a female musician’s input for the music or the narrative?
Abbas: I came on board late, but, I think Chandan and Mohan would not have thought about it in terms of selecting a male or female [writer]. It’s an interesting question — to consider if a female lyricist would capture something about the [protagonist’s] frame of mind, but as a storyteller, I’d like to think I am accomplished in telling the stories of women too.
Mohan: When we jammed with the singer, we could see her character [shine]. When she rendered it, the song was built differently too; it took shape. The singers I know are extremely talented. When they come on board, they add character to a song in every way.
Is there something else with regard to the music-making process that you’d like the readers to know about?
Mohan: We want to release the songs in the same order that they appear in the film, so that the viewers can understand how the film proceeds. We also don’t want the process to become too intellectual where the emotions get [camouflaged]. This is also my tribute to a lot of the artistes I have grown up doting on, like Rahman, Jagjit Singh, and Ilaiyaraaja, among others. For me, to create something that pays tribute to them, without aping them, is gratifying.
Shot on smartphone, Chandan Roy Sanyal’s directorial So Sicily is finalist at a film festival in Spain
8:17 AM
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 3, 2021)
Actor and writer Chandan Roy Sanyal’s directorial So Sicily has been selected as the finalist at Cinephone International Smartphone Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain. He shot the movie for a month in 2019, on a smartphone, with a four-member crew, across Italy.
“After I wrote So Sicily, I thought, instead of asking people for money to make it, let me collaborate with my two friends and shoot it the way I want. I also reached out to an actor friend residing in Munich who reached Sicily where we did a workshop,” shares Sanyal, 41, who adds that he also acted in it.
The actor shares that had it not been for the pandemic, he would have sent the film to other film festivals as well.
Talking about how he thoroughly enjoyed the process, Sanyal says, “There are some stories that one can tell with just a camera and an actor. We shot across oceans, deserts, forts, palaces, churches, trains, ships, airports and stations. We took a car from Rome and drove down to South Italy.”
Over the years, with his own money, Sanyal has made a few short films and shared them with different directors to get their feedback. The Jabariya Jodi (2019) actor says, “I’ve shown them to people I admire — (filmmakers) Vishal Bhardwaj, Prakash Jha and Imtiaz Ali. They appreciated my storytelling and encouraged me to make more films.”
But does he have any plans of directing a feature film? “Yes, I’ve been writing. I want to tell new-age stories,” he concludes.
I taught Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology at a college in Malad in Mumbai-Chandan Roy Sanyal
8:16 AM
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 5, 2021)
Chandan Roy Sanyal’s career, before he became an actor, was an unusual one — he was a teacher. Looking back, the actor on Teacher’s Day, credits that profession to shaping who he is today. “I took to teaching in Delhi and the memories of it make me smile even today. The things you learn as a teacher from your students are priceless. You witness firsthand, your students’ curiosity and their readiness to question everything,” he shares.
So where did he teach and what were his subjects during his tenure as a teacher?
He tells us, “I taught school kids all the subjects. Teaching in college was my first occupation in the city of dreams. I taught Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology at a college in Malad (in Mumbai).”
As a student, too, the actor says he always admired teachers for their commitment to their jobs. “I was the kind of student who looked at teachers as my parents in school. As life progresses, our friends, our colleagues, children and situation assume the role of a teacher,” the 41-year-old explains.
Sanyal made his debut in the Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra film Rang De Basanti (2006). But his big break came with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey in 2009. Talking about the transition from teaching to acting, he says, “Before I dived into acting, I needed money to travel to Mumbai. I started tutoring school kids in Delhi and their fee funded my trip to Mumbai.”
So, would he ever go back to teaching, even if it is as an acting coach? Sanyal says he does not see that happening anytime soon.
“I would love to share my experience with the aspirants. Nothing would give me a sense of purpose as much as letting them know what they can expect from a career in acting and how they can navigate the industry. It is a huge responsibility and when the time is right I would love to don that hat as well,” he concludes
Once a villain, always a villain notion doesn’t exist anymore-Chandan Roy Sanyal
7:45 AM
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 25, 2021)
For actor Chandan Roy Sanyal, playing a baddie onscreen is quite fun, as he believes one doesn’t have to worry about getting trapped in the image of a villain, now.
“A villain’s role has changed immensely in Bollywood. Previously, we have had some very famous villains such as Pran sahab, Amjad Khan and Amrish Puri. They were the quintessential villains of Hindi film industry,” Sanyal states.
The actor feels they kept on doing roles of a villain because “once a villain always a villain”. However, that’s how it was then, but not anymore.
In his career, Sanyal has explored the negative roles through projects such as D-Day (2013), Jazbaa (2015), and Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017).
“After I’ve played a villain, I take a break and do something else, or try a different language,” he reveals.
As for his motivation, Sanyal derives it from the script itself. “There is nothing special that I do, thinking that it is a role of a villain, and thinking how I will walk or act. I just play it like a role. In my vocabulary, there is nothing such as a villain or negative role,” says the actor, who is currently busy shooting for Sanak, co-starring Vidyut Jammwal, Neha Dhupia and Rukmini Maitra.
We are live streaming the whole film, being performed in one shot-Chandan Roy Sanyal
8:06 AM
Actor-director Chandan Roy Sanyal's latest cinematic experiment makes its debut online today as a one-shot film, being acted out and live-streamed with no cuts
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; December 20, 2020)
For actor Chandan Roy Sanyal, best known for the role of Mikhail in Kaminey, the lockdown brought his production company, Proscenium Film Company, to a halt. But after a few months of being out of action, Sanyal and his colleagues realised they couldn't idle away their time. They decided to get into the groove of things by starting small, with a rehearsal reading on Zoom.
"We began with reading Dumbwaiter, a one-act play by Harold Pinter. We started rehearsing four versions of it. We were hoping to perform it, but then we were told nothing was possible until the theatres opened. So, we had to figure how to put together a play that could be taken to the audiences, online, in a digital format," says Sanyal, last seen in Prakash Jha's web series, Aashram.
Dipping into the feeling of frustration, he wrote In Between, which is set in the waiting room where an audition for a film takes place, and is packed with actors who play "actors auditioning for a role". In its format, the film is a one-shot film, which basically means it has no cuts. "What the format needs is a fair bit of rehearsing. If you make a mistake, it won't work. The audience is watching it as we are doing it, so to speak. It's not recorded. It's like live streaming the whole film, being performed in one shot. It's no different from being at the theatre," he explains. When ticketing platform Book My Show saw a sample of one rehearsal, they gave them their platform to stream it on.
That's about form. As far as the subject went, it's the insider-outsider debate that erupted after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, that proved inspiration. "Often, people forget that even established actors need to give auditions and face rejection. Soon, the whole debate nosedived and everyone was taking potshots at the film industry. Basically, actors were called useless. The perception was that the movies are all about glamour, and no hard work. That's why I wrote In Between, which is set in an audition waiting room, and shows the desperation an actor experiences to get a part."
Sanyal admits that he drew into his own personal struggle, remembering a time when he took the local train, his world packed in one bag. "I would change in public washrooms, shave, wash up, and know how to be ready just about anywhere. What also happens is that in an audition room, whatever is happening outside doesn't count. You may have come from a funeral, but inside the audition room you have to behave as if nothing has happened. You may already be a working actor, and may have come from a set, but here, you are like a beginner giving an audition."
In Between, then, was his way of letting the audience and aspiring performers into an actor's life, especially the patches of frustration and the politics. "They should know that this is a playground and you have to get dirty to get some place. And even once you get what you want, you have to keep at it because then it's about getting the next good part, and the next. It's not easy at all."
I don’t want to overeat and have indigestion in entertainment-Chandan Roy Sanyal
8:06 AM
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 18, 2020)
“People loved my work and I got recognition for my performances. I have not had a year like this. But due to the kind of year 2020 was, I am ashamed to say bahut maze aaye iss saal,” says Chandan Roy Sanyal.
He credits the social media for his popularity to grow manifolds. The actor admits that when his other projects released earlier, people would say it’s good but the kind of love he got this year was also due to social media trends. “Aashram became a mass loved project. I have had people from all over the world getting in touch [with me] for the show. They could relate to the story and director Prakash Jha is known for his social political thrillers,” he says.
Sanyal, who rose to fame with filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey (2009), also made news for his performances in web series Parchhayee (2019), Bhram (2019) and Kaali. He reveals that this acclaim has translated into a lot of work. “I have been reading some interesting scripts. In fact, I have 10 to 15 shows in the offing but it’s humanly not possible to do all. I will pick good stuff. I don’t want to be swayed by adulation. This is not going to last forever. Tomorrow, some other project will take the nation by storm. I don’t want to overeat and have indigestion in entertainment (laughs),” he says.
He created a show called In Between, with a bunch of theatre actors during the lockdown which is one shot live film. They have done three shows last month and he is glad with the response. “I am trying to maintain a balance with the projects I choose. Talks are on for a few biggies in 2021, and I am glad that this year, OTT gave me the chance to be in the middle of the frame. Earlier, I would be on the side. That is exciting for me. I am looking forward,” he concludes.
Shah Rukh Khan quickly finished his make-up to join me in my rehearsals-Chandan Roy Sanyal
8:17 AM
Two Delhi boys bond over landmarks, chhole bhature and a ring in Portugal
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 23, 2016)
After playing the antagonist in Sanjay Gupta’s Jazbaa, Chandan Roy
Sanyal returns with another negative role but with comic elements in
Imtiaz Ali’s The Ring, featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma. The
36-year-old actor shot his portions in Lisbon earlier this month.“My character, Gas, is an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant who runs a restaurant in Lisbon and is like the gang leader of his community there. It’s a journey film revolving around a finger ring. Gas meets Khan saab (SRK) in Lisbon," informs Chandan, who hit it off instantly with King Khan because they're both Delhi boys. “He is from Rajendra Nagar and I am from Karol Bagh so our conversations varied from major landmarks in Delhi to roadside chhole bhature.”
Chandan recalls that once when SRK saw him rehearsing his lines with Imtiaz, he quickly finished his make-up and joined them to help him with his scenes. "My SRK faves are Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa and Dil Se," says Chandan who's shot just one scene with leading lady, Anushka, who incidentally is his neighbour in Mumbai.
“I was waiting for my car after pack-up one day when she walked up to compliment me on a scene I'd shot earlier. I'm looking forward to the second schedule with the duo."
SRK plays a tourist guide and Anushka is a Gujarati girl.
My biggest fear is losing my freedom-Chandan Roy Sanyal
2:10 PM
Chandan Roy Sanyal speaks about appreciating the freedom we take for granted in his short
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; August 14, 2016)
"I think the youth today take freedom for granted. How did we get here? How can we do what we can do? My biggest fear is what will happen if I lose my freedom today. There is a story behind it, people behind it — the fact that we are eating good food and breathing this air. What would you do if you were thrown in jail, with only half a roti and half a glass of water? Then you will realise what freedom really means. The youth need to see that. It’s also about thinking of giving back to society for what it gave you,” says actor and now writer/director Chandan Roy Sanyal, 36, who released his 22-minute-long short, Azaad, on SonyLIV.com to celebrate Independence Day.
Azaad starts with a homecoming of the eponymous 40-year-old character who returns to his hometown in Rajasthan with his wife. He returns for the death anniversary of his grandfather, who was a freedom fighter. The tale oscillates between the present and 1942, the time of his grandfather and his three friends, and their struggle for freedom. “I was watching the Republic Day parade in January. And, I felt like I was watching it in 1987. That parade has not changed at all, despite advance in technology. I wanted to make something related to the freedom struggle that was more contemporary, and that was Azaad’s genesis,” says Sanyal, who also essays the role of the protagonist.
The short, which took all of three days to make, and which also stars Adli Hussain, Abhay Mishra and Sudeep Modak, is engaging and intense and as Sanyal himself admits a mix of ‘Rang De Basanti and Swades’. Sanyal has been seen in movies such as Kaminey and Prague and is a well known Bengali actor. “This character Azaad has been brought up on a diet of freedom struggle stories. And, on his way back home, he gets a surprise visit from the past, and how that changes his life and his perception of the word azaadi is what this movie’s crux is,” he says.
Sanyal also turned writer for the movie, something he hadn’t done before. As research, he did what any true blue cinema fan would do — he watched movies on the freedom struggle. “I watched Shaheed and Chetan Anand’s Haqueeqat. I wanted to make a movie that was on the popular level. Music also plays a big part in the film.” A bit disgruntled at what it takes to make a full-fledged movie —“the money and all”, Sanyal is now a fan of the short film. In the past 14 months, he has made three of them, Hiroshima and 33MM being the other two. “33 MM got me a lot of praise, and I plan to put it online soon. It's about a director's journey back to reality from oblivion.”
For now, along with waiting to see what audiences think of Azaad, he is waiting for his next film, Island City, to release on November 1, where he stars with actress Tanishtha Mukherjee, and which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year.
When Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam released, I watched it so many times-Chandan Roy Sanyal
9:04 AM
Chandan Roy Sanyal is that actor you wouldn't even realise you have seen in many films because he is so adept at becoming the character he plays
Indu Mirani (BOMBAY TIMES; April 25, 2015)
Why do we see so little of you?
This is something that is not in my hand, but it also in my hand in a way because you get I offered a few scripts and you choose fewer because you want to do a certain kind of cinema and do it right. I believe there's a long way to go and rather than spending my time doing something I won't enjoy doing or people won't enjoy watching, I should spend my time doing something worthwhile.
You have an Honours degree in Mathematics. How did acting happen?
Acting happened by chance. I come from a lower middle class family from Delhi and my growing up years was a little difficult. Then I came across literature, read up on existentialism and then ventured into theatre. Theatre had a balming effect on me. It became my catharsis and inspiration to acting. Acting gave me happiness.
Your parents didn't approve of you becoming an actor. Have they made peace with it now?
My parents disapproved of it but when they started seeing me on screen, they sort of understood it. But they still don't get it that you don't have to step out everyday and go to work because if my mother calls and I'm at home, she's like 'what are you doing at home'.
You are playing the antagonist in Jazbaa. How was it working with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan?
When Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam released, I was in school and watched it so many times. It gave me so much happiness. When I see myself standing in front of her and she comes up to me and says, 'Hello Chandan, I saw you in Kaminey and you were amazing,' it's such a joy. In fact there was a scene where I had to strangle her and when I told her that it was such an irony that I am with the world's most beautiful woman and I need to strangle her, she started laughing.
You turned filmmaker with Hiroshima. How was the experience?
It makes you grow as a human being and as an actor. What you realise is that so much goes on behind the camera. From the writing to casting to execution to sound, and I did it all and I came up with that 6 minute film.
You have done a lot of dark, off beat roles. Ever plan to do something mainstream?
I would love to do mainstream but the kind of fabric one needs to be in those films, it has to fit me well. I don't want to make a fool of myself because the audience these days are very intelligent. They'll look at me and say, 'bik gaya yeh.' For me Kaminey and D-Day were commercial, but there was also something artistic about them. I'm trying to find the middle line.
One actress you would love to work with...
Waheeda Rehman because I am a sucker for old world charm. During the day I am always listening to 50s Hindi music from Shankar Jaikishen to Raj Kapoor, so I am always in that zone and she's the only one left from that era.
This is something that is not in my hand, but it also in my hand in a way because you get I offered a few scripts and you choose fewer because you want to do a certain kind of cinema and do it right. I believe there's a long way to go and rather than spending my time doing something I won't enjoy doing or people won't enjoy watching, I should spend my time doing something worthwhile.
You have an Honours degree in Mathematics. How did acting happen?
Acting happened by chance. I come from a lower middle class family from Delhi and my growing up years was a little difficult. Then I came across literature, read up on existentialism and then ventured into theatre. Theatre had a balming effect on me. It became my catharsis and inspiration to acting. Acting gave me happiness.
Your parents didn't approve of you becoming an actor. Have they made peace with it now?
My parents disapproved of it but when they started seeing me on screen, they sort of understood it. But they still don't get it that you don't have to step out everyday and go to work because if my mother calls and I'm at home, she's like 'what are you doing at home'.
You are playing the antagonist in Jazbaa. How was it working with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan?
When Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam released, I was in school and watched it so many times. It gave me so much happiness. When I see myself standing in front of her and she comes up to me and says, 'Hello Chandan, I saw you in Kaminey and you were amazing,' it's such a joy. In fact there was a scene where I had to strangle her and when I told her that it was such an irony that I am with the world's most beautiful woman and I need to strangle her, she started laughing.
You turned filmmaker with Hiroshima. How was the experience?
It makes you grow as a human being and as an actor. What you realise is that so much goes on behind the camera. From the writing to casting to execution to sound, and I did it all and I came up with that 6 minute film.
You have done a lot of dark, off beat roles. Ever plan to do something mainstream?
I would love to do mainstream but the kind of fabric one needs to be in those films, it has to fit me well. I don't want to make a fool of myself because the audience these days are very intelligent. They'll look at me and say, 'bik gaya yeh.' For me Kaminey and D-Day were commercial, but there was also something artistic about them. I'm trying to find the middle line.
One actress you would love to work with...
Waheeda Rehman because I am a sucker for old world charm. During the day I am always listening to 50s Hindi music from Shankar Jaikishen to Raj Kapoor, so I am always in that zone and she's the only one left from that era.
My relationship with Aishwarya in Jazbaa is fraught with violence-Chandan Roy Sanyal
7:53 AM
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 11, 2015)
Jazbaa, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's return vehicle, has her playing a tough
lawyer who is forced to defend a death row convict, Chandan Roy Sanyal.
Chandan who is gearing up for an intense schedule with his childhood crush on a set designed to resemble a high security prison, admits that it was difficult to rough her up in the first shot itself. "I play a manipulative murderer and even though she's my lawyer, Mrs. Bachchan's character hates me. Our relationship is fraught with violence, both physical and emotional," says the actor who was told by his director, Sanjay Gupta, to grab the most beautiful woman in the world by the neck and throttle her roughly.
Nervous, he walked up to Aishwarya before the shot and admitted that he couldn't imagine hurting her. "She laughed, and eventually I took my hand and put it against her neck. That's how we broke the ice as co-stars," he reminisces. "It took five takes to finally okay the shot," he adds.
Another scene has Chandan handcuffed to a table while Aishwarya interrogates him from across the room, with a small bulb over her head. "Mr. Gupta took hours to get the lighting right since he wanted it to fall on Aishwarya's face in a particular way. She stood there like any of the other actors without a complaint. That was when I realised that she was just another actor like us," Chandan smiles, adding, "The next schedule beginning March 24 should be a smooth ride."
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