DNA (June 11, 2019)

(19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019)

Noted playwright and film as well as theatre personality Girish Karnad breathed his last on Monday morning. To grieve his loss, Karnataka has declared a three-day mourning while yesterday was announced as a holiday for schools, colleges and government offices.The Jnanpith Award winner, who was 81, was a popular face on television and in cinema. The Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan recipient was known as one of the doyens of modern Indian theatre as he had penned powerful productions in Kannada including Yayati, Tughlaq, Hayavadana and Taledanda, which were a strong comment on the socio-political scenario. Some of his works have been translated into several languages and have been helmed by stalwarts such as Alyque Padamsee, Ebrahim Alkazi and Satyadev Dubey, to name a few.

The versatile artiste also had an impressive body of work both in South as well as Hindi cinema. Having made his acting debut with the Kannada film Samskara in 1970, he went on act in movies such as Nishaant (1975), Manthan (1976) and Swami (1977). After foraying into direction with the Kannada film Vamsha Vriksha in 1971 (for which he even won the National Award), he helmed other movies including Rekha and Shashi Kapoor-starrer Utsav (1984).

The versatile artiste was also a prominent face on Indian television as he was seen in Malgudi Days (1987) and Indradhanush (1989). He had a long association with filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor as he acted in several of movies such as Iqbal (2005), Dor (2006), 8 x 10 Tasveer (2009) and Aashayein (2010). Having acted in Salman Khan-starrer Ek Tha Tiger (2012), he was last seen on the big screen in the espionage thriller’s 2017 sequel Tiger Zinda Hai.

The multiple award-winner served as director of the Film and Television Institute of India or FTII from 1974 to 1975, chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi from 1988 to 1993, and director of the Nehru Centre in London from 2000 to 2003. The political activist was known for his strong views and believed in freedom of expression.

I can’t forget his ever-smiling face: Shreyas Talpade
The news of his death was extremely shocking. When my wife (Deepti) informed me, I couldn’t believe it. It was a huge honour for me to work with Girish sir in my first Hindi film, Iqbal. I was nervous about sharing screen space with stalwarts like him and Naseeruddin Shah. Also, it was produced by Subhash Ghai so, overall, I was feeling overwhelmed. Had it not been for Girish ji — the way he hugged me and made me comfortable on the set on the first day... He was the most loving, caring and supportive co-actor. I cannot forget his ever-smiling face. I will miss him.

I wasn’t in touch with him that much, but every time we met at events or film festivals, he would give me a warm hug. He was fond of my wife and me, and would always greet us with a smile.

Girish sir was full of knowledge not just about films and plays, but also politics and various cuisines. He was fond of good food and would relish it. I remember during the shoot of Iqbal, Dor in Rajasthan and even Aashayein, in which I had just one song, which was shot in Pondicherry, we would enjoy dinner together. He would share so many stories and anecdotes. I only have fond memories of him.

- As told to Chaya Unnikrishnan

My relationship with Girish sir was like professor and student: Ali Abbas Zafar
For me, it was a great experience to work with a man like Girish sir. Not only as an actor, but he was also such a gentleman and a knowledgeable soul. It’s not only the film fraternity that will miss him, but the entire nation. He was a writer, a theatre actor, he used to write and direct plays and films. The kind of talent that he possessed was phenomenal. He was a great human being and a great person to have conversation with. While working with him in Tiger Zinda Hai, I had a fabulous time. He was one of those people who could nicely and easily tell you what they think is right or wrong. He was very articulate. My relationship with him was like a professor and student. I am deeply saddened by his demise.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 23, 2018)

Shreyas Talpade went to audition for Iqbal believing that he was in the running for a bit part. So, he was surprised when the assistant, while congratulating the actor for bagging it, asked if he could keep two months free for the film. On asking why they needed him for so long, he learnt that he would be playing the titular role in Subhash Ghai’s 2005 coming-of-age sports drama that revolves around a deaf-mute boy who dreams of playing cricket for India.

“I discovered later that they had shortlisted me and another actor and decided to take a vote. When both of us got equal votes from the team, Nagesh (Kukunoor, the film’s writer-director) cast his in my favour,” reminisces the actor who was finalised on December 25 and had to begin training in Hyderabad in the next couple of days. “I asked if I could get December 31 off and Nagesh reprimanded me for wanting to party till I revealed that I was getting married that day. Instantly, he told me to cancel my plans, till his partner, Elahe Hiptoola, convinced him to let me tie the knot on the condition that I start the first day of the year with Iqbal. On January 1, I took the first flight out to Hyderabad, reached the office and was told by his manager to take my shoes off because Iqbal walks and runs barefoot. I didn’t wear them again till the day I returned home.”

His first day was so exhausting, more so since he’d just slept for an hour after returning home before leaving for the airport at 4 am, that Shreyas came back to the hotel burning with fever. His bride Deepti spent the night tending to him, worrying if he’d be fit for work the next day. He was.

The days began early, just after 4 am. By 5.30 am, he would be working out and practicing bowling, after which he would go to the tabelas to befriend buffaloes. “I’d take them for a walk, bathe and feed them, before bringing them back. This way I managed to pick out a pack that I felt would be my buddies in reel life. On the first day of the shoot, one of them stamped my foot hard,” Shreyas admits with a laugh, adding that after the tabela, there would be more cricket and reading sessions through the day. “Iqbal was a lot of learning and unlearning. It not only made me but also changed me as an actor.”

His most difficult shoot was a sunrise shot for which they reached the location by 4 am, and as they waited for the sun to go up, Nagesh made Shreyas run to the haystack many times. He had to clamber up, throw his arms out for the camera, the sun lighting his face. “I had run a few times when suddenly someone shouted that the sun had come out. Nagesh instructed me to run back, dash to the haystack and climb up. I did, only to slip, again and again, because the hay was wet from the dew. Each time, I had to go back and run the distance. By now, I was dead on my feet, but I knew that if Nagesh didn’t get his shot, we’d have to return and repeat the process. So, I gathered all my strength, and gritting my teeth, climbed up like a monkey and the exultation I was to feel was for real. That day, I learnt the meaning of the phrase, ‘go the extra mile’,” he smiles.

However, Shreyas’s biggest challenge was the last shot of the film which required him to come running, hit his bowling mark and jump in the air, the camera freezing on him mid-air. Through the shoot, he’d lived with the fear that he might injure himself and hold up the shoot, and was congratulating himself on having pulled it off, when, hurrying into the finale shot, he overshot his mark, took the leap and landed on his ankle. DoP Sudeep Chatterjee winced as he heard a sharp crack and saw Shreyas reach for his ankle, crying out in pain. “It wasn’t a fracture, but I twisted my ankle badly and could barely walk. But when Sudeep admitted to Nagesh that they couldn’t use that shot, with an ice pack and a pian relief spray, I pulled myself back on my feet and did the shot again, this time making sure I got it right, then, had to keep my ankle bandaged for weeks,” he says.

The film released on August 26, 2005, and in these 13 years, despite widely acclaimed performances in films like Welcome To Sajjanpur, Om Shanti Om and Housefull 2, Shreyas is still remembered as Iqbal who inspired many real-life success stories. “We have often spoken of a sequel but Nagesh believes for a story like this that one jump is enough. If Part 2 doesn’t work, it could dilute the magic. He could be right,” Shreyas signs off.

Rachit Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; July 11, 2018)

They say, parenthood is akin to seeing your heart beating outside your body for the rest of your life. Actor-producer-filmmaker Shreyas Talpade certainly subscribes to the thought. These days, he is relishing his new role as a doting dad to his two-month-old daughter, Aadya.

Shreyas and his wife Deepti welcomed their first child through surrogacy on May 4, this year. And ever since, the Talpade household has put cinema conversations on hold. Shreyas says, “Aadya had us wrapped around her little finger from the very beginning. She made us come back to India the very day we landed in Hong Kong. It was like her saying, ‘How could you go on a vacation without me? Come back!’ Deepti and I flew back in an instant.”

For now, Shreyas has decided to take each day as it comes. He says, “Deepti and I are both chilled out, we’re not worrying about every little thing.”

Shreyas says, “We also have two pets and the first thing we did was to make sure that they didn’t feel insecure with Aadya’s arrival. We want our daughter to treat Don and Knight like her elder brothers. Right now, we’re just enjoying every moment with her. Every day, we see a little change in her.”

Equal parenting has become the norm today, and the actor fully endorses it. “Gone are the days when only mothers used to tend to the children. In any situation, kids would always seek their mother. But I want my daughter to count on me, too. I want her to tell me everything — her fears, happiness and excitement. That won’t happen unless I am completely involved in her life,” he explains.

So, the actor has taken to changing nappies and getting the temperature right for the baby’s milk. He adds, “I am feeding her, I am cleaning the nappies, too. The only thing that I’m scared of is bathing her. I am enjoying all these new experiences. I’m really enjoying being a hands-on father.”

While he’s really kicked about fatherhood, Shreyas hasn’t forgotten that his career is going through a purple patch, too. His last release, Golmaal Again (2017), was a hit and he debuted as a director with Poster Boys (2017), which was a remake of his own Marathi production, Poshter Boyz (2014). And over the years, Shreyas has become a sought-after name in Marathi cinema, too. He says, “There’s new belief and passion, and a whole new spate of filmmakers who want to create exciting stuff. Marathi cinema has started competing with not just Bollywood, but Hollywood, too. We have Hollywood films earning Rs 100 crore, capturing a big part of the Indian market. If you have to compete with them, you have to make sure that your content is good enough.” About his upcoming Marathi projects, he says, “I will be shooting for that film in the US in August-September. We will also start work on the sequel to Poshter Boyz.”

Throughout his career, Shreyas has tried to balance films like Iqbal (2005) and Dor (2006) with commercial fare like Apna Sapna Money Money (2006), Om Shanti Om (2007) and the Golmaal series. He says, “When it comes to choosing films and roles, I just go with my instinct and pick up whatever I feel I’ll enjoy doing. I feel that it’s never really gone bad for my career.”

Looking back, Shreyas says that he feels fortunate to have made a career in the movies. “After I am gone, the only thing that will keep my memories alive is cinema. If you can manage to make a film that sparks off a trend or a cult following, you’ve achieved something. We all constantly try to make these moments with our films,” he notes.

Shreyas also feels that the only way to survive in showbiz is to work tirelessly. “In the long run, only the best survives. Lambi race ka ghoda banna bahut zaroori hota hai. Those who come to the film industry to earn a quick buck or become famous do their three-four films and disappear into oblivion. But if your intentions are honest and you have a penchant for trying out new things, the film industry gives you a chance to shine and make your mark. I had no connections, I came from nowhere. But the film industry embraced me and gave me a chance.”

Shreyas and Deepti Talpade welcomed daughter through surrogacy
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 8, 2018)

After 14 years of marriage, Shreyas and Deepti Talpade became the proud parents of a baby girl on Friday, May 4. The couple who opted for surrogacy to extend their family, were on a holiday in Hong Kong when their daughter arrived earlier than expected.

Shreyas informed Mirror that the date given to them was between May 10 and 12 so Deepti and he flew off to Hong Kong from where they were scheduled to go on a cruise. “On the way, we learnt that the surrogate mother had gone into labour prematurely so we changed our plans and headed back to India the same night,” the actor-filmmaker reminisces.

He adds that they were still in mid-air when their daughter entered the world and they received the good news the minute they landed and headed straight to the hospital from the airport. “Seems our little girl has a stubborn streak and didn’t want us to go to Hong Kong without her,” Shreyas laughs, admitting that she already has her parents wrapped around her little finger.

Prod him on what they have decided to call her and the doting daddy admits that though they have shortlisted a few names they have yet to zero in on one. “Friends have been confusing us with multiple suggestions,” he grumbles good-naturedly.

Speaking about why they chose surrogacy, Shreyas reveals guardedly that there were certain issues and it was their doctor who told them that this was the best option. “And it’s one of the best decisions of my life,” he beams.

Gushing over the newborn, he says they now have an angel to look after and while family and friends have been giving tons of advice, the doctor wants them to take each day at a time. “During Iqbal, I remember Nagesh (director Nagesh Kukunoor) telling me, ‘This is your first success so cherish every moment.’ That’s exactly what I’m doing with the baby, living every moment with her. All these years, I would ask myself if I’m ready for a child and end up feeling apprehensive and nervous. Now, I’m loving it!” Shreyas exults.

According to the new father, friends and family have been telling him that his baby’s forehead is just like his, while the lower half of her face resembles Deepti’s. “I think she looks more like Deepti with her round face but her features are changing every day,” he smiles.

He’s on a short break from work and daddy duty is top priority with everything else taking a backseat. “I was to start shooting from May 15 but luckily for me the shoot has been pushed to June so I’ve got a month to focus on my baby. I’ve always wanted a daughter so I could buy her dolls, teddy bears and plenty of pretty dresses. I’m already planning what I can buy her when I go shooting. My wife thinks I’m more stressed out than her, but I’m just happy and want to give our daughter the best,” he asserts.