Lekh Tandon’s swan song, which would have marked his comeback after two decades, seems, in hindsight, like a precursor to the recent SC judgement on triple talaq
Khalid Mohamed (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 18, 2017)

Close to the weekend at an art gallery, the seasoned cinematographer Jehangir Chowdhury had updated me, “I’ve just completed shooting a film with a director who’s close to 90 as well as a first-time filmmaker who was Kundan Shah’s assistant.”

The director approaching the nonagenarian phase of his life was none other than Lekh Tandon, who passed away on Sunday, at the age of 89. Unbeknownst to most, the tenacious stalwart had completed filming Phir Ussi Mod Par, which critiques the triple talaq custom.

Quite piquantly, just as the principal scenes of the two-hour-long feature were wrapped up, in August, the Supreme Court struck down the practice which allows Muslim men to instantly divorce their wives. No extra scenes were foisted in. The legal reform will be quoted at the end of the film, which is currently in the final stages of post-production.

Shot on Mumbai studio sets, made to resemble a northern small-town, Tandon’s last film features TV star Jividha Astha, newcomer Kaif Khan and character actors Kanwaljit Singh, Parmeet Sethi and Govind Namdev.

The swan song of Tandon — whose oeuvre comprises 14 feature films and three TV serials, including Dil Darya, introducing Shah Rukh Khan, and a clutch of acting roles — has been inspired by real-life case studies of cavalierly divorced Muslim women.

Initially, he had devised the script for a TV series. On completing the writing, he believed it would work as his return to the big screen, after a hiatus of 20 years since the little-seen Do Raahain (1997), spotlighting Meenakshi Seshadri as an investigative reporter caught in the web of political skulduggery.

The director of such cherished entertainers as Professor (1962), Amrapali (1966), Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968), Prince (1969), the sleeper hit Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye (1977), Ek Baar Kaho (1980) and Agar Tum Na Hote (1983), was the first to deal with the subject of surrogate parenthood with Doosri Dulhan (1993).

The drama, which was ahead of its time, revolved around a childless couple enacted by Sharmila Tagore and Victor Banerjee, who hire a surrogate mother, a sex worker, played by Shabana Azmi. Strong shades of the story went unacknowledged in the Salman Khan-Rani Mukherjee-Preity Zinta movie Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001), directed by Abbas-Mustan. It happens.

Chowdhury narrates that of late Tandon had moved towards themes within a social context. He adds, “Practically the entire unit worked on the project because we could never say no to him. He had given me my first break, with Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye immediately after I graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India. We’d have our different perspectives. On occasion he’d go with some of my suggestions. Example: the picturisation of the lullaby on Rameshwari and Madan Puri. He could be hot-tempered and he could be cool-headed. His forte was his screenplays, his lines of dialogue were simple, literate and effective.”

Soon after the devastation wrought in Mumbai by the rains of July 26, 2005, Tandon shifted from his ground-floor home in Bandra’s MIG colony to the Powai high-rise apartment of his daughter, Geeta Malhotra.

“We’re two brothers and two sisters. Dad doted on all his five grandchildren. I’m fortunate he chose to stay with my family in Powai,” Geeta states, muffling her tears. “Ever since my mother passed away seven years ago, he had developed a fear of staying alone. Also, he could never believe that the floods had destroyed his collection of books, which ranged from English classic novels and thriller paperbacks to tomes on the techniques of filmmaking. Recently, he was re-reading Rhonda Byrne’s selfhelp book The Secret.”

The daughter is confident that Phir Ussi Mod Pe, whose budget was pushed up beyond the demarcated Rs 3 crore, will find buyers. Tandon had self-financed it to a degree, partnered by his friend, businessman T Bajpayee. The two had collaborated on TV serials earlier.

According to the daughter, of his archive of works, Professor and Amrapali remained his favourites. He was always cheerful and didn’t suffer from any advanced age illnesses, till a sudden brain haemorrhage.

“He was never the same again,” she says, tears streaming, “Even when he was bed-ridden, we would trim his snow white beard which his grandchildren loved to play with.”

The very talented Govind Namdev surprised audiences as he featured in a public awareness ad called Hawa Badlo that motivates citizen to give a helping hand to the traffic policemen, who are facing numerous health hazards. Namdev speaks about this initiative, why his upcoming film Coming Back Darling is one of its kind Hindi film and don’t miss as he opens up about his association with Om Puri who passed away on January 6 this year.

You were recently seen in a public initiative ad called Hawa Badlo. How did you become a part of it?
The makers say that they contacted me because they liked the genuineness in my personality. Also, it’s the need of hour to prevent the air pollution from impacting our health. Hence, they asked prominent, popular actors so that the message can spread far and wide.

Towards the end of Hawa Badlo, some statistics are shared about the health of the traffic policemen. What was your reaction on going through it? Were you aware that so many cops complain of thick sputum, joint pain etc?
I knew little bit but later, they told us in detail as to how their health gets affected and by the time they realize, it’s too late. But I am happy with the feedback and to see that people are trying to be more aware of the dangers of air pollution.



Talking about you films, I believe you are doing Lekh Tandon’s film Phir Usi Mod Par…
Yes and recently, I worked on a film called Coming Back Darling. It’s a romantic thriller and a murder mystery, featuring Arbaaz Khan in a double role. I play a cop. We had a start-to-finish schedule in Switzerland. The experience was great. Bahut hi kamaal ka shoot hua hai. The whole place was covered with snow. Hence, the look of the film is quite appealing. I don’t think any other Hindi film has been shown in Switzerland from start to finish and that too especially when it’s snowing throughout. Normally, only a part of the film or a song gets filmed in Switzerland. But Coming Back Darling is an exception. It is directed by Chandrakant Singh and is definitely a film that would be loved.

When will this film release?
Initially, they were planning for a June release but now, the plan is to release in September.

What’s the update about Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness, in which you play Morarji Desai and Dr Parchure?
It is ready but the film’s release has got a bit delayed. The reports of the film are very positive.

You had a long association with Om Puri, who passed away earlier this year. How do you look back at this very talented performer and what memories do you have of him?
He was my senior in NSD (National School of Drama). When I first came to Mumbai, it was he who treated me like his younger brother. He guided me how to present myself in front of people. At the beginning, he gave me an important lesson which I remember till date and that is ‘Sachhe bane rehna’ (Be truthful). Dishonesty, lies will ruin your personality. He was quite an honest, genuine person. The first play I did in Mumbai was with him in the late 80s. It was called Rustom Sohrab. He played Rustom while Karan Razdan played the role of Sohrad. The role of Sohrab’s mother was essayed by Nadira Babbar. I played the role of the senapati and I composed sword fighting. Bada zabardast experience tha!

Some people are not destined for a settled, family life. Om Puri was sadly one of them. In the last few years, we worked together in a lot of films like Dirty Politics, Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness, Project Marathwada, Khap etc. Then we did a fine film in 2009 called Baabarr. He was also there in my debut film, Antaheen (1986). It was directed by Dinesh Lakhanpal, a FTII graduate. I did a film with him called Bolo Raam. We shot the whole film in Lonavala. We were there for 15 days and our respective families also joined. It was lovely. Later, we were so close that we would be meeting every now and then. Mile bagair hum reh nahin paate the!

Last year, he was heavily criticized for his comments on the martyred soldier. However, he was quick to apologize
That was a mistake on his part although his intention was not to mock anyone. This was the time when he became too dependent on alcohol. In an inebriated condition, he used to end up saying something contrary to what he wanted to say. Sadly, his image got a beating especially with the said episode.

But he was quick to apologize and he also went and met the deceased’s family member. That was quite praiseworthy.
Yes and that’s because he was a genuine person and this proves it. In the end, he taught me that ‘life ko complicated mat banao’. This I guessed stemmed from his personal experience. Life should be simple. Don’t have too many possessions. You need not possess everything. You can lead a comfortable life even without lot of material possessions. Why overburden life? He wasn’t compatible with one woman so he married another. And then he went back to his first wife. This led to a lot of complications in his life and also, he became quite lonely at the end.

Coming back to Hawa Badlo, the other actors in that film – Vivek Oberoi, Swara Bhaskar, Kalki Koechlin, Vir Das – are all quite active on Twitter which helps them to further spread the message. Do you have any plans of joining social media in the near future? A lot of people don’t know the real Govind Namdev after all…
Yes, I plan to come on Twitter and Facebook very soon. As Om Puri told me, ‘life ko complicated mat banao’! That’s a big reason why I don’t go off track. Idhar udhar haath nahin daalta main. I don’t need to read and I am not answerable to anyone at present. The idea is that I should be focused on my work. So I am content at interacting with people via SMS, WhatsApp etc. At the same time, I understand that I can’t be so aloof. Look at Mr Amitabh Bachchan. He balances his work and interactions with fan online so well. If he can do, I can also try. I won’t be as active as him but can surely give it a shot!

He has enhanced the impact in a lot of films with his intense performances, mostly negative ones. But Govind Namdev has now started to surprise audiences. He played the role of freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak in the recently released Chaphekar Brothers. And in the upcoming film Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness, he essays 2 roles, one of that of Morarji Desai. In this exclusive chat, Govind Namdev speaks about these 2 films, looks back some of his recent memorable films and also sets the record straight on the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Raees.

Tell us about your experience of playing 2 real life characters – Bal Gangadhar Tilak in the recently released Chaphekar Brothers and Morarji Desai in Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness?
In Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness, actually I am playing 2 characters – one of Morarji Desai and one of Dr Parchure, who was one of the accused of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. When you are playing real life characters, you need to do an in-depth research besides the basic research that we anyways do for all types of roles. People know Tilak and Morarji Desai very well. So we have to be absolutely sure that we don’t portray them in an objectionable manner. Hence I had to study a lot. Thankfully, there was a lot of information available about Lokmanya Tilak. I tried to understand how he used to walk, get up, talk etc. Also, the expressions are very important and to get it right was quite a challenge. It’s time consuming but it gives me lot happiness. Moreover, playing such powerful characters is also a learning experience. It adds to your personality. Your thought process changes. We mostly think of ourselves but when we read about these famous personalities, you realize that one should also contribute to society. Chapekar Brothers and many people of those times used to happily accept death sentence. Khushi khushi sooli pe chadh jaate the. Their love and passion for their motherland used to make me cry. That was the time when even talking against the British Empire used to have disastrous consequences. Yet, these people were never afraid for their lives, served the country and when the time, they embraced death as well.

Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness deals with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. At a time when some people hail his killer Nathuram Godse as a hero, do you think the film might face problems?
Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness is not a story about Godse or even Gandhiji for that matter. The film is about a situation and it’s the situation that’s the hero here. What was the politics at that time, what were the decisions, how did people react to those decisions etc is what’s the crux of the film. Neither Gandhi nor Godse are shown as heroes in the film. Hence, we are sure that the film will not cause any problems.

Chapekar Brothers faced some issues at the Censors. Do you think Solar Eclipse: Depth Of Darkness might also get butchered similarly?
Again, I don’t really think the film will face any problems with the Censor Board.

When do we see it releasing in India?
The film will release in the West on January 19, 2017 and only then it will see a release in India.

You have done plenty of memorable roles, but most of them were that of the villain. However, you played the role of a conscientious man in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine? How do you look back at that particular role?
Madhur Bhandarkar is a friend. He saw me in that role and asked me if I’d like to play it. Then we had the usual discussions – how to correctly portray the character, how to bring out his moralistic point of view to the fore – and once that was done, I signed on the dotted line. Contrary to beliefs, I don’t think I got stuck in negative roles. I have played a variety of roles. And that’s also one of the reasons why I signed Heroine as it was something different from what I have played in the past. It was a nice experience.

Another memorable role of yours in the recent past has been in OMG Oh My God. Your portrayal of Siddeshwar Maharaj was unanimously loved. There were talks of a sequel to OMG Oh My God. Any update on that?
They just have an idea of the film. It’s been scripted. But chances of it being made are 100%!

You said in an interview that your family members were quite upset since you used to do a lot of villainous roles. Now that they see you doing biopics, has their stand changed?
Yes, it has and they look at it positively. They have also understood that what I am doing is a part of my job. After all, I am just acting. It’s not like I am like the characters I portray on screen. My family members used to argue that I am being looked as a villain – that’s the image that’s being generated. I countered, saying that at the same time, I am also looked as someone who’s doing a good job as an actor!

In the beginning of the interview, you said that essaying characters like Tilak brought a positive change in you. Were you similarly impacted while essaying negative characters?
Impact hota tha par ulta hota tha! Yeh bahut important sawaal tumne pucha hai. By doing the villainous roles, I realized that I was changing. I used to leave all the negativity behind on the film set. And I used to feel very pure when I used to reach home. I used to love my wife more, I used to shower more love on my children! At the same time, I used to wonder what makes a person turn evil? Why did people murder, rape, harm others?  You must have also noticed that those who play villains regularly, they were all good-natured in real life. Take Pran for instance. You’ll never hear anything negative about him or his way of working. Same goes for Amrish Puri, Mohan Joshi and Prem Chopra. Ussi kataar mein main bhi khada ho gaya hoon!

There are reports that you are playing Mahira Khan’s father in Raees…
I am not a part of Raees. Maybe, they thought of me for that role. But I am not doing that film. I understand that a lot of articles on Raees mention my name, including on Wikipedia and IMDb. Since, I am not net savvy and not on Twitter, I haven’t been able to clarify about it.

Which other films are you doing?
I am shooting for a film by Lekh Tandon. Manish Tiwari recently started a film and I am a part of it. I have also the upcoming film of Ajay Chandhok.

Your earlier film with Ajay Chandhok, Khallballi: Fun Unlimited didn’t get a release in theatres…
Yes, it didn’t release. It’s a very important and significant flick. Similarly, there’s another film of mine that didn’t release, Dussehra, starring Neil Nitin Mukesh in leading role. It has shaped up very well.

Does it hurt when a film of yours doesn’t get a release as it fails to find a distributor or due to any such reason?
Yes, especially when I have done a good job in a film or when the film is making an important comment. There are some films made just for ‘shauk’ and when such films get stuck, I don’t really feel that bad though!

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; August 24, 2015)

Five months ago, a film on Chapekar Brothers was announced in which Om Puri was supposed to play the role of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. However, it has now emerged that the veteran actor has opted out of the film and the director, too, has been replaced.

Dhiraj Mishra, the film’s writer, says, “We started shooting for the film a few months ago, but our director Milann Ajmera fell sick following which we had to halt the shoot for a few days. Since it was being delayed, we decided to replace him with Devendra Pandey. Later, when everything was going as per plan, we realised that Om Puri had date issues. We tried to sort things out and had a discussion with him, but it didn’t work out. So, we had to sign Govind Namdev in his place.”

A Marathi film on Chapekar Brothers, who contributed to India’s freedom struggle in 1897, had been
made 26 years ago. Dhiraj, however, insists that the upcoming film is completely different from the earlier one. He says he met the descendants of Tilak as well as the Chapekars as part of his research. Says the writer, “I have spoken to them and they are aware that I am making a film in Hindi. They were happy that people will get to know about the Chapekars’ unsung story. They gave me many important documents. They even told me about a temple in Kalbadevi which belongs to the Chapekars and that there is a trust in their name which caters to fisherfolk’s kids and florists in Mumbai. Whatever profit my film makes, 50 per cent of it will go to the trust."