Navneet Vyasan (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 27, 2020)

With a career spanning more than two decades, Lillete Dubey has firmly established herself as one of the finest thespians and artistes in the country. And, now, for the first time in her career, like many others, the actor finds herself in a state of pause, and a much needed one, due to the Coronavirus lockdown. “One of the great revelations for me,” she says, “is that all these days, I have been a social dinosaur. I have always believed that your work is your calling card. But at the same time, now, I have also realised the importance of professional and personal need to communicate with people.”

Dubey has utilised this time to pursue a more reflective way of living. “I am not on social media, so I haven’t been venting out my feelings on an individual level,” says the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel actor, adding that a lot of people are doing that, which is fair enough. “I am not making any judgements. But I found that people went two ways — either they went inwards, a little reflective, and loved and enjoyed and valued the time that they got with themselves, or many went outwards, to connect with people. I went the former way, and the only time I went out was for a digital event to support theatre where I was joined by Ira (Dubey; daughter),” concludes the actor.

Although the actor affirms the fact that people will hesitate to get back to the theatres, she also feels that OTT might just be a feasible option for many. “Maybe, we are entering an era were digital is going to become far more important, though I will never believe that we’ll replace theatre and films. They should co-exist. Human interaction is a very important part in being human,” says the Lunchbox (2013) actor.

Ira Dubey is the First Lady of Indian Cinema in a play, produced and directed by her mother with Joy Sengupta as Devika’s husband Himanshu Rai; opens in Mumbai on September 7
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 24, 2019)

On September 7, Lillete Dubey will bring in her birthday with a new stage production, Devika Rani: Goddess Of The Silver Screen. The actress is directing daughter Ira Dubey who plays the First Lady of Indian Cinema with Joy Sengupta as her debonair filmmaker-husband Himanshu Rai. The play opens at the Tata Theatre in Mumbai, after an inaugural performance in Pune on August 31.

Though Lillete has done many plays based on world literature, the primary aim of her theatre company has been to give a platform to original Indian writing, be it Vijay Tendulkar, Mahesh Dattani or more recently Twinkle Khanna whose short story, Salaam, Noni Apa, from her book, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, was adapted by her for the stage. Having already experimented with a play on Gauhar, the singer from Kolkata who popularised Hindustani classical music, Lillete was not in the mood for another biopic. But then, she ran into an old college friend, Kishwar Desai, who was also on the jury of the Montreal English Theatre Awards (META) and confided that along with a book on the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, she was also writing on the cinema of Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai based on five years of research and several unpublished letters. Instantly excited, Lillete asked her if she’d also like to write it as a play and Kishwar was quick to agree.

“It’s not an already made script which guarantees a safe and successful run. After seven-eight drafts, we’ve finally decided what we want to tell. While we will start with and touch on films with women-centric topics, like Achhut Kannya, the play is not a filmography for the archives. It’s a personal story of a woman who was the grand-niece of Rabindranath Tagore, who’d been educated in London, and who broke the glass ceiling 80 years ago to enter a profession which did not draw women from respectable families then,” she points out. Lillete adds that the winner of the Padma Shri and Dadasaheb Phalke award, did not only act in movies, with her husband she set up and ran India’s first listed studio, Bombay Talkies, which introduced legends like Ashok Kumar and Dilip Kumar. “It’s a fascinating story which unfolds against the backdrop of the Second World War with the studio employing many Germans.”

And will the journey also touch on the big ‘scandal’ of the ’30s, when Devika Rani eloped with co-star Najam-ul-Hasan during the filming of Jeevan Naiya which landed lab assistant Kumudlal Ganguly, rechristened Ashok Kumar, his break as an actor? “Oh yes, and also the reason she returned home, one of them being adultery which was a punishable offence then and she could have been jailed,” she says.

Quiz her on her choice of Ira to play the titular role and Lillete reasons her daughter is a talented actress who speaks flawless English and can be both feisty and vulnerable—demure bride and dragon lady—on stage.

For Ira a biopic is always exciting, particularly one that goes back in time. “In Devika’s case, we know what she looked like and have seen her films so there’s a lot of research involved in getting the way she walked, spoke and dressed right. At the same time, one doesn’t want to make a caricature of a real person. The challenge is to capture her spirit so people believe that this is Devika Rani,” she maintains.

Her director mother points out that Ira is slim, petite and can carry a tune well and for that instant, will convince you it’s Devika Rani sitting on the branch with Ashok Kumar and crooning, “Main Ban Ki Chidiya”. “She’s the right age given the role spans from 18 to 36,” adds Lillete, informing that the play ends with the actress-filmmaker’s retirement from showbiz to marry Russian painter Svetoslav Roerich and move to Himachal where she made documentaries on wildlife, before settling down in Bangalore, where she died at the age of 85, a Garbo-like figure.

Talented Joy, for her, is also apt for his part. “He has the right look to play Himanshu, who was 16 years older than his wife, and shares a great working relationship with Ira. We also have him speaking Bangla in a few scenes,” she smiles, revealing that Kishwar has written the play with almost 50 characters with each actor playing at least three different characters. Pia Benegal is doing the costumes.

A working birthday is not everyone’s cup of cheers, but after three years, it’s become a norm for her. “It means there’s time yet before I have to start thinking of hanging up my boots or should that be sandals,” laughs Lillete, equally kicked about her real-life role of a grandmother to daughter Neha’s 10-month twins. “For the first time in my life I am experiencing pure love. These babies are mine only to spoil and indulge,” she signs off with a smile.

Gauri Shinde returned to the Khar resto-bar, where she shot portions of her upcoming film, to throw her cast and crew a bash
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 23, 2016)

After wrapping up her upcoming film, the Alia Bhatt starrer Dear Zindagi, in May, Gauri Shinde rallied around her cast and crew for a party on Thursday night. Alia, Shah Rukh Khan who plays her therapist in the film, cast members Kunal Kapoor, Ali Zafar, Angad Bedi, Ira Dubey and lyricist Amit Trivedi were in attendance.

"The party was held at a Khar restaurant where a part of the film was shot. Alia's boyfriend (played by Angad Bedi) is the owner of the place in the film. Some dramatic sequences were shot there. The guests nibbled on pizzas and chicken tikkas, the drinks flowed. Pakistani actor-singer Ali Zafar was the designated entertainer of the night and belted out some hit numbers. Ira who plays Alia's bestie in the film seemed excited about her offbeat release M Cream, while Kunal discussed his next with Tigmanshu Dhulia," a guest informed Mirror.

Alia who'd especially flown in from Amritsar, where she was filming an Independence Day event, arrived straight from the airport, looking pretty in a flowing pink dress. King Khan sauntered in post midnight and had everyone in splits with his witty remarks. The party wrapped up around 1.30 am with the revellers planning their next bash which is expected to happen soon.

Agneya Singh’s debut film uses the urban legend of M Cream to raise that pertinent question — what does it mean to be a young Indian today?
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; July 3, 2016)

"It was the dichotomy of today’s youth that I wanted to capture and reflect. There is a mix of apathy and activism, conformity and the need to stand out — I wanted to talk about each of those stereotypes,” says filmmaker Agneya Singh, whose debut feature M Cream will hit screens later this month. Singh, who is political journalist Seema Mustafa’s son, is a Delhi boy who studied filmmaking at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts. But, it was his early years spent hobnobbing with his Delhi University friends that shaped the idea of the movie.

Burning the film festival circuit since 2014, the movie, produced by Agniputra Films, has gathered a lot of awards for the young filmmaker — it won the Grand Prize for Best Feature Film at the Rhode Island International Film Festival and the Best Foreign Feature at the Indie Spirit Film Festival, among many others. “Those awards were the step we needed to bring the movie to India and release it. You know how it is with small- budget movies. But it has done well at festivals abroad, and managed to get a release, but in limited theatres and only in the metros,” he says.

The 26-year-old’s road trip film is named after the urban legend of Malana Cream, a premium marijuana herb that’s supposed to give you the ultimate high, and, is supposedly found in the village of the same name in Himachal Pradesh. Four different friends — each unique — set out to find M Cream, and discover themselves and raise some pertinent questions along the way. “Protagonist Figs, played by Imaad Shah, believes in drugs and parties. Jay, played by Ira Dubey, is a do-gooder and wants to change the world — an arm chair revolutionary. Maggie, played by Auritra Ghosh is a rebel without a cause and Niz, played by Raaghav Chanana, is all about ‘live and let live’. Some are privileged while some are middle class. As they spend time together the real issues are raised.”

M Cream, he says, is just a plot device that talks about the main question — what does is mean to be a young person in India today? “It’s all about taking a stand today. Young people need to do that. It’s about having the courage to have an opinion.” It also raises the question of the youth of the country using drugs, but is being talked about in a way different from the recently released Udta Punjab. “I belong to the school of thought that says that marijuana, the herb, should be decriminalised and made legit. I really hope that the movie starts that debate,” says Singh.

He also says he made the movie to make sure the world saw a different side of India. “Mainstream movies are too commercial, and indie movies focus more on the gritty, rural side of India — the India they think the West wants to see,” he says. And, going by the response he got at each screening, it seems he succeeded. “People were shocked to see that India had young people the way they were in the movie. You could take them out of the movie and they could fit anywhere in the world, right? It was to show them that we, here, exist, like this, not like they think we do.”

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; October 25, 2015)

Mary Kom’s biopic, starring Priyanka Chopra, was not shot in the boxing champ’s home state, Manipur. The makers preferred to opt for Himachal Pradesh instead. The North East has not been on Bollywood’s radar as a shoot locale. The seven sisters — the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura — despite their pristine locations, are missing from Bollywood’s map.

Over the years, producers have preferred to log air miles to East European nations (Bollywood’s current hotspot) or traverse from Alaska to New Zealand.

As National award-winning filmmaker Jahnu Barua, who hails from Assam, points out, “The rest of India has been allergic to the North East since independence. There is this fear psychosis as it is the border area. They just do not want to take notice of the region.” Fortunately, that seems to be changing now.

Play it loud
The sequel of 'Rock On!!' (2008) is presently being shot in Shillong, Meghalaya. The film revolves around a music band, and Meghalaya is emerging as the rock capital of India.

The makers of the film — which stars Farhan Akhtar, Shraddha Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Prachi Desai -- wanted to capture the music festival scene in Shillong which is now on the go-to-list for rock music aficionados.

Filmmaker Biswajeet Bora, who is from Assam, points out, “Most filmmakers feel it is not feasible to shoot with big stars in the area due to the lack of fancy five-star hotels, but things have changed a lot in the region. They have to put their fears to rest.”

Bora shot his recent film, 'Aisa Yeh Jahaan', starring Palash Sen and Ira Dubey in the Golaghat district of Assam.

Another project
Close on the heels of the 'Rock On 2' unit, is Vishal Bhardwaj, who is shooting his Saif Ali Khan-Shahid Kapoor-Kangna Ranaut starrer 'Rangoon' in Arunachal Pradesh. Knowing B-Town’s herd mentality, this might just have others following suit.

As 'Rangoon' is set against the backdrop of World War II, the region lends itself as the perfect location. Bharadwaj’s film will unfold in Ziro valley in Arunachal Pradesh which is considered a heritage site.

With two film productions in the North East, Bollywood is likely to wake up from its slumber and tap the region’s full potential.

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal was part of a task force to develop the region as a shoot location. He says, “Five years ago, the Meghalaya government was keen that Hindi films be shot in the state. I was part of the initiative to promote it as a destination, but we had just one meeting and then things became quiet on that front.”

Benegal visited several breathtaking locations in the state. He says, “I wish I could have shot a film there. When I visited the place, I was stunned by the natural beauty. The Meghalaya government showed great interest. We visited several spots in the state which could be ideal locations. They were keen to offer several incentives to attract filmmakers, but things did not take off.”

Logistical issues
What Benegal saw as a possible deterrent were the connectivity and infrastructural requirements. As he puts it, “A film unit consists of a large number of people all their needs have to be taken care of.” But Barua feels what matters more is the mindset, rather than the logistics, “People need to understand the region. They need to know about the area. Due to the Mongoloid physical features of the people, they are considered to be different from the rest of the country.”

Barua always shoots his films in Assam to highlight the culture and politics of the state. “Most Bollywood stories do not match the North East region. The stories do not reflect the people of the region. They feel you cannot have people with Mongoloid physical features in their films. It is all in the thinking; it needs to change.”

This sentiment is echoed by actor Adil Hussain, who is from Goalpara in Assam. Best remembered as Sridevi’s husband in 'English Vinglish' (2012), he says, “It is because of the attitude of the political class that the area has been neglected. Films are being shot all over India, even Kashmir. Bollywood only looks at commercial viability. It is driven by profits, rather than art. They would rather go to an exotic foreign locale than go to the North East. The North East is considered a sensitive area, they do not want to put their money at stake by shooting in the region.”

Birthday blast
In November 2013, when Aamir Khan chose to bring in his wife Kiran Rao’s 40th birthday in Assam, it at least made Bollywood realise the region’s tourist potential. The star was accompanied by filmmakers Karan Johar and Ayan Mukerji. Though they raved about the state’s natural beauty, planning a film in the state remained a distant dream.


Unsafe terrain
Safety seems to be a big concern for filmmakers. Benegal explains, “Decades of insurgency and unrest has a lot to contribute to Bollywood skipping the north east. But Bora has a different opinion, “Things have changed a lot now. There were issues, but all that is now the past. There are several Western tourists who visit the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Meghalaya has already become a rock music hotspot, so why can’t Bollywood shoot here?”

Things may be changing, but as Barua maintains mindsets do not alter, at least not soon.

“The people of the terrain have gone through a lot,” says actress Ira Dubey, who shot in Assam for her film, 'Aisa Yeh Jahaan'. “There have been natural disasters and political unrest, but what I observed after spending time in Assam during the shoot, was the resilience of the people. There is so much positivity, the people are warm and clean-hearted.”

Ira also learnt the Assamese folk dance, Bihu, for a song (pictured, above). “It looks simple, but there are some delicate hand movements which you have to get right.”

Talking about her experience of shooting in Assam, she says, “There was a scary episode when we were flying in a chopper from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam. We had to do an emergency landing, but we were fine. Later, I learnt that the two pilots, who had flown us, had perished in a crash.” So is this fear psychosis that makes industry folk keep off the North East for shoots? Mary Kom (pictured below) director Omung Kumar chose not to comment about why he did not shoot in Manipur for his film. But for his upcoming biopic on Sarabjit Singh, he plans to shoot in the actual locations in Punjab.

So why did he skip Manipur? He has no answer — like most of the B-Town folk who just do not seem to want to tread the region.




When Bollywood made an exception

>> Deepak Bahry’s 'Kurbaan' (1991) with Salman Khan and Ayesha Jhulka was shot in Shillong in Meghalaya. The red jeep used in the film by Sallu belonged to a local store owner in the Laban area of Shillong, who became a star himself after the shoot.

>> Rakesh Roshan’s 'Koyla' (1997) starring Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit was shot in Arunachal Pradesh. One of the film’s tracks, Tanhai Tanhai, was filmed in the Shungetser Lake and Nuranang Falls in the Tawang district of the state. After the shoot, Shungetser Lake came to be referred to as the Madhuri Lake.

>> Kalpana Lajmi shot her Naseeruddin Shah-Shabana Azmi starrer 'Ek Pal' (1986) in Shillong, Meghalaya, and Jorhat, Assam. Her Raveena Tandon-starrer Daman (2001) was shot in Guwahati, Assam.

>> Jahnu Barua’s 'Har Pal' was shot in Shillong, Meghalaya, with Preity Zinta and Shiny Ahuja. It was filmed in 2007, but did not see light of day.

BOMBAY TIMES (March 14, 2015)