Be it his “serious” parts in films such as Shahid (2013) and Newton (2017) or lighter outings in hits such as Kai Po Che! (2013), Bareilly Ki Barfi (BKB; 2017) and Stree (2018), actor Rajkummar Rao has successfully straddled all kinds of roles through his decade-long Bollywood journey. But Rao admits that he was considered a “serious and dramatic” actor till BKB came along.

“People love to put actors in boxes, and are like, ‘If they have done a particular kind of work, then let’s give them more such parts’. Until BKB released, people would see me as a ‘serious, dramatic actor’. But I, as an artiste, never thought, ‘Oh, I am going to do something very different’. I knew that it was a great role for any actor — to portray a dual personality in a beautiful script,” says Rao, whose character Pritam Vidrohi and his humorous undertones became a major talking point for the film.

The actor says it “never occurred” to him that he was “dabbling in comedy space” with the Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari directorial. “But the end result was amazing. The kind of response I got from people was overwhelming, and I really enjoyed that space. Films such as Newton, Trapped (2017) and Shahid take a toll on you, as a person as well as an artiste, but when you have a fun part in a film like BKB, you enjoy those great moments... Comedy-laden parts are all about having fun with your lines on the sets. You have to let it flow, and enjoy,” says the 36-year-old actor.

Like trade pundits, Rao also feels that BKB gave a new twist to his career path. “In a way, some kind of a shift happened in my career with BKB. Then, Stree (2018) came along and lot of things changed... I have constantly learned and grown. As an actor, that’s exactly what you want to do — play completely diverse parts in all your movies,” he says.

BOMBAY TIMES (August 13, 2019)

After backing award-winning films like Newton and Masaan, producer Manish Mundra is gearing up to make his directorial debut in Bollywood, with an untitled social drama inspired by true events.

Manish, the founder-producer of Drishyam Films, is also an author and photographer. Talking about his foray into direction , he says, “Deep down in my heart, there was always a desire to make my own film. However, because of other engagements and priorities, I started with producing films, which I will continue to do. I believe that this is the right time to take the next step in my creative journey.”

The film, whose screenplay will be penned by Dedh Ishqiya writer Darab Farooqui, will be co-directed by writer-director Supreet K Singh. It has been inspired by a woman, whose ordeal left a deep impact on Manish. Manish shares, “For some time now, I have been following the story of this Indian woman, and her battle against the corrupt confluence of politics, police and judiciary. It had such an impact on me that I decided to bring this important tale to the world.”

To be shot extensively in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, by renowned cinematographer Avinash Arun, the film will go on floors in January 2020.

Since setting up his banner in 2015, Manish has been nurturing high-quality independent cinema, which has not only won acclaim at international film festivals, but has also been appreciated by the audience. Drishyam Films has four movies on its slate this year, three of which are co-produced with Jio Studios. Their upcoming releases include National Award-winning Bengali director Suman Ghosh’s Hindi debut, Adhar; veteran actor Seema Pahwa’s directorial debut Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi (starring Konkona Sensharma and Vikrant Massey among others), and Umrika director Prashant Nair’s anthology feature, Tryst With Destiny. Along with these, they have also produced their first regional feature, a Marathi film titled Ghaath, which has been directed by Chhatrapal Ninawe and stars actor Jitendra Joshi.

Sayani Gupta justifies heavy use of bronzer for Dalit girl role in Article 15
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 6, 2019)

At stark contrast with her stylised role in the digital offering, Four More Shots Please, Sayani Gupta will be seen as a de-glam Dalit girl in Article 15, which features Ayushmann Khurrana. No later was the actor's look unveiled than netizens criticised the overt use of makeup to alter her skin tone. Defending the decision, Gupta says essaying the role without the products would compromise the quality of the film.

"I have to look authentic. I had to look like a village girl, and hence, my shade should match theirs. The sun blazes in the areas that this film is set in, and the women do not stay at home. They have brownish, frizzy hair, and their skin is burnt. It was needed to blend with the narrative. This darkness is acquired from clocking in more hours outdoor. With my current skin tone, I would stand out from the crowd," she says. She makes a case for herself by citing that in the past, she lost out on the film Newton to Anjali Patil, since the makers felt the latter resembled the character better. "It is not fair to say these things don't matter when one is making a film based on reality."

Gupta was wooed by filmmaker Anubhav Sinha with a promising script that she couldn't turn down. "He was initially doubtful about casting me after Four More Shots Please, but I [won him] over. I have a specific voice in the film. It has helped me tap into an unexplored side of mine. It's a commentary on the social fabric of the country."

Don't Worry. Be Happy. That’s Aanand L Rai’s mantra and the reason why the producer director, in his decade-long trek through wonderland, has fearlessly broken with convention, experimented with taboo subjects and made the kind of films he believes in rather than what he believes will work. Tracing his journey through his adventures…
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 13, 2018) 


HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI (2018)
Mudassar spent a lot of time on Happy Bhag Jayegi but somewhere along the way, I felt that he had not relished the film as much as he should have. So, I urged him to enter the ‘Happy’ space again and flush it out of his system completely since he already had a plot to take forward. I’d like to believe that this time it was a truly happy experience for him. Last time, since he was returning from a seven-year sabbatical, Mudassar had perhaps been on the back foot, this time he played on the front foot.


HAPPY BHAG JAYEGI (2016)
Mudassar Aziz came to me with this ‘Happy’ fi lm when I had just started prepping up for Tanu Weds Manu Returns. I’m a director first and told him that while I would have loved to involve myself with his baby, for the moment, my first love was myself and my film. I offered to speak to studios and line up a good producer for him. But Mudassar was adamant he wanted to make the film with me and insisted on waiting. It was his trust in me that led to my producing Happy Bhag Jayegi for him. The film brought about the realisation that I can become a good support for my directors.

SHUBH MANGAL SAAVDHAN (2017)
Coming from the middle-class world myself, I knew we had grown and it was time to shed the tag of ‘conservative’. The idea behind taking an ‘adult’ subject and turning it into a family entertainer was to bring what had, for all these years, only been spoken in whispers behind the close doors of the bedroom, into the living room. Being the father of a teenage daughter, I also wanted to bridge this generation gap. Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (see featured image) brought together two generations in a way that they could talk to each other as friends.


MANMARZIYAAN (2018)
During Mukkabaaz I met a director who was raw and yet so neat. The Anurag Kashyap you will meet in Manmarziyaan is more polished, milder but bolder. This two-film journey was all about getting associated with one of the most brilliant directors of the country. Mujhe apne andar kuch change lana tha, maybe he felt the same way. Working with him has made me a more gutsy filmmaker, while I think he’s more controlled today, perhaps a little happier too.

ZERO (2018)
We have finished shooting the film but I have yet to meet Shah Rukh Khan, the biggest actor in the country. Khan saab has met me like a friend and a brother, a philosopher and a guide, a senior colleague and a student, but ab tak unhone uss superstar se milne ka mauka nahin diya. I look forward to meeting him some day.


NIL BATTEY SANNATA (2016)
I was 40, high on the success of Tanu Weds Manu and its sequel and didn’t want to play safe. I wanted to do something out-of-the-box, something daringly different, and through its overwhelming acceptance make the Hindi film industry believe that our audience is far more evolved than we give it credit. The film was about a maid who wants her daughter to become an IAS officer. Her argument was that if a doctor’s son becomes a doctor and an engineer’s son an engineer, toh bai ki beti kya karegi? I’m grateful that a teacher’s son got this opportunity to make films and told myself if that can happen to me, then why can’t a maid’s dream come true? Nil Battey Sannata remains one of our most important films and if it inspires even one maid to educate her child, I would say it was the most successful film of the decade. More recently, my associate Rahul Shanklya came to me with an idea and I told him to just go ahead and make it on a minimal budget. Meri Nimmo (right) was the purest cinema, a small film with a big heart.


NEWTON (2017)
For me, it was an important step to be associated with a film like Newton because while being an issue-based story, it was, to my mind, also a commercial film. As an audience, I believe the divide between the two cinemas is decreasing and viewers are looking for an intelligent film that’s also engaging. Newton, for me, was that film.


RAANJHANAA (2013)
After the box-office success of Tanu Weds Manu, everyone expected me to quickly come up with a sequel, but I didn’t wish to get typecast as a maker of romcoms. I wanted to challenge myself as a director with a tragedy and Raanjhanaa happened. It was a gamble making a film set in Varanasi with a South superstar, but I was confident that Dhanush was the right casting choice and that this was the best way to play my innings. Just before Tanu Weds Manu, I had lost my Dad and that transformed me as a person. I wanted my films to reflect this change that was happening within me. Raanjhanaa helped me grow not only as a director but as a person too. The fearlessness I carried forward from Tanu Weds Manu was now tempered with a new-found maturity.


TANU WEDS MANU (2011)
I had made two films before this, Strangers (2007) and Thodi Life Thoda Magic (2008), and they had not worked because I had been trying hard to prove that I was a director who knew his job. I realised later that you don’t have to impress people, you just have to tell a story. And that’s what I set out to do with Tanu Weds Manu. It was the best time for me because I was scraping the bottom of the barrel and had nothing to lose. I could behave like the biggest director because no one was looking at me. It took me three years to finish the film but I was sure from here I could only go up. It paid off.

TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS (2015)
In the four years that it took me to return to the franchise, I had grown as a director. But the best part was that I was not focussed on only my own growth but that of my actors as well. Queen had happened to Kangana (Ranaut) in the interim while Maddy (R Madhavan), after some wrong choices in Bollywood, had found the right path in Tamil cinema. Even my writer, Himanshu Sharma, had had his share of ups and downs and grown, as had my audience who were ready for a new cinema. They understood that Datto was not a gimmick but was for real and accepted her as warmly as they had embraced Tanu. Even the story took off exactly four years after the first film had ended with Tanu wedding Manu.

As told to Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 25, 2018)

There are two kinds of preps a person goes through before the cameras roll — the prep to become an actor, which is his life’s work and journey, and the prep to play a certain character. For me, the latter has become easier because I have been through a 20-year prep as an actor.

My first thought when I read the script today is to weed out the clichés attached to my character and give him a humane side. When Amit Masurkar, the director of Newton, presented me with the role of Aatma Singh, a disciplined CRPF officer, my initial plan was to knock off all the adjectives associated with a character like him — loud, angry, arrogant and strict. Looking at the way my version of the Assistant Commandant shaped up during the shoot, Amit went on to change the climax of the film. The ending was supposed to feature Aatma Singh’s felicitation ceremony with him being honoured with a medal for his bravery but Amit changed it to him enjoying some free time with his family at a mall. I was happy because I had managed to make him a relatable common man.

For Newton, there was some technical prep involved too. I met District Magistrate Rahul Kumar, who is also a good friend, to learn how much of a liability an officer like Aatma Singh is. Through Rahul, I met two IAS officers and a few CRPF officers working in rough terrains and Naxalite regions to better understand the impact and shortcomings of the job.

My most difficult role in recent times was stepping into Kehri Singh’s shoes for Shankar Raman’s 2017 neo-noir thriller, Gurgaon (right). My character ages from a 25-year-old farmer to a 55-year-old real-estate tycoon who is an alcoholic. My journey to Rs 20,000 crores is paved by the deaths of my daughter and my brothers, all of whom I have been instrumental in getting murdered. I have experience with being a farmer, but being super-rich and brutal is something I was clueless about. But I loved working on such a layered, complexed character and became a complete introvert during the shoot. I worked on building a body language that would evolve throughout the film without making any scene appear caricature-ish. In the time between “Action” and “Cut” I stayed so true to Kehri Singh’s internal complexities. I took a 12-day vacation with my family after the movie wrapped up so that I could come out of the dark zone.

The best thing about working with directors like Amit and Shankar, as well as with Anurag Kashyap in Gangs Of Wasseypur and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari in Nil Battey Sannata and Bareilly Ki Barfi (below), is that they give me a lot of freedom. As a theatre artiste from the National School of Drama, they trust that you will never ruin a scene for them and that gives you a lot of scope for improvisation. As an actor I have never tried to hog the limelight in any scene, and they know that I never will.

In Bareilly Ki Barfi, Ashwiny had already eradicated the clichés in dialogue at the scripting stage itself. Her idea of Narottam Mishra was a liberal Brahmin from Bareilly who smokes with his daughter. That itself is a little unbelievable. I am 42 years old, but Ashwiny wanted me to play the 60-year-old husband to Seema Pahwa who is at least 13 years older to me. She is a great storyteller and told me to play the character the way I deemed fit. If she didn’t like the way I portrayed a scene, she told me how she had imagined it.

For the film, I didn’t even grey my hair, I walked and talked slower and put on a little weight. And I looked every inch the part. Having a great supporting cast is like having a brilliant football team. One person has the ball and makes the goal, but all 11 players are always alert and help him get there. Bareilly Ki Barfi was like that. Kriti (Sanon) is such a young, sincere and hardworking actor, she would often request me the night before the shoot to rehearse with her. In fact, many new generation actors want to work harder to be better and that makes the journey more fun.

The 65th National Film Awards strike a bittersweet chord for Hindi cinema with posthumous honours for Sridevi, Vinod Khanna, and all-inclusive applause for fi lms like Baahubali and Newton
Sanyukta Iyer and Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 14, 2018)

SRIDEVI: National Award for Best Actress

Boney Kapoor: Don’t know if we should laugh with joy or cry in her memory

I miss her so much. I wish she was here, this honour would have meant a lot to her. We don’t know if we should laugh with joy or cry in her memory. She would’ve been so happy today because even though she put a lot of effort into all her characters, Mom was a very special film for her.

The subject had moved the mother in her. She cared for daughters around the world who needed a voice and understood the story best because our daughters, Janhvi and Khushi, were her life. For everyone, Mom is a film but for me it was the last journey of creative and emotional expression with the love of my life. If Sridevi was here, she would thank everyone in her own way, quietly.

She was not only a super actress, but a super wife and a super mom. She is not with us today but her legacy lives on.

A R RAHMAN: Best Background Score: Mom, Best Music: Kaatru Velayide

‘This is my third film with Mani sir to win a National Award’

I’m extremely happy to receive both the awards. Mani sir’s (Ratnam, who directed Kaatru) films are always special. This is our third film to win a National Award.

Mom holds a special memory for me because of Sridevi ji. When Boney ji had approached me for the film, it was she who flew down to Chennai, met me and insisted I score the music. It’s sad that she is no longer with us. All credit to my team for the hard work they put in.


VINOD KHANNA: Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Kavita Khanna: How do we celebrate his award without him?

As a family, we are grateful to the Government and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recognising Vinod’s achievements with the highest award for cinema. But it’s also a time when we miss him the most — how do we celebrate his award without him?

I liked every film he featured in. I was always fascinated by his nuanced performances — he would just drop starry gestures to become the character. I was speaking to filmmaker Vikas Desai recently, who made the exceptional thriller, Shaque, with Vinod and Shabana (Azmi). Throughout his career, when he could have picked commercial films, Vinod chose out-of-the-box roles. Shaque was not a formula film, and he chose to do it at the peak of his career.

At 51, he entered the Lok Sabha when he could have been doing film after film. He wanted to give back to society all the love he had received for his films. Working in the border-town constituency of Punjab’s Gurdaspur, which grappled with unemployment, underdevelopment, instability and even narco terror, he strived for over a decade to give back in the best way he could.

He never coveted awards and didn’t need a reason to be happy. But he would have been delighted to know that his life’s work has been recognized. Our children, Sakshi and Shraddha, have a lot to achieve in life and I am hoping they will do everyone proud, just like their father did.


NEWTON: Best Hindi Film

Amit Masurkar: Hope this award creates a bigger space for political films

I hope this award and Newton’s commercial success creates a bigger space for political cinema. This wouldn’t have been possible without an incredible cast and crew, and the love and support from the locals of Chhattisgarh during the shoot. Pankaj (Tripathi) effortlessly portrayed a character as complex as Atma Singh. It was pure joy working with him. He’s full of empathy and love for everyone around.

PANKAJ TRIPATHI: Special Mention: Newton

‘Last year was great for me’

I cried when I received the news. I have been shooting outdoors and I didn’t have my phone with me, my co-star Saurabh Shukla informed me. I wanted to tell my parents and my wife, but I had no idea if it was true. I didn’t even know I was in contention. It’s exhilarating and humbling because I have been acting for the last 20 years.

Last year was great for me. As a boy from a village in Bihar, I had big dreams and it feels like they have been fulfilled today. I only hope to work harder and more sincerely from now on…


BAAHUBALI: THE CONCLUSION: Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, Action Direction, Special Effects

Director S S Rajamouli

Congratulations to our entire team for being awarded the Best Popular Wholesome Entertainment Film. Thanks to the committee for recognising our team’s work in Action and Visual Effects categories as well.

Writer K Vijayendra Prasad

I am extremely happy and excited. Someone mentioned our win in the afternoon and that’s how I got to know. I’m not the celebrating type so I don’t know what the plan is. I haven’t spoken to the Baahubali team yet, but I’m sure everyone is happy.

DIVYA DUTTA: Best Supporting Actress: Irada

‘Irada was the first film I signed after my mother passed away’

I was packing my bags for an outdoor schedule of Anubhav Sinha’s Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai when I got the news. This is my first National Award. For any actor, this is the biggest honour and I’m glad I got it for a film like Irada, which was the first film I had signed after my mother passed away. I channeled my energies on this film and it was an emotional ride. Irada is a relevant topic as it tackles the issue of pollution. I played a corrupt politician and had referenced memories from my time in Punjab as a child. (Irada has also won Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation).


GANESH ACHARYA: Best Choreography: ‘Gori Tu Latth Maar’ (Toilet - Ek Prem Katha)

‘Nobody has choreographed such a song before’

I was moving houses when I got the news. It’s all thanks to Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar, Shree Narayan Singh (director) and Neeraj Pandey (co-producer). For Indians, the National Award is like the Oscar. Nobody has choreographed such a song before. We shot it with local dancers and our team. I will throw a party at my new residence soon.

Rinky Kumar (DNA; April 1, 2018)

Each time Pankaj Tripathi comes on screen, he seems to own it. Whether it was as Aatma Singh, a cynical Central Reserve Police Force officer in Newton, the intense and ambitious real estate tycoon Kehri Singh of Gurgaon or the quirky Narottam Mishra in Bareilly Ki Barfi, the versatile artiste lends his personal touch to each character.

The 42-year-old actor, who played diverse roles with aplomb in 2017, has an interesting slate of movies this year, too, such as Kaala, Super 30, Stree and Drive. While his first international project, Mango Dreams, is being screened on a digital platform, he will also be seen in a web series. It hasn’t been an easy journey for the National School of Drama alumnus, who struggled for 14 years, before finally basking in the glory. However, the performer, who hails from Gopalganj in Bihar, prefers to look at the brighter side of things. His only wish is to portray characters that are in sync with his real age. He jests, “I was 33 when I played the 42-year-old antagonist, Naved Ansari, in the TV series Powder (2010). I am 42 now, but was seen as a 52-year-old father in Bareilly Ki Barfi. I don’t know why I always get to essay characters that are 10-15 years older than my real age. Jab dekho, directors make me wear chaddar, shawl or loose cotton pants. When will I get a chance to dress according to my age?” In a tête-à-tête with After Hrs, he talks about his penchant for intense roles and why, surprisingly, acting is secondary for him. Excerpts...

Last year was exceptionally good for you. Do you feel that the audience finally recognised your talent?
Yes, definitely. I am happy as the films were not only successful but the characters also gave me an opportunity to showcase my acting prowess. People actually realised my potential and saw what I could do as an actor. I hope every year is as good for me as 2017 (smiles). This year, too, I’m on the lookout for such scripts but I still haven’t found anything as good as Newton or Gurgaon. Newton was particularly challenging as I had to emote, without doing or saying much. Also, I like to give grey shades to my characters. I don’t understand black or white characters.

Did you expect that it would be such an eventful 2017 for you when you signed the films?
No, I didn’t. However, when I was reading the scripts, I thought to myself — I don’t know how well the movies will fare commercially, but the roles are powerful. I knew they would help me get noticed. For instance, Gurgaon was critically acclaimed but it didn’t translate into footfalls in theatres. But, I know the day it is streamed on a digital platform, people will love it. It was a good film, which wasn’t distributed well.

What is your criteria while choosing a role?
I keep in mind two factors — who is making the film and with whom I will be working. I always like to be in the company of like-minded people who have a passion for cinema. At times, I might not know the producer or director, but if the script is good and I get a positive vibe from the makers, then I want to collaborate with them. Acting should be a fun-filled journey for me. If I don’t enjoy my work, then it’s tough to act. I want to ensure that I play interesting roles. Now, I’m in a position where I can choose the work that I want to do. Earlier, that wasn’t the case. When you get love and appreciation from viewers, your responsibility as an actor increases. 

Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who started off in supporting roles, are now cast as protagonists. Even you had a pivotal part in Gurgaon. Is this happening because the audience’s tastes and filmmakers’ attitudes are changing?
Today, the audience, especially the youth, has access to world cinema. They can watch movies from any part of the globe. Now, they want to see sensible movies. Also, the attitude of filmmakers has changed. They approach actors like me to play strong supporting roles in big commercial films. So, these are good times for artistes. In the next two-four months, even I will do a film in which I will be seen in a lead role. Talks are on, so I can’t divulge more details.

You were first noticed on the big screen as a baddie in Gangs Of Wasseypur and now will be seen in a negative role in Mirzapur. So, is life coming full circle for you?
If I continue doing the same kind of roles, then even I will get bored. So, I need to experiment as an artiste. I like intense characters. I’m constantly on the lookout for such parts because it’s important for me to break the norm for myself. My main motive while working is that I should enjoy the process. Money can’t give you as much satisfaction as playing a character well on screen does.

Are you excited to venture into the digital space?
Yes, I am. Its biggest benefit is that you can watch it anytime, anywhere. It has an easy and wide reach, whereas, in the case of movies, you need to step out, head to a theatre and buy a ticket. If you don’t like a show online, you can switch channels or put off the television set. The audience can disconnect from the digital space as easily as they are hooked on to it. So, makers need to give strong content to viewers. Also here they have the freedom to tell the story the way they want to without the fear of censorship. It’s easy to reject the ideas on a digital platform, so directors have to exercise greater caution and discretion. The digital arena has a bright future and, I feel, the quality of its content will only improve.

How much inspiration do you derive from your personal experiences while portraying a character?
I use my life’s experiences as well as imagination. I have worked in theatre extensively. So, now, I’ve created my own process. When I go to a set, I go with an open mind. I don’t have fixed notions in my head. Each of my characters gives me guidelines and that’s how I proceed.

Having worked in theatre, TV, cinema and now the web, which has been the most demanding medium for you?
Theatre, of course. The risk factor is higher as there is no scope for retakes. You also get immense joy while performing in front of a live audience. Cinema has its own challenges as it’s a more technical medium. You get to know how well you have played a character six months after the movie releases, but it has its own charm.

You started off by doing small parts before finally making a mark for yourself. What kept you going during your struggling days?
My upbringing. I’m a farmer’s son. Till class 10, I have worked in fields. So, since childhood, the importance of patience has been inculcated in me. Once you sow the seeds, you wait for the crop to grow. You can only wait, take care and protect it. I’ve never achieved anything instantly in my life. I didn’t become a star overnight. I waited for 14 years for my moment of glory. I knew I was a seed that was hidden underground, not to die but to grow.

Is that why you believe in leading a simple life?
Most of the times, my motive of doing a film is that I can earn money, so that I can travel with my wife and daughter. For me, my primary concern is to give a good life to my family, acting is secondary for me. Sleep is very important for me, so I get troubled when I have to shoot round the clock (laughs).

As told to Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 12, 2018)

The art of cooking is a lot like acting in that both require passion, creativity, concentration and patience. When you’re reading a script, you imagine yourself as the character and work towards it. In the same way, while cooking a meal, you sort and clean the vegetables, chop and marinate the meat, decide on the right amount of spices all with the dish in mind. It requires a little judgement and lots of practice. Overcook your ingredients and the dish is ruined. Similarly, overact and the scene is ruined.

In 1997, after failing the medical entrance examination twice and flushing my father’s dream of seeing me as a doctor down the drain, I invested my entire savings of Rs 27,000 in buying 10 samples of fancy shoes from a Kolkata manufacturer. I was supposed to pitch them to showrooms in Bihar. Simultaneously, I also partnered with a real estate agent to sell a plot at two per cent commission. For six months, I pitched both to every potential customer but could sell neither. Finally, I distributed the shoes among friends, taking whatever little they were willing to pay for them.

By the time, I’d moved from my village of Gopalganj to the city of Patna where my chachaji pointed out that there was a huge demand for desi chefs abroad and suggested I enrol in a cooking school. I signed up for a two-year course at a popular hotel as a kitchen assistant.

All I did for the first month was peel onions and potatoes for eight hours a day. To keep myself entertained, I started watching plays in my free time and yearned to discuss theatre with the people at work too but the other cooks were not even remotely interested in literature, music or film. They saw cooking as a full-time job, for me it was a means to connect better with family and friends. Food was for people to talk and laugh over and it frustrated me that there were no like-minded people in my kitchen. So, in my second year, I switched to the night-shift and started working with a theatre troupe during the day. I was at the hotel from 11 pm to 7 am but the managers still had a problem because I was always late coming in. When I was getting yelled at once, I told the chef off, saying, “Dekh lena, I will become an actor one day and come to this hotel to eat, and you will serve me!”

During the time, I decided to privately cater for weddings and birthday parties. It seemed like easy money but I was put off by the disrespect for food and chef. At one event, a woman wanted to meet the cook and when they presented me to her like I had presented my Gobi Manchurian, I realised she had only wanted the recipe. I told myself that day that I’d never try catering again. By the age of 24, I had quit my pursuit of professional cooking and was doing theatre full-time. Today, when I look back, I realise that destiny had its own plans for me.

At 41, my sauteed vegetables in black pepper and butter is a hit on every film set. Last month, Mithun da (actor Mithun Chakraborty) binged on my dabba. When we were filming Newton in the jungles of Chhattisgarh, I used to go out and pluck spinach, brinjal and other vegetables and cook meals at a dhaba close to our hotel. My co-stars Rajkummar Rao and Anjali Patil, along with the director Amit Masurkar, ate them every day, licking their fingers. And watching them I realised that cooking is similar to acting in another way. The joy you see on someone’s face after savouring a hearty meal equals witnessing a positive response to your film.

With both, commercial and arty ventures on his plate, Manoj Bajpayee discusses how content-driven cinema has given his kind a new lease
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; January 28, 2018)

In 2016, a 10-15 line monologue by intelligence agent Ranvir Singh convincing Taapsee Pannu's Shabana, in Naam Shabana, was proving to be onerous for Manoj Bajpayee. Unrelenting, director Neeraj Pandey had kept him going for 10 takes, and demanded yet another. That the role was offered to Bajpayee on a platter — Pandey literally permitted him to select his character — had made the feat even more cumbersome. "Any other actor in my place would have crumbled," says Bajpayee, who was "up for the challenge" that the filmmaker hurled at him. And it certainly was one, given that Pandey even refused to point out what it was that was going amiss. "He only says, 'Second take... third take... fourth take'. He is always looking for something, but the actor will never know what [that is]," Bajpayee says.

That his acting prowess is challenged 25 years into his career implies that Bajpayee welcomes a collaboration with Pandey. His fifth association, the forthcoming Missing, with Tabu, sees Pandey as producer, while the sixth, Aiyaary, has him wield the director's baton. The intellectual fodder that they offer each other implies that Bajpayee is sure to pick up a conversation with the filmmaker daily, even when they aren't filming. "Every week, we also grab dinner together at his office or at a restaurant, where stories and ideas make for discussion. Ever-so-often, he sends across a copy of his script for my opinion. He pays heed to them on some occasions, he rejects them on the others. We are similar, intellectually. He understands my dreams and expectations as an actor, and I trust him. But generally, we don't interfere in one another's business."


Bajpayee with wife Neha and daughter Ava

Even as he awaits the February 9 release of Pandey's Aiyaary, the actor has his hands full with three other ventures, each of which, interestingly, is targeted at a distinct audience. While Dipesh Jain's In The Shadows has been appeasing the festival-going audience, Sajid Nadiawala's Baaghi 2 hopes to draw viewers of mainstream cinema. Bajpayee also has Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK's The Family Man set for a digital outing, a platform he touts as the "next big thing". Evidently basking under the glory of the limitless offers, he credits the growth of contextually strong cinema for the increasing attention that cinematic talents have been acquiring. "We are finally heading towards a time when performance-driven actors will be at par with superstars. And that was exactly what the fight was about. The fight was never about mainstream cinema versus art-house films. We just wanted an industry where all sorts of actors could co-exist, and we're heading there."

Yet, the eventual exhaustion of commercial cinema is unlikely, given the far-reaching effects of mainstream films. "It [commercial cinema] is a genre that is important. It reaches small towns, villages and multiplexes too. But, because of the changing world, especially the growth of the internet, there's a large audience looking for great content as well. As a result, you get to see films like Aligarh and Budhia Singh." The demand for great content, he says, is coupled with the desire to see stronger performance from actors of his kind. "Viewers want actors who are known to deliver with their performances to be at par with Western artistes. Also, their demand from every actor is different. They want to see a Salman Khan in a [film like] Tiger Zinda Hai. When they come to see Manoj Bajpayee, they want him [Bajpayee] surprise them with new acts. So, our job is to be really good in every role. And fortunately, while a Tiger Zinda Hai is working, a Newton is too. And this is healthy. There has always been a Robert De Niro and an Al Pacino, but there has also always been a Tom Cruise."

While his fans would be up for a debate, Bajpayee insists, he has never been a talented actor. Harbouring the love for the craft since childhood, he says he knew he would need to off-set his perceived lack of flair with toil. "I need to work hard to recite every single line. I keep practicing it quietly before I'm required to deliver it. Also, I work on understanding the back-story of my character. If there isn't one, I try to create it. Because I hold on to it for long. I can't switch on and switch off. For me, if it's switched on, it is on for a long time."

A busy schedule sees Bajpayee neck-deep in work until August. But, after that he intends to take a four-month sabbatical to "refuel" himself for his forthcoming commitments. "It's an essential for an actor if s/he wishes to be ready for every venture," says the actor, as he goes on to spill the beans on how he intends to unwind. "I have already started learning to cook. I've realised that it is something that I am slowly growing interested in. I want to cook meals for my daughter and surprise her with one dish or another. I want to give her the memory of her father's dishes."

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; January 21, 2018)

Sushant Singh Rajput, who made his film debut five years ago with Kai Po Che! (2013), has had an interesting journey. On his birthday today, we quiz him about the various aspects of his life. Here are the secrets that he revealed...

What do you know today that you weren’t aware of last year?
That I will definitely survive 32 years.

What has changed after you turned 30?
The chance of getting a delayed engineering degree from my college is completely gone (I’m a college dropout).

The word you are never tired of hearing.
Action, in any context (laughs).

You can’t live without...
Dreams.

One thing which you would give your right arm for?
A stronger right arm.

What would you like to change about yourself?
I want to learn to say, no.

One thing you’d like to change about women...
Men’s general perception towards them.

A change you would like to see in the film industry...
A bit more fearlessness and unity.

What is that you love about the film industry?
It goes on...

A constant fear.
Fear of impermanence of everything.

Which phrase do you use often?
WTF.

A person outside your family that you trust implicitly.
Shekhar Kapur.

If you could turn back time, what would you like to relive?
Any moment spent with my mother.

The most cherished item in your wardrobe is...
My underwear.

An actor in the industry that you admire.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

If you need advice, whose number would you dial?
My publicist.

Name the one thing you have that Varun Dhawan doesn’t?
A flop.

A director you wish would offer you a film.
Anand Gandhi.

You want to see yourself paired with...
Tabu.

Which film of a contemporary did you truly enjoy last year?
Newton.

What’s that one thing you wish you had?
A time machine.

Which destination is on your travel wish list right now?
Norway.

You are protective about...
Any newcomer.

You are possessive about...
My nephew, Nirvanh.

A constant need...
The need to be understood.

The person you miss all the time...
My mother.

Which Hollywood actress would you love to hook up with?
Jennifer Lawrence.

The Hollywood actor whose life you would love to lead...
James Dean.

If not India, where would you want to live?
New Zealand.

What’s a prized possession that you have?
None.

Which artist do you admire the most?
Vincent Van Gogh.

Finally, what’s the one thing you want to do before you turn 33?
Get a flying license.

Aanand L Rai on his superstar dwarf, his ‘Happy’ state of mind and why he can’t think of himself as a king
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January  2, 2018)


So finally your ‘dwarf’ film has a title and a release date. But why Zero and December 21 in particular?
I grew up in a simple, middle-class family without a car, air-conditioner or five-star dinners, yet I was perfectly happy because happiness, as I’ve come to realise, is a state of mind. You can touch infinity even when you are zero, like Khan saab’s (Shah Rukh Khan) character. December is a month when we celebrate life and what better time for a boy who celebrates that he is physically incomplete and in his incompleteness completes others as he travels from Meerut to New York. There is a beauty in incompleteness we are celebrating.

Why Shah Rukh Khan?
I needed a big star and even if you cut two feet away from Khan saab, he’d still stand tall. Also, this story has a wide reach and he will take it to the world.

It’s a tough journey with all the VFX?
I’d use the word ‘enjoyable’ rather than ‘tough’ because he’s made it fun. Yes, it’s a VFX heavy film, but the effects are to tell a story and not just for impact.

With SRK in, did you need two other A-listers, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, or was it to get into the big league?
I took Katrina and Anushka not because they are big names but because they fit the characters. I know people think I want to get into a different league but when they see the film they will realise it’s still about casting and not set-up. I may be on a new pitch, playing new shots, but I’m still true to my roots and original in my storytelling.

Scared?
(Smiles) No, secure.

Yes, right now the biggest name in this project is Aanand L Rai who can make hits of even taboo subjects like erectile dysfunction.
Hits and flops don’t affect me, on the first day, I’m as nervous as any newcomer, relying on a team of 250 to bring my vision from the paper to the screen. When actors like Khan saab forget who they are to make my characters real, I feel indebted because I were asked to be anyone other than Aanand, I’d be lost. Acting is tough, as I keep saying, there are no bad actors, only bad directors. How can I feel like a king? A king gives magnanimously, while I’m the only one on the set always asking my actors, cinematographer, light men, everyone to give me something, generously.

Talking about erectile dysfunction, what made you risk a Shubh Mangal Saavdhan?
Twenty-five years ago, just before I took off on a trip with my college buddies, I confided in my father that they were planning to drink beer and I was worried. That evening, he returned home with two bottles of beer and we drank together so that when I was with my friends, I’d know the taste and could decide for myself if I wanted to drink it or not. For me that was a sign of changing times. Today, a quarter of a century later, if we can’t talk about sexual problems within the family, we haven’t evolved.

I admit even my wife was uncomfortable with the idea of me touching on such a taboo topic, telling me it could tarnish my clean image and we didn’t need the money. I explained that this wasn’t about money and I wasn’t making an adult film but a family entertainer, it was an important subject that needed to be breached. Today, many tell me that after seeing the film, they can talk more openly about such subjects.

From Tanu Weds Manu and its sequel to Raanjhanaa, Nil Battey Sannata, Newton and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, the films you’ve directed and produced have broken new ground. Is there a pressure now to deliver something new every time?
When I was struggling to make films, I’d see other makers with four-five hits behind them, on a good wicket and wonder why they were playing safe and not bringing something new to our cinema. Seven years later, I’m in the position to do so and if I were to repeat myself, I’d lose sleep. Tanu Weds Manu Returns worked because Datto was new and original. If I brought her back, I might get away once, with investors and viewers, but it’d take me back five paces. The crux of this journey is this connection between a storyteller and his audience which is unseen and can only be felt. The day I stop being true to my audience, start lying to myself about my reasons for doing a film and worry about box-office numbers, I’ll feel the pressure.

So, will Zero be a gamechanger too?
That’s a word I would like to hear from someone else, not from my own lips. But what I can promise is some takeaway, people will discuss it long after it’s over.

Were you disappointed when Newton dropped out of the Oscar race?
When I saw the film I wasn’t thinking of festivals or awards, it was just a story I wanted every Indian citizen to see, including my daughter. We’re the biggest democracy in the world but aaj democracy bas baat ban kar reh gayi hai. If in the next elections, even 10 people feel obliged to go out and vote, I’ll know Newton was worth it. As for the Oscars, I told Amit Masurkar, he’ll win next time. Newton is only his second directorial, he will get better. India is telling good stories, in five years, Oscar bhi aa jayega.

You’re not sure about a Tanu Weds Manu 3 yet but Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi is on the way to the theatres…
When he made Happy Bhag Jayegi, Mudassar Aziz was returning from a six-year sabbatical and a flop debut with a slice-of-life romcom. He worked hard, but his apprehensions held him back which is why I told him to go out and make himself ‘Happy’ again.

And with Anurag Kashyap, your dream project Manmarziyan is finally coming to life?
Anurag loved the script but told me he wanted to make Mukkabaaz first and was looking for a partner. So, I told him we’d produce it together and then he could direct Manmarziyan for me. I’ve been living with the idea for so long, now I have a storyteller who will own it.

Before we sign off, tell me about the Shah Rukh you’ve come to know in the last one year.
I’m not talking as a director here but as a person with 46 years of life’s experiences behind me. Being with this honest and intelligent man who teaches you even through his own mistakes, has changed my perspective on many things and helped me grow as a person.

Kusumita Das (MID-DAY; December 31, 2017)

Having tasted sweet success with his first film Sulemaani Keeda (2014), most people were expecting Amit Masurkar to continue making films in a similar humorous vein. “I would get offers to direct fun and breezy films, (like Sulemaani Keeda).”

But, the idea of Newton was lodged in his brain and wouldn’t go away. The film tells the story of the struggles that an election clerk goes through while trying to run a free and fair election in a conflict- ridden jungle of Central India. Along with co-writer Mayank Tewari, Masurkar spent six months working on the script. “During that process, we traveled to Chhattisgarh several times, interacted with lawyers, human rights activists, adivasi voters, politicians, police, administrators, surrendered Maoists — and their lived experiences became a part of the story. We met some wonderful people who helped us and their feedback enriched the screenplay,” says the 36-year-old.

As unconventional as the story and script may have been, fortunately, for Masurkar, it was not an uphill task to take it on the floors. “I met producer Manish Mundra early on, so there was no struggle in finding someone to back the project. And it was Manish who suggested Rajkummar Rao’s name for the lead. Rao read the script and came on board immediately.”

The team was confident of the product they had created. “The Indian audience is watching the best films and shows from all over the world. We have as many fans here for the Marvel universe and Game of Thrones as anywhere else. This audience is tired of the same old stories, which is why a film like Dangal or Hindi Medium does well. Newton is a unique story with a fiery young protagonist, and we were confident that it would do well too.”

When the year kicked off, the film was ready for a festival premiere in Berlin. The buzz here was low-key and even close to its September 22 release, it was not anticipated to be a box-office success, no matter how much critical acclaim it had earned already, across 60 international festivals worldwide.

Masurkar admits that he was not sure how the film would do in small towns, transcending multiplex boundaries. “Aanand L Rai and Eros International came on board to present the film. It was Aanand ji’s idea to release Newton in 450 theaters, including small towns. Until then, we were thinking of 120 screens; so, his confidence in the film was a big deal. I was a bit skeptical about how it would fare without much publicity, but he was always confident and was proven right. The film did exceptionally well in small towns.”

As far as the film’s role in the race for Oscars is concerned, it was announced as India’s official entry for the 90th Academy Awards, the day it released, on September 22. “The Film Federation of India selects India’s official entry to the Academy Awards. The voting members are representatives from film unions from all industries — Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu etc.”

Is he a tad disappointed that it did not make it to the final list? “When we set out to make Newton, we had no aim but to make an honest film. In LA, we got an excellent reception from the press and members of the Academy. We were competing with the best films in the world, and the ones that made it to the shortlist are also very good.”

The lesson I learnt
The only way to enjoy work is to continue making films that I believe in

Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; December 29, 2017)

Honestly, guys like me-call them critic-types if you will, but essentially film buffs who desire more than bread-and-butter for big-screen entertainment - hold a sub-conscious stake in propping up an actor like Rajkummar Rao, or a Nawazuddin Siddiqui, or even an Irrfan Khan, if you may. That they're sharp, well-trained, fantastic performers, is a given. But appreciating their talents to the point of anointing them stars in their own right (which they are) only widens the elbow room for the kind of scripts that can get green-lit, or mainstream films that can be made, with them wholly in the foreground, playing men who're often like you and I, or at any rate people we can relate to - rather than mystical, celestial beings from another sky, altogether trapped in their own galaxy of a fan-base, image, and audience expectations.



Rajkummar Rao in a still from Bareilly Ki Barfi and Trapped (above)

Of course, the more mainstream '100 crore' actors don't particularly fancy this 'fitrat' (tendency). A reasonably drunk Rishi Kapoor had hauled me over the coals once at a party for being this lallu "critic type" who simply can't understand how much harder it is to be a dancing, lip-syncing, commercial hero, rather than a brooding Everyman. Which is odd. I (like millions others) totally adore the on-screen Rishi Kapoor (even more so now). It's not an either-or kinda scenario.



Rajkummar Rao in a still from Raabta

Kapoor's grouse was against the level of praise heaped on Naseeruddin Shah all through his career. Which is odder still, since I was not even an embryo when the under-stated Naseer, film after film, stormed into the scene in the '70s, cornering considerable critical acclaim for the realism (or humanism) in his roles, gradually morphing into a star of a parallel universe (or parallel cinema, as it were).


Rajkummar Rao in a still from Newton

Not sure if it's the short-build, curly hair, or the self-righteousness of his character, or perhaps the fact that he's also an FTII trained actor, but looking at Rajkummar Rao (formerly known as Rajkumar Yadav) in Amit Masurkar's Newton, it was hard for me to not observe him as the 'new generation's Naseer', expressing it so many words in my review of the film as well. Rao, I noticed, naturally shied away from the compliment, when asked to respond to this analogy, in an online interview. Which is fair. Naseer has a body of work spanning five decades - during one of which (the '80s), he happened to be absolutely in the right place, at the right time.


Rajkummar Rao in a still from Bose: Dead Or Alive

Now I haven't seen too many Indian web-shows (my New Year resolution is to change that). But from the limited set that I did binge on, it might be fair to suggest that Bose (having watched six out of nine episodes) appears to be the best, if not the most ambitious, Indian web-series around - pacy, packed with drama, history, and conspiracy theories, and above all, an incredibly calm, sorted, podgy, and full of swag Rao, killing it as the balding, badass (to the Brits), Subhash Chandra Bose. Rao's so good that you ignore the fact that we'd been OD'ing on Bose this year (Vishal Bhardwaj's Rangoon, Tigmanshu Dhulia's Raag Desh, were both centred on the Indian National Army).


Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana

Over few months, to picture Rao as the one-man army Bose, and also as one vulnerable man Shaurya, stuck in a mid-town Mumbai high-rise, with the camera-lens equally stuck on him, capturing his moves and 'feels' - highs and lows - from every possible angle for 100 minutes' flat, has to be a study in contrasts. "Emotion nichod daala": to put it in Bollywood-speak. Beyond doubt, Rao delivered his finest performance (ever) in Vikramaditya Motwane's Trapped.

Which is to take away nothing from his other gig, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's Bareilly Ki Barfi, where audiences loved him even more. In fact Rao's role in Bareilly is built entirely on the idea of contrast, where he switches from a meek bloke into a 'Bhai' type, every few minutes, with crowds cracking up before the screen. 'Status' (flipping between a person with 'high' and 'low' status in the same situation) is a popular game played at acting workshops. You knew Rao would've aced it each time while honing his craft. I'm sure others did too.


Behen Hogi Teri

The point I'm trying to make is simply this. Of course Rao is a phenomenal talent. But this was the year when we could watch him effectively exploit every facet of it. And yet, none of this would matter in a film industry, which works purely on profit-loss, investment-returns. It's a sign of the changing times (or audience tastes) that he delivered hits, which makes one redefine what's a "critic-type" star, or a "real one" anyway. Bareilly (also starring Ayushmann Khurana), Newton, and Trapped performed considerably well at the box-office. I didn't watch Rao's other two releases, Behen Hogi Teri, and Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, fearing (perhaps, incorrectly) that it might ruin my Rajkummar Rao experience. But the latter movie, I'm told, had large audiences queue up in theatres, especially after the first week. Raabta, I saw, and it bombed (maybe rightly so). But it's a sure sign of stardom that Rao got picked to make a special appearance in the movie. He was under so much prosthetic make-up that it could have been anybody playing that part from pre-history.


We told you so! Rao in mid-day's 2016 list of people to look out for in '17

This was pretty much the year when most of Bollywood's unwritten box-office rules were shattered. Hyderabadi Prabhas's Baahubali: The Conclusion was the biggest blockbuster; Salman Khan's Tubelight totally tanked. Besides Golmaal Again, Judwaa 2, and Tiger Zinda Hai, I suspect all the major commercial successes were 'sleeper-hits'. Basically, no one saw 'em coming - pictures on erectile dysfunction, toilets, sexually deprived women, with audiences lapping 'em up. What used to be "serious", "boring", "parallel" has seamlessly merged into the mainstream. Heroes/heroines matter less. If anything Akshay Kumar is the 'huge-budget' Nawaz/Irrfan/Rao. I don't know how much of that gets reflected in Bollywood's starry, made-for-TV award shows. It's hard to tell how many gongs will go Rao's way either.

But so far as accolades go, I happened to be standing right in front of Rao (unintentionally eavesdropping), when he received the hugest one: Sachin Tendulkar just wouldn't stop gushing, going ga-ga over Rao, as Rao smiled all through. To use a sporting analogy, 2017 was to Rao what 1998 was to Tendulkar. He's in top form, smashing everything around, with hopefully, a whole lot in store as well.

While Rajkummar Rao’s satire, Newton, becomes India’s 47th Oscar entry that didn’t make it to the top five, the film fraternity continues to remain hopeful about a win, someday
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; December 16, 2017)

Newton, unanimously selected by the Film Federation of India (FFI) jury to represent the country at the 90th edition of the Academy Awards to be held in Los Angeles on March 4, 2018, is out of the race in the Best Foreign Language film category.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that the satire hasn’t progressed to the top nine film line-up despite winning accolades back home. A Fantastic Woman (Chile), In The Fade (Germany), On Body And Soul (Hungary), Foxtrot (Israel), The Insult (Lebanon), Loveless (Russia), Felicite (Senegal), The Wound (South Africa) and The Square (Sweden) have made the cut and will proceed to the next round of voting.

Since 1957 (when India sent its first entry), only three Indian entries have made it to the top five nominations at the coveted Oscar Awards — Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay (1988) and Lagaan (2001). Newton is the 47th entry that hasn’t made it to top slot.

Amit V Masurkar, who directed the Rajkummar Rao-starrer, says, “The competition is very tough, it’s the equivalent of Olympics for cinema. Most of the films in the competition have done fabulously well in the international domain. Even Newton received positive reactions at every screening. So, it doesn’t feel bad that we couldn’t make it. I’m glad we were chosen to represent India on such a massive platform.”

Filmmaker C V Reddy, who headlined the committee that selected Newton, says, “We’re still very proud of the choice we made. The rest is a film’s own destiny.” Supran Sen of the FFI, adds, “We thought that this was the best film on the table. Promoting it in the US is a producer’s prerogative and responsibility. We can’t help it if our entry is not chosen in the top five.”

Filmmaker Ketan Mehta, who has previously been on the FFI panel that selects India’s entry to the Oscars, believes that Indian cinema is yet to start communicating with the world. “There’s exciting cinema all over the world — American and European films talk beyond the borders. Their majority market is outside their borders, which is not the case for India. We are still hugely dependent on our domestic market, which is less than two per cent of the world market. Fortunately, even in that space, our market is robust for so many films to be made, but we are still shying away from being adventurous and global with our content. Also, we need exceptionally deep pockets to market the film in the US before the Oscars,” adds Ketan.

However, Amit V Masurkar disagrees on the importance of lobbying. “It’s not about lobbying at that stage; it’s largely about the content. The competing films are hugely followed by reputed festivals the world over, something that might be making a difference. We were good, but maybe, someone was better.”

Actor-filmmaker Anupam Kher, who has straddled Hollywood and Bollywood films and is currently the head of FTII, Pune, questions India’s obsession with the Oscar. He adds, “Oscars are their awards, and they follow their own process of screening and voting. We haven’t seen the other contenders in the category. How do we know someone wasn’t better than us? We feel heartbroken each year, but don’t make adequate effort to introspect and learn. Newton is a brilliant film, but maybe, we need to up the game. Oscar has been a long chase but maybe, we’ll get there, soon.”

Over the last decade, Visaranai, Court, Liar’s Dice, Barfi!, Adaminte Makan Abu, Peepli Live, Harishchandrachi Factory, Taare Zameen Par, Eklavya: The Royal Guard and Rang De Basanti, were sent as India’s entries to the Oscar. While some of them reportedly couldn’t garner the right response, it was argued that Barfi! was similar in essence to Charlie Chaplin films.

Newton had also faced a similar situation shortly after its selection from India was announced. There were discussions on social media platforms insinuating that the concept of the film was borrowed from the Iranian film, The Secret Ballot. Recently, during a chat with Naseeruddin Shah he spoke about the controversy around the movie and expressed his concern, “For the first time, we unanimously chose one entry for the Oscar, but even then, someone tried to damage its chances by saying that it’s a copy of some Iranian film. Need I say more?” The actor believes that India’s desire to win the Oscar stems from the urge to be seen and heard on a worldwide platform. However, he had argued that Hindi movies have a larger audience globally than Hollywood movies. He had added, “I have seen the so-called big hits in the US run to empty theatres in their very first week. While we outnumber them in terms audience strength, we have a massive fascination for the Oscar. We desperately want to be photographed by the world, holding the trophy. We might get something in costume design or maybe cinematography; chances for those are also bleak. We won an Oscar for Gandhi (Bhanu Athaiya for costume), but the campaign began before the film was shot and it was run by a Hollywood studio. Their studios recognize Oscar material and promote it while it’s being made, we don’t.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 16, 2017)

India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars 2018, Newton, is out of the race for the honour. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced yesterday that nine films will advance to the next round of voting. Newton, directed by Amit V Masurkar and starring Rajkummar Rao in a story set against the backdrop of elections in the world’s largest democracy, didn’t make it to that list.

The loss hasn’t fazed Masurkar, who compares running for the Oscars with fighting an Olympic race. “It’s a great feeling to have come this far. At the Oscars, only the best compete. While we got an encouraging response after our film was screened there, we were aware that the competition would be tough. We made a great film, one that stirred an impact. It was selected as my country’s official pick. That’s a pretty great feeling too.”

Masurkar says he was aware that his film was being pitted against favourites like Fatih Akin’s In The Fade, and Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Loveless. Both the films made it to the top nine.

Newton had opened to rave reviews across festival circuits, and even bagged the Best Screenplay, and Best Actor honours at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards last month. The shortlisted films have been selected from 92 titles that had originally been considered in the category. So far, Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay (1988), and Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India (2001) are the only Indian films that made it to the top five in the category. But, none have won the honour. Nominations for all categories of the Academy Awards will be announced on January 23. The ceremony will be held on March 4 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

The top nine films that cleared the list
A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
In The Fade (Germany)
On Body And Soul (Hungary)
Foxtrot (Israel)
The Insult (Lebanon)
Loveless (Russia)
Felicite (Senegal)
The Wound (South Africa)
The Square (Sweden)
Loveless (Russia)