Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 26, 2020)

Talent ko mauka milta hai industry mein, but it’s not how it should be. Dabaake rakha jaata hai. People like me, from theatre or small towns, have been through such experiences and more,” says actor Raghubir Yadav, who feels there isn’t enough encouragement for talent in the industry.

He goes on to say, “Either actors put in their own money in films or producers chase star power due to personal relations, hype the actors and make them big stars. Khaamakha bada bana dete hain. And that’s why our cinema is lagging behind. We are unable to achieve excellence… If one isn’t well trained or a good actor, but keeps getting films, it’s obvious that people will have no option but to watch them. So whatever they make, the audiences watch. And then the industry says, ‘This is what the audiences want’.”

Yadav, 63, is glad to see so many people speaking up about talent and opportunities in films. “Imaandari se kaam kariye. Culture is about the soul, we have to retain it. Agar culture mein imaan na ho, toh culture kis kaam ka? Sab kuch banavati hoga. We should make films with good intentions and honesty. Sadly, filmmaking has become a business. I hope these discussions give us an insight, help us make better films.”

Having started his film career with Massey Sahib (1985), Yadav reveals he was never interested in doing films. “Mujhe Shekhar Kapur (director) Delhi se ghaseet ke Mumbai le aaye. I never bothered about what roles I didn’t get or missed opportunities. I knew I have theatre and music to rely on,” he shares.

Yadav, however, regrets sharing his story ideas. “People have stolen my story ideas and passed them off as theirs. I would be shocked that I shared an idea and the next thing I hear is that it is the story of a project, without due credit. But I would leave such groups if I felt I was being used. I don’t want to force anyone to work with me. Jo jaisa karega, waisa bharega,” he signs off.

The actor on his journey from IIT to sketch comedies to riding the digital wave
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 5, 2020)

When Jitendra Kumar essayed a gay character in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan earlier this year, many found the actor’s choice rather bold. But the 29-year-old, who shot to fame with digital sketch comedies and series such as Pitchers, Bachelors, Kota Factory and Cheesecake, felt the film qualified as “important content”.

“I hope such stories, and the intention with which they were made, reach a larger audience,” says Kumar, who admits that his two lockdown releases, Panchayat and Chaman Bahaar, were both banking on the Ayushmann-starrer to elevate him to a household name despite his big screen debut with Gone Kesh last year. “When you’re starting out, you sometimes can’t refuse work because you have to survive. But I’ve learnt that if you focus, and are patient, you can find recognition and also get the roles that you believe in.” Considering the actor has recently become a digital sensation, keeping at it, perhaps, pays handsomely.

During the Coronavirus lockdown, Kumar, unlike many, hasn’t rekindled his culinary passion, but has been just “cooking for survival”. “I am very lazy, so I knead aata for two or three days at a go, and can make two rotis in one minute,” says the actor, who takes pride in whipping up dal tadka, egg curry, aloo shimla mirch and bhindi. Kumar credits his survival skills to his days in the NCC camps he attended in school, where he also learnt to cook on an open fire pit.

Surprisingly, Kumar’s formative years in Rajasthan’s Khairthal were singularly insular and his access to the world of entertainment was largely restricted to the small screen. “My childhood was all about cricket, cooking and studies. We usually watched Doordarshan, but during summer breaks, we would have a dish installed, and watch whatever played on the cable channels,” he says. “Back then, I never thought that I would ever become an actor or even visit Mumbai.”

A civil engineer from IIT Kharagpur, Kumar shares that he was initially drawn to acting while participating in college plays. “In IIT, we’re told to keep up with extracurriculars, so I took to the stage.” It is here that Kumar also met his college senior Biswapati Sarkar — someone who he would later collaborate with — who went from helming college plays to writing sketches for TVF, a digital content outfit, which began producing content for YouTube in the early days of web streaming in India.

Kumar remembers diving into the digital scene just after college, in 2012, spreading himself thin by straddling acting, numerous production jobs and assisting gigs. “Initially, I was unsure if this was my calling, so I gave it up in three months and took up a job with a construction company in Bangalore.” But nine months on, Kumar knew that he wasn’t cut out for civil engineering either. This is when one of his older sketches Munna Jazbaati dropped online and was received well... just enough to nudge him to face the camera again.

It helped that apart from numerous digital skits, he also bagged the show Change Aayega, Hum Laayenge (Bindaas), which was also sufficient to convince his parents of his career choice. “When they saw me on TV, they were assured of my skills,” he says. “Since my father is also a civil engineer, he understood that if I wasn’t interested in it, I wouldn’t do a good job.”

That Kumar joined the digital wave just before it became a rage also helped him get a firm foothold in the medium. “I literally saw digital content grow. And when Permanent Roommates became a hit, it changed the rules of the game and, in a way, helped establish the burgeoning industry.” The IIT-ian only featured in one episode of the show, but was convinced of its potential and reach by the overwhelming response the show garnered.

Today, Kumar feels blessed for having shared the screen with masters of the craft such as Raghubir Yadav and Gajraj Rao and feels that he’s picked up a lot from closely following their process. “When you see such actors approach a certain character through their iterations with writers and filmmakers, you learn about the different ways of internalising a character,” says the actor, who also credits acting workshops for sharpening his craft. “I am yet to develop the instinct of an actor, but that will come with time too, I hope.”

Sammohinee Ghosh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 17, 2020)

If you remember the character of Inspector Gopal Singh in Anurag Kashyap’s gangland epic series -- Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012), it means Faisal Malik has stayed with you. The lockdown hasn’t been about leisure for Malik. The actor, who also runs a production house, is currently perfecting projects he was already on before the over 50-day lockdown came into force. “One of my productions was due for release, but the lockdown has delayed deadlines. However, the work goes on,” he says.

Malik coordinates with his team on video conference regularly. He confesses he has not been able to cultivate a new hobby, unlike most others. He further says, “Once we get caught up with work, we keep giving in to that whirlwind. I keep wishing for a scope to hone my passion, but none of that doesn’t happen.” The actor-cum-producer’s cooking trials have left him in awe of what most Indian women have been doing for years. Malik can’t fathom how homemakers or working women cook on a daily basis. “The toil and thought that goes into a dish is unimaginable,” he admits.

Ask him if he has prepared anything fancy and he says, “I took YouTube lessons and made some pasta and kofta.” About his recent success with the insistent and heartful rusticity of Prahlad in the OTT series Panchayat, Malik says, “It did not require a lot of hard work when you are working with an actor like Raghubir Yadav. He leaves his dialogues with an intonation that makes my part spontaneous.” He explains why he doesn’t intend to write a script on the Coronavirus pandemic. The actor says, “The topic has become a trope. I think like a producer and want to offer something fresh.”

Raghuvir Yadav’s estranged wife, Purnima Kharga, files for divorce
Sharmeen Hakim (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 21, 2020)

Purnima Kharga, National Award-winning actor Raghuvir Yadav’s wife of 32 years, approached the Bandra Family Court earlier this week, seeking divorce from her estranged husband, alleging adultery and desertion.

Purnima, a former international Kathak dancer, has sought an interim maintenance of Rs 1 lakh and a final alimony of Rs 10 crore, making Raghuvir’s partner and manager Roshni Archeja a party to the petition. Raghuvir has a 30-year-old son who lives with his mother.

Purnima, now 60, and Raghuvir,70, have been estranged since 1995 and have fought one of the bitterest matrimonial disputes in Bollywood. His wife claims that she quit her career to stand by Raghubir when he was a struggling actor after they got married in 1988. But he eventually deserted her for other women after he climbed the ladder of success. At the time, her son was still a toddler.

“The petitioner (Purnima) states that it is the Respondents (Raghubir) aforesaid conduct and behavior, his act of cheating and living in an adulterous relationship which has created a marital discord and is therefore guilty of treating the petitioner (Purnima) cruelly. Under these circumstances the Petitioner submits that he is entitled to a Decree of Divorce u/s 13(1)(i) and 13(i-a) of the Hindu Marriage Act,” the petition filed through lawyers Ishika Tolani and Tuooba Khan states.

In her petition, Purnima says she travelled the world doing Kathak shows in the early ’80s, even trained under the renowned Pandit Birju Maharaj. She met Raghubir at the National School of Drama and after a sixmonth courtship, married him in 1988 in his village in Jabalpur. Since the marriage happened suddenly, there are no invitation cards, but she has photographic proof. “The petitioner was under an impression that respondent will always remain loyal and faithful towards her and his marital obligations and duties would respect the sanctity of the nuptial bond,” the petition states.

However, Purnima started suspecting Yadav of having an affair with one of his co-stars in 1995 but tried to keep the marriage from breaking. But the following year, Raghubir himself filed for divorce in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The petition was transferred to Delhi where she was living, but later withdrawn many years later.

Purnima who filed for maintenance from Raghuvir under the Criminal Procedure Court currently receives Rs 40,000 a month from him. She insists that payments are never made on time and has alleged that he had transferred most of his assets in Roshni’s name to avoid paying maintenance.

Roshni, who has featured in the TV serial Benegi Apni Baat, did not respond to Mirror’s calls and repeated texts. Raghuvir, who, in an earlier interview with Mirror, had said that he has “gone through hell and torture” at the hands of his wife and son, kept it short this time: “The matter is subjudice, so any comment would be inappropriate but sympathy seeking at the cost of tarnishing someone else’s image has become very common. I will not resort to it as I have full faith in the Indian judicial system.”

The actor won hearts first in the’80s in Prakash Jha’s telecomedy, Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne. Eight of the films he was a part of, including Lagaan and Peepli (Live), were India’s official entry for the Oscars in the Best Film in a Foreign Language category.

Anand Tiwari, now the first Indian director to find Netflix release, talks of shifting personalities around the camera
Kusumita Das (MID-DAY; December 3, 2017)

In a game-changing move for the Hindi film industry, Anand Tiwari has become the first Indian to make his directorial debut on Netflix. The film, a Mumbai rom-com titled Love Per Square Foot, will release on the global streaming platform early next year. For acclaimed actor Tiwari, who wore the director’s hat for several short films and the hit web series Bang Baajaa Baaraat, this film marks his entry into feature films as director.

The 34-year-old, who grew up in Matunga West, has incorporated 34 locations in Mumbai in a filming period of 50 days. “I am a Mumbai boy and for this film, we have shot in locations that have not been explored in films before. Like for instance, the railway colonies of Lower Parel and Dahisar. We have shot throughout the city. Our first day was at the Gateway of India while we wrapped up in Naigaon,” he says.

The story revolves around a couple that enters into a marriage of convenience in order to buy a house in Mumbai. “Their love becomes transactional. I believe that in the urban space, we deal with interesting and complex relationships that we like to call ‘love’. Therefore, the irony of the title, ‘Love Per Square Foot’. The story draws from many personal experiences, as well as the lives of those around me. Growing up, our ideas of romance was courtesy everything between classic novels to right up to Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Love, nowadays, is anything but unconditional; there’s a lot of questioning that goes on and the conflicts are far more internal than external,” Tiwari says.

Even as the film tackles these thought-provoking subjects, he insists that it is a funny telling throughout. While Vicky Kaushal and Angira Dhar play the central couple, they are supported by a stellar cast comprising Raghubir Yadav, Ratna Pathak Shah and Supriya Pathak. Explaining how he is as a director, Tiwari says, “I am a very sweet actor; I cannot say the same about me as a director. I’m a complete Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. But, then, I am a Gemini — I am allowed to be two people.”

However, calling the shots while working with veterans may have felt strange at times. “Sometimes I would walk back to the monitor thinking, ‘Did I just ask Raghubir Yadav to redo a scene?’”

With Shah, the roles had reversed. “We have done theatre together, where I was the student and she, the teacher. For this film, the role reversal was as smooth as it gets. It’s a revelation how receptive veterans get with age. They are just like students. Vicky, Angira and I would just watch them in awe,” he adds.

Being an actor primarily, Tiwari feels he can understand his actors better when compared to pure directors, or people who come into direction from other professions. “I know what an actor is going through; if there’s a problem, I get to the reason faster. And most often, it has got nothing to do with filming. It could be a vanity van parked too far, or a fight at home.”

For Tiwari, heart scores over skill. “In cinema, the camera is so close to you, that if you’re not in the moment, it shows. No amount of skill can cover that. I never let my actors give me skill. I insist on heart. And, as an actor myself, I know when one’s heart is not in it.”

Nagraj Manjule on life after Sairat, that facilitated a Bollywood debut with Amitabh Bachchan and why he is not too keen on moving to Mumbai
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 30, 2017)

Nagraj Manjule is a man of few words. Praise makes him awkward, often evoking an instinctive “aree baap re”, while queries about switching from being a National Award-winning filmmaker to an actor are met with a terse, “I don’t think too much about it.” The one thing that manages to coax out a semblance of emotion from his voice is the mention of his Marathi runaway hit Sairat’s Hindi remake, which is being produced by Karan Johar. “I have no expectations from the film, only best wishes for the team”. Is it because the Telugu and Punjabi remakes didn’t fare well at the box-office? “I wouldn’t know why but it would be interesting to conduct a research on why films that do well in one language cannot get the same results in others,” he says.

He is, however, genuinely excited about his Bollywood debut with a social-drama featuring Amitabh Bachchan in the role that is fashioned after a retired sports teacher who starts a slum soccer movement. The film touches upon the issues of drug-abuse and crime and will portray how a sport can help reform kids on the path of antisocial activities. “I started working on the script after Sairat was complete. Even though it is based on a real-life character, the way I’ve written the part and the film, it moves far away from the source,” Nagraj, a self-proclaimed fan of his leading man, clarifies. “I grew up copying his clothes, speech and mannerisms. I’d go to school with my shirt tied like Bachchan saab in Deewar and get severely reprimanded by teachers. But the punishment had no effect on me. I’d still do it,” he laughs.

Furthermore, he confesses that he is fluent in Marathi but speaks only “theek-thaak” Hindi and can’t “do angrezi” to save his life. “But if you ask me to direct a film in English, I’ll definitely do it because a film is a language in itself that I speak best. If a man wants to dance, he’ll dance on a Marathi, Hindi or English song with equal enthusiasm,” he explains.

The 40-year-old filmmaker is aware that the success of Sairat facilitated casting for a lavishly-mounted project, even though he’d won a National Award (for Fandry) before that. “The fame and fandom feel really different. Too many people seem to claim to know me and want to meet me. It’s become difficult to step out of my Pune home and roam around the city like I used to. But yes, casting, producing have become easier,” he says.

Nagraj gets more animated as the conversation shifts to his acting gig for the upcoming The Silence, directed by National award-winning filmmaker Gajendra Ahire. Based on a true story, the film tackles sexual assault inflicted by family members and its aftermath, tracing the recurring question of responsibility and silence and also marks the Marathi debut of National Award-winning actress Anjali Patil. “I found it extremely powerful. It also gave me an opportunity to work with some fantastic actors like Anjali and Raghubir Yadav,” Nagraj says, adding that he is grateful that he was free at the time the acting offer came along as he felt invested in the story. “I get lots of offers and I love facing the camera but acting doesn’t give me a lot of money nor does it give me the satisfaction that direction does,” he adds.

Next up, he will soon begin writing his next Marathi film, which he will direct after the Hindi debut. Point out that everything seems to be falling into place for him and Nagraj recalls how he grew up in an unheard-of village called Jeur in rural Maharashtra with dreams of doing different things. “Ninety per cent of those dreams never turned into reality and almost all my plans failed. So I decided that I shouldn’t worry too much about the future. Now, I make small films and try to wrap up whatever work comes my way to the best of my abilities. I don’t want to move to Mumbai or be a part of Bollywood’s inner circle. I will forever be the outsider because, in every way I can think of, I truly am,” he signs off.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 12, 2016)

Two years after Identity Card, director Rahat Kazmi is back with his next. Mantostaan is a dark satire based on four Saadat Hasan Manto's stories. The Pakistani writer, playwright and author is considered among the greatest writers of short stories in South Asia. Thanda Gosht, Khol Do, Akhri Salute and The Assignment are among his most controversial shorts.

"These are four different stories which we have woven together with the Partition as the backdrop. Once I read Manto I was hooked and wondered why nobody has ever filmed these stories before," says Rahat.

Mantostaan has been shot in Punjab and Jammu. It will be screened in the Le Marche du Film category at the Cannes International Film Festival. "We always wanted to send our film to Cannes and planned the schedule so we could get the entry there in time. The festival can help us reach out to a global audience. Some of us will be at the May 11 screening and we are really excited," he exults.

Rahat spent six months on research, meeting historians, journalists and writers to understand the right approach to the film. Dr Bhanu Pratap Singh, his creative producer and a historian was a big help.

Isn't he afraid that given the controversial nature of his stories his film could land into problems? "Our society has evolved and topics earlier considered taboo are now being openly discussed," he reasons.

Raghubir Yadav, Sonal Sehgal and Shoib Kazmi play pivotal roles. Rahat was categorical that he didn't want stars who come with their own image. "Raghubir plays a troubled father who has lost a child. He didn't sleep or bathe for days before the shoot," says Rahat, who wrapped up last December.