As told to Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; June 5, 2020)

Writer Sujit Sen had recommended me to Basu da for Byomkesh Bakshi. When I met him, he was thoroughly prepared with the script of 30-plus episodes. The fictional Bengali detective, created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, may be a top-notch sleuth, but in Basu da's world, he was without frills or overt gestures.

Since Basu da had written the script, he asked me to tell him if I found anything wrong with the [construction] of the Hindi [dialogues]. Even though it was my first collaboration with him, I was not apprehensive. In our first meeting, he had clearly told me his vision — keep it simple, and I followed his advice.

As a filmmaker, he was organised and professional. If he asked the crew to report to the set at 9 am, you could be assured that the shoot would begin latest by 9.20 am. We used to wrap up by 6 pm and go home. Besides me, K K Raina, Sukanya Kulkarni and Kartik Dutta featured in every episode.

The set was minimal, and the styling basic, yet the audience was hooked to the whodunit. The credit goes largely to Basu da. Almost 30 years later, I am still remembered for the show. It is being aired again as part of the Coronavirus lockdown line-up. It has been re-telecast several times earlier, but it is grabbing attention now because everyone is home.

Bollywood remembers the legendary filmmaker, who passed away in Mumbai yesterday
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 5, 2020)

The film industry woke up to the news of filmmaker Basu Chatterjee’s demise yesterday morning. The 93-year-old director, known for his unique take on cinema, passed away due to age-related ailments. The last rites were conducted at a crematorium in Santacruz at 2 pm. Basu da, as his colleagues loved to address him, was a gifted director and writer, who helmed films like Chhoti Si Baat (1976), Rajnigandha (1974), Chitchor (1976), Khatta Meetha (1978), Baton Baton Mein (1979), Shaukeen (1982), and Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986) among others, along with shows like Rajani and Byomkesh Bakshi. People from the film industry, including Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor, posted heartfelt messages on social media remembering the veteran filmmaker.

Talking about his beloved Basu da, actor Amol Palekar told BT, “I acted in six of his films, and I did guest appearances in two. One of the biggest contributions that he made was that he was the perfect bridge between commercial and parallel cinema. I had met him at his home five years ago. Sandhya (Gokhale, Palekar’s wife and actress) and my heroines Bindiya Goswami, Zarina Wahab and Vidya Sinha, and I had gone to his house. He was so happy to meet us. Knowing that he wouldn’t want to talk about his health, I would speak to his wife. The last time he was in the hospital, it was before the pandemic hit us. I heard he died in his sleep, quietly, something that goes with his personality.”

Rajit Kapur, who played Byomkesh Bakshi in the show by Chatterjee, said, “Basu da was not the pondering, dekhte hain sort of a person. I met him for the first time after my colleagues suggested my name for Byomkesh Bakshi. They had shown him some of my work. After a 10-minute chat, I was on board. He gave me the script for 33 episodes, with dialogues, which I don’t see happening even now. He was a fast worker and a taskmaster. Shifts would begin and end on time, and we had to go prepared. He was an uncomplicated person.”

Filmmaker-actor Rakesh Roshan shares, “In those days, he lived close to my home in Santacruz. We would meet often and I never missed a chance to tell him how much I wanted to work with him. We eventually did three films — Priyatama (1977), Khatta Meetha (1978) and Hamari Bahu Alka (1982). He was a great storyteller, had an amazing sense of humour and a beautiful smile. Working with him was like a picnic. Sadly, he has parted with us, leaving a void that can never be filled.”

As the Ramayan re-run top TRPs and classic shows return to TV, we look at what’s making them audience favourites all over again
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 5, 2020)

Back in the day, when TV shows such as Ramayan, Mahabharat or Shaktimaan had their original runs, they were the talk of the town. Now, history seems to be repeating itself. Many of these classic TV shows have hit the airwaves again and people are clearly lapping them up. For instance, the re-run of Ramayan on Doordarshan got the highest ever rating for a Hindi GEC show since 2015, when BARC started measuring TV audiences.

Not just Ramayan, thanks to the high demand, other shows such as Mahabharat, Shaktimaan, Circus, Byomkesh Bakshi, Shrimaan Shrimati, Buniyad, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Chanakya and Alif Laila too are back. So, what’s driving this demand? “Now, (due to Coronavirus lockdown) people have a lot of free time, which is also stress-free as far as regular work is concerned. Plus, there’s a nostalgia attached to these shows, as it reminds all of their carefree days,” says TV producer Shashi Mittal of Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai and Karn Sangini fame.

For trade analyst Taran Adarsh, old shows “will always be very entertaining and engrossing”. “Plus, they impart great teachings too. Now, thanks to these re-runs, our young generation can also watch them,” he says. Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar has a simple, straightforward reason: “Due to the Coronavirus lockdown, there is no new content or episodes. So, re-runs have to fill those slots. And today, viewers also don’t have many choices.”

For the shows’ actors/makers, the “relevance” of their work stands intact even now. “The content that came during the ’80s and ’90s is better than any saas-bahu serials… our show has always been educative. And that’s why Shaktimaan is relevant even today,” says its actor-producer Mukesh Khanna. Adds actor Rajit Kapur of Byomkesh Bakshi fame: “People who’ve watched the show 20 years ago are now showing it to their children. It’s pure, clean and wholesome entertainment. What appeals to people is that it’s simple to understand and, sometimes, simple is more effective.”

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; March 29, 2020)

Another popular show that has hit the small screen once again is Byomkesh Bakshi (original run 1993-1997). The middle-aged Kolkata-based Bengali sleuth became a national favourite overnight with this show. Written by Sardindu Bandopadhyay, it was directed by Basu Chatterjee. Rajit Kapur played the lead with K K Raina portraying his friend and assistant. Simple sets, a good script and nuanced acting made the edge-of-seat whodunits fun as well as an intense watch.

Talking about the rerun, Rajit says, “It actually feels very strange. It was done almost 25 years ago, but I am suddenly inundated with messages and calls since two days. You know, over the last 20 years, the broadcaster has aired it many times. But I guess it’s making a lot more noise because people are home and they are looking for some kind of wholesome entertainment. It’s a show that a five-year-old to an 85-year-old can understand. It enjoys that range because it’s clean, wholesome entertainment and that’s why it became popular. They say, sometimes basic is more impactful. The show will strike a chord again and could even get in new audience.”

And is he looking forward to watching it again? “I don’t know. There is so much else to watch while I am home (laughs!), especially the stuff I haven’t watched. But yes, I may try and catch one episode of the show for nostalgia sake,” he answers.

Rajit Kapur talks about his new play, Mosambi Narangi, and how theatre continues to be his first love
Sanskrita Bharadwaj (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 12, 2019)

For actor Rajit Kapur, who is known for his portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in Making Of The Mahatma (1996), it is not films but theatre that he considers to be his base and his “first love”. “I love films as well but the interaction with a live audience is the reason why I have stuck to theatre for so long. That transmission of energy between the audience and myself, gives me a big high,” says Kapur.

Having acted in plays such as A Walk In The Woods, and A Few Good Men, Kapur says, things have changed drastically in theatre over time. “There’s a lot of new writing coming into the theatre world. There are more and more people coming in from the younger generation to see live performances. When we started acting, there were more people in the age group of 30s who came to see theatre. Now, even 20-year-olds are thronging,” he says.

When asked if young actors have more affinity towards gaining fame on social media rather than enhancing their craft, he says, “If a person is grounded and has worked on stage, she/he has an advantage over those who are just jumping into the water.”

Kapur, who is also known for his portrayal of the fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi in the eponymous television series that was broadcast on Doordarshan in the ’90s, was last seen in the play Mosambi Narangi, directed by Mohit Takalkar. The play, which is about two junior artists, shooting on a film set is translated by Ashok Mishra from the award-winning play Stones In His Pockets, by Marie Jones. “These two junior artists are played by myself and Ajeet Singh Palawat. We also play the other characters that the two artists (Mosambi and Narangi) play on the film set. As actors, it is challenging for both of us to adapt to that structure. The beauty of this play is that we get to create so many characters,” he explains.

The play, Kapur adds, is also about the “hopes and disappointments, and dreams and aspirations of Mosambi and Narangi”. Talking about the process of preparing for the play, he says that he spent a lot of time with the script. “It is important to understand who these other characters are, so that they don’t appear as caricatures. As actors, we’ve spent almost three months on this play,” he signs off.

For Aadyam, actors Neil Bhoopalam and Rajit Kapur step into the buffed shoes of Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, to portray a few good men
Ekta Mohta (MID-DAY; July 14, 2019)

In the middle of our interview with theatre director Nadir Khan, "garibon ka Tom Cruise" walks in. Actor Neil Bhoopalam, who is set to play Cruise's character on Khan's production of A Few Good Men, knows that "a fair amount of jokes" is on its way. Khan is ready with his: "When Neil is shaved, he looks as close as we (Indians) can to Tom Cruise."

Aadyam's fifth season debuts with A Few Good Men, written originally by playwright and star screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, as a rat-a-tat courtroom exchange between two formidables. In 1992, it was adapted to screen; Cruise played the green US Navy lawyer and Jack Nicholson played the scenery-chewing colonel in the Marine Corps. Khan, who is directing his second legal play after 12 Angry Jurors in 2016, is game for comparisons. "Bring them on. Comparisons are inevitable, especially when you're dealing with scripts that have been made into iconic films. The point is, just because you know a story doesn't necessarily mean that it can only be told one way. For example, the story of Red Riding Hood: it doesn't mean that [since] kids have heard it once, they never want to hear it again. Watching a story you know in a different medium with a different director [can be just as exciting]."

He zeroed in on Bhoopalam and Rajit Kapur because he needed "actors of a particular calibre. It is Sorkin, which means that it is cracking scriptwriting. And, there's a lot of work involved because it is so dialogue-based. The dialogue is the real pleasure of it all. You need actors who are quick on their feet, have the right instincts, who can just take a line and bring it to life." Which means the leads have their work cut out. "The fact is, the force of the actor's personality and the force of the character you create, is what you (the audience) are reacting to," says Khan. "It was Jack Nicholson at the end of the day. The camera could have just focused on his nose, and you'd feel the same way. It's really [about] how you construct the scene. And the actors get to a point, where it is so precisely choreographed and rehearsed, that you are swept in."

For Bhoopalam, that meant homework. "Just to get a quick story line and some of the details, I watched [the movie] on Nadir Khan's homework list: but earlier on in the rehearsal process, not now. I was part of [the TV show] 24, and you don't want to watch [the original], otherwise you get too influenced by the grammar. This is also the first time I'm playing a lawyer. And, it's interesting to see this argument [play out]. Nadir did #SingIndiaSing last year, so he also listens to the sur of it, the tone of it." When he was initially approached for the role, "I didn't know which part Nadir wanted me to play. I had done two-bit roles in some of his plays. And now, I've got a lead. I didn't know there was so much responsibility. I started going one page after the other, and I was like, 'Oh, this guy is in every scene.' I should check the message again. Who am I playing?"

Even though Khan is not a Sorkin "bhakt" and Bhoopalam is "getting there," the latter says, "You pick up any scene and you read it, it's got a lot of power. Yesterday, in fact, this happened. I didn't share this with you (Khan). You're watching your fellow actor say the lines and you put forth the argument and you actually really get drawn. Your mind can't wander. Even if the person is opposing, it's still a valid argument. It is still truth in itself. So, it's a clash of opinions and it's a clash of those truths. Now, whose truth is bigger or better than the other?" Bhoopalam doesn't say it, but it's on the tip of our tongue: you can't handle the truth.

Where: St Andrew's Auditorium, St Dominic Rd, Bandra West; 26410926
When: July 20 and 21; 4 PM and 7.30 PM
Entry: Rs 300 – Rs 1,250
To book: www.insider.in

Nishi Tiwari, Avinash Lohana and Himesh.Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 10, 2019)

Three years ago, presumably buoyed by the critical and commercial success of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Farhan Akhtar-starrer Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Bollywood embarked on a truth telling spree, seeking out real-life stories more actively than ever. Now, with the Lok Sabha elections just over two months away, the genre has assumed a political tone. While firsttime directors Vijay Gutte and Aditya Dhar’s films, The Accidental Prime Minister and Uri: The Surgical Strike respectively, have dominated chatter around the timing of their releaseterms like ‘propaganda’ have been floating around—it has now emerged that five upcoming films, including Uri, feature characters inspired by/ based on prime minister Narendra Modi. A lowdown on the screen Modis:

Vivek Oberoi (PM Narendra Modi)
The actor, who now goes by the name Vivek Anand Oberoi, announced a few days ago that he is playing the Indian Premier in Omung Kumar’s next, PM Modi, and was met with mixed to negative response online. Public opinion notwithstanding, Ssandip Singh, who is producing the film with Vivek’s actor-father Suresh Oberoi, is gung-ho about his screen hero. “I needed an actor with experience and Vivek fulfils that requirement perfectly. He gave 15 look tests which involved seven hours of make-up every day. This went on for six-seven months. He was dedicated, passionate about the film and the extremely challenging role,” Ssandip says.


Rajit Kapur (Uri)
The actor takes on the role in Uri, which features Vicky Kaushal as a Major and Paresh Rawal as a character inspired by Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor to the PM. And while his is a more accurate physical representation of Modi, Rajit downplays it by saying, “I don’t really look like Mr Modi, but we have tried our best. The aspect of him that we see in this film is not of the public speaker, but of a planner and a thinker. The man has vision and I wanted to focus on the planner and strategist in him, mostly because the scenes show him taking important decisions. Unki personality mein jo thehrav hai woh is film mein nazar aayega.” Rajit referenced videos for prep but avoided imitating Modi as he didn’t want to make it caricaturish. “My attempt was to examine what he would be like behind closed doors,” the actor explains, adding that Paresh Rawal would be “perfect to play Narendra Modi.”


Lalji Devria (Namo Saune Gamo)
The 60-year-old actor, who is portraying Modi in the Gujarati film Namo Saune Gamo, is a self-confessed Modi bhakt. “I have met him thrice and he believes that I look like him,” he says, adding that he is frequently approached to play the PM. “For me, it’s quite easy to portray him as we have similar personalities.” According to director K Amar, the film was completed five years ago but couldn’t release owing to “political issues”. “It’s our take on what happened during Modi’s tenure as CM,” he says.


K K Shukla (Battalion 609)
K K Shukla’s version of Modi turns up in director Brijesh Tripathi’s Battalion 609, a fictional story based on the Indian Army. “I am a big fan of Modi saab,” the actor exclaims, adding that he has played the PM before. “The first time was for a show on a news channel. I really admire him because I believe he is an honest man though I have never met him.”

Paresh Rawal (Untitled)
The veteran actor-turned-Parliamentarian was the first to announce a biopic on Modi in which he would also play the title role. On Wednesday, after Vivek’s Modi look was out, he was quoted as saying that there’s no one better than him to play the role. When quizzed on his home production, Paresh told Mirror, “I am working on a film on Modi ji, but right now it’s on hold. The script is still being written. I can’t say much right now.”

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 5, 2018)

It was a double celebration for the Kapoor clan on Saturday when Prithvi Theatre turned 40 alongside Prithviraj Kapoor’s 112th birth anniversary. The late patriarch’s grandsons, Randhir and Kunal, and great-grandson Ranbir, joined thespians and theatre loyalists — Rajit Kapur, Lillete Dubey, Lara Dutta, Shyam Benegal, Ila Arun, Divya Dutta, Gulshan Devaiah and Tinu Anand, among others — to mark the occasion.

The festival kicked off at Opera House with the staging of Prithviraj’s play Deewar, which had first premiered at the venue in 1945. “I am proud that the theatre re-enacted my grandfather’s play. It was a nostalgic moment for the family and festival regulars. Shashi Kapoor and (his late actress-wife) Jennifer had established the theatre and it’s going strong with (their son) Kunal,” Randhir told Mirror.

Rajit, a long-time associate of the theatre, informed that Deewar, which revolves around Partition, was co-written by Prithviraj and its new version is directed by Sunil Shanbag. “My father once told me that he had watched the original play as a child in Punjab. Now, it’s commendable that members of the Kapoor family make it a point to attend the opening night of the festival every year,” the actor-filmmaker added.

Rajit, who was recently seen in the Junglee Pictures production Raazi, traced his association with Prithvi theatre back to his college days. “As students, just being at the theatre was a privilege. We volunteered there just so we could watch some plays. I was in the third year of college during my first ever performance, Night of January 16. It was magical,” he signed off.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 11, 2017)

Soon after Sachin Tendulkar's biopic attracted the eye of cinephiles and fans of cricket, the story of his mentor, legendary cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar, is set to be adapted for the big screen.

Actor Rajit Kapur, who is celebrated for his portrayal of the titular role in the Doordarshan series, Byomkesh Bakshi (1993) will play Achrekar in the docu-drama titled Sir, which is set to be helmed by National Award-winning director Pramod Purswane.

Confirming the development, Purswane tells mid-day, "Rajit and I have known each other for several years. This was the perfect opportunity to collaborate." The filmmaker adds that they have already commenced shooting a month ago, and is delighted that the actor closely resembles his protagonist. "He looks the part. Achrekar's students, especially Sachin, is helping Rajit understand the man. Rajit will be able to deliver what I imagined Achrekar felt when I heard about his stories from Sachin, Chandrakant Pandit, Pravin Amre and Suresh Shastri." Given the limited footage available on the coach, Kapur says essaying the part is a challenge. "I am trying to build him up from what I was told about him. It's such a thrill to be doing the role," he says.

The film will put the spotlight on Achrekar's training methods, and how he developed the skills of arguably the greatest cricketer in Indian history. "A film about the Mumbai sports scene is incomplete without chronicling his contribution. He was a man who was able to help his students despite his own monetary compulsions."

Achrekar's students, including Amre, Pandit, Amol Muzumdar, Ajit Tendulkar and Atul Ranade, will also talk about their mentor in the film, which has been in the making for three years. With the shooting set to wrap up next month, the makers are now eyeing a December 3 release, to coincide with Achrekar's birthday.