Showing posts with label Ruchika Oberoi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ruchika Oberoi. Show all posts
In Dahaad, I tried to play the flawed character with a stroke of innocence-Sohum Shah
8:07 AM
Sohum Shah on balancing the conflict of playing good and bad in Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar’s 'Dahaad'
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 23, 2023)
Sohum Shah outdid himself as Bheema Bharti in Maharani last year, but with Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s 'Dahaad,' he changes gears to slip into the role of a man trying to come into his own. Playing sub-inspector Kailash Pargi, who struggles between right and wrong, Shah says that his character “is an amalgamation of his own education, or lack of it”.
“I love the complexities of this character. Pargi is in a world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred, and his worldview is a product of that very cynicism.”
The eight-episode Amazon Prime Video series follows a crack team — Sonakshi Sinha, Gulshan Devaiah, and Shah — on the lookout for a serial killer who has killed 29 women on the pretext of marrying them. Shah believes he could identify with Pargi because he also hails from a small town in Rajasthan. “He is a flawed guy, sure, but he doesn’t understand political correctness. I tried to play it with a stroke of innocence,” says Shah, adding that his Dahaad character questions and breaks out of his own patriarchal conditioning as he becomes a parent in the series.
“My mother doesn’t like it if I make my own tea. That is her conditioning. Pargi similarly goes through this when he starts working on this case and understands how he must stand as an ally to the women around him. The show’s nuances work because it is directed by two women, Reema and Ruchika [Oberoi]. I don’t think a male director would have done it as well. Reema encouraged every opinion and thought [I had]. She allowed [me] space to own the material.”
The show also throws light on caste politics in modern India, which the actor claims to have been witness to “since birth”.
“Caste [divide] is a reality. My worldview evolved after I moved to Mumbai. I used to have a chauffeur, who wouldn’t sit with me no matter how much I insisted. It was his way of thinking. I feel the first-hand experience I have of a small town helped in layering my character and giving it the balanced perspective and understanding it needed,” concludes Shah.
I don’t want to get bored of my job-Vinay Pathak
8:06 AM
With his movie Island City up for release, actor Vinay Pathak tells us about his process of selecting a role
Deepali Singh (DNA; September 2, 2016)
Vinay Pathak is a journalist’s delight. Conversations
run into long, interesting discussions and observations on everything
from Hindi literature to the state of politics in the country. After Hrs
recently met the articulate actor at his Andheri residence and over
cups of adrak wali chai and biscuits sprinkled with sugar, Pathak
chatted with us about his role in the movie Island City, playing Manto
in Ketan Mehta’s next and his passion for his job.
How did Island City happen? What appealed to you about the script?
The movie happened by fluke. I met Ruchika Oberoi, the director and writer of the film at Film Bazaar at IFFI in Goa, and we got talking about this script that she had written for Screenwriter’s Lab. I pestered her to let me read the script and when I did, I flipped! It was such a crisp, intricately-woven satire, yet, so simple and beautiful. I called her right away and told her I’m on. Then NFDC came on board and the project got underway. It’s a fantastic script with a high entertainment quotient. The audience is going to experience all the navrasas when they watch this movie. It will open a pandora’s box in their head.
The title obviously refers to Mumbai. Do you think there has been a Mumbai overdose in our movies?
All his life, Woody Allen did nothing but make movies on New York. The city has always been one of the strongest characters in his movies and most of them are classics. Overdose? Mumbai city? No way!
How do you choose a movie? Is your role important or the script?
The script has to work. There are so many scripts I have said no to where I’m the protagonist. For me, the story is very important, followed by how it’s written in the screenplay format and who’s the director. When you speak to somebody, you gauge their sensibilities. Island City is Ruchika’s first film, but what a brave director she is! Her core team is full of cinema enthusiasts and within a week, I realised these people mean business. It was such a joy to be a part of a pure, cinematic experience.
In Ketan Mehta’s film Toba Tek Singh, you play the writer Sadat Hasan Manto’s role. Tell us a bit about the movie.
I have been a Manto fan all my life and Ketan has done a brilliant job with the story. He has created Manto as a character, as the supervisor of the mental asylum who comes in contact with all the inmates. Pankaj Kapur is in the main role and I also got the opportunity to work with some really talented actors. We shot in a village called Bassi Pathana, which is a few hours away from Chandigarh, while Toba Tek Singh is a village near Lahore.
There is a tendency to box people in categories and Hindi cinema has tried to put you in the ‘playing-the-fool’ box. But we have seen your serious side in movies such as Dasvidaniya and Gour Hari Dastaan. Is there a deliberate attempt to break out of the mould?
Nothing like that. The only deliberate move is to not repeat myself. People keep bringing me Bheja Fry kind of films. They want me to play the protagonist, shoot in one bungalow for 20 days in a limited budget and expect the film to be a success, just like Bheja Fry. But my question is, where is the story or the characterisation? I don’t want to get bored of my job. I love my work with utmost respect, passion and stubbornness. Cinema is in my veins, in the way I look at people and the way I look at life. And if I claim to love it so much, I can’t do work that sucks the joy out of it.
Bollywood and indie filmmakers get red-carpet ready for international film festivals
8:27 AM
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; August 30, 2015)
Known for his casual demeanour, Ajay Devgn is currently deliberating on the designer threads to wear on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2015, which begins on September 10. The actor knows that he will have to give his trademark half-unbuttoned-shirt look a skip. As producer of Parched, which premieres at the festival, he is now keen on making a sartorial statement.
Along with Devgn, there are several other Bollywood and indie filmmakers gearing up for international fests and not just at Toronto; the 20th Busan, Venice and the London film festivals are also lined up in the coming months.
Small fights, big victories
Though Devgn has been part of Bollywood for over two decades, this is the first time he’ll be attending an international film festival. And he can thank his first international production, Parched, for prodding him to take this first step. “I steer clear from film events. I prefer to be away from their glitz and madness, but I’m excited to attend TIFF because it celebrates world cinema. It’s heartwarming for me to see my support finally getting the appreciation it deserves,” says this actor-producer.
He adds, “Parched is about the small battles that women must fight to win the big war. It is the story of four women from a village who break the shackles of tradition. Then, maybe, along the way, we can correct some of the wrongs that women have suffered since eternity.” The film, directed by Leena Yadav and penned by Leena and Supratik Sen, has an ensemble cast of Bollywood names like Radhika Apte, Surveen Chawla, Adil Hussain and Tannishtha Chatterjee. The film is a co-production between India, UK and USA that has award-winning filmmaking talent like Academy Award winning cinematographer Russell Carpenter (Titanic, Antman), Academy Award nominated film editor Kevin Tent (Descendants, Sideways), Academy Award and BAFTA winning sound designer Paul NJ Ottosson (Zero Dark Thirty, Spider-Man, Hurt Locker).
Boys will be boys
Another Bollywood presence at TIFF will be Randeep Hooda with Deepa Mehta’s Beeba Boys. The flick is a gangster drama about Vancouver’s underground drug and arms scene, populated by third-generation Indian immigrants in Canada. It has been selected for the Gala section of TIFF. It’s also competing at the London Film Festival, which kicks-off from October 7.
Randeep is excited about attending the festival and is keen that Deepa puts him up in a fancy apartment as was done during the shoot of the film in Vancouver. His Beeba Boys co-star, Gulshan Grover, no stranger to the American-Canadian festival circuit, will surely provide some tips. Grover’s character is based on a real Indo-Canadian who was fascinated with crime and guns.
Keep it short
Also at the Toronto fest is Megha Ramaswamy’s Bunny, a silent short film, that revolves around a girl who is mourning her dead pet. She wanders off into the woods to make some startling discoveries.
Last year at TIFF, Megha had showcased her short documentary, Newborns, about acid attack survivors. “It’s encouraging and exciting to show at Toronto twice in a row in the competition section. Toronto audiences are film enthusiasts who pay attention to detail and it is the best platform a new film can ask for. Also, TIFF is such an unaffected festival. It’s remarkable that all the project from India are authored by women,” she says.
Busan calling
Hansal Mehta’s Manoj Bajpayee-Rajkummar Rao starrer Aligarh will premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, starting on October 1. The film, written by Apurva Asrani, will be screened in the A Window on Asian Cinema section. Aligarh, based on a real-life incident in Uttar Pradesh, revolves around a professor who is suspended by his university for being gay and a journalist who investigates his story. Aligarh director Hansal Mehta feels, “It’s a special reward to a fantastically dedicated team.” Busan is Asia’s biggest film festival and being selected as part of such an excellent line-up is an achievement enough for him.
Forbidden territory
Also at Busan will be producer Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films’ Black Horse Memories, his first Turkish- Kurdish production, directed by Shahram Alidi. It will premiere in the competition section and will have its Asia Premiere in the Wide Angle section.
Musical journey
Another Busan-bound film is Mozez Singh’s musical drama Zubaan, with honours of being the opening film of the festival. The screening will also be the world premiere of the drama which features Masaan actor Vicky Kaushal and actress-singer Sarah Jane Dias. Zubaan is a story of a young man who has a fear of music and is set in Punjab and Delhi. Vicky Kaushal says, “I will be going to Busan. It is a great honour for us. As my other film Masaan is also being screened, it is a double honour for me.”
Venice rhapsody
Pyaasa, Guru Dutt’s 1957 classic, is the only Indian restored film for world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 11 in the Competition Section. It will compete with 20 other prestigious restored films from the world for the coveted Venice Classics Award, conferred on the best restored film. After Venice, the film will do the rounds at other international film festivals. The film is being restored and will have a worldwide released in theatres by Ultra Media & Entertainment.
Sushilkumar Agrawal, CEO, Ultra Media & Entertainment says, “There is a huge fan following of Guru Dutt all over the world, many of whom have not been able to see this ageless magic in its original form and glory. It took us nearly four months to restore this film frame by frame.” Also at Venice is Visaaranai (Interrogation), a Tamil film directed by Vetrimaaran. The film is based on Chandra Kumar’s novel Lock Up, dealing with police brutality. The movie will be part of Orizzonti or Horizons — the section second in importance to Competition.
Island City by Ruchika Oberoi is also travelling to Venice. The film follows three stories set in Mumbai and stars Vinay Pathak, Amruta Subhash, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Tannishtha Chatterjee. Competing at Venice Days, it has also been invited to the 31st Warsaw Film Festival for a screening on October 9, in the non- competitive section.
Ruchika Oberoi says, “The journey of the film started in Venice in 2012 when I travelled there with the script of Island City as part of the NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab. It feels great to be able to come full-circle and premiere the film in Venice Days, a section known for selecting original and innovative works.”
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