Having designed war sequences of Manikarnika - The Queen Of Jhansi, action director Nick Powell says Kangana Ranaut is a natural in the genre
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 12, 2018)

Given how war plays an integral role in the narrative of Rani Laxmibai, it was imperative that the stunts in Manikarnika - The Queen Of Jhansi be choreographed by someone who had an innate understanding of action.

After seeing his work in Gladiator (2000) and Tom Cruise starrer The Last Samurai (2003), Kangana Ranaut and producer Kamal Jain knew international action choreographer Nick Powell would be the perfect fit for the job. Talking to mid-day about his first Bollywood project, Powell says he designed the sequences in keeping with the 19th century setting of the biopic.

"I had to be correct in terms of the artillery they used in that era. So, all my action had to centred around horse riding and sword fighting." That Manikarnika saw the action sequences being led by a woman artiste was another incentive for Powell.

"Kangana insisted on doing all the action herself. The idea was to show a warrior who has been learning the ropes from a young age. Kangana practised sword fighting for eight hours a day, and convincingly pulled off each stunt. I have worked with the likes of Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, but she gave me the unique experience in which an actress was leading the pack. There were times when she pulled off smoother stunts than Tom Cruise," he laughs. Powell shot for 30 days in July last year, but was called back on set earlier this year to re-shoot some portions under Ranaut's vision.

"They wanted to better what they had achieved. So when I requested for an additional crew of 25 experts who specialise in rope work and sword fights, they immediately agreed." Having also orchestrated the action of Rajinikanth's magnum opus 2.0, Powell says he is eager to explore Indian cinema.

"I got a sense of the scope of movies in this country thanks to Manikarnika and Shankar's film. I will be returning to shoot another film in two months." Jain adds, "We reached out to Nick Powell after seeing his work and within a week, he was in my Juhu office. He was excited about designing stunts for a leading lady."

Shabana Azmi (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 8, 2017)

It was about 11 years ago that the formidable Des Power invited me to chair the first APSA (Asia Pacific Screen Awards) in the Gold Coast of Australia. He felt very strongly that if the Asia Pacific Film Industries got together there was much more that could be offered to world cinema. It was certainly an idea whose time had come. I accepted the invitation with alacrity and was delighted to have the amazing Iranian director Jafar Panahi amongst other notable luminaries on the jury. It was an interesting mix of films that we watched over the next few days. The stories these films told were sometimes different, sometimes the same… about human relationships, about the human spirit rising against all odds, stories of mystery and adventure. What was remarkably different though was the gaze... And I was so thankful to Des Power for giving visibility to a gaze whose inclusion is crucial in world cinema, given that the world is becoming a global village and we need to understand cultures by their own paradigms rather than yardsticks imposed by the West.

Over the years, APSA gained in strength and when Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation became the toast of the world, it was a matter of pride that the seed money for developing the script had come from APSA.

This year, the Indian film Newton won two awards, including the richly deserved Best Actor for Rajkummar Rao. Indian cinema is coming into its own. This was followed by Nitesh Tiwari’s Dangal winning the first Best Asian Film Award at Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). What was heartening was that it won unanimously. The deliberations were held over the phone, the most interesting being a concall with Anupam Kher in Chandigarh, Margaret Pomeranz in Sydney, Adam Torel in Tokyo, Kim Ki Duk in Seol, Lu Chan in Beijing, me in Italy and Russell Crowe, chairman of the jury, in Philadelphia. It has cured me of the terror of technology! There was only one objection that the father seemed cruel to force his will on the girls which was such a patriarchal thing to do. It took some explaining that this was a cultural thing and be that as it may, it was a true story and in a repressed Haryanvi society for the girls to chop off their braids and slip into shorts was a strong stride against convention.

Russell Crowe was very democratic, hearing us out carefully and then said what is important is that it’s a human story that carries across cultures and the cinematic language of the film is contemporary. Sakshi Tanwar who received the award was given a huge applause. She even asked for a hug from Russell Crowe and got it! Diversity and inclusion were being celebrated in earnest.

When I asked Russell Crowe if I could persuade him to come to India, he said his friends have been there and are full of exciting tales about their trips. He would be happy to come if there is something for him to do. I’m sure we can find something worth his while!

Meanwhile, (Garth Davis’s) Lion got all the 12 awards for which it was nominated, including Best Sound for our very talented Nakul Kamte. Saroo Brierley whose real life story it is, went up on stage with moist eyes. He is both Australian and Indian and both his identities were being applauded on that stage.

Backstage in the green room, Rachel Griffiths, one of Australia’s leading female actors, remembered Om Puri with great affection. She had enjoyed working with him in My Son The Fanatic and surprised me by saying that she has watched Dangal a few times over because she is about to direct a film about a father and his 10 children..

At the award ceremony, Anupam was asked to present the Best Actor trophy to Sunny Pawar for his outstanding performance in Lion and my heart filled with pride that one of us was up there on stage amongst the presenters representing India.

Our time has come. We need to tell our stories with confidence in the way we know best. We need to draw from our rich folklore and cultural roots, resist from mining derivative material from the West, rise above our colonial past and tell human stories that cut across cultures in a voice that is Asian. If it needs song and dance... so be it.

On his birthday today, Amit Sadh talks about putting on weight and losing it, medical issues and other things
Sneha Mahadevan (DNA; June 5, 2015)

Amit Sadh is currently shooting for A R Murugadoss’s Akira with Sonakshi Sinha. While he has to sport a chiselled body for this film, he had to put on 22 kilos for his film Yaara with Tigmanshu Dhulia. In three months, he had to knock off all those extra pounds that took a toll on his health. This episode rings a bell? Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan has also gained 22 kilos to play a wrestler in Dangal. Read on to know more similarities...

Drastic weight gain, loss
Amit says, “I gained 22 kilos for Tigmanshu Sir’s film. I have to lose some more weight now. I was 75 initially, I became 68, shot for the younger portions that is set in 1975 and then I gained 22 kilos. Then I weighed 90. Yes, I would do it again. Russell Crowe said this many years ago when he was shooting for Cinderella. “When I hear a story, the first thing I try to become is the physicality of the character”. You have to become the character physically and that in turn, has an effect on you internally. Then you get into the psychosis of the character ” What’s interesting is that Aamir too weighed 68 kilos before he gained 22 kilos and now he weighs 90 kgs.

Six-packs
Aamir sported an eight-pack abs in A R Murugadoss’s Ghajini and now Amit is going to be sporting one in the same director’s next Akira. Amit says that though he did build one, it’s not possible to sustain the same body for a long time. “It’s not easy and it is not even possible to keep it 24x7. It is not healthy to stay that way. There are only 20 people — super human beings in the world who are blessed with a frame like that. Who at the age of 24 and 25 sport six-packs? Even they don’t sport it for 12 months. If there is a role, that requires, you build it but a lot goes into it. Also, the selling point is not your abs. Sometime later, you want to see the face. A little later you want to hear the person talk as well. We have just overrated six-pack abs. In America, every third guy has a six-pack. Even in our gyms, most boys have six-packs. Can you make a hero out of all of them?”

Medical issues
While Aamir took about a year off to put on all that weight and will take another six months to lose it all, Amit lost all his weight in less than 12 weeks. Recently, Aamir revealed that he had difficulty breathing and that he would get tired very easily. Amit too faced a lot of health issues. “I had a problem while losing weight. Every third day I was in the hospital. Maybe, next time I will monitor it well. I am aware of my body and know a lot about fitness, but I had to start Akira and I didn’t want to look big in it. I have a great trainer, Viraj who helped me a lot. But then again, from weighing 68 to 90 — you eat 6000 calories and then you bring it down in an instant, it does affect your body. I wish I had the luxury to lose weight over six months and not do a film. I took about 12 weeks to lose the weight. Aamir Khan can afford not doing a film. I can’t afford to sit at home and not do films.”