Showing posts with label Tribhanga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tribhanga. Show all posts
Say hello to the new-age OTT and cine-maa
8:22 AM
The ever-sacrificing, predictably perfect & always one-dimensional template of the on-screen mother has undergone a dramatic change in recent times. Today’s on-screen moms are layered, flawed and sometimes downright chaotic!
Fathima Ashraf (BOMBAY TIMES; May 8, 2022)
Cinema’s moms are stepping down from their pedestals of perfection to get more real, raw and honest, with shades of grey. Sometimes, they are even messy, flawed, or plain chaotic. Recent times have seen several new shades to the filmy and OTT maa– from complicated (Tanve Azmi and Kajol in Tribhanga) to reluctant (Sheeba Chadha in Badhaai Do), to empowered-yet-flawed (Vidya Balan in Jalsa). Here’s more:
MOVIES & SERIES EMBRACE ‘HUMAN MOMS’
In the past, moms were either relegated to the sidelines of cinema, or put up on a pedestal and in either case, their whole identity centred around their kids. Often, their only flaw was that they loved their kids a tad much.
But, as Renuka Shahane – who wrote and directed Tribhanga (2021), a film about a dysfunctional and unconventional family of three women – puts it, “Ultimately, mothers are human. That is what is reflected in new-age films. Directors are also realising that mothers too have shades to their characters. In Tribhanga, while one of the mothers has had many affairs after her divorce, Kajol’s character had a daughter born out of wedlock. I think these scenarios are very real, relatable, and most people are accepting these changes.”
National Award winning actress Urvashi, who has won acclaim for playing Suriya’s mother in Soorarai Pottru (2020) and RJ Balaji’s mother in Mookuthi Amman (2020), shares, “For one to see the flaws and imperfection in mothers, they have to be looked at as human beings. If you look at mothers in older films, you’ll see they were never the lead actors. They were the hero’s or heroine’s mothers and past a certain age. They don’t have any other priorities, feelings, or thoughts. For them, it’s all about raising their kids and grandkids. That was the concept back then. As an actor, I don’t always want to play the soft and kind mother who doesn’t do much else.”
Madhoo Shah, who’s acted in films across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada, adds, “I was an actor in the ’90s and now, in 2022, I’m playing a lot of mother roles. And most of the characters I play are that of women who have left their unhappy marriages, single mothers raising kids alone, or women who start their careers or find their partners late in life. The characters these days reflect the current generation of mothers. I’m a mother, and my children are very important to me, but my focus is also on myself – my life, wellbeing, appearance, and all that. The attitude was different among the older generation. Their life was all about their husband and children. They went through a very sacrificial, martyrdom kind of motherhood. Whereas right now, there’s a lot of emphasis on self-care.”
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ADDING A NEW LAYER TO THE FILMI MAA
Recently, the film Badhaai Do featured two mother characters, who were a rare departure from the stereoptypical Bollywood moms. Sheeba Chadha – who played Rajkummar Rao’s mother in the film – said she enjoyed playing the role oft he unconventional, and rather ‘reluctant’ mother, who rarely participates in her family’s discussions.
Sheeba says, “Her non participation was the most interesting thing for me because that is really different from those conservative mom roles that one gets offered. I love her desire to not participate at all. She has a great degree of reluctance – she’s not just a reluctant mom, she is a reluctant human being (laughs). It is an interesting quality to explore as it is totally contradictory to what usually mothers are – mothers want to be present and to be contributing,” she said.
Loveleen Mishra, who played Bhumi Pednekar’s ‘hyper’ mom, told us, “My character is so hyper all the time, forget inner, most of her contemplations are outer. Uski life ke funde hi yehi hai. Usko aata nahi isse zyada sochna. There is a situation in the film, when Sumi (Bhumi) comes out to her family, and she is not just horrible, but extremely horrible in this situation. I could not get myself to believe – aisi chandalika maa bhi hoti hai.”
— with inputs from Dharitri Ganguly
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FLAWED TO FRIGHTENING: MOMS IN OSCAR-NOMINATED FILMS THIS YEAR
Several of the Oscar nominated films in 2022, featured chaotic and messy moms. While Olivia Colman was a complicated, cruel and distant mother in The Lost Daughter, Meryl Streep was seen feeding her on-screen son to the climate apocalypse in Don’t Look Up. At the same time, Parallel Mothers showed how maternal devotion can skew one’s sense of right and wrong. The Oscar eventually went to Jessica Chastain for her role in The Eyes Of Tammy Faye – in which she plays a character that feels frequently sidelined from her job due to her maternal duties.
Male gaze vs female gaze: Do female directors tell women stories better?
8:25 AM
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 31, 2021)
Female-driven stories told by female filmmakers have been gathering steam in the past few years. Films such as Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016), Raazi (2018) and Panga (2020), and the recent ones such as Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare (2020), Tribhanga and Sir have received immense love from the audience. These have been hailed mainly because of the treatment given to the stories attributed to the women directors behind them. This has also led to the discussion whether when it comes to women-centric stories, female filmmakers are more inept to tell them with sensitivity and correct treatment.
“There is something called the female gaze that comes into play. It is about how you write characters, how you shoot them and your point of view. That also changes the audiences’ point of view because they see the characters the way you present them. Right now, we are still living in cinema that is moulded by men. Everything is determined by the male gaze,” shares Alankrita Shrivastava, who has helmed Lipstick Under My Burkha and Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare.
Actor Richa Chadha, who worked with filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwary last year in Panga does not think there is much difference between how a female or a male directs a film but she says it stands true in the case of few their subjects. “In my experience, it’s not been that. But when I watch something like Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, it appears a lot softer than other films. Even the topic of sexuality is handled sensitively,” she says.
Rohena Gera, who handled the story about a romance between a domestic help and employer in Sir, says it is difficult to say whether it is about gender.
She says, “Who is to say that as a sensitive man wouldn’t make a sensitive female-centric story. The stories one tells as a filmmaker is also because of his/her exposure to things. I find it difficult to categorize things as gender.”
Having worked with a female director in one of her most notable films, Tanuja Chandra’s Dushman (1998), Kajol recently collaborated with Renuka Shahane on her directorial venture, Tribhanga. The actor says, “I didn’t consider Renuka as a director. She knew what she wanted, her gender notwithstanding.”
Shrivastava feels that the onus is also on women directors. “That’s because not all have that female gaze. And, because the place is so lonely they prefer to perpetuate the status quo that just continues this male, patriarchal gaze,” she adds.
Autobiographies are meant for a time when you are finished. I am not-Kajol
8:17 AM
Post the Netflix debut with Tribhanga, Kajol on exploring the web and why her autobiography will not make it to the shelves
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; January 31, 2021)
Taking bold career strides, Kajol who made her web debut with Netflix's Tribhanga, is gung ho about exploring the digital medium, albeit with an "interesting script". With her first experience in Renuka Shahane's directorial debut, garnering praise, Kajol says she wants to "attempt the long format". However, the actor is crystal clear about the kind of projects she hopes to hop aboard. "I want to be part of a character that [goes miles]. I should enjoy it as a viewer," she adds.
Unlike her character Anuradha, who hopes to write a controversial autobiography, Kajol has no such desire. "I am busy living my life. Autobiographies are meant for a time when you are finished. I am not," says the actor, adding, "I believe in living in the moment. I don't think I will be penning my memoirs. Maybe, I will write a fun fictional memoir [laughs]."
I want my women to talk about things not related to men, romance, or marriage-Renuka Shahane
8:20 AM
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 23, 2021)
“This year has started with a bang for me,” says actor-director Renuka Shahane, whose directorial venture Tribhanga released recently on an OTT platform. “I’m happy with the response to the film, the performances and that people related to what I tried to portray in the story. Indian stories are unique and they need to be shared with the entire world. My characters might have an education which is westernised but their choices and manner of living are rooted in Indianness, which is lovely to celebrate,” she says, adding her next film, too, might be about three women.
Often people feel female directors are able to highlight women’s issues pertinently, But Shahane doesn’t agree. “Directors like Gulzar, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt have represented women beautifully. I think is it about being a sensitive human. It is not that women directors can’t represent men well, so the converse is also true. I feel I am still a work in a progress, as a writer or director. The stories I can believe in and understand are the ones I would like to share. I want my women to have names and talk about things that are not related to men, romance, or marriage, for heaven’s sake!” she says.
There has been a change in cinema over the years and in the last few years, content has become king across platforms. Talking about it, she says, “With OTT platforms, now there’s a space one wanted, to push the envelope in terms of content, without thinking about economic viability of a project. The more content we have, the more audience there will be for it - that’s a win-win situation. They will then expect good content even from mainstream films.”
If Aamir Khan, at the age of 40, can do a film like 3 Idiots, and play a college student in it, why can’t I?-Kajol
8:47 AM
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 22, 2021)
Ageism is a conversation that has been going on in film industries across countries for a while now. And Kajol, who has been part of the Hindi film industry for 29 years, says that while part of it is true, there are also instances which prove that female actors are not discriminated against.
“We had actors such as Sharmila Tagore, Sadhna, Nargis Dutt, etc., who were working way after the time they were married and were in their 40s. Yes, I agree that today the time is such that everybody has a binocular view on it. Today, we are suddenly looking at things which we never noticed before. But this was all happening earlier as well. Even my mother (Tanuja; actor) never stopped working,” she points out.
Kajol says how there are so many female actors who have been working non-stop but people these days are making a big deal out of it. “I am here and I am working. I am very proud of it. I don’t see an ageist issue in Bollywood. I never did. I think it is in your head. If Aamir Khan, at the age of 40, can do a film like 3 Idiots (2009), and play a college student in it, why can’t I? He believed he could and of course, with the help of special effects,” she says with a laugh.
The 46-year-old firmly believes that as long as you don’t adhere to and give in to people’s perception about you, things work out. “I have honestly never believed in anyone else’s opinion besides myself, so that is good,” she adds.
Kajol is riding high on the success of her recent Netflix film, Tribhanga, directed by Renuka Shahane, where she plays an actor. She explains how she injected her own experiences into the character of Anu.
“Renuka is an actor herself, and understands the pressures of being an actor and in the limelight. So we both kind of shared in that bit and that aspect of it. But Anu’s character is much more, being a star is just a part of who is she is. The film is about relationships, and mothers and daughters, and how everybody is screwed up. There is no supposed parenting in this world, and no supposed perfect family in this world,” shares the actor.
I wanted to write about women, who are not looking for men to marry, who are not somebody's wives-Renuka Shahane
9:45 AM
Being a filmmaker is about telling stories of all kinds, even those you will never live through. Renuka Shahane's Hindi directorial debut, Tribhanga - Tedhi Medhi Crazy, is a study in familial estrangement
Jane Borges (MID-DAY; January 17, 2021)
If not for filmmaker Sooraj R Barjatya, Renuka Shahane would possibly have given up acting nearly three decades ago. At least, that, she recalls, had been the plan. After playing Pooja in the 1994 blockbuster, Hum Aapke Hain Koun…!, Shahane had almost made up her mind to quit being in front of the camera. She wanted to pursue a filmmaking course at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. "I told Sooraji about my plans. And he said, 'Are you crazy, you just can't leave [acting]'." Barjatya instead suggested that she learn on the job. "He said, 'Look at me, I don't have technical training. If you get a good team [to work with you], and have a vision and story to tell, nothing should stop you.' That seemed to make a lot of sense, because I was getting a lot of [acting] offers at that time," recounts Shahane, when we speak to her days ahead of the release of her Hindi directorial debut on Netflix, Tribhanga—Tedhi Medhi Crazy.
Starring Kajol, Tanvi Azmi, and Mithila Palkar, it's a dream that took an eternity to realise, but patience has been second nature to her. "I have always been passionate about direction. I began by assisting Dr Vijaya Mehta in the serial Lifeline [it aired on Doordarshan]. I was the fourth assistant there. Vijayabai was like an institution. She was so thorough and such a great guru to have. At that point, I thought I am going to do this forever. After my MA in Psychology, I was planning to do a PhD and then go to film school. Basically, I wanted to take the proper route and get trained. But life happened, and I became a professional actor."
She, however, kept waiting for an opportunity to come to her. In the late 1990s, she directed an episode for Zee Television's Rishtey, a drama series that focused on human relationships. "I took a sabbatical when my kids were born. At that time, it was my husband [Ashutosh Rana], who reminded me of my dream. He said, 'Listen you have some time at home, so why don't you work on a screenplay?'" Shahane turned homewards for inspiration, directing the Marathi film Rita (2009), based on her mother, veteran writer-translator Shanta Gokhale's book, Rita Welingkar. "I absolutely loved that novel, and because it was my mom's work, I didn't have to worry with permissions," she laughs. "When the screenplay turned out well, mom said, 'You have a writer in you'."
It's around that time that the two worlds of writing and direction collided. This is the first time that Shahane is bringing an original story of hers to life, and it hasn't come easy. "These characters first formed in my head in 2013, when I had participated in Mumbai Mantra's Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab. Though, I had done a film, I had wanted some mentoring, in order to understand how stories are constructed," she says.
The idea for the plot, Shahane says, had come to her many years ago, when she was shooting for the show, Surabhi (1990-2001) with Siddharth Kak. "I had met a woman who was recently married. She told me that she was finally happy to be free from the clutches of her mother, whom she hated. I was stunned by the fact. I have such an excellent relationship with mine; she is my core. That was really the starting point. I wanted to write about women, who are not looking for men to marry, who are not somebody's wives. It was also about the choices they made, how those choices passed down from generation to generation. That is at the crux of the story."
When an estranged mother (Azmi) slips into coma, her daughter played by Kajol, a self-made single mom grapples with regret and resentment, while reflecting on their strained relationship.
The script, she says, was mentored at the lab with writers like Bill Wheeler, Anjum Rajabali and Asif Kapadia giving her direction and suggestions. But, it took another three years to develop it, before director Siddharth Malhotra agreed to produce it along with Ajay Devgn.
During this time, it was Gokhale, who was her sounding board. "It's just so nice to have her around. Writing can be a very lonely process, and you require a support system that truly understands what you go through, and mom understands that beautifully. She has also written scripts. There are these tricks of the trade that she shares with me, or some perspective that she comes up with, which helps break the writer's block that I experience very often," says Shahane, adding, "I must admit that I am not a prolific writer. If it flows, it really flows. Sometimes, I am interrupted by everyday duties, and there can be months, when I am absolutely blank in the head. That's when my mother's tricks help me."
Gokhale, she says, is not just a gifted storyteller, but also her biggest inspiration. "I think mom's writing and thought process has influenced me a lot. She is such a committed writer, and there is so much that I need to learn from her—the discipline, the craft. And these you cannot just pass down. But, whenever she reads my writing, she says that I have a quirkiness, which she would love to have in her own. That, I think, is a big compliment."
Shahane now hopes to continue writing and direction, even more seriously. "Everyone in my team is telling me that I better not take another 10 years to make the next film," she says, breaking into giggles. "To be honest, I really like the process of writing. I am not fond of being in the public eye. That's a journey that I am very uncomfortable with. Although, I am on social media, and I am a very social person, I love my solitude.
Writing allows me that," she says. "I might, though, look out for scripts by other writers [that I can direct], because writing for me is very slow. I am also overcritical about my work. So, if it takes time, it does."
In real life, I didn’t have to face patriarchy-Kajol
8:15 AM
Telling women’s story in OTT debut vehicle Tribhanga, Kajol on being raised with value of gender equality and passing on lesson to daughter
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; January 14, 2021)
"If I don’t filter my words, Anu is 10 steps ahead of me [in that regard],” jokes Kajol, who considers her character in Tribhanga an extension of herself. But it was not just the strong-headed Anu that drew her to the script. Kajol was certain about making her digital debut with Tribhanga when she saw director Renuka Shahane’s astute understanding of her three protagonists.
“Anu feels love, hate and passion deeply — a trait I relate to. Though it was tiring to play her, it was not difficult to understand her,” says the actor, adding that shooting for the women-led film — also featuring Tanve Azmi and Mithila Palkar — was a novel experience. “The best thing about being on set with such strong women was that there was no insecurity.
The Netflix film studies the interpersonal dynamics between the three leads, belonging to three different generations, as they battle societal expectations to live a life of their choosing. Aware of how women battle judgments on a daily basis, Kajol considers herself fortunate to be raised in an environment that advocated gender equality. “My father [Shomu Mukherjee] was against me getting married at 24. He said that I should work more before I tie the knot. My mom [Tanuja] was my biggest supporter, and told me to go with my gut. I have been lucky that everybody around has always stood up for me. So, I did exactly what I wanted to do. I didn’t have to face patriarchy. Or maybe I faced it without realising, because I can be oblivious in some situations.”
Surrounded by two strong voices — grandmother Shobhna Samarth and mother — in her growing-up years, Kajol says she has passed down the importance of being one’s own person to daughter Nysa. “My mother made me independent, and my daughter is as independent as I am. She is [liberated] in her opinions.”
I believe that women who make unconventional life choices need to be represented-Renuka Shahane
8:09 AM
Ahead of the release of her directorial venture, Tribhanga, Renuka Shahane on how a chance encounter with a woman sharing a strained relationship with her mother, encouraged her to make the Kajol-starrer
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; January 4, 2021)
Fans who have missed her candour and vivacity on the big screen are eagerly awaiting the release of Kajol's web debut, Tribhanga: Tedhi Medhi Crazy. As the matriarch of the family in the spotlight, the actor say her character is a lot like her. "My character is outspoken and opinionated, like viewers [perceive] me to be. Yet, she is different. The film is a celebration of women and their beautiful imperfections. We must embrace these [flaws] and live on our own terms, just the way [the protagonists] Nayan, Anu, and Masha do."
If the film's recently unveiled teaser is testimony, the Netflix offering follows an inter-generational family including three women, and their unconventional life choices. Kajol, who is supported by Tanve Azmi and Mithila Palkar in the drama, could draw from her experiences as a mother to breathe life into the part. "As a mother, I can vouch for the fact that women face umpteen challenges, because the smallest things we do affect our children. A mother is a minefield of emotions. I hope the film resonates with people of all ages," says the actor, heaping praise on Renuka Shahane for helming the project tactfully.
Shahane, on her part, has been tight-lipped when it comes to discussing the plot. Even then, having seen Kajol dressed as a classical dancer in the teaser, we can't help but ask if the actor's dancing skills will be employed. "Tribhanga is an Odissi dance pose that looks beautiful despite its asymmetry. It has been used as a metaphor to represent the women, and their quirks and idiosyncrasies, all of which make them fascinating, beautiful and vibrant. I believe that women who make unconventional life choices and have a wide range of personalities, need to be represented."
It was a chance meeting with someone who "had a very acrimonious relationship with her mother", that encouraged Shahane to explore the idea. Eager to showcase the dynamics of a dysfunctional family where a mother-daughter relationship is rather fragile, she knew that adding a third dimension to the tale would enhance it further. "That is why we based the story on three generations. I am glad that I had a talented team of actors to help me bring this to life," says the director.
Netflix lines up Kajol's digital debut Tribhanga for January 2021
8:22 AM
Netflix rethinks decision to advance Tribhanga release to 2020; lines up Kajol's digital debut for January 2021
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; December 24, 2020)
All eyes were on Kajol after it was heard that her digital debut, Tribhanga, would drop on Netflix in the last quarter of 2020. However, mid-day has now learnt that the Renuka Shahane-directed film, also starring Tanvi Azmi and Mithila Palkar, is primed for an early 2021 release.
In April, the head honchos of the OTT platform — to keep up with the increasing demand for new content — had apparently requested the makers of Tribhanga to expedite the project's delivery so that the film could be a part of its 2020 slate.
"At that point, the post-production work, including sound effects and VFX, was pending due to the lockdown. As soon as the restrictions were lifted, the team went into overdrive and delivered the final product in August. Since the suits at the streaming giant had lined up digital premieres of several movies by then, it was unanimously decided to push Tribhanga to 2021. If all goes well, the film produced by Siddharth P Malhotra and Ajay Devgn, will drop in the first fortnight of January," says a trade source.
It is heard that an elaborate promotional campaign, centred on Kajol, has been designed and will be unveiled after the holidays.
When mid-day reached out to Shahane about the January release of the film, she remained non-committal, saying, "We have completed the post-production of the movie long back and sent it to Netflix. They will announce the release date." Netflix India remained unavailable for comment.
Renuka Shahane doesn’t blame producers for choosing OTT
8:00 AM
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 1, 2020)
To wait or not to wait for theatres is the question that every filmmaker with a ready for release film is posed with, amid the ongoing Coronavirus scenario. Acknowledging this dilemma, actor-director Renuka Shahane, believes that one has to be ‘flexible’ now.
“I don’t blame the producers who want to show their film online. I’m sure in a way it is a loss for them as none of them planned to release their film on an OTT. My heart goes out to theatre owners. There are some producers, who can wait with their releases but there are producers, who can’t sustain,” says Shahane, whose next web film, Tribhanga, is scheduled to release soon.
The actor, 53, also feels that there is no right or wrong in opting for web releases. “The only way theatre owners can be helped is through the government,” she says, adding, “We do not have any idea when the theatres will open, (and) what kind of social distancing will be introduced. The ticket prices might go up because theatres will have to be maintained. Anyway people are scared of confined spaces.”
Lauding the OTT platforms for being a great alternative for entertainment, during the pandemic, she says, “Without it, we would all have felt very isolated, both mentally and physically.”
Netflix in talks with makers of Tribhanga to advance release later from 2021 to this year?
8:17 AM
With greater demand for new content, OTT giant in talks to advance release of Kajol's Tribhanga from 2021 to this year, requests makers to speed up work
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; April 28, 2020)
With all eyes glued to streaming giants during the Coronavirus lockdown, these platforms are feeling the pressure to churn out new content. To keep up with the increasing demand, Netflix India has initiated a dialogue with the makers of Kajol's web debut Tribhanga, which was set to drop online in 2021, to advance its release to later this year.A trade source reveals, "While Netflix has several offerings lined up, Tribhanga is one of its few projects that is close to the finish line. The editing is complete; only the background music and VFX are pending. So, the OTT platform has requested the producer to expedite the delivery of the final product."
Even as the team is waiting out the lockdown to resume post-production work on the Renuka Shahane-directed drama, producer Siddharth P Malhotra indicates that a reworking of the release date is on the cards. "We have not discussed a date yet, but given the current situation, Tribhanga may drop online this year. It can be confirmed only after we submit the film to Netflix. After the delivery, the OTT service has its internal processes, which take a month or two."
He acknowledges that with a new deadline in place, the team will have to dive headlong into work after the lockdown is lifted. "We can't resume work until the studios open their doors. Considering the work remaining on sound effects and VFX, we will need a month or two to deliver the final product. Even if the lockdown is lifted by mid-May, we should be able to deliver it latest by July."
Kajol in talks with We Are Family and Hichki director Siddharth P Malhotra for thriller series
7:52 AM
Before her maiden digital outing drops online, Kajol in talks with Tribhanga maker for thriller series
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; February 7, 2020)
It's a pity we don't see Kajol on screen as often as we would like. But if things go well, that might change soon. While the actor will make her digital debut with the Netflix film, Tribhanga, by mid-year, buzz is that she is in talks with producer Siddharth P Malhotra for a web series.A source reveals, "Kajol and Siddharth go back a long way; he had helmed We Are Family [2010] that featured her in the lead. Now that Kajol is set to foray into digital entertainment, she is open to more offers in the avenue. She wants to explore the thriller genre as she believes such narratives offer the binge-watch quality that is needed in web series. During the shoot of Tribhanga, Siddharth and Kajol discussed a few ideas, including a thriller drama. The idea is currently being fleshed out."
Malhotra, who has previously backed Kaafir, acknowledges that he is keen to take his professional association with the actor forward with another outing. "We both have a few [concepts] in mind. She is open to doing a web series, so am I. But it needs to be something magical. I think 100 times before approaching her [with a script] because it has to be worthwhile. Kajol does not judge a project basis its platform; the story and her character have to resonate with her."
Kajol is a gifted woman who has been under utilised in our films-Renuka Shahane
8:29 AM
Proud to helm Kajol's digital debut Tribhanga, Renuka Shahane says actor's spontaneity and no-nonsense attitude make her a director's delight
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; December 12, 2019)
It is not easy to earn a nod from Kajol. Or so Renuka Shahane had heard, before she took the script of Tribhanga to her. A round of narration later, the actor-director knew she had found the protagonist of her women-led story that spans across three generations of a family. "She is choosy, but one must do roles that speak to their heart," smiles the director, days after wrapping up the shoot of the Netflix movie.
If the Ajay Devgn-backed drama — featuring Tanve Azmi and Mithila Palkar — marks Kajol's debut in digital entertainment, it also sees Shahane wield the directorial baton after a decade. Having worked closely with Kajol over the past few months, she says that she could not have asked for a better artiste to breathe life into her story. "During the shoot, she told me, 'You have to direct me. If I am not doing something properly, please tell me.' All directors would want to have such freedom."
Unlike directors who may be threatened by Kajol's opinionated nature, Shahane lauds the actor for her no-nonsense attitude. "Kajol wants to have clarity before she begins the shoot. This way, anything that happens on the set does not come as a surprise. And yet, once the camera was switched on, she would weave her magic. Kajol has been brave in accepting a film like Tribhanga. She's one of those few stars who are pushing the boundaries. She's a [gifted] woman who has been under-utilised in our films."
Now that Tribhanga is behind her, will we see Shahane on the big screen? "I am open to offers, but nothing that will keep me away from home for long."
Kajol joins Shabana Azmi and Mithila Palkar in Renuka Shahane's Tribhanga
8:41 AM
Actress will join Shabana Azmi, Mithila Palkar; film rolls towards the year-end
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 25, 2019)
Kajol, who was last seen in Pradeep Sarkar’s 2018 drama Helicopter Eela and will play Ajay Devgn’s wife in their home production Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, has now given her nod to Tribhanga. To be directed by Renuka Shahane, the intense family drama also features Shabana Azmi and internet sensation Mithila Palkar, who made her film debut last year with the Irrfan Khan and Dulquer Salmaan-starrer Karwaan.
“Renuka has been discussing the project with Kajol since the last few months. She liked the subject and has verbally agreed to it. Formalities should be finalised soon. The film revolves around three women from three different generations of the same family. Renuka has been working on the script for a long time now and has been getting positive feedback from those who have heard the story,” informs a source close to the development.
To be produced by Siddharth P Malhotra, Tribhanga marks Renuka’s return to direction ten years after helming the 2009 Marathi drama Rita which had featured Jackie Shroff and Pallavi Joshi. The earlier film was based on the book, Rita Welingkar, penned by Shahane’s mother, Shanta Gokhale.
“The entire film is set and will be shot in Mumbai. It will go on the floors by the end of this year. All the three female protagonists have really powerful characters. Reading sessions and workshops will begin a few weeks before the shoot. Casting for the male actors in the film is currently underway. It is unlikely that Renuka’s actor-husband Ashutosh Rana will feature in it,” the source concluded.
Kajol, Shabana Azmi and Mithila Palkar in Renuka Shahane’s Tribhanga?
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Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; November 26, 2018)
Nine years after making her directorial debut with Rita, a Marathi movie starring Pallavi Joshi and Jackie Shroff, Renuka Shahane is all set to helm a Hindi film. The project, which is being backed by Siddharth P Malhotra (who helmed the Rani Mukerji-starrer Hichki earlier this year), is likely to go on floors in mid 2019.
According to a source, Renuka is in talks with three actresses for her family drama. “She has been on the lookout for strong performers to play the female leads in her project. She is keen to rope in Shabana Azmi, Kajol and Mithila Palkar for the same. Renuka recently met Shabana as well as Kajol and both of them have shown keen interest in it. But they are yet to work out the modalities and sign on the dotted line,” says the informer.
While Shabana is a powerhouse performer, who has struck a balance between off-beat and commercial cinema, Kajol is known for her versatility. After playing the lead role in Helicopter Eela, which released this October, she will be seen in an interesting guest appearance in husband Ajay Devgn’s Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior. Mithila, meanwhile, is a popular face on the digital platform and has acted in Hindi as well as Marathi films.
When we contacted Renuka, she confirmed that she is helming the movie, but refused to divulge further details. She said, “I’m directing a film after nine years. It’s called Tribhanga and is about three women, who belong to different generations. The cast has not been finalised yet, so I can’t speak about it now.”
While the audience hasn’t increased over the years, the remuneration of stars has-Renuka Shahane
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The actor-director on her obsession with human nature and how it inspired her script about three women across generations
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 9, 2016)
When Renuka Shahane directed her first film Rita (2009), which was adapted from her writer and journalist mother Shanta Gokhale’s book Rita Welinker, she thought she’d “direct a film every two years”. That, however, did not happen. Instead, Shahane had to wait seven years for her next opportunity. Now, the script for her female-centric drama, Tribhanga, has been selected for NFDC’s Film Bazaar for production collaborations with makers across the globe.
Speaking of her upcoming project, she reflects on its evolution. “When I first wrote it, it was just to check if my writing skills had gotten rusted,” she says with her trademark smile. To put her work to test, she submitted it to the Sundance Mumbai Mantra Script Lab in 2013. “When I went to the script lab, I had no idea about the grammar of scriptwriting. My mentor, Malia Scotch Marmo (writer of Steven Spielberg’s Hook, 1991) was happy with my characterisation but felt that I needed to learn the basics of screenplay writing, especially how the story needs to be told.” Shahane also credits Marmo for introducing her to “the universality of the subject”. “She told me that people will respond if the story was told with conviction.”
Tribhanga is about three women from different generations and is inspired by the asymmetric Odissi pose, which has breaks in three places — neck, waist and knees — “and yet it is a sensual form”. “The three characters (in Tribhanga) are like the three breaks and yet they are all joined,” she says of the story which is partly in English (70 percent) and Marathi (30 percent). “The breakup is because that is how we speak.”
Shahane feels this is a great time for Marathi cinema. “You can really delve into the story and experiment with form. The Marathi cinema-goers have a liberal taste due their exposure to theatre and reading Marathi literature,” she adds. But despite this renaissance in regional cinema, Shahane reckons that there are still many challenges for a filmmaker today. “A disadvantage is the budget. This just means certain subjects are difficult to pitch or sell. Also, while the audience hasn’t increased over the years, the remuneration of stars has.” She holds one-time producers responsible for the whopping fees that actors charge. “They put in a lot of money to work with their favourite stars, often paying them more than what they’d make otherwise, and then the stars expect the same amount every time,” says Shahne who has a tentative cast on paper and shares that “it is the first thing a producer asks about a project”. “I’d like Rekhaji to play Anuradha,” she says of the character in her script who is a dancer and actress and shares a dysfunctional relationship with her mother Nayantara, who is in a coma.
The actress-turned-filmmaker’s desire to work behind the camera manifested early and she assisted Vijaya Mehta in the TV series Lifeline (1988) and even directed an episode for Zee TV’s Rishtey (1998). “I’d turn up early on the sets of Hum Aapke Hain Koun to understand how Sooraj-ji (Barjatya) would plan the day’s breakdown with his assistants. When I told him that I wanted to direct and planned to join FTII to learn the craft, he told me, ‘Ma’am, I don’t know the magnification of lenses, but there is a competent DOP for that. And if you are able to translate your vision to your team, you can direct’.” But her plans of wielding the megaphone were stalled after her marriage to actor Ashutosh Rana. “I had worked in TV for so long I needed a break and when I had kids (Shoryaman in 2002, Satyendra in 2004), I wanted to be there for them. We live in a nuclear family and I didn’t want my kids to be raised by maids,” she says, adding that her husband insisted she continue with the profession and even urged her to write. “Ranaji was the first to suggest that I should write and direct,” she says, adding, “And in 2004, after Shwaas released, a lot of exciting things were happening in Marathi cinema. I wanted work on a subject which dealt with human relationships as my interest lies in human nature and the various possibilities in interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships.” In 2006, Shahane wrote her first screenplay centered on child abuse. While it received a nod from husband and mother, it still remains on paper. “I will make that film one day for sure,” she smiles.
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