Filmmaker Suman Ghosh — who had to contend with the Central Board of Film Certification in 2017 before it freed the “cow” and four other words that were asked to be beeped out from his documentary on Nobel laureate Amartya Sen—has run into trouble again. This time it’s with his feature film ‘Aadhaar’, a Hindi comic drama (starring Vineet Kumar Singh).

Only it’s not a tussle between Ghosh and the certifying body, but a “super censor” in the form of Unique Identification Authority of India that issues Aadhaar card. The UIDAI has proposed “28 cuts” to the film — cleared by CBFC in 2019 — stalling its release without the legal authority to do so.

TOI reached out to a UIDAI official in Delhi, who confirmed the department had “watched the film and asked for edits” but refused to comment any further.

The film was meant to release commercially on February 5 this year. Just after the trailer launch in January, my producer (Jio Studios) got a call from UIDAI officials asking for a screening,” says Ghosh, who teaches economics at Miami and makes films in India. “I wasn’t in India at the time. The film was screened for officials in Delhi in February following which they suggested 28 cuts for clearance.”

The film, written and directed by Ghosh and co-produced by Jio Studios and Drishyam Films, is set in 2010 and tells the story of Pharsua (a fictional villager from Jharkhand) who falls into an abyss when the village numerologist makes ominous predictions based on his Aadhaar number. “It then follows Pharsua’s journey where the significance of having an Aadhaar card gets superseded by superstitious elements that often create obstacles in rolling out national initiatives,” explains Ghosh, stressing that the film, in fact, “bolsters the case of the Aadhaar initiative”.

But with UIDAI as the final arbiter of Aadhaar’s destiny, the film’s release is currently hinged on objections that range from the use of a dialogue ‘Main Aadhaar Hoon’—a play on the title of a 1989 Amitabh Bachchan film ‘Main Azaad Hoon’— “which officials claim is demeaning the Aadhaar program”; a scene where a villager, trying to understand the privacy issue, asks: ‘Sarkar kya hamare ghusal khane mein ghus jayenge?’ (Will the government come into our bathrooms?); and a sequence where an old man wants to get his cataract removed for Aadhaar’s biometrics. “They felt it was an improper representation of their biometric recognition system that has now been upgraded,” says Ghosh.

“These points are redundant because the film is set in the year that enrollments for Aadhaar cards began. A certification board exists for a sensible call on the creative process. How can government officials who have no understanding of metaphor, allegory or satire in a film, issue diktats on its content,” stresses Ghosh, who is currently in Mumbai and wrote to Saurabh Garg, CEO of UIDAI last week describing the intent of his film.

“I teach development economics and understand the usefulness of a card like Aadhaar. As an economist, I have been a strong advocate of the initiative,” said Ghosh in his letter, adding that he had developed the film’s concept to bring awareness among masses about the potential benefit of a digital identity.

When CBFC had proposed cuts to Ghosh’s documentary ‘The Argumentative Indian’, he could contest it and seek official redressal. “The board’s regional review committee in Mumbai watched it afresh and after an amicable discussion cleared it with one cut,” recounts Ghosh. “In this case, I don’t know how to proceed. The UIDAI verbally conveyed the changes to my producer but has stonewalled my requests for an official list of demands or a meeting,” Ghosh said. “Although legally they can’t stop the film’s release, my producer is treading on eggshells. Why should we have to go through this?”

That, in sum, is what filmmakers across the country, too, have been trying to forewarn since the I&B ministry proposed the Indian Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill 2021 in June, which, if passed, would give the central government “revisionary powers” to “re-examine” films already cleared by CBFC. More than 1,500 actors and filmmakers, including Kamal Haasan, Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Hansal Mehta, Shabana Azmi, Farhan Akhtar and Mira Nair, wrote an open letter to the ministry earlier this month expressing concern that the move would render them “vulnerable to threats, vandalism and intimidation of mob censors.”

As told to Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 25, 2019)

Since I was not getting the kind of work I wanted, I decided to script a sports-drama. My sister, Mukti Singh Srinet, and I are basketball players. I have played six national games and seen from up close the struggle of athletes in our country in the face of indifferent officials, political pressures, lack of facilities and meagre finances. Mukkabaaz grew out of the shock of seeing a once-feted senior boxer working as a porter and lugging bags at Varanasi Junction railway station. When I started researching for my script, I learnt of other athletes who had sold medals to make ends meet. There was another one who had to take up work as a sweeper.

After completing the script, I decided I wanted to play the protagonist, a talented pugilist, Shravan Kumar Singh, and started training in the sport while scouting for a director. It was a long journey, spanning two-and-a-half years during which I learnt the basics of boxing, before Anurag Kashyap agreed to direct the film. I had worked with him in Gangs Of Wasseypur, Bombay Talkies and Ugly and he was ready to direct my desi Rocky. His only condition was that I should look as convincing as any professional boxer.

In Mumbai, it’s difficult to train in pure boxing as most of the coaches are into mix martial arts, so I decided to shift to Patiala where I had a chance of training with professionals. I prepped with them for a year without them realising that I was learning the sport for a film. Had they known, they would have never taken me seriously.

The training sessions were long and rigorous, replete with potential accidents. I broke my ribs once, but by the end of my prep, I had managed to impress my coaches with my dedication. I developed neuromuscular reflexes at an age when most boxers retire. It was a miracle because the body stops responding to training after a certain age. In all, it was a four-year prep till the film went on the floors.

We were determined to keep all the fights non-choreographed and real as the film featuring professional international boxers. The reactions, reflexes and punches were all spontaneous without us compromising on anything. By then, I was trained to put up a good fight even against a boxer representing a country on an international platform.

After Mukkabaaz, I wanted to take up another sports film and auditioned for Reema Kagti’s Gold which revolved around India’s first hockey win in the Olympics as an independent nation. As opposed to my bulky look in Mukkabaaz, this one required a leaner body since people didn’t hit the gym in 1930s and ’40s. So, I changed my diet plan as well as my workout schedule to break all the muscle I had built. The hockey training sessions with the team were not difficult because I had played the sport in my childhood. That aside, the extensive boxing sessions had given me the strength to train like an international athlete, so I only had to work on polishing my skills.

The hockey sticks used in the ’30s and ’40s, however, were very different from the ones used today. They were heavy with thick blades, and that made it difficult to control the ball initially. Another challenge was to play on artificial grass as I had played on the turf as a kid. But I think I managed to do a convincing job as Imtiaz Ali, who was a part of the Indian team but after Partition crossed the border and went on to captain the ‘other side’.

Every character I play has its own graph. I make it a point to discuss them with the writer and director first to get their points of view before jumping into the prep. For my upcoming films, Adhar and Saand Ki Aankh, I had to learn two different lingos, from Jharkhand and Punjab respectively. I interacted with locals for around four months. This helped me imbibe and incorporate local characteristics into my performance as well.

Meera Vohra (BOMBAY TIMES; February 3, 2019)

Kumbh and Bollywood are inseparable. Many of us have grown up on the done-to-death filmy line, ‘Kumbh ke mele mein bichade hue bhai’. That love affair, which dates back to the black-and-white era, continues till date. The ongoing Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, like the grand festival in earlier years, has been generating a lot of interest among filmmakers, who are keen on capturing the largest human congregation for the big screen.

PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE
Director Prakash Jha, who has made films like Raajneeti and Gangaajal, was recently spotted at the Kumbh Mela and it seems that he turned his spiritual sojourn into a work trip — he reportedly did a recce for his upcoming film there. “The director is likely to shoot some of the scenes for his forthcoming film on one of the important maha snan days of the mela. Accompanied by his team, the director had explored the mela area extensively,” a source tells us.

The Bhoole Bhatke Shivir, the camp that reunites the people separated from their families during the Kumbh, is all set to be the theme of the next project of producer Siddharth Roy Kapur. “Some members of the production house came to meet me in October last year, as they wanted to make a film on my father, late Rajaram Tiwari, and his work of reuniting the people who get lost during the mela. In November, I was invited to Mumbai for a meeting with Siddharth,” says Umesh Chandra Tiwari, who is now the president of the organisation running the camp.

Director Shree Narayan Singh of Toilet - Ek Prem Katha fame intends to capture some moments of the Kumbh on his visit to Prayagraj. “My next film is based in this space and I wanted to see and observe Kumbh more closely so that when I start shooting, this visit helps me recreate the scene for the film,” he says.

Work is already on for a documentary on Kumbh by Subhash Ghai’s production house. The Taal director will be visiting the mela sometime this month. “The Kumbh is being covered by us with the intention of making a documentary by using Virtual Reality (VR) technology. We have plans to send the documentary to world libraries, including that of the UNESCO, so that the world gets to know what the mela is all about. Kumbh Mela, I feel, is the biggest example of our rich cultural heritage. The documentary is being made under my supervision, for which I have even penned the script,” Ghai says.

He adds, “Hindi films have a strong connect with Kumbh Mela as a lot of our stories in the past have revolved around the lost and found formula. Even the heroes of our films came from shores of river Ganga — that also gives us the best visuals, if we want to depict Indian culture. Now, the world is also taking notice of this biggest human gathering as the Kumbh Mela has also been recognised by the UNESCO as India’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Even in the past, a well-researched documentary on the Kumbh had been made by us, which is being used by Tourism Department.”


DIFFICULT TO GET PERMISSION TO SHOOT IN KUMBH: FILMMAKERS
Getting permission from the Mela authorities to shoot with a big crew with known artistes, however, is a difficult proposition. So some of the filmmakers are going in for guerrilla shoot, during the mela. Film writer Dhiraj Mishra, who is making his directorial debut with his film Vimoksha, says, “The major part of my film is based on Kumbh, so I will resort to some guerrilla shooting, as the Mela administration is reluctant to give permission for a proper shoot, closer to the major snans, due to security reasons.”

Line producer Sanjay Verma, who has got queries for nearly 25 projects based on Kumbh, tells us, “We are still awaiting permission for their shoots. In some cases, we are going in for guerrilla shoot. A film from South, with a crew of 200 people, wanted to shoot during the Kumbh. But as it would have been difficult to move them from one place to the other in the mela area, the idea was dropped. Everyone wants to shoot during this time as it is difficult to recreate the flavour of Kumbh later,” he says.

Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia, who was in Prayagraj to shoot some sequence of his film, Milan Talkies, a few days back, says, “Kumbh Mela cannot be recreated. Though I did not go to the mela area this time, but my first film Haasil was shot there. The magnitude, vibrant colour and diversity of the Kumbh Mela cannot be recreated – that is what makes it so special from a filmmaker’s perspective,” says the Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster director.

“Shooting in Kumbh is once-in-a-lifetime experience,” says Mukkabaaz actor Vineet Kumar Singh, who was in Prayagraj during the last Kumbh (2013) for the shoot of an Anurag Kashyap film. “We had stayed in the tents in the mela area and had the camera’s ready. Humne shoot kaafi natural tarike se kiya tha. I went like an ordinary traveller to meet the sadhus, which was canned and later incorporated in the film. We became part of the massive crowd. It was both great fun and challenge to shoot in the Kumbh Mela,” he says.

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; August 5, 2018)

Patience and perseverance are among Manoj Bajpayee’s biggest strengths. After being rejected thrice by the National School of Drama, he proved to be so good at his craft that the same institute offered him a teaching position when he applied for the fourth time. Not surprising then that a majority of the roles he has played in his 24-year innings are considered memorable performances. What’s more, the two-time National Award winner has opened doors for several others and the younger generation of actors express gratitude for reaping the fruits of his labour. We catch up with the actor who will be seen next in this Independence Day release, Satyameva Jayate. Excerpts…

Apparently, it was the makers’ unanimous view that you were the best bet for the top cop’s role. What was your reaction when you heard the script?
Producer Nikkhil Advani and I had promised each other a long time ago that we would work together. I had refused his offers twice before. We’ve known each for more than two decades, since the time he was assisting Sudhir Mishra and I was struggling after Bandit Queen (1994). He was very fond of me and over a period of time, we became close friends. He is an amazing guy. When he offered this film to me, he said, ‘You’ll have to do it’.  So I took it up primarily for him. The second reason is the engaging manner in which the story is told, it’s a commercial film, something I do in four-five years. So, it’s a nice break for me, it’s an action-packed movie in which people will love the dialoguebaazi and the confrontations between John (Abraham) and me.

You’ve played a cop several times before, starting with Shool (1999) to Baaghi 2 in recent times. What sets this one apart from the previous ones?
If you give the uniform to 50 people, each one of them who wears it will be different from the other. So, it’s never the uniform, but the character. DCP Shivansh Rathod of Satyameva Jayate is an intelligent cop and it goes without saying that he’s not a corrupt guy. You can’t say anything illegal when he’s around. He won’t avoid the call of duty. You can’t beat him in mind games. At the same time, he’s an easy-going man. He’s chilled out, his family takes him for granted and he maintains a healthy atmosphere in his office, too. People are scared of him, but he’s also approachable. As for Baaghi 2, DIG Ajay Shergill was a bad person. He wanted to become powerful. I did the movie for director Ahmed Khan. You can’t see till near the end that my character is the bad guy. It was about seven-odd days of work. The film is a big hit, so I’m very happy for the team.

It’s been 24 years since you began your innings as an actor. How has the journey been?
It has been a roller-coaster ride. If you come to the industry when only commercial films are being made and you expect people to make something that you want to be a part of, it’s very difficult. It hasn’t been an easy journey. It’s very difficult to be in the shoes of Manoj Bajpayee. Look at the time when I arrived in the city, look at the rejection that followed. Yes, you will definitely enjoy the success of Satya (1998), but you will definitely not enjoy the waiting for the right film after that; the waiting used to be very long. You will never enjoy getting your first home seven years after Satya. The film became a huge hit and was widely accepted and Bhiku Mhatre was acclaimed. But I have been patient. And now, it’s all paying off.

Kay Kay Menon has said that it’s thanks to you that actors like him and Irrfan got work and you opened the doors for them with Satya. 
Yes, he says that. I really thank Ram Gopal Varma for all this — the manner in which he trusted me, gave me the roles and the freedom to perform them. I’m happy to have contributed immensely, as Kay Kay says, for actors to come after that. Look at the kind of films we’re making now, look at the actors who are being celebrated. You feel good about that.

Do you feel satisfied with the roles, subjects, films that came your way? 
I don’t think anyone else would be more satisfied. Of the 63-odd characters I have essayed, 50 have been reviewed well and talked about till date. Whether the films were hits or flops, these are the roles I’m remembered for.

Actors who have been around for long talk about the clear difference in the kind of films they were offered initially and which they get in their later years. Do you feel the same too?
After Satya, there were only commercial films that were being made, so I was being offered villainous roles. But I said no to them. After Kaun and Shool (1999), I was offered several cop roles, and again, I refused to play them. Then Zubeidaa (2001) happened, but most of the lead roles I was getting weren’t great enough. So you’ll see that between Satya and Pinjar (2003), I did hardly one film a year. I was choosy because I didn’t want to be a part of those commercial films. When I did Aks (2001), people wondered what I was doing. Today, the film is talked about and is called as one of my memorable performances. It was the same with Pinjar. While a few people asked me why I took it up, I remember Yash Chopra ji went gaga over the film and my performance in it. You may not get your due then, but you will definitely get your due in future. Just as it’s getting paid off for me now.

You also ventured into regional films…
I did two-three films in Tamil and as many in Telugu. And I did them only at the insistence of the directors. They were admirers of my work and wanted me to be a part of their movies.

That’s because you’re a fantastic actor and they know you will add credibility to the film and the role.
I don’t know about that. Barring Happy (2006) with Allu Arjun, none of the films were commercial successes. But I had a gala time shooting with those actors and directors. I got to see a different part of India, I’ll always cherish that time and it was an amazing experience.

The internet has also opened a new avenue for shorts, web series and even films.
Definitely. Short films have changed the platform. I did shorts like Taandav, Kriti and Ouch, which forced mainstream awards to have a category for Short Films. Now, I’m doing an Amazon Original Series, The Family Man, with Raj (Nidimoru) and (Krishna) DK.

Do you feel the web has opened up at the right time or it would have been better if it had come when you were refusing lopsided villainous roles?
That’s what I tell Rajkummar Rao, and it goes for Vicky Kaushal too, that they are here at the right time and the right age. I tell Rajkummar, ‘Hamari mehnat ka phal aap ko mil raha hai’ and he agrees with me. Vineet Singh of Mukkabaaz too says, ‘Aapne jo mehnat ki hai, hum ussi ka phal kha rahe hain’.

Don’t you feel bad that you couldn’t reap the fruit of your perseverance and efforts in time? Do you think you could have done anything differently?
How different could it be? When actors like you were not accepted, today, with your perseverance, patience and hard work, you’ve created a space not just for yourself, but for other actors like you too. I feel good about myself and definitely, my journey has benefitted many.

What’s next after Satyameva Jayate?
The Family Man and Gali Guliyaan/In The Shadows. The film has been acclaimed at various film festivals across the world, earned me awards and I’m dying to show it to audiences here. Next year, there is  Son Chiriya and Bhosale, of which I’m also one of the producers.

Having ventured into production, is direction also on the cards?
Let’s see... I’m still dabbling with the idea.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 1, 2018)

After featuring in Anurag Kashyap’s sports-drama, Mukkabaaz, which received a standing ovation during its premier in Mumbai, Vineet Kumar Singh has now signed National Award-winning Newton filmmaker Manish Mundra’s next production. Titled Adhar, it will be directed by another National Award winner, Bengali filmmaker Suman Ghosh, whose 2006 film Podokkhep featuring Nandita Das and Soumitra Chatterjee had won in the Best Feature Film in Bengali category.

“Manish sir praised my performance in Mukkabaaz and said that I reminded him of a young Naseer saab (Naseeruddin Shah) in one of my interviews. It’s a huge compliment for me and I love the films he has produced, right from Ankhon Dekhi to Newton. One day I got a call from his office saying that they wanted to narrate a story to me, after which I met director Suman Ghosh and immediately fell in love with the script,” Vineet says, adding that Suman is also a professor of Economics in Florida.

Prod him on the film and he says, “Taking a cue from the film’s title Adhar, there are two aspects to it — one: it means base and the other is the Aadhar card and we are exploring both these aspects among many other things that are happening in our society. Manish sir’s films are rooted, which is also the case with this one, but it will also appeal to the masses. After Mukkabaaz, I was looking for the right film and after being offered nearly 100 scripts I finally zeroed down on this one.”

Vineet reveals that he has never played a character like this before. “It’s the story of a common man left behind in the society’s race to development. We will start shooting in December or January at the Bengal-Bihar border and in Jharkhand. I will start prepping closer to the shooting date,” he informs.

Speaking of his life in the post-Mukkabaaz era, the actor-writer says that things have changed a lot and for the better. “I have never experienced all this — being identified on the streets and suchlike. I still ride a cycle as I had to sell my car and a few other things for my training in Mukkabaaz in which I had played a boxer,” smiles Vineet.

Is there another collaboration with Anurag on the cards too? “We are discussing something and hopefully it should work out,” he signs off.

Actor Vineet Kumar Singh on what kept him going in his 18 years of struggle before success in Bollywood
Deebashree Mohanty (TIMES LIFE; April 8, 2018)

The 38-year-old actor from Varanasi, who found success with Mukkabaaz, was so keen on the role of a boxer that he left everything and went to train in mixed martial arts (MMA) for two years before taking on the role in Anurag Kashyap’s film. Here, Vineet Kumar Singh tells us how boxing as a sport helped him rethink his failures, and prepared him for success.

Did the acting bug hit you early?
I was hardly 8. The only audience I had for my furtive performances were my younger brother and sister. They enjoyed every act. But the moment everyone at home came to know I wanted to join NSD, all hell broke loose. It was an earth-shattering moment, an ajooba (miracle) for my family because everyone was either into academics or sports. Acting was never a ‘real’ profession for a typical middle-class family like ours. I had to change my tactics and be smart about my options to realise my dream.

Your big break, Pitaah , bombed at the B.O.
That was a rude awakening. I had thought after the release of the film, my name would be splashed all across TV channels, producers would line up at my doorstep. I thought “Main toh hero ban gaya!” But boom! The movie came and went, I was hardly noticed.

How did you cope?
My elder sister, a professor in Banaras Hindu University, and I, secretly broke FDs that belonged to my siblings. I would take up any scene, any role that came my way. I would play a ghost, cop or a rag picker in DD afternoon serials. But going home was never an option.

You took your role of playing a boxer rather seriously...
I am a method actor. When Anurag Kashyap asked me to become a boxer; I packed my bags and left for Patiala. There was a year of rigorous training which included four schedules daily. The first one started at 5 am, then there was a gym session mid noon. The next boxing session was at 5 pm followed by one hour of swimming. I felt dead when I hit the sack.

How was it dealing with other boxers during the training?
The others had no idea I was an actor. They thought I was a crazy old man who suddenly wanted to bear all the blows for some stupid reason. After every injury, they were certain I would return to wherever I had come from.

Did boxing help you personally?
There is a popular saying in the sports world – anyone who is sure about their stamina needs to step into a boxing ring for 2 minutes. If you come out unscathed (mentally), you are a winner. Boxing actually makes you a calmer person too. Most of your angst, whining will find a way out with the punches and blows. I also learnt the importance of defending. Life isn’t all about attack. Sometimes, you have to be prepared to defend yourself too.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 14, 2017)

Be it Emotional Atyachar from Dev D (2009) or O Womaniya from Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012), Anurag Kashyap uses songs that best capture the mood of the film. For a track in his upcoming social drama Mukkabaaz, the filmmaker has found his inspiration in a rather unlikely place — BJP Minister of State, Sunil Jogi’s poem, Mushkil Hai Apna Mel Priye. The poem has been used as a romantic number in the film.

“I have always been a fan of Jogi’s poems and particularly this one, as it describes the pain of unequal love. It’s a 17-year-old poem that we have changed to suit the sensibilities of our film,” says Kashyap.

Revolving around a boxer, who belongs to a lower caste and finds himself falling in love with a girl from an upper caste, the film addresses casteism. Jogi reveals that it was the movie’s lead actor, Vineet Singh, who initiated the conversation with him. “Vineet made me talk to Anurag. He told me that he has been listening to my works for almost 15 years now, and he always wanted to make this poem a part of one of his films. He felt it fit the bill for Mukkabaaz.”

Stating that the original lyrics have been tweaked, the minister says, “Anurag requested if he could make certain changes in the lyrics as the original one has political undertones to it. I readily agreed.” He reveals he didn’t charge a penny as he was glad that his work earned a place in Kashyap’s universe. “He has given me credit. I couldn’t have asked for money from him.”