Bollywood Film Fame Canada - Winter 2022

Our cover star is one who is truly a hard worker, and one who deserves all the success in the world - Shantanu Maheshwari. He is a wonderful actor, dancer, and with his big screen debut in Gangubai, he's made everyone sit up and take notice. I talk to him about his journey through acting, and deconstruct the people, projects, and places that have led him to where he is today.

Another one who is just as inspiring is the wonderful, Mukti Mohan, who inspires all to wear multiple hats as well - and excel with each hat. I speak to her woman-to-woman, as a source of inspiration to many.

I would be remiss in not mentioning that our entire issue is filled with people taking their own paths and journeys: Nushrratt Bharuccha, Tara Sutaria, Sonali Bendre, Vineet Kumar Singh, Gulshan Devaiah, Mithoon, Mahesh D.

Until Next Time,

From the time that

I was a kid, I actually wanted to pursue something that would put me behind the camera

THE MAN OF THE MOMENT: SHANTANU MAHESHWARI

Iknew him as a dancer first, although I watched his first outing as an actor, in ‘Dil Dosti Dance’. There was something about him that struck a chord with many, including myself – perhaps it was a sense of grit, determination, coupled with a taste of humility. There wasn’t an aura of stardom attached to him, and I mean that in the best possible way. He seemed like one of us, with a plethora of talent but without the entourage and gimmicks. Just a true, authentic artist. I start off the conversation and really go through his journey with him, this time with a focus on acting.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY ARMIN S.

WE’VE SPOKEN IN THE LAST FEW YEARS BUT WE HAVE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON DANCE PRIMARILY BECAUSE I THINK I HAVE FOLLOWED YOUR CAREER WITH A FOCUS ON YOUR DANCING. I REMEMBER WHEN ‘GANGUBAI’ WAS ANNOUNCED, AND THE TRAILER, I DID A DOUBLE TAKE AND THOUGHT, IS THAT SHANTANU? YOU KNOW, MY EXCITEMENT INCREASED BECAUSE ONE, I’M SUCH A HUGE SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI FAN, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, BUT TWO, I KNOW YOUR CHARACTER WOULD HAVE PURPOSE. BUT BEFORE GANGU, I WANT TO EXPLORE ACTING WITH YOU BEFORE THAT TIME. DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TIME ACTING IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA?

THE FIRST TAKE, THE FIRST SHOT, THE FIRST SCENE, AND HOW YOU FELT?

Firstly, I have to mention that very few people noticed me in the trailer, because I myself, was kind of looking, but not feeling bad about it, because there is a story narrative that goes with the trailer. Coming back to the question, the first time was for ‘Dil Dosti Dance’. I remember my first take was a one shot sequence and I had been called for one scene. It was quick – it was fifteen minutes. I was relaxed, in a way. I was not nervous. Maybe because I did not have many lines to say (chuckles) but also, my director was sorted in his head. Though, it’s a horrible take, when I see it, but that was my first experience. I was not very nervous. How you trick someone to get someone into a shot, that was the scenario around me, and he just took the shot after rehearsing and I was done for the day. I thought it was such an easy task! But that was a silly thought, obviously.

THAT WAS SOME TIME AGO AND MANY YEARS AGO. YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE HAD A FAN BASE THAT HAS STARTED FROM THAT TIME AND CONTINUED ON YOUR JOURNEY WITH YOU. BUT AT WHAT POINT IN YOUR JOURNEY DID YOU REALIZE YOU WOULD STICK TO THIS CURRENT PATH?

I think, initially, before D3, I did not know what I wanted do. But once I was into the shooting, saw myself on television, it was not addiction, fame, or money. But I started enjoying the process. From the time that I was a kid, I actually wanted to pursue something that would put me behind the camera. But we did not have that kind of backing. Then, I thought I should go for a secure career because I had no connections, no backing, no guidance at all in the industry. I had to make that choice.

So when ‘D3’ happened, that’s when I was exposed to the industry part of things in terms of acting, behind the camera. The entire team was so welcoming and treated us like children, and we were curious children too. We were trying to figure out our own lives. Once I started enjoying the process of dancing and acting, shooting and being on set, rehearsing – that whole process, I realized I wanted to do. That was fun, kind of a rush I had. That’s when the determination kicked in.

That’s why I post ‘Dil Dosti Dance’, I have always tried to balance dancing and acting projects. Whenever I used to do that, gave preference to acting projects, people thought I stopped dancing, and when it was dancing, people thought I had stopped acting (laughs).

I WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING YOU SAID ABOUT YOU GUYS BEING TREATING AS CHILDREN ON SET AND A GOOD VIBE – I CERTAINLY LOOK

BACK AT MANY OF THE ACTORS INVOLVED AND SEE THAT YOU ALL ARE STILL IN TOUCH. MANY OF YOU HAVE SUSTAINED A LONG-LASTING FRIENDSHIP. AS MUCH AS THERE IS NO BACKING IN THE INDUSTRY, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOYAL FANBASE, BUT ALSO A LOYAL FRIENDSHIP. IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE THINGS CHANGE SO RAPIDLY, PROJECTS CHANGE –HOW IMPORTANT ARE THOSE FRIENDSHIPS YOU HAVE SUSTAINED OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT SIGNIFICANCE DO THEY PLAY IN YOUR LIFE TODAY?

Oh, I feel those friendships are very important for me. They have seen my journey, they have supported me throughout, and we have supported each other. We knew how things are in the industry. And we all started our journey together from ‘Dil Dosti Dance’. For us, that show was the universe we had created with all our hearts and hard work so we had not imagined things outside of it. When we initially stepped outside of that universe, everyone was initially fighting their own battles, whereas before we were a group. And then, when you start your individual journey, it is very important to be surrounded by the right people, the right friendships – people who will not be jealous of your success, or bitch about you at times, or try to overpower you. With us, it is about healthy criticism, knowing why someone is not responding, and we know each other’s emotions – it is a very healthy friendship. We can meet after five years and be on the same page. That gives you mental peace, which is very important, and positive people all around you help you fight the negativity and do not let you go haywire with your choices. That has also shaped me in who I have become today.

YOU DID A WHOLE VARIETY OF PROJECTS – FEAR FACTOR, MTV GIRLS ON TOP, MEDICALLY YOURS, REALITY SHOWS FOCUSED ON DANCE. WAS THAT ALWAYS INTENTIONAL OR DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE DOING TOO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS OR A GENUINE PROCESS OF BEING AN ARTIST?

This is a very good question and I’m absorbing the question. So post‘Dil Dosti Dance’, I did not want to get into the daily soaps bit because the thought process of ‘D3’ was very different. It was a youth show. I was about to sign a very famous show and thankfully, I did not. I instead went with ‘Bindass Naach’. Reality shows – I wanted to say out there that I have a dancing background but also show that I was an actor – to increase my reach. It was something different. Because of that, Viacom and I had that relationship which led me to ‘Khatron (Fear Factor)’. I realized I could do so much more if I just did not stick to dancing or dance-based characters. When I got these opportunities, I wanted to make sure I tried different things – I tried to do things that were also challenging, physically and mentally. Apart from planning to not do daily soaps, nothing else was planned.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO ALIA BHATT RIGHT WHEN THE FILM WAS IN BERLIN, I ASKED HER ABOUT YOU. AT THAT POINT, “MERI JAAN” HAD NOT COME OUT YET AND ONLY “JAB SAIYAAN” HAD JUST COME OUT YET. SHE SAID SEVERAL THINGS ABOUT YOU, BUT SHE SAID THERE WAS SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES THAT SANJAY SIR REALLY WANTED AND CONVINCED THAT YOU SHOULD PLAY YOUR CHARACTER. AND WHILE WATCHING IT, I REALIZED WHAT HE MEANT

when you start your individual journey, it is very important to be surrounded by the right people, the right friendships

ABOUT THE EYES. I DID NOT REALIZE YOU WERE SHANTANU AT ALL. WHEN EVENTUALLY, THERE IS THE HEARTBREAK, YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR SOUL. TELL ME ABOUT CAPTURING YOUR CHARACTER, KNOWING IT WAS A PIVOTAL ROLE, BUT YOU HAD MOMENTS TO SHOW HIS DEVELOPMENT.

I think the whole credit goes to Sanjay sir. The way he explained the character to me, the kind of nuances he had created because of the moments he created. Like playing cards from the balcony, that is such a crazy and weird idea but the way it was shot and justified it, it was so beautiful. I went with his conviction. His confidence in me gave me immense confidence. Sanjay sir and I had not spoken a lot, to be honest, but he had immense faith in me. When he saw me in doubt, he would ask me what I was thinking and then he would just encourage me and gave me that confidence. I had absorbed the character in terms of what he wanted me to do. I wouldn’t say it was an easy process, but he made it a smooth process.

THERE’S A SCENE THAT HASN’T REALLY BEEN DISCUSSED. WHEN SHE COMES TO YOUR HOME WITH THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL, YOU DON’T HAVE A LOT TO SAY INITIALLY, AND YOUR REACTION IS VERY CONTAINED, NOT OUTRAGEOUS BUT YOU SAY THE HEARTBREAK FORMING AND A TRANSITION ON YOUR FACE IN YOUR TWO OR THREE MINUTES. WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT THERE HAD TO BE SHIFT IN YOUR CHARACTER, AND IT CAN’T BE LOUD AND OUTRAGEOUS?

Nobody has asked me a question about this scene. Initially, I thought I have to react and why is he not reacting. Though I did not have the guts to ask to Sanjay sir. But Sanjay has a larger vision. I initially questioned it to myself. But back in the day as well, you used to respect your parents much more. You did not say much in front of them when marriage was spoken about. So I understood why I was not allowed to loud – so I just had to understand the thought process.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST FEEL LIKE YOUR CHARACTER, AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF SHANTANU?

When I first saw Gangubai, that’s when I felt like he is Afshaan. The way she performed, the way she was sitting, saw her rehearsing when I just entered, that’s when I felt like Afshaan. That is when the transformation happened. I also walked around the set to see how he would feel in the area.

LASTLY, YOUR FAMILY HAS ALSO BEEN SUCH A HUGE SUPPORT. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST COMPLIMENT YOU RECEIVED FROM YOUR FAMILY?

Actually, they had not seen anything about Gangubai and I had not shared much with them. When ”Jab Saiyaan” released, and I put it up on television, everyone was very emotional and like a weird smile on their face (chuckles). My brother was a bit teary, my mom was a bit teary. Seeing them like that without saying anything, brought back the efforts and pain that they have gone through, and the hard work that I have put in – those memories came back – so that was a big compliment.

AND ISN’T THAT A TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK THEY HAVE BEEN PUT IN. Absolutely, absolutely.

I tried to do things that were also challenging, physically and mentally.

My father always said to do a ritual every day to make sure we are practising our Art –don’t just let it go.

WOMEN ARE THE FUTURE

MUKTI MOHAN

Interview By Armin S.

Mukti

Mohan is truly a woman who makes one realize what it means to live up to your true potential. I first became acquainted with her name because of her sisters –and what a dynamic bunch the Moham sisters are. But on her own, she really can do everything as well – dance, act, host…and kick some butt doing stunts.

I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE. MY SISTER AND I ALWAYS LOOK FOR FEMALE ROLE MODELS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO DO A LOT THAT WOMEN ARE EQUAL TO MEN – WHAT BETTER DEPICTION OF FEMALE EMPOWERMENT THAN THE MOHAN SISTERS? YOU ARE AN EXAMPLE WE CAN SHOW KIDS IN HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT BROTHERS AND IT’S COOL, IT’S FINE, IT’S OKAY. THE FOUR OF YOU THRIVE TOGETHER ALL THE TIME, AND INDIVIDUALLY AS WELL. This is so lovely. Fellow sisters are always welcome to share together and I’m looking forward to this conversation.

MUKTI, ON THAT NOTE, THERE ARE THE FOUR OF YOU IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD AND I’VE SEEN A LOT OF VIDEOS OF YOU WITH YOUR PARENTS. WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP IN THE MOHAN HOUSEHOLD IN TERMS OF THE ARTS AND HOW THEY WERE ENCOURAGED?

So you know what it was like growing up for us. Mostly in India, when parents are looking for a child, they are looking for a boy. This is nothing unusual that my parents were told to have another one, another one, and maybe it will be a boy. They did, but they were never looking for a certain gender – they were looking for a great human being, who could get a good example. Something in my parents changed when I was born, because that was the last hope, so when I arrived, everyone was like, “oh, a girl again!” That somehow triggered something in my parents and they just wanted to raise us well. Women are the future, and they wanted to change the pattern. I love the fact that everyday, we have conversations about the difference we are making. Our response is always we are trying our best, and everything else, “Rab Rakka” (up to God).

AND TELL ME ABOUT SUPPRESSION OF THE ARTS – ESPECIALLY FIFTEEN, TWENTY YEARS AGO. PERHAPS NOT TO THE SAME EXTENT TODAY. YOU ACT, YOU DANCE, AND EVERYONE ELSE DOES THEIR THING TOO. WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO NURTURE ART GROWING UP?

My father always said, “don’t just study.” If you just study, it is such a boring life. The more you get to do different things, the more excited we will be. We always looked towards opportunities – such as Sports Day. As we grew up, we also made up days – it would be Teacher’s Day and there would be a dance or drama performance. This is what made us rich. Teachers started asking us to take care of certain things (chuckles). It started from there, and every time we brought a trophy or a medal, it made our parents very proud. That made us very independent and focused. My father always said to do a ritual every day to make sure we are practising our Art – don’t just let it go.

That’s why I started falling in love with theatre because that’s where you get to dance and sing live. There is no other medium like that. That just made me slog, for sure, but it made me so rich. I’m a perpetual empath and experiencer in that way. All credit goes to my parents and my teachers in my hostel. As a child, you only need that push. I was blessed that I got to do with this – but there was a pressure that I must continue my studies – I studied psychology, but that ritual kind of stayed with me to practice every day.

OVER TEN YEARS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE LIMELIGHT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, WHEN YOU

THINK ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE GROWN FROM THE TIME YOU STARTED IN 2010 UNTIL NOW, WHO WAS MUKTI IN 2010 AND WHO IS SHE NOW? Armin, quite honestly, I used to have so much energy and I wanted to give it all to everything. In that process, I was tiring and exhausting myself. Over the years, I have become much more relaxed, so when there is time, that’s when I put in my energy. Otherwise, just work on yourself. Earlier, I would look for approval. Now when someone praises me, I just acknowledge the hard work I have done.

Now, I’m at that stage that I can do something. Like Shakti di has her dance studio, I have a theatre studio. I’m trying to provide a mechanism for actors to try different things – to try voice work, to be a part of a play – I have a small space in Bombay. Everyone used to talk about having a home, having a car – but I always wanted to do a workshop, like a course, so having my own studio makes me so happy, so relaxed. Having a studio makes me tell stories to an audience, and that makes me happy. So that is my give back, which was not available to me when I started off.

YOU HAVE DONE SUCH DIVERSE WORK. HAS THERE BEEN A SINGLE PROJECT OR A COUPLE OF PROJECTS, THAT STAND OUT IN TERMS OF YOUR GROWTH?

Each one of them – they just made me more aware of myself more. I did Fear Factor and I was a finalist. I hosted a singing reality show and I sang at the end in the finals. I did comedy live and I didn’t realize how many characters I could bring to life. Dancing has always been amazing. I’m grateful that you have brought this to my notice now, because I take a moment to think about all I can do. People can sometimes be confused because people cannot put me in a box. But that journey has been beautiful. One experience that me very focused and self-aware was Fear Factor for sure. For 50 days in Argentina, to do three to four stunts each day, and to excel – I didn’t know I could do that – ever.

ANIL KAPOOR IS SOMEONE YOU ALWAYS LOOKED UP TO, AND SPEAKING OF SO MUCH WORK, YOU RECENTLY WRAPPED UP WORKING WITH ANIL KAPOOR AND WROTE A BEAUTIFUL INSTAGRAM CAPTION FOR HIM. UNPACK THAT AND WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO WORK WITH HIM. My caption for Anil sir is much more than even that. There is so much adore I about him – his energy, his dedication, and being supporting as an actor. There is a scene I got to do with him, in which he was not in, it was a close-up of me – and he stood there, and I saw real emotions, and tears in his eyes. I was like, look at that dedication, for 44 years, to give that to every co-actor you have worked with, to give your best to your co-actor – there was never a dull moment working with Anil sir.

ENDING OFF THIS CONVERSATION, WHAT’S THE ONE WORD YOU WOULD WANT TO ASSOCIATE WITH YOUR JOURNEY SO FAR, AND THE ONE WORD THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO CHARACTERIZE YOUR JOURNEY AS?

Right now, it’s “shine”. Wherever you are, just shine. Regardless of who I am with, I give my 200 hundred percent, so that is for me, to just shine and also, for everyone around me as well. We have all have that light, love, and story to tell.

I think there is no other word other than grateful – I cannot stop saying thank you these days because people are starting to notice. Grateful is the word for me.

A Woman Will Own Her Own Story

NUSHRRATT BHARUCCHA

Interview by Armin S.

Janhit Mein Jaari is a film that revolves around Manokamma Tripathi, played by Nushrratt Bharuccha, a condom salesgirl who successfully manages to spark conversations on safe sex. I sit down to chat with her to talk about women taking centre stage, owning a narrative that is so taboo, and much more. A truly good film, you can watch it on Zee5 – after you read on, of course.

Exclusive

YOU KNOW, NUSHRRATT, I SAW A COMMENT UNDER THE TRAILER ON YOUTUBE THAT IS SO APT. FINALLY, A FEMALE LEAD WHO IS NOT PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE TO HER OWN ISSUES. AND ISN’T IT ABOUT TIME! (Laughs). Yep, I agree with you completely. I like that.

TELL ME ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF A WOMAN PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE TO HER OWN ISSUES AND NOW, 2022 COMES ABOUT AND THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN FEMALES HAVE TAKEN CHARGE – TELL ME ABOUT THAT SHIFT.

I think it is very empowering and very liberating to be able to stand and say out right what you have always wanted to say yourself but are always maybe standing in a corner and crying. We have always been subjected to hearing a man’s voice which tells us to feel the girl’s emotions but hear my voice, remember me as the pattern of it – almost like the girl who could not use her own voice, or stand a chance to get justice, or have her own issues solved, if it was not supported by someone else.

Somewhere, I have a theory why that shift has happened in the past while. We can now see the fruits of the labour that started some years back. It has to do with girls saying that I’ll study, but I don’t want to just get married, I want to work, and work up the ladder; I want to start my own business; I want to own jet planes; I want to fly planes. Girls became the forefront of their own lives. They became the breadwinners of their own families, where I am the only child and I am running my own house.

Women have now taken on that part. While shooting for this film, we have gone and spoken to certain women who are married, got divorced, and just started their own business. There is a lady who is a rickshaw driver in Bombay; another one who is running her father’s shop. These were not seen or heard of before. These women say – well, what were we supposed to do? They are divorced, or their husbands have died…so should they sit at home and cry? They need to think about how the house is going to be run. Women started to control their own lives and their own futures.

AND THAT SHIFT IS COMING SO THAT PEOPLE WILL WATCH A FILM LIKE JANHIT MEIN JAARI.

That’s right. Because a father, a family, will go and watch a film like this because it is believable. Women are taking charge of their own narratives. And households are seeing and understanding that this is the current reality in their own lives. Now, these films are better received and are the need of the house.

PICKING UP FROM WHAT YOU SAID, ON THE FACE OF IT, FOR A WOMAN TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED – IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE AN EXTRAORDINARY FEAT –AND YET, WOMEN OWNING THEIR OWN NARRATIVE SEEMS EXEMPLARY IN SOME WAYS. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE ACCEPTANCE AND THE RECOGNITION THAT SOCIETY NEEDS TO UNDERTAKE OF THESE WOMEN WHO SEEMINGLY ARE DOING ORDINARY THINGS, BUT THESE ARE ACTUALLY EXTRAORDINARY GIVEN THE YEARS BEFORE?

I’m just going to change the word “recognition” to “normalcy” because I think that’s where India is right now. Maybe, on a global scale, that is not the case, but here, we are in a very infant stage. We need to normalize it first. The area in which the girl is living, her neighbours, her work colleagues, her friends – they need to make what she is doing normal. They cannot make what she is doing everyday difficult. She needs to be able to get out of her house to get to that job. At her workplace, it shouldn’t be a question of what she can and cannot do because she is a girl. That I think, needs to change. The moment you give that girl the normalcy, that’s when things will change and you will see how high a passionate woman will reach. And with that height, that’s when we get stories to pass onto future generations.

AND WHAT A LOVELY THOUGHT THAT IS. SHIFTING FOCUS A LITTLE BIT, HOW IMPORTANT IS THE INFUSION OF COMEDY WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS SOMEWHAT HEAVY – ACCESS TO ABORTIONS/ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE FOR WOMEN?

I think when cinema has the ability to impact people so strongly, I think we should use that and monetize that to the point of your enriching the society. I did a previous film which used a different emotion to talk about a different topic – we used horror – we scared people into realizing the repercussions of their actions. That emotion worked because of that particular topic/taboo subject. With Janhit, the subject matter was so sensitive that it could have easily become a slapstick kind of comedy or a sexual comedy –but the need to make this slightly more light, to tickle you with a smile, makes the hardest thing easier to accept. There’s another thought in the film that is very important, and I hadn’t really thought of this either. The girl says, in the film, that when you drive a car, you wear a seatbelt – all of these things are not for pleasure, they are for your protection. So when I say condom, can you not think of sex? Can you not think of protection?

We have always been subjected to hearing a man’s voice which tells us to feel the girl’s emotions”

In conversation with

TARA SUTARIA

Interview by Armin S.

Tara Sutaria made heads turn when she made her debut in Student of the Year 2. Since that time, she has made some interesting choices, and this time around, we see her in Ek Villain Returns, co-starring John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, and Disha Patani. The trailer made people sit up and take notice and there are clearly some major fans of the franchise. Here’s our chat with the wonderful Tara Sutaria.

THE ONE THING THAT I THINK HAS BEEN UNIVERSAL WHEN THE TRAILER CAME OUT IS THAT WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON. THAT HAS PIQUED MY CURIOSITY ENOUGH THAT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON. WHEN THERE ARE TWISTS AND TURNS, FROM YOUR END, HOW DO YOU DEVELOP A MCHARACTER AS AN ACTOR WHEN YOU KNOW THAT?

As an actor, when you are filming, there are definitely things you have to keep in mind. I would ask if a certain shot would be in the trailer, in a song, because I need to think about how I’m projecting this part because I need to be mindful of the audience. The audience needs to be thinking about certain things during certain moments. What you just said kind of explained is which explains the answers – you thought you knew what was happening about midway and then by the end of the trailer, you wanted to know what was going on. I watched the movie just a week or two ago and despite having been a part of this film for the last two years, I was trying to figure out what was going on. I was doing that so I can just imagine what the audience may go through. There is a lot going on in this film.

TELL ME ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY YOU MUST HAVE WITH ARJUN, BUT ALSO SOMEONE LIKE DISHA (PER THE TRAILER). WHAT KIND OF CHEMISTRY SHOULD YOU HAVE FOR A GENRE LIKE THIS?

I think in any film that requires a certain amount of intensity or darkness or depth, which is something like a thriller or suspenseful film, as a person, I like to have a deep connection with the person I am shooting with. That’s the way I am personally. That’s the way I am with relationships outside of work as well. I am like that with my friendships and I like to get to know people on a deeper level because that is the type of person I am.

AND YOU SHARE THAT KIND OF BOND WITH ARJUN?

Yes, I’m very fortunate to have worked with Arjun on this film. He’s somebody who I got to know just two years ago when we got to working on the film and I didn’t really know him very well before. I did not really know what he was all about. I wouldn’t say it was on day one; but definitely by day two, we were really close. Even now, during promotions, we are quite thick like that.

TELL ME WHY IT’S IMPORTANT, ACCORDING TO YOU, TO HAVE FEMALE CHARACTERS WHO ARE MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE.

I think, through the films I am doing, I want to make sure there is a strong female presence. We don’t always get to do what we want, but I want to make choices that stand for female empowerment. With this film, again, there is a certain shade to my character that I think will bode well with the viewers.

I like to get to know people on a deeper level because that is the type of person I am.”

SONALI BENDRE

Sonali

Bendre is marking her comeback in a big way into the acting world. With Broken News on Zee5, she plays Amina Qureshi, the editor-in-chief of Awaaz Bharati and breaks down the real cost of supply and demand of fake news, propaganda, and real stories.

I GET STARTED WITH SOMETHING A BIT MORE FUN BEFORE WE GET TO DOWN BUSINESS. SONALI, DO YOU REMEMBER PREPOSTEROUS HEADLINES AND HORRID HEADLINES THAT HAD TO DO WITH YOU WHEN YOU WERE INITIALLY APPROACHED WITH THIS SHOW? (Laughs) Goldie, my husband, and I, there is something we say between us – which is BC and AC – “Before Cancer” and “After Cancer”. What you are asking me is “Before Cancer” which is kind of great, because I don’t remember much of it (laughs) because of my brain fog. And I’m really glad I don’t remember certain things.

WE ARE CONSTANTLY ENGAGED IN THE SUPPLY OF SENSATIONALISM BUT THE FLIP SIDE ON OUR END IS IRRESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION – HOW HAS YOUR CONSUMPTION CHANGED AFTER YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN BROKEN NEWS? I would say that the reason I have done “Broken News” or chosen it as my first show back, is because of all of the reasons you have talked about – responsible consumption, the rise of sensationalism, but really all of the reasons I was viewing it a certain way because that’s how it was fed to me. So when the story came to me I realized that I had to do it right away.

AS VIEWERS, THERE IS SUPPLY AND DEMAND. WHAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS CONSUMERS WHEN WE ARE WATCHING THE NEWS?

That’s a very good question and that’s the question my character, Amina Qureshi, who is the head of “Awaaz Bharati” – that’s the question she asks. What do you want to watch – “sach or sansaani” (truth or sensationalism?). Do you want facts or sensationalism? It’s exactly demand and supply. When you watch more news, the demand goes up, but when that supply goes up, you will choke – that’s what we are living with and that’s what these characters are dealing with in this series. The choices they make and how they are being affected in their personal lives – that’s what it is all about.

NEWS REQUIRES A DIFFERENT ON-SCREEN PRESENCE AND TONALITY THAN AN ACTOR’S NATURAL ON SCREEN PRESENCE. TELL ME ABOUT GETTING THE TONALITY, DEMEANOUR, EXPRESSION RIGHT.

Oh my God! You have just summed up the struggle I had with this. The thing is, in my personal life, I am a hand user. I am very mobile, and everything is very pronounced. When I am excited, I get even more pronounced. But my character is not like that – she is very calm, she is very collected, understated, and for her, it is not talking so much. I would love to know what you think when you see it.

WHEN DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE CHARACTER FIRST, TAKING THIS SHOW AS AN EXAMPLE?

Wow (thinks). I think I use a tab in the show, which was never there. It started off with me, as my security blanket, and I needed everything in the bag I had. Then, that tab and that pencil became such a part of me. It was initially a security blanket for my dialogues, but then it just became my character. Every time that tab and pencil comes on, the posture also comes on, and then my character is there.

When you watch more news, the demand goes up, but when that supply goes up, you will choke”

Playing with Power

VINEET KUMAR SINGH

Interview By Armin S.

They are back with another season of its flagship franchise, Rangbaaz, on Zee5. This is the third instalment and this time, it is centred around Vineet Kumar Singh’s character, Haroon Shah Ali Baig, who is a gangster-turned-politician. We talk about playing a powerful character, the body language involved, and more.

I believe the world is a library for an actor

WHEN YOU ARE PLAYING SOMEONE WHO IS POWERFUL AND HAS AN AURA ABOUT HIM, HOW DO YOU FIND THAT POWER WITHIN YOU IF YOU ARE HAVING A CRAPPY MORNING, PERHAPS?

Well, Armin, it is the actor’s job that if you said yes to this job, you realize that’s your responsibility because it is not an overnight thing. You prepare yourself to perform. You are going to set and there are lots of things on set to make you forget what happened before. I have had roles in the past where I had to prepare myself because without preparation, you cannot do the character justice.

In Rangbaaz, my character is very powerful. He is not just another gangster, but he is also a politician. He achieved that power. For this kind of character, you have to understand the mind of the character first – why does this character respond in this situation in a certain way? What kind of relationships does he have with family, friends, and with his surroundings? What is he looking to achieve in his life? There are a bunch of questions for an actor to understand before getting into the character completely.

AND YOU PLAY HIM IN DIFFERENT POINTS IN HIS LIFE SO HOW DO YOU APPROACH THAT ASPECT OF THE SCRIPT?

Yes, I also play this guy through his entire life – and body language in the 20s is different, 30s is different, 40s is different, so I also needed to divide his life in three segments. I also researched similar types of personalities in life. I heard their interviews and picked up some of those habits.

SO YOU RELIED ON OBSERVATIONS AS WELL?

Well, I believe the world is a library for an actor. It’s a library of humans. I pick out the ingredients that will help with my characters. Then, external things, like physicality, I will look for hints as well. But the body language depends on your mind. A boxer walks differently than a politician because their thinking is different. The physicality of the character demands something different. Then, with age, I also gain weight, there is more gravity in him. In 20s, he is lighter, he will be more immediate in his reactions as well. But as he grows, he will be a different guy.

IS IT IMPORTANT TO FIND A POINT OF RELIABILITY IN YOUR CHARACTER OR NO?

There are a few things you can relate to. I am a family guy, my character is a family guy as well. By education, I am a doctor, but I chose to become an actor – so it is a long journey. My character had ambition to become something as well. That is a point of relatability as well. He understood that he was not very good at studies but he also knows that it is not easy to survive without respect. He knows himself very well. By the time he was growing and changing, he still remained rooted. As an actor, you also grow and change because things can be so challenging. So you find those points of relatability.

In conversation with

GULSHAN DEVAIAH,

Alove story gets told in three separate time frames in the series Duranga, which stars Gulshan Devaiah and Drashti Dhami. Sammit keeps up a façade of being the model spouse to his Inspector wife, Ira, while concealing a dark history. Twenty years after Bala's suicide, Ira starts investigating a string of grisly copycat killings committed by a man who is thought to have been the serial killer's companion. Produced by Goldie Behl and Shradha Singh, the series is an adaptation of its Korean counterpart- ‘The Flower Girl’, slated to launch this August.

Armin S. breaks down getting his character right.

DEVAIAH,

I HAVE SEEN THE WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO MAKING THIS SERIES. OBVIOUSLY, THE USP, WHICH YOU CAN SEE IN THE TITLE OF THIS SERIES AS WELL, IS THE DUALITY OF THE CHARACTER YOU ARE PLAYING. DO YOU TREAT YOUR CHARACTER AS TWO SEPARATE INDIVIDUALS OR AS ONE, FOR SHOOTING’S SAKE? HOW DO YOU KEEP THAT SEPARATE, AT LEAST FOR SHOOTING PURPOSES? When I started preparing for the part, I had similar questions. I did not know if I should approach my character as one person or as two people. I think it is mostly one person. Once I had a sound understanding of the person I was playing and I had interpreted the text and had discussions with the director and writers, I started to get a feel for the character. You lay the foundation and you build the illusion of the character. It is one person – there is a side to that person that nobody knows but human beings are generally good at not showing certain things. As an actor as well, we try not to reveal a lot of things to keep the intrigue and the mystery going for each character. However, in some places, I did approach it as two different people. There is no logic to it but in some scenes, it was easier for me to think of it as a different person – but mostly it is just one person who is hiding some aspects of his personality.

DOES THAT LEAD TO DIFFERENT PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS? HOW DO YOU PHYSICALLY DEPICT THE DIFFERENCES, GIVEN THERE HAS TO BE SOME FORESHADOWING EVEN WHEN YOU PLAY THE IDEAL HUSBAND?

Nothing very consciously, but sometimes, unconsciously, some of the things you say, I may have done. I won’t reveal too many details, but there are things with my hand that I do, which I have worked out in some places. In some places, it is obvious, in others, it is not obvious like that. But it’s not scripted so it’s not like the camera is drawn to my hands. It’s something I came up with during the rehearsal process – that I could do these things with my hands. The text really guides you. The text is where you get the building blocks from. The germ in my mind, comes from the text, because you interpret the text, and that’s where ideas start to originate.

WHAT ABOUT MAKING IT SEEM REAL THEN –BECAUSE THE TWO SIDES ARE SO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED?

I have to accept the reality of the character once I interpret the text, and I cannot question it as Gulshan. Because then, I have not accepted that reality. Even if I question it, I still have to accept it. And that’s what I have been taught as part of my honing my character. This is a basic requirement as an actor. If I want to do something, the first thing I do is I accept the reality. There is no question of morality. My sense of morality should not come in the way.

YOU TALKED ABOUT NOT QUESTIONING THE MORALITY OF THE CHARACTER. DO YOU STILL HAVE TO FIND A CONNECT THOUGH, THAT DRAWS YOU TO THE HUMAN?

It is possible to have a potential connect with characters, or possible empathy with characters. I think, in my case, it is intrigue. I have a lot of intrigue that I generate for my characters. So many actors do that – they can play negative characters but they are not negative people. You can totally pretend to be somebody else and get away with what they do. I was intrigued with this particular character and I wanted to have my own interpretation of it.

Photo Credit: Zee 5 Global

MITHOON Magic with Music

Interview By Armin S.

“I remember him being naughty, says his aunt, but he had the gift, the talent, and the genes – a rush of things for him, that make him the artist he is. She says, he started at a very young age, and I knew he would shine and touch the stars,” says Mithoon’s aunt, as she comes on Zoom at the tail-end of our interview. I’ve spent time having an honest conversation with Mithoon, who seems to naturally weave magic through his music.

I think an artist has to feel –not necessarily about his or her personal life. I have written about situations in which I have not been in myself.

SOME OF MY FAVOURITE SONGS, ANTHEMS, HAVE YOUR NAME ATTACHED TO THEM. YOUR NAME IS ATTACHED TO SOME VERY GOOD MUSIC. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT POPULAR MUSIC AND LOVE ANTHEMS, I ALWAYS THINK – WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MOMENT OF FASCINATION WITH THE WORLD OF MUSIC?

For me, I came into a family with musicians. My great grandfather was a musician. My environment was very musical. It was a very sacred part of our lives. We revere our instruments and we treat them in a sacred way. Music was treated very reverently. My father was a renowned music arranger in the Hindi film industry. I saw composers, directors, musicians coming home.

At 5, I remember picking up a tambourine. I wanted to be like my father – he was and is my first hero. He explained that this was serious and he told me I had to learn. By the time I was 19, I did my first film but I had been training years before that.

WHERE DID THE CONCEPT OF CONSTRUCTING MUSIC COME FROM –BECAUSE GROWING UP, WE REALLY ONLY HEAR ABOUT SINGING, OR DANCING AS A CAREER, BUT NOT NECESSARILY CONSTRUCTING MUSIC AS A MEANS TO BE AN ARTIST?

I think this is a very interesting question because this is something we really should speak more about all over the world. It is very important. The process that every songwriter and composer goes through is not spoken of enough. For me, personally, I initially wanted to be a concert pianist and I was training under Tony Pinto in Mumbai. As I turned 14/15, my father introduced me to the work of some great music composers, including Shankar JaiKishan and Laxmikant Pyarelal – seeing their work, I used to ask my father who made this line, who made this interlude and he would explain to me what a music composer does. I recognized poetry and how songwriting is expressed and that is how I became who I am today.

SOMETIMES, I ALSO THINK ABOUT HOW PERSONAL A SONG CAN BE –PENNING THOUGHTS DOWN, WORDS, FEELINGS – YOU TALKED ABOUT POETRY – IT CAN BE A DEEPLY PERSONAL PROCESS. I ALSO THINK A SONG TO BE SUCCESSFUL, IT MAY HAVE TO BE PERSONAL. WHAT IS THE PROCESS LIKE FOR YOU TO ATTACH YOURSELF AND DETACHING YOURSELF TO THE SONG – TO HAVE THE SOUL THAT IS REQUIRED?

I think an artist has to feel – not necessarily about his or her personal life. I have written about situations in which I have not been in myself. When I was 22, I did a song for The Train, “Zindagi ne jitney…” but I had not felt that at that point in time. But when you feel, you need to delve into that emotion. So you have to combine imagination and experience. When a song releases, for me personally, I don’t always know what will happen. Like, when “Tum Hi Ho” released, I didn’t even know it had happened. My friends started messaging me about the song I had put out and I had no clue what they were speaking of, and they told me, it’s “Tum Hi Ho” and it is spreading like fire. And that’s the moment I detached myself from the song – now, the song belongs to the people now.

People ask me sometimes to express myself more, and talk about my music more. But when my music goes out there, it belongs to the people, as an ode to them.

IN THIS NEW ERA OF CREATING MUSIC BUT ALSO CONSTANTLY CREATING CONTENT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA, HOW DO YOU STRIKE A BALANCE WHEN BUSINESS CALLS FOR RE-CREATIONS AS OPPOSED TO ORIGINAL SONGS?

I would like to speak up for the fraternity that the fraternity is coming out with original soundtracks – so many composers are putting out original content – look at Laal Singh Chadda

But I don’t think there is such a thing as striking a balance. I do not think you can manage a conflict between business and creativity. As an artist, I must create and just focus on the art. I am not an activist, a reformer. I may or may not have an opinion but I will put out my opinion is through my music. I did a re-creation myself in 2015, and I got a lot more offers to do that, but I knew that was not my calling, so I did not do that. I took a decision to not re-create songs. But that’s a decision I made as an artist.

Talking Films outside of Hindi Cinema:

PRODUCER

MAHESH DANANNAVAR

Interview by Armin S.

There is no language barrier, especially given the subtitles.

When I found out Gandhi & Co screened at international films festivals in Toronto and Melbourne, it piqued my curiosity. Producer Mahesh Danannavar spoke about the regional children’s film (Gujarati) rooted in its simplicity and wholesomeness, but also about being a producer for non-Hindi films generally and why there seems to be so much more scope for it now. As the founder of MD Media Corp, he also has to his credit another Gujarati superhit, a Hindi short Lutf, and a few Kannada projects in the pipeline.

WE ARE FINALLY SEEING THE RISE OF GLOBAL CINEMA SO WHAT AN OPPORTUNE TIME FOR ME TO SPEAK TO YOU. I AM BEING EXPOSED TO CONTENT OUTSIDE OF HINDI CINEMA. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS SO, GIVEN YOUR ROLE AS A PRODUCER, ESPECIALLY WITH NON-HINDI CINEMA.

We obviously have a legacy with Hindi cinema but in the last few years, we have really seen a rise with South Indian cinema grow, along with different regional cinema really growing in popularity. After the pandemic, and the OTT boom, people were exploring and realizing how different the content was out there. People had so much time to consume everything – and theatres were down so they were exposed to global content. I feel like OTT has opened things up a lot for us, a lot of mileage to things outside of Hindi cinema. There is no language barrier, especially given the subtitles. For example, my own film is traveling so many different countries. There are people who are not of Indian diaspora, who are also watching this type of cinema, despite language and non-mainstream dialogue.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT FILMS FOR CHILDREN, SPECIFICALLY, FOR YOU AS A PRODUCER. IN NORTH AMERICA, WE HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE BIGGEST FILMS IN THE PAST DECADE BEING “CHILDREN’S” FILMS, SO TO SPEAK (ANIMATION AND OTHERWISE). WHY DO YOU THINK WE SEE SPURTS OF THIS FROM INDIA AS OPPOSED TO CONSISTENT CONTENT FOR CHILDREN FROM INDIA?

For producers, it is a chicken-and-egg type of situation, where we have not seen any producers who have not put in money into children’s films, or not enough scripts for children. Yes, in North America, there are some really big children’s films that have come out and they make billions of dollars. The writers, the directors, the team – keep adults in mind as well. Children’s movies there are essentially family movies - and they crack that formula right. There is one film by Nikhil Advani, Delhi Safari, that was quite good and had actors who really did well with that film but financially, it did not do that well. Then, I don’t think that particular production house ventured into children’s films again. Apart from animation, live action films have come out of India but again, these have been smaller films – like Aamir Khan movies are big because it is Aamir Khan, but otherwise, they are small. As producers, you want a Return on Investment. But with OTT platforms, they do have a kids’ section now – but the content is widespread (teens versus a young child) –we need to make that universal appeal to all family members and I am hopeful that we make that change in the next few years.

So let’s talk about your involvement as a producer - a tough genre to crack, a tough genre to back – on Gandhi & Co. Somehow, I have a fascination with children’s movies and when I started making movies, I wanted to see ‘masala’ films. I then met Manish Sahni who made a film before this one that won a National Award. It was very well-received. When he narrated this one, I really loved it. So we started shooting during the lockdown. The success ratio is ten percent for films to work. I took that leap of faith because it was good content and let’s reach out and see what happens at the box office.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF THEN IN THE NEXT FIVE, SIX YEARS – PROMOTING CONTENT THAT COMES FROM INDIA, BUT NON-HINDI, PERHAPS?

I do consider myself an Indie filmmaker. Hindi films will happen eventually, but whether they will be star-driven, we will see. I see myself making really good cinema, good content. My favourite genre is comedy, basically. But apart from those, I want to do meaningful cinema, and do 2 to 3 movies per year, and different languages, of course.

I am shooting a Gujurati film soon, directed by a female director, and we are very excited for that – because that is a different genre we are trying.