Oh, we are already at the end of the year. Literally. As I write this, I realize we are in our last week of December 2021 and I will say it - where did the year go? In some sense, I feel like we are right back where we started. Possibly close to another lock down, people getting ill, COVID-19 still causing some major turbulence in our lives. And yet, when I think about 2021, I think about some good films. I think about the fact that during unprecedented times, yet gain, books and films and series, kept me afloat. This time around, we have Sahher Bambba donning our cover page as she navigated through COVID-19 with some fantastic projects post her debut with Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. She speaks about being an outsider to the industry and paving her way through since 2019. Also in this issue is the fantastic Malvika Raaj, who many still remember for her iconic depiction of the younger Poo, who many women to this date, completely fawn over. We also speak to Raashi Sood, who created waves with "Mil Maahiya" featuring Sonakshi Sinha and of course, Bhuvan Bam who continues to create waves online with his hugely popular YouTube persona. Inside we also have the wonderful director, Vishal Furia, who talks to us about filmmaking and horror. We also give you excerpts of our Instagram Live chats with writer/actor, Gautam Mehra, of Chutzpah fame, and actor Rishabh Sawhney, of Empire fame. We also take a quick glance back at some of the best films of 2021, and in our next issue, talk about what we look forward to in 2022. Here's hoping we come out with our heads afloat again in a month's time. Until Next Time,
16
How the world of acting took over her world
2
ON THE COVER Sahher Bamba HMU: Bianca (@biancabeeglowup) Stylist: Sheefa Gilani (@sheefajgilani) Photographer: Rishabh Kumar (@rishabhkphotography)
24
20
TINA DESAI
26
RAASHI SOOD
28
32
GAUTAM MEHRA
MALVIKA RAAJ
VISHAL FURIA
34
BHUVAN BAM
36
RISHABH SAWHNEY
INTERVIEW
What Made
2021 Great By Armin S.
In no specific order,
because when talking about good films, why put them in any order? Here is a quick look back at some of the best Hindi films of 2021 because as uncertain as the times are right now, and as we continue to try to keep our heads above water, we still have cinema to keep us happy.
16
83
STARRING: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Sa Virk, Sahil Khattar, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, R Badr Bhasin, Pankaj Tripathi, Dinker Sharma, Boman Iran DIRECTOR: Kabir Khan WATCH FOR: the emotions unfolding of a true und acting chops
INTERVIEW
CHANDIGARH KARE AASHIQUI STARRING: Ayushmann Khurrana, Vaani Kapoor DIRECTOR: Abhishek Kapoor WATCH FOR: The magic of Vaani Kapoor, the solid performance by Ayushmann, and a fresh perspective.
aqib Saleem, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy ree, Dhairya Karwa, Tahir Raj ni
derdog story and some fantastic
17
INTERVIEW
PAGGLAIT STARRING: Sanya Malhota, Shruti Sharma, Ashutosh Rana, Rajesh Tailang DIRECTOR: Umesh Bist WATCH FOR: A refreshing perspective on a woman’s emotions, or lack thereof, and a stellar performance by the entire cast.
SANDEEP AUR PINKY FARAAR STARRING: Parineeti Chopra, Arjun Kapoor DIRECTOR: Dibakar Banerjee WATCH FOR: Parineeti completely in her element alongside a good performance by Arjun, and a story that turns stereotypes and more on their heads.
SHERSHAAH STARRING: Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani DIRECTOR: Vishnu Vardhan WATCH FOR: A rollercoaster of emotions, and a career-best performance of Sidharth Malhotra, and amazing chemistry between the lead pair
18
INTERVIEW
SHERNI STARRING: Vidya Balan DIRECTOR: Amit Masurkar WATCH FOR: A consistent Vidya Balan and a foray into a storyline never focused upon in Hindi cinema quite like this.
SARDAR UDHAM STARRING: Vicky Kaushal DIRECTOR: Shoojit Sirca WATCH FOR:A gripping storyline, a wave of emotions, and a stellar performance by Vicky Kaushal.
MIMI STARRING: Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi DIRECTOR: Laxman Utekar WATCH FOR: A career-best performance of Kriti Sanon, and a drama that tugs at the heartstrings courtesy of fantastic writing by Rohan Shankar.
19
INTERVIEW
How the world of acting took over her world Interview By Armin S.
I
remember when Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas announced its female lead, Sahher Bamba, I thought to myself, what will she about? With the opening of more fresh faces, outside of film families, so to speak, in the film industry, I’ve always been intrigued by the choice made by individuals with no exposure to films when deciding that they want to act. It was this intrigue that led me through my conversation with Sahher Bamba, who has busied herself extensively since her debut, with The Empire, the music video “Ishq Mein”, and of course, Dil Bekaraar. HMU - https://instagram.com/glambyvrinda?utm_medium=copy_link Stylist - https://instagram.com/sheefajgilani?utm_medium=copy_link Photographer - https://instagram.com/rishabhkphotography?utm_medium=copy_link
20
INTERVIEW
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE IN SHIMLA AND YOUR PARENTS WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR INTEREST OF ACTING AND YOU WON A COMPETITION AND THEN ‘PAL PAL DIL KE PAAS’ HAPPENED. BUT WHO WAS SAHHER BAMBA BEFORE ALL THAT HAPPENED?
I was someone who had zero idea of the film industry. I was just a passionate and driven girl ever since I was a little child and I knew that it was something that I wanted to take up differently. One word to describe myself before Pal Pal was that I was very focused and very ambitious and I am still very much today. Strangely so as well because I have no family or friends from the industry. It was a strange kind of faith I had in myself and I don’t know where it came from. I just knew that things would happen. I literally moved to Mumbai, a city in which I had no friends, no relatives, nobody, absolutely…so much so that I was in shock when I finally moved to the city. Like, accommodation was an issue. Commuting from one place to another was an issue. Mumbai local trains, getting used to them…my first experience was getting pushed out of the train, onto the platform again, because there were so many people. My friend and I didn’t even know of the existence of the female compartment so we just went into the general compartment. But I just look at those months with very fond memories. I made friends for life. I was sharing a room with eight girls. But I did all that happily so, because I knew that one day I knew I would get my debut film.
THAT YOU DID, AND RELATIVELY QUICKLY…
Yes, that’s exactly what happened. Eight months into my college, I landed Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. And the rest happened after…
It was a strange kind of faith I had in myself and I don’t know where it came from. I’VE READ ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE ON ‘PPDKP’ AND THE LOCATIONS, THE SHOOT SCHEDULE…BUT WHEN IT RELEASES, IT DOES NOT OPEN TO AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE. Correct.
FOR SOMEBODY WHOSE DEBUT FILM FACES CRITICISM, IT CAN BE TOUGH, BECAUSE IT IS
STILL YOUR BABY. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE ARE NOT APPRECIATING THE FILM THE WAY IN WHICH YOU WANT THEM TO? WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR PSYCHE WHEN THE RECEPTION TO YOUR DEBUT FILM IS NOT WARM?
Of course, it takes a toll on you. I remember meeting Sunny sir and Karan after the release of the film – the very next day, in fact, and I could see it in their body language, their faces, how disappointed everybody was. I think the take-away for me was that I got to step into the industry and work with such incredible people, an amazing team, irrespective of the film not doing well. Sunny sir literally became a father figure to me on set. Whatever little I learnt about acting was because of him. I also received great reviews for my performance which helped me get meetings with directors and producers and that is how Empire happened. But as soon as I was cast – I was the last person to be on board – we shot the very next day. I had not read the script and I did not know anything about my character – but then right after, the lockdown happened. A couple of months, I was just sitting in Shimla, but then we started shooting again, and simultaneously, Dil Bekaraar happened. I was then shooting for both of them simultaneously and then the lockdown happened again. When it was lifted again, that’s when we shot again. So, yeah, I mean those happened and here I am.
I was completely useless. It was like a toddler being shown how to walk – that is how I was on set. THAT’S A LOT – DESPITE THE FACT THAT COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS HAVE HAPPENED, ‘ISHQ MEIN’ AS WELL, ALONG WITH THESE PROJECTS, SHORTLY AFTER ‘PPDKP’. WHAT HAS THE SHIFT BEEN LIKE IN TERMS OF YOUR ACTOR PORTFOLIO AND YOUR CONFIDENCE?
I remember my first day of shoot of Pal Pal, I didn’t even know what stand on your mark meant. I was completely useless. It was like a toddler being shown how to walk – that is how I was on set. Kudos to Sunny sir for being so patient with me. During Pal Pal, I had zero idea about acting. I had not been to acting school, done any acting workshops. All I knew was that I had done acting back in theatre in school. That was pretty much it. Now, I feel like I understand the craft more. I also have more passion – I am constantly enrolling myself in acting classes. I am just trying to hone my craft. I take it a lot more seriously than I did back then.
21
INTERVIEW
22
HMU - https://instagram.com/biancabeeglowup?utm_medium=copy_link Stylist - https://instagram.com/sheefajgilani?utm_medium=copy_link Photographer - https://instagram.com/rishabhkphotography?utm_medium=copy_link
INTERVIEW
WHAT HAS IT DONE EMOTIONALLY TO YOU? AS MUCH AS YOU ARE ACTING, YOU STILL HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH THAT CHARACTER. WHERE ARE YOU NOW, EMOTIONALLY –AND YOUR DEPTH PERCEPTION IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE?
I think you learn along the way. Earlier, I don’t think I could empathize with the character as seamlessly. Now, I think the empathy has set in or it’s there, so I understand what the character may be feeling at any given moment of time. I feel, as an actor, you constantly keep growing and that’s how it should be. Even on my off days, I will go to my acting teacher for fun’s sake and explore what we can do.
I feel like I would love to be a part of a biopic because as an actor, I feel it would be very challenging. Like what Priyanka Chopra did with ‘Mary Kom’, get into the skin of the character, and get the audience to forget who is the actual performer.
IF YOU GO BACK TO WHEN YOU WERE 5 OR 6 YEARS OLD, WHAT’S YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF BEING ENAMOURED BY THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT?
The first thing that attracted me to the industry literally was the song and dance. The way they performed, the larger than life aspect of it, that just mesmerized and intrigued me. I was that kid who was made to dance in the living room when the guests came in. As a child, I’ve just been performing, be it school. I’ve been a kathak dancer so I’ve always been a performer. As I grew up, I started appreciating the performances people delivered on screen – the feeling that you come back with from the theatre when you’ve watched a performance is something that really drove me to becoming actor.
GROWING UP THEN, WAS THERE A PARTICULAR PERFORMANCE OR MOVIE THAT MOVED YOU EMOTIONALLY?
I feel like that one film, which is not a very old film, that did that for me was Highway. I think the way Alia Bhatt just performed that character and it was so real, I was an audience member who just appreciated what she brought to the table.
WHO IS A CHARACTER YOU HAVE PLAYED WHO YOU WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE COFFEE WITH?
I would definitely say Saher Sethi from Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, because that film will always be very close to my heart. Every aspect of that film will always be a priority in my heart.
I feel, as an actor, you constantly keep growing and that’s how it should be. WHAT INTRIGUED YOU ABOUT HER?
It was quite a simple character to play in that sense, but she was this girl who thought she was this invincible person, this Godly figure, especially in the first half of the film. So, I think she would be interesting to have a chat with.
THERE MUST BE A “I WANT TO DO THIS ONE THING THAT CHALLENGES ME” – A BUCKET LIST OF SORTS. WHAT’S THAT ONE CHARACTER THAT YOU’D LOVE TO DO?
I feel like I would love to be a part of a biopic because as an actor, I feel it would be very challenging. Like what Priyanka Chopra did with Mary Kom, get into the skin of the character, and get the audience to forget who is the actual performer. I would love to do that.
SO, WHAT’S THE ONE THING YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE THE AUDIENCE, AND OUR READERS WITH?
I’d like to leave them with the assurance that there is a lot of good work coming up on my end. There will be a lot of hard work. Just hold on, and I’m working hard and harder every day and I hope I make everyone proud.
23
RAASHI SO OD
INTERVIEW
Raas
ending t celebrati which is Mahiya” 1 million Spotify. I post the re song about of making the infusion Punjabi lan working wit shi Sinha.
Interview By Arm
24
shi Sood is the year 2021, ing the banger s “Mil as it crossed streams on spoke to her elease of the t the process the song, n of the nguage and th Sonak-
min S.
INTERVIEW
AS SOON AS THE TEASER CAME OUT, I KNEW I WANTED TO WATCH THIS SONG. I FEEL LIKE IT’S A SONG YOU COULD GROOVE TO – IT’S A CAR JAMMER, YOU CAN PARTY TO IT, IT’S SO VERSATILE IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT. CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT!
It feels really nice because the song started in a home studio and for it to reach so many people and to hear good things about it is overwhelming.
I READ SOMEWHERE THERE WAS A POWER OUTAGE AND YOU WROTE THIS SONG IN AN HOUR – LIKE, IT WAS QUITE A QUICK PROCESS ON HOW THIS SONG CAME ABOUT.
We just had a power cut again just half an hour back and I was nervous that I may not be able to make it to the interviews. So it happens here a lot. I could not make music for fifteen to twenty days because my speakers were burnt. As an artist, that is frustrating to not be able to make music for that time. You have so many ideas in your head and it is frustrating to not put them out. The day I got my new speakers, I go to the studio and bam – I wrote the song in one hour. Day two, was another one. Day three, another one. I had a streak of good music. “Mil Mahiya”, yes, it was done in exactly an hour.
YOU ARE KNOWN FOR YOUR PUNJABI TONALITY AND VOCALS IN YOUR SONGS. AS A PUNJABI MYSELF, IT SEEMS THAT THE TREND TO INFUSE PUNJABI FLAVOUR HAS REALLY OUTLASTED ANY OTHER TREND IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. WHAT IS IT ABOUT INFUSING PUNJABI FLAVOUR INTO A MAINSTREAM SONG THAT WORKS?
I will begin by saying that – have you noticed any Bollywood (mainstream) movie that does not have a Punjabi song in it?
EXACTLY.
That’s it. People love the language so much. It’s very sweet right. It is such a loving language. To be honest, I’m not very fluent with Punjabi and we actually speak Hindi at home, as I went to school in Delhi. I was introduced to Punjabi pretty late in my life. I shifted from New Delhi to Ludhiana, Punjab in grade 10 and I instantly fell in love with the language, the sweetness of the songs, the tunes. So I’m classically trained, grew up listening to Hindi and Punjabi music and then, was introduced to Punjabi songs shortly after. I initially did not even understand what I was hearing. My first song that came out with PropheC was “Dholna” and if you listen to the song, in 2012, I could not even pronounce the word properly. We have all noticed that everyone who listens
to the language falls in love with it. That’s the idea behind everybody doing Punjabi music – people like Badshaah, Jubin, Arijit Singh. When I sit down to write, Punjabi naturally comes out and it’s just naturally engraved inside.
PART OF THE REASON WHY THE SONG WORKS SO WELL, IS THE WAY IT HAS BEEN VISUALIZED – THE CHOREOGRAPHY IS JUST RIGHT, THE COSTUMES – EVERYTHING WORKS AND KUDOS TO THE CREATIVE TEAM TO HAVE EVERYTHING MESH WELL TOGETHER. WHAT DID YOU VISUALIZE AND WHAT WAS YOUR CREATIVE INPUT?
When Big Bang told me that Amith Krishnan (Director/Editor) was on board for the song, I was so happy, because I’m such a huge fan of his. I just knew then that it would be a powerful video. With social media and Reels, these days it’s all about the hook step and the catchy drop; that’s a huge reason why people listen to some songs. We show the song as being a hit in the video, and people are listening to this song in the space stations. The VFX were fantastic. Sonakshi is in it. And it was just unreal.
TELL ME ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CHEMISTRY BETWEEN YOU AND THE ARTIST REPRESENTING THE SONG, SONAKSHI SINHA. WHAT’S THE VIBE LIKE BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU AND HOW HAS IT FOSTERED IN A WAY THAT SHOWS YOU HAVING FUN, ESPECIALLY WHILE YOU WERE DOING PROMOTIONS?
See, I think it is very important for the artist who is doing the music video to actually also like the song, and I think that is reflected in Sonakshi’s eyes. Her eyes are very expressive. As a human being, I think she is the best human being I have come across. I did not expect that because she is so famous and so much of a star. She was just so kind, friendly, and made me feel like family. When you sit down with her, it is all chat, chat, and chat. She can’t stop talking and it’s the same here. It is just pure love. It is visible between us. She makes you feel comfortable. It’s a lovely bond I have formed with her. If ever given an opportunity, I would do a hundred songs with her and for her – that’s how great of a human being she is.
WHAT’S NEXT ON THE HORIZON FOR YOU IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH?
One of the most important lessons is to learn, unlearn, and relearn. If you are doing that, I think there is a much higher chance of you putting out different music. That’s what I want to keep doing.
25
INTERVIEW
MEET THE YOUNGER PO
Malvika Ra Interview By Armin S.
Oh, you’ve done
it. I have too. “Chandu ki chachi ne chandu ke chachu ko…” as fast and as furiously as the younger Poo in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, possibly the most popular Hindi movie to exist for millennials worldwide. So, imagine that Poo, all grown up now – and finally, the world realizing her name as Malvika Raaj, who recently came out with her “debut” film, of sorts, Squad. I caught up with the actor whose energy and enthusiasm for what she does is palpable. Definitely a happy spirit, and one who is truly living out her dreams. 26
OO
aaj
INTERVIEW EVERY SINGLE PERSON I KNOW HAS WATCHED ‘KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM’. YOU ARE SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE FILM. DO YOU REMEMBER THOUGH, THE FIRST TIME IT HIT YOU THAT YOU WERE A PART OF A PROJECT THAT WOULD BE ICONIC FOR GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS?
To be honest, when we first started filming, I was so young that it didn’t hit me that I was sharing screen space with such huge stars of Bollywood. If it was me today, I would be screaming and yelling. But back then, I was too naïve and young to understand what was happening. On set as well, they all treated me like I am one of the superstars, and they didn’t treat me like any less. I just feel like I have grown up watching myself and with the attention I have been getting. I actually don’t think it has yet hit me – it is just a part of me now. I just feel like it is just a part of me. I don’t know how to put it in words (chuckles).
HMM, IT MAY NEVER HIT YOU BECAUSE THAT’S HOW YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED… Yeah, I think it is just a part of Malvika.
POST-’KABHI KHUSHI KABHI GHAM’ AND PRE-PROJECTS, THAT IN-BETWEEN PERIOD CAN BE DAUNTING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. WHAT WAS THE RE-INITIATION PROCESS LIKE, WITH THE CAMERA, THE SHOWBIZ WORLD, WITH THE TSWEAT AND BLOOD (FOR ‘SQUAD’ ESPECIALLY)?
For me, acting is my passion and I love it. Training for it every single day ever since you are ten years old and until now…my journey has been mainly training. There are days when you are emotionally low and down, and then there are days when you are happy. And you push yourself and tell yourself to go on the low days. The more you fall, the higher you rise. Every day has taught me something. These are just stepping stones to success. Today, I value my work and I value every project that I’ve been signing even now. I value everything because I did not get everything to me on a platter. I’m very proud to say that I have worked my way up and I give myself that credit because I know the hard work that has gone behind coming to the point of where I am today. I’ll pat myself on the back for that.
AND IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO DO THAT AND STILL REMAIN HUMBLE WHEN YOU DO THAT. BUT WHERE DOES MALVIKA’S ACTOR, THE ACTOR INSIDE, COME FROM?
What I feel is that acting has to come naturally to you, that’s a first. Second is obviously the life experiences that you have been through. Practical experience is what teaches you the best. Acting schools, I’ve gone to two and they can help you build confidence, but nobody can teach you how to act. That is something you need to have within yourself. You cannot learn the process. You can learn your correct sides, your correct profiles, how to mentally put yourself into the character. So you can learn that and that confidence. Eventually, how you emote to the camera - that has to come naturally to you. I feel like I do that with the characters I play. I surrender myself to my character. It comes naturally to me. It is also somewhere in my genes; I have grown up watching my grandfather, my aunt, my dad making films so I have grown up looking at this atmosphere. I just feel like this is my play area. While shooting for Squad, I remember waking up at 5 in the morning with a smile, in -2 or -3 temperature, and I was ready to go for shots. I was always very excited. I think it does come naturally to you. You train every day to be a better version of yourself. It’s part of the process of becoming an actor. You have to rehearse and be better, even as yourself.
IT SEEMS AS THOUGH WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS THAT YOU ARE HAPPIEST ON SET. It’s true – I’m happiest when I’m acting.
BUT THE FRILLS FOR ACTORS ARE DIFFERENT NOW. NOT THE CRAFT, NECESSARILY. ACTORS TODAY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERVIEWS SO MUCH MORE. HOW DO YOU RECONCILE BEING HAPPIEST AS AN ACTOR WITH THE REALITIES OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN ACTOR TODAY?
I think the only difference between back then and now is technology. But I think we are blessed that we have technology on our side and we can use it to our advantage. It’s only better for me and my movie. I can do more promotions and do more movies in order to do my promotions. It will only help me for the future. I’m happy about the technology. It’s part and parcel of it. I have made this conscious decision to be an actor and I know what it takes to bring my movie to the front and centre.
WHAT ELSE MAKES YOU HAPPY THEN?
A nice, gooey chocolate cake makes me very happy – especially when you are off sugar for a while. That’s the only thing I can think of. I’m a big foodie and I love good food.
27
INTERVIEW
Gautam Mehra Donning Two Hats
Interview By Armin S. 28
INTERVIEW
GAUTAM MEHRA STARTED HIS JOURNEY IN ACTING WITH THEATRE IN DELHI. HE SIMULTANEOUSLY WRITES AND WROTE HIS FIRST FILM, ‘TEEN THAY BHAI’, BASED OFF HIS PLAY ‘MAD MADDER MADDEST’. HE HAS WRITTEN FILMS SUCH AS ‘ROOHI’ AND ‘KHAANDANI SHAFAKHANA’ BUT ALSO ACTED IN ‘ROOHI’ AND RECENTLY, THE HIT WEB SHOW, ‘CHUTZPAH’. ON INSTAGRAM LIVE, I CHATTED WITH HIM ABOUT BALANCING HIS DUAL CAREERS, AND MORE.
A DISTINCT MEMORY OF PERFORMING
I was quite young when I realized my dream – my first memory of performing in front of an audience was when I was probably in fourth or fifth grade. Our class teacher entered our class and advised us of something cultural happening. I automatically was the first one to raise my hand. I did that silly little pantomime, which I had seen earlier somewhere, of a guy waking up in the morning, it’s very cold, and he gets into the shower and he’s shivering and…I performed this. My entire class cracked up. I used to be one of the shy students in class. But after the break that day, everyone was talking to me about the act that I just did.
BEING A WRITER AND AN ACTOR
See, I started off with theatre and what happened with theatre was that we used to do everything – stage management, direct, write, act. And it just so happened that in theatre, when you work in all creative and production departments, you get to know your strengths as an artist. Writing and acting have always been my strengths ever since I started performing.
THE BEGINNING OF WRITING
There was this play I co-wrote with my best friend called ‘Mad Madder Maddest’ – all three of us friends used to perform this in Delhi. We performed it four or five times and it became quite popular, to the extent that this one time I was walking out of a sound recording studio and there was a girl who recognized me from the play, and started cracking jokes from the play. So I thought, why not write a film? We made that play into a movie, which was produced by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, ‘Teen They Bhai’. That’s how I started working in the industry. Everyone I met, they liked my writing style. Then, I started auditioning side by side. I did a couple of advertisements and short films.
A NATURAL ABILITY TO ACT AND WRITE
I think acting, directing, and writing – the three things related to storytelling in the Performing Arts. I think we are probably all good storytellers but we need to nurture out storytelling abilities, especially the writing skills.
EVERY WRITER SHOULD DO THIS
If you are interested in writing, go online and download screenplays that are available. I do that to see the difference between what I saw on screen and what was on paper. Discuss the process with other writers. Narrate your ideas to other writers. It’s an ongoing process. You can never be a one hundred percent accomplished writer. You always have to evolve. I always look for honesty in the writing. There are times when you watch a movie and you see a formula in the film to keep us engaged – but are they being organic to the plot and true to the characters?
CRACKING ‘CHUTZPAH’
‘Chutzpah’ was when I actually cracked the audition. I got to play Kevin in such an amazing series on such an amazing platform, SonyLiv.
BEING KEVIN IN ‘CHUTZPAH’
The first time I read Kevin, I was gripped by his energy and passion. It was the very first scene that I had to perform for the audition, where he is interacting with his followers and fans. At the same time, he is reading the comments he got on the new video he posted. It was so enthralling to see the energy from the lines that were written on paper. I felt like, “dude, this guy is so much fun.” There are ten things going on in his head at any given time. That’s what was so scary about Kevin – because he was such a hyperactive character so there’s that fine line of being that character or just crossing over the line and getting into “hamming”. But I could relate to his passion.
29
INTERVIEW
The Latest ‘Dhindora’
BHUVAN BAM Interview By Armin S.
I remember Shah Rukh Khan saying in an
interview some years ago – that India’s next big thing, next big superstar, may not come from films or sports. That person may be from the Internet. And what we have seen in the last few years is the rise of the “Content Creator” or the “YouTuber” or that person who can perhaps engage, educate, and elate audiences. Isn’t that where someone like Bhuvan Bam comes in? The man who started off with making videos for fun, on Facebook, happy with fifteen views, who has now become quite literally, one of the biggest names to come out of India in the recent couple of years. I’m not really a numbers girl, but 24.9 million subscribers to his YouTube Channel, “BB Ki Vines” is no joke…couple that with the warm reception to his latest Dhindora, and you know he’s a winner. I talk to him about the journey, including that initial spark of confidence, his first video, when his content started going viral, and now, where he’s at.
32
INTERVIEW
THE INITIAL SPARK OF CONFIDENCE
(Laughs) Whatever sense of humour I have is from my father and my brother. It comes naturally to me, to talk like this. I used to mimic my teachers before they came into class. One day, a teacher found out and she was pretty chill about it. She actually made me go class to class and act it out in front of the different teachers. Then, she warned me later (laughs). It was a honey trap. Since childhood, I wasn’t a pain in the bum for teachers but I was the entertainer of the class. I was an average student but I would sing songs in class, banging on the tables, so I was the entertainer of the class.
15 VIEWS ON MY FIRST VIDEO
I did not know YouTube existed for me. I thought it was for Bollywood trailers and songs. I did not know I could upload something for myself on YouTube. So, initially, Facebook was my jam. The first time I posted something on Facebook, I had fifteen views on it. It was a lot for me. Five family members, four friends, and who are the rest? It was a mystery. I was not serious about it at the time. I used to do these videos when I had the time, after I had finished my assignments. At that time, when I started, I had just gotten out of school. It was my first year of college and I had recently joined a restaurant and I used to perform there with my trio. I did music before all of this. That’s where I used to gain confidence. We got weird, drunk people there. I once had a request to sing something on a T sharp scale from a patron. I gave him a C major and told him it was T-sharp. And that is confidence.
MY FIRST VIRAL VIDEO
One of my videos on Facebook went viral in a university in Karachi and via WhatsApp. At that time, YouTube was banned in Pakistan so they consumed content on Facebook. Suddenly, my channel on Facebook was a rage. This was in 2015. Then, in 2016, one of my videos was about Valentine’s Week and three of these friends were ranting about how illogical this week is. We have been saving so much since last year and now we have to spend it all. That’s when people in India started following me. One of my friends told me that I could earn if I upload this on YouTube. So that’s where I started my account, on YouTube, and naturally people started watching me and realized I was their kid – from New Delhi.
THE STAGES OF WRITING AND DEVELOPING
I think the process has changed drastically. When I started on YouTube, I didn’t take it seriously. I just wanted to see how far the content can go on social media. At that time, there weren’t a lot of YouTube channels in India and most of the content was in English. What I was creating was in Hindi so I wasn’t sure if the audience would get my humour. The first few months was about figuring out if they would like this or not. I realized with the Valentine’s video that people do want to watch Hindi and humour in this language. I took up History Honours but I did not want to. I wanted, somewhere in my heart, people to accept my content – and that too, in Hindi. The videos were not long, they were short. A two minute video could be shared and that was a big deal. That’s why Reels are getting big.
That’s how Dhindora happened.
HOW ‘DHINDORA’ HAPPENED
Dhindora was supposed to be a movie but then I saw Sacred Games, and saw the hype surrounding that. That’s where we started to think about it as an eight episode, sort of series format. We didn’t know. I had never done a 15 minute episode before. People do ask me why the Dhindora episodes are so short, and I tell them, they are not short. For me, a guy who was doing a two minute video, who then went to five minute video, and then went to fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes of comedy, visual comedy, sketches, dialogues, is a lot. That’s how I developed characters, when I started writing this. It was a leap of faith for us and we were so nervous before the trailer, but when it dropped, it worked.
INSPIRATION BEHIND CHARACTERS
Every scene in Dhindora, has been lived. Some characters are exaggerations of people I’ve met, but they are still based off people. Sometimes, I see two people at the Metro station, who may not know each other. But I’ll combine their traits and put them into one person. Then, the character comes out properly. Like Titu mama is my actual mama in real life. When he was coming for the premiere, most of the people there asked me, hey, this guy looks like your mama, like Titu mama. And I said, yes, it is him. Titu mama’s entire character is him. The way he looks, the way he walks, is him. I had to name him Titu mama and not use his real name because people would have found him on Facebook or whatever. Everything is observation. Whatever I write is what I have lived. It is what I have learned from people around me.
LOSING CONNECTION TO EMOTIONS
I think millennials have lost connection to their emotions. Have you heard of the term, keyboard warriors? People are there on their keyboards – they think that whatever they type is what the truth is. I want people to feel every emotion that digital media has taken away from them. Digital media is all about validation now. I want to give people a chunk of my world. I want to tell people about what I’ve learnt in my life and just try to live it through my craft, Dhindora, for example. Dhindora is all about human behaviour and how they change. That’s all about relationships and how they twist or turn when your own life changes. What better way to say this but through humour.
33
INTERVIEW
VISHAL FURIA "A Director Needs to be Very Careful while Attempting Horror" Interview By Armin S.
34
INTERVIEW
HORROR IS SO EASY TO LOVE AS A VIEWER BUT SO HARD TO GET RIGHT AS A DIRECTOR. WHY IS IT SO CHALLENGING?
Vishal Furia is one of
the pioneers in the genre of horror filmmaking. While many get the genre wrong, he tends to get it right. He shot to fame with his 2017 hit Marathi film Lapachhapi, which he re-made in Hindi as his debut in the Hindi language, Chhorrii. He helmed Criminal Justice Season 1 as co-director and will soon have another crime drama film Forensic coming out next year with Radhika Apte and Vikrant Massey. Interviewing him about the horror genre and its challenges and what works on the OTT platform, Vishal shares his thoughts with us.
It is a challenging genre to work with. It needs the right collaboration from every department. Even a moment gone wrong or the tiniest detail gone wrong, can make this genre laughable. So a director needs to be very careful while attempting horror. Writing a horror script is very challenging. It can easily slip into cliches. Actors are most important as only a good performance can help the audience feel scared as well. Location, production design along with the right camerawork helps each frame and each moment look dreadful. Sound design and BGM add the final touches to the visuals. A director needs to be extremely confident and sure of the story and the technical aspects as well for the horror storytelling.
DID YOU ALWAYS GROW UP WANTING TO TELL THE STORIES YOU ARE TELLING TODAY?
Not really. I did watch a lot of horror. Never thought I would make horror till before I started writing about a decade back. It just came as an overnight thought and then started shaping up into some amazing stories. Now I totally love it.
THE DIGITAL SPACE HAS PAVED WAY FOR CRIME THRILLERS, DOCUMENTARIES AND HORROR... WHAT MAKES THEM WORK ON THE OTT PLATFORM?
I think horror works on all mediums. I have seen even big screens filled to capacity for good horror films. Surely, OTT has come as a boon for documentaries because that genre never could develop into a big screen event. But now, the viewers can watch at their own flexible time. Also, there are less censorship issues on digital. The pace and thrill of crime thrillers makes it a hit on the OTT.
YOUR DEBUT HINDI FEATURE IS ‘CHHORII’. WHAT INSPIRED YOU WHEN IT COMES TO ‘CHHORII’?
Chhorii is a remake of my own Marathi film Lapachhapi. When I ventured into feature films from a broadcast industry background, I naturally diverted towards horror because I always thought it was an underserved genre in India and there was a vast scope to tell some beautiful stories in this genre. The story of Lapachhapi started shaping up smoothly. Lapachhapi saw great success and appreciation from the audiences. And so the idea to tell that story to a larger audience gave birth to Chhorii when I found the right producers in Vikram and Shikha from Abundantia and then Jack Davis from Crypt TV also joined hands.
WHAT'S UP YOUR SLEEVE NEXT?
I have the Marathi horror film called Bali which released on Amazon Prime Video on 9th December. Currently, I am also working on post-production for Forensic starring Vikrant Massey and Radhika Apte. There are more projects in development.
35
INTERVIEW
Navigating a New Path Interview By Armin S.
He recently made his
acting debut with the hugely popular show, Empire, after transitioning from a model to an actor. I speak to Mahmood from Empire, aka Rishabh Sawhney, talks to me about his initial intentions towards acting, family support, his first shot with Shabana Azmi ji, and his biggest learning lessons on an Instagram Live. 36
INTERVIEW
WHAT WAS THE INTENTION GROWING UP WHEN YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY?
When I was growing up, like everyone else is, I was very fascinated by the entertainment industry. I was this huge kid back then, so I never really thought I would get into this industry, because at that point in time, there were not many opportunities like the OTT platforms there are now. Also, I was not that confident at that point. Eventually, when I finished my college, I didn’t know what to do. I did one acting course in Delhi, and then I shifted to Mumbai. But it was not because I wanted to get into modelling – I always just wanted to act. When I shifted, I started doing theatre, and after that, modelling kind of happened because acting takes time and you have to make money. Modelling was actually going well though, but meanwhile, I was doing acting and theatre workshops. And then Empire happened.
WHAT WAS THE AUDITION PROCESS FOR ‘EMPIRE’? WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE HERE – AND WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR HEAD THEN?
Yes, yes, I remember it clearly, like it was yesterday. So I got a call from this casting company and they called me for the audition. I gave certain takes and then I was asked to make some subtle changes. I did that, and the production and direction team really liked my audition. In the month and a half of the audition and shooting, he asked me to come in and do some cues for the other auditions, which really helped me improve my acting also. That was the best decision I made. That really helped me understand the scenes better. The show also kept getting pushed because of COVID-19.
DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST SHOT OF THE SHOW?
My first shot was with THE Shabana Azmi, and I was too nervous. It was the first time I was doing acting in a long format and she has been on screen for such a long time, and she is such a phenomenal actor. The way she was talking to everyone though, she just made everything very comfortable. By the time we shot, I became comfortable. The nervous energy converted into something beautiful. Once you saw her perform, you just had that spirit and energy.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU STARTED FROM AND WHERE YOU ARE NOW, WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT CONSTANT SOURCE OF SUPPORT?
I’ve been really luck in this regard because everyone from my friends to my family have supported me. They never really said anything against it. I was studying engineering before but I was not really interested. After I worked with corporate companies, but then I told them I was shifting into fitness modelling, then I said acting when they said that may not have a future in India. So, they supported me.
37