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The greys of life
ANUJ KUMAR
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With “Black & White”, releasing this Friday, Subhash Ghai gives a new tint to his career.
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Photo: K. Murali Kumar
GOt a New halo! Subhash Ghai urges people to watch “Black & White” without the baggage of his past films.
Image is a big word in Bollywood. If Ram Gopal Varma stands for noir, brand Subhash Ghai evokes vibrancy and colour. So when the showman comes with a title “Black & White” releasing this Friday, it has to make the media pundits curious. “When somebody lives in a palace he wants to explore the mountains and rivers, and when somebody lives in the wilds, he longs for life in a city. A creative person is always in the process of discovering newer avenues to express. I wrote ‘Joggers’ Park’, produced ‘Iqbal’ and then moved on to direct ‘Black &White’. I am glad that I have been able to make this movement,” says Ghai.
He appeals to the audiences not to come with the baggage of the past. “Don’t expect a ‘Taal’ or ‘Khalnayak’. It is a sensitive subject which explores the psyche of a suicide bomber and in the process talks about child abuse, terrorism and communal harmony. In short, the film gives the point of view of both the black and the white with a positive end.”
Playing the black and white roles are newcomer Anurag Sinha and seasoned pro Anil Kapoor. Anurag plays the extremist and Anil is essaying the role of an Urdu professor.
Set in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk area, the plot hints at Red Fort and Parliament attacks, Geelani case…. “The script is based on many real life instances but overall it is a piece of fiction,” Ghai gives a safe reply as he doesn’t want to spill the beans. But he did explore terrorism in “Khalnayak” way back in the ’90s, though well within the parameters of popular cinema. “There the protagonist was more of a criminal. Here he is an extremist who doesn’t understand the colour of India.”
Backing talent
Backing a newcomer is a gamble, but Ghai, looking to start a fresh innings after the debacle of “Kisna”, has opted for a new crew. “See, I could have given one more hit in my recognised ways. But I wanted to do something more meaningful. There are four-five stars in the industry and they have started their own production. In such a scenario we need to back talented youngsters. I needed to complete the shooting in 40 days and wanted an actor who could devote 24 hours a day. You can’t expect this from a star. Anurag is a FTII diploma holder and has undergone rigorous training for the role. The cinematographer (Somak Mukherjee) is new and I have given chance to singer Sukhwinder Singh to compose the music. The background score required a Sufi feel, and Sukhwinder is well-versed with the genre.” Ghai doesn’t forget to thank Anil, his bankable star of yesteryear, with whom he has given hits like “Ram Lakhan”, “Meri Jung” and “Taal” for standing up to a different challenge. “Anil said we did popular cinema together, now I want to stand by you when you are making an issue-based film.”
Ghai agrees that Hindi cinema has changed rapidly in the last half decade. “The multiplexes have given a platform to honest cinema. For instance, last year ‘Taare Zameen Par’ and ‘Welcome’ were released on the same date. Now here are two films which are poles apart in their cinematic grammar yet both have done well. It is because both were honest about their content and didn’t hide it in their promotion. I feel the educated audience appreciate this honesty.”
In the meantime, when he was away from the director’s mantle, Ghai concentrated on his film school, Whistling Woods International. The first batch is about to pass out. An FTII product, Ghai feels FTII and Satyajit Ray Institute continue to be relevant. “At the same time the industry needs much more talent, particularly talent which is well-versed in the latest technology. This is something we are aiming at.” The fee structure, however, makes it out of the reach of the middle-class talent. “See, when you are expected to earn in crores, you have to shell out something substantial. We are training them to be ready to direct a film as soon as they pass out. However, these days most youngsters want to become actors. The industry needs scriptwriters. That is why I have announced a scholarship, where creative writers will be promoted.”
As for future, the devotees of image should not feel disappointed, as after “Black & White”, Ghai returns to his fantastic ways with “Yuvraj”.
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The making of Showman
A DIALOGUE A still from "Black & White"
Having done a diploma from FTII, Subhash Ghai started as an actor in films like “Taqdeer”, “Aradhna” and “Umang”. He still has a penchant for doing cameos in his films.
Recently he was seen in “Om Shaanti Om”. The film’s title and the reincarnation idea was taken from Ghai’s “Karz”.
Ghai’s first directorial venture was “Kaalicharan”, which made Shatrughan Sinha a household name. He has had an amazing success rate before “Yaadein” and “Kisna” spoiled his scorecard.
Ghai won the Film Fare best director award for “Saudagar”. Earlier “Karma” won the National Award for its anti-terrorism stand.
In 2000, his company, Mukta Arts Private Limited, became the first film production company to go public.
He turned to producing offbeat small budget cinema with “Rahul” and won critical acclaim for producing “Joggers’ Park” and “Iqbal”.
Before Anurag Sinha, Ghai has introduced many new faces to the industry. Meenakshi Sheshadri, Jackie Shroff, Manisha Koirala, Vivek Mushran, Mahima Choudhary and Isha Sharvani are his discoveries.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
