In 2006, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie visited Mumbai along with their children, the media followed their every little move. More than a decade later, a now single Pitt arrived in the city again, but this time in the most discreet fashion t o promote his upcoming Netflix film , War Machine, which releases online on May 26.
On a rooftop banquet room of Trident hotel, Pitt, along with actor Shah Rukh Khan , discussed their careers and the evolution of cinema in the digital age with film critic Rajeev Masand, with an audience of about two dozen journalists. The media had been strategically informed about Brad Pitt’s arrival a day before the event, with an appeal to keep the news under wraps.
Seemingly in tandem with the plan, Brad Pitt emerged dressed in an understated grey jacket and a white T-shirt, keeping his sunglasses on throughout the interaction. Having spent decades in Hollywood, age seems to have caught up with the 53-year-old actor. But along the way, he has learnt some important lessons: to keep his personal life away from the public gaze and the importance of working with friends and respected filmmakers. “After a point, it’s not about the script but the people,” he said.
The appeal of both Pitt and Khan has transcended generations, so when the two sat down to discuss their long careers, an exchange of nostalgia was inevitable. As Khan brought Pitt up to speed on the rhythms in chaotic Bollywood, the Hollywood actor opened up about his inability to dance, sing or play an organ. “In The Tree of Life (2011), there was a scene where I had to play a piano. I couldn’t get the placement of the fingers right. So they cut a large hole in my jacket and made a man insert his hand through it to make it look like I was playing the piano,” laughed Pitt.
The two actors were emphatic that they never let their characters affect their personalities. “On the Friday of [a] release, I take a two-hour long bath and start afresh on Monday. You should try it,” Khan advised Pitt in a jocular fashion.
The digital knock
As a producer, Pitt supports newer, riskier and more experimental content. His production company Plan B Entertainment is the co-producer of War Machine , a fictionalised war absurdist satire which follows United States Army General Stanley McChrystal (played by Brad Pitt) in Afghanistan. “But the film is more about the flawed system [of war and invasion],” said Pitt. The duo were joined in discussion with the director of War Machine , David Michôd who described the tone of the film as “schizophrenic”.
The Hollywood actor said that a film like War Machine required a free and inventive platform like Netflix. Agreeing with Pitt, Khan said that the Internet distribution model will give a platform to new and young filmmakers in India, thereby shaking Bollywood out of its complacency. “And it also gives a global platform,” added Pitt. “Would that mean you’d come to Bollywood?” inquired Khan. “Not unless I can dance,” replied Pitt matching Khan in wit. “That’s a relief for me,” quipped Khan in return, ending a surprise evening of bromance between the two film stars.
