In Conversation With Jahnu Barua

What made you shift base from Assam to Mumbai and from Assamese cinema to Hindi cinema?

I have always had a lot of offers from Mumbai to make movies in Hindi. But I took time to decide. The obvious reason is that there are much better opportunities there and I do not have to face many constraints as with Assamese cinema. As an artist, you always want to reach out to a wider audience.

Do you miss home?

Not really. Mainly because home is where I am. My family is with me always. Plus I can go back anytime I want. There is nothing tying me down, so there is no forced feeling. In fact, I am keen on working on Assamese cinema from Mumbai.

What about the feeling of being an outsider in Mumbai?

All this goes on inside you. If you choose to think of yourself as an outsider, you become one. I am at home in Mumbai. I don’t know about what others think of me though. May be, they do look at me as an outsider!

You worked with mainstream Hindi film actors like Urmila Matondkar, Preity Zinta and Dharmendra in your recent films. How different or difficult has this experience been compared to earlier days of working with Assamese artists?

Frankly speaking, I hardly found any difference. It is mainly because the moment I don the director’s hat, I am who I am supposed to be whether to Urmila or an Assamese artist. I never let artists take advantage of their star status on my sets. If they come late, I sternly tell them not to repeat it. But surprisingly, both the girls – Urmila and Preity – were very professional in their approach during Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara and Har Pall.

You have won multiple awards for your work. How important are they for an artist? How instrumental have they been in your career?

They are important, but not to the extent that you make films just for winning awards. At the end of the day, you make films for an audience, not a jury. Awards are just tokens of appreciation, a bonus. They have helped me no doubt, and instil a level of responsibility to do better work.

You have been on the jury for National Awards and have won quite a few too. What is your take on the recent controversy of 2008 awards being rigged?

The process, as it is, is very democratic. But it depends on the jury that is appointed every year. We are all subjective at one level or the other.

Who are the Indian filmmakers who have influenced you the most?

None. It is one of the first lessons taught at FTII, not to be influenced by anybody. I have favourites, of course, and that includes Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Bimal Roy.

In Memory Of A Master

For a nation that is so doped on cinema as we are, we live too much in the present; often forgetting the glory of our past. A week long celebration held in Hyderabad to mark the centenary year of Bimal Roy, one of the finest filmmakers India has ever had, did a precious lot in reminding the city of this movie master.

Organised by the Bimal Roy Centenary Committee in collaboration with Moving Images, Hyderabad, from January 26 to February 1, the event presented an interesting concoction of slices from Bimal Roy’s work and life. It began with the screening of a short film Bimal Roy doesn’t live here anymore and unveiling of Reflections – on cities and spaces, an exhibition of rare architectural photographs shot by Bimalda, at Kalakriti Art Gallery. “The photographs were shot during my father's extensive travels where he captured structures, people and nature,” says Aparajita Roy Sinha, his daughter and convenor-founding member of Moving Images.

World of Bimal Roy, another exhibition of rare photographs from his life, some of them captured by his wife Manobina Roy, was on display on the first floor of Prasad’s Imax from January 27 to 31. The photographs were shipped from Kolkata exclusively for this event.

That music was part of Bimalda’s cinematic narrative as much as the story, is something that his admirers would vouch for. The innovations he tried to bring on screen while picturising some of the best melodies that S D Burman or Salil Chowdhury have composed were pathbreaking (remember the first ever telephonic love song of India ‘Jalte hain jiskeliye’ from Sujata?). So it was only befitting that the centenary committee honoured veteran singer Manna Dey and actor Jagdeep at a glitzy ceremony at The Marriott on January 28, which the city’s cream de la cream attended. The ‘90 years young’ singer also gave a live performance along with Geeta Varma which left listeners awestruck.

Bimal Roy Retrospective, a film festival that featured nine masterpieces of the director, was of course the highlight of the celebrations. Do Bikha Zameen, Bandini, Sujata, Devdas, Parineeta, Madhumati, Parakh, Yahudi and Udayer Pathey (Bengali, Bimalda’s first film) were screened at Prasad’s Imax and Cinemax from January 29 to 31. Remembering Bimal Roy, a documentary directed by his son Joy Roy was also screened as part of the festival. It gave a fantastic peek into the life of a man who, according to Manobina Roy, believed only in one ‘ism’ – humanism! “It was a spiritual journey for me to find a link to my father whom I hardly knew. While filming it, I discovered how much people loved and respected him,” says Joy Roy.

The first few shows of the festival had half filled audis. However, the houseful shows towards the end made it clear that Hyderabadis gave a lot of mouth publicity to the event. At the screening of the closing film Sujata, Bimal Roy’s daughter and documentary film maker Rinki Roy Bhattacharya commented to a gargantuan crowd, some even seated on the floor, that such a response was unimaginable in Mumbai where there were too many distractions.

The week long cinematic extravaganza ended on a sober note with a one day symposium on ‘Outsiders, Migrants and the Indian Middle Class in Bimal Roy’s films’ held at University of Hyderabad. Jahnu Barua, the national award winning Assamese filmmaker, Suresh Chabbria, the renowned film historian from FTII, Pune, and Maithili Rao, the noted film critic, were the speakers at the symposium organised in collaboration with the UGC SAP on Visual Culture by Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication.

Passionately For Pina

It was wild and mystical at the same time. It also magically encapsulated the passion of the artist the performance was dedicated for. For Pina…, a performance in homage to the German choreographer Pina Bausch, was put together by the Bangalore-based Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts (ACMA) on February 2 at Qutb Shahi Tombs. Pina, one of the biggest names in the global contemporary dance scene, had succumbed to cancer in June 2009.

Department of Tourism, Archaeology and Museums, Government of Andhra Pradesh, collaborated with Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad in organising this site-specific promenade performance. This means that while the performers moved around utilising the space of the magnificient heritage site, in a choreography that was not confined to a stage, the audience shifted with them too.

Jayachandran Palazhy, trained at Kalakshetra, Chennai, and the London Contemporary Dance School, choreographed the performance. The theme was man-woman relationship in a contemporary context, a favourite of Pina too. Jay, also the founder of ACMA, had worked with her when she toured India.

Jay’s team of dancers, who oozed energy in every sense of the word, was a delight to watch. Like possessed spirits unconscious of their bodies, they soared far and wide. Draped in sensuous red, they illustrated perfectly how a performance that comes from the depths of artistes’ hearts can invigorate the souls of even those who are not trained in art.

The sound technology put to use was out of the world. Hyderabad has probably not seen before speakers shaped like dolphin, snail, horse and what not! Live Electronics specialists Lorenzo Brusci and Luca Cnciella created a surreal environment with their compositions and fancy gadgets. A video installation designed by Chris Zeigler formed the perfect background for the act. Particularly, the effects for the part where Jay enacted drowning were breathtaking.

The event, which was inaugurated by Information and Public Relations Minister Dr. J Geetha Reddy, also had Jayesh Ranjan IAS and Padmasri Dr. Ananda Shankar Jayant as Guests of Honour. Ananda also introduced the troupe and the act to a limited but keen audience. The performance was followed by the screening of a documentary on Pina Bausch.

It's Numaish Time, Folks!

Malls and multiplexes may have taken Hyderabad by storm. But gargantuan crowds still flock to the Nampally Maidan annually in January – February to participate in the old world charm that it hosts. That is the magic of the mela that Hyderabadis fondly call Numaish.

In its 69^th year now, the all India industrial exhibition is as much a part of Hyderabadi culture now as Biriyani. One that started with just 50 stalls in 1938, the ‘Numaish Masnuaat-e-Mulki’ has sure grown beyond the wildest dreams of its founder, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam. This year, there are close to 2500 stalls with participation from our neighbouring countries as well. However, Pakistan, one of the most frequent participants, is missing in action.

The exhibition has a plethora of choices for shoppers. There are dedicated sections for anything you can think of - Bengal cotton sarees to Kashmiri Pashmina shawls, dry fruits to electronics, leather goods to ceramic ware – with a minimum of ten to fifteen stalls in each one. In case you run out of cash in between the shopping spree, just pay a visit to the SBI ATM near the exit. Most Numaish shops still believe in taking paper money for their goods!

The mini-train that takes riders for a journey through the exhibition ground attracts kids and elders alike. There are other joy rides like giant wheel as well. Multiple food courts, chaat bhandars, ice cream parlours and juice counters help you cool your heels when tired of walking at length.

Visitors form a diverse bunch here – some are regulars, some are first timers. All have a good outing for a cheap price though. The entry fee is just Rs. 10 per head. “This is my sixth time here. Though many of the products are available outside, this is like a one stop place for everything under the sun. They often give good bargains too,” says Geeta Rao, a resident of Hyderguda. The Exhibition Society uses the ticket income to support over 18 educational institutions in Hyderabad and surrounding districts thus reaching 35000 students.

Numaish is eagerly awaited by sellers as well. They travel from different parts of the country for four to six weeks of hardcore business. “This is the money spinning time of the year for us. Hyderabadis spend a lot here. It seems more like an emotional connect than a budget decision,” quips Alam Khan, a carpet seller from Kashmir. Many other sellers backed Alam’s opinion that the effect of recession has waned considerably.

The advantage of Numaish is, of course, bargain prices. Follow the mantra that ‘bolne ka daam’ is usually the double of ‘dene ka daam,’ and you are sure to land some good deals. Even if you intend only window shopping, there is every chance that you will fall prey to the sheer variety available. Give yourself an opportunity to do so. The deadline is February 15^th!

Mayakkam Oxymore Takes Hyderabad By Surprise

It was indeed surprising - a very pleasant one; for it is not something that Hyderabad has ever witnessed before. Non conformist dance interwoven with magnificent use of light and sound resulting in 90 minutes of pure magic – that was Mayakkam Oxymore in one line for you.

Sangeeta Isvaran, the lead dancer and choreographer combined her expertise in Bharatanatyam with some street style and finished it with some fine ballet moves too. Sangeeta, an alumnus of Sarojini Naidu School of Performing Arts, UoH, respects tradition. “But classical forms have to grow and be connected with society,” she said. Her co-dancers Lakshya Rajesh, Thilagavathi Palani and Nancy Boissel complemented her perfectly in the dramatic journey that ventured to explore the feminine self.

The world famous hip hop graffiti artist Marko 93 painted the stage with multiple hues as the dancers performed. This style, which puts to use coloured LED bulbs and wands, was developed by Marko himself. The real time projection of lights mixed with the images on the screen and the performers on the stage produce a splendid effect of optic dynamics.

Cyrille Brissot loves rendering music through computer. His addiction with technology came live on stage when he produced an array of sounds that was far from the soothing dance accompaniments that we are used to. Mind you, it was not a playback of a pre-recorded piece. They were reactive sounds produced live based on expressions of dancers who often improvised while on stage. He is also the one who co-ordinated Marko’s light, Sangeeta’s moves and his sounds by switching among multiple softwares, cameras and consoles.

Mayakkam was performed at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre on 14^th January in connection with Bonjour India. It is a festival organised by France across Indian cities from December through February to reaffirm its friendship through cultural association.

Many among the audience were heard saying that the performance was highly abstract and confusing. It is bound to happen because, as a city, we are only waking up to alternate forms of entertainment. But if the instinct to deconstruct and demystify is kept aside, nobody would have a disagreement on the awe they experienced through the performance.

Destruction Of Differences Is The Death Of Democracy – Dr. Dibyesh Anand

Being seduced by Hindu Nationalism without being aware of it is a huge threat that young Hindus face today, said Dr. Dibyesh Anand while delivering a lecture on ‘The Myth of Tolerant Hindus’ on January 6 in connection with the Centre for Integrated Studies (CIS) Lecture Series.

Dibyesh, who is a Reader in International Relations at the Centre for the Study of Democracy at University of Westminister, London, also emphasized that the attempt of Hindu Nationalists to make Muslims live on Hindu terms is against the spirit of democracy. The day differences become undesirable, democracy comes under serious threat.

The speaker, who has authored a Routledge publication called ‘Tibet: A victim of geo politics,’ said that an attempt to study Gujarat riots led him almost naturally to Hindu Nationalism. Use of identity politics by creating a Hindu Self and a Muslim Other and an extreme reductionist approach of representing all Muslims in a stereotype of terrorism prove that any theory of ‘tolerant extremist Hindus’ is farcical. “Coining terms like ‘Love Jihad’ for inter-religion marriages does not romanticize their cause at all,” he said. He also confidently mentioned about the Gujarat riots that any violence of such scale is impossible without state complicity.

While concluding, he said that democracy is not about majority rule, but protection of dissent and minority. Dr. Sheela Prasad led the discussion that followed.

Gen X Doles Out Diwali Dhamaka In Bollywood

It was indeed a special Diwali this year as Bollywood witnessed three releases – all by new age directors with a fresh perspective.

Big budget Blue, India’s first under water adventure movie, has many names to boast of. Kylie Minogue, the Australian pop star who is internationally famous, and our desi Oscar winners A R Rahman and Resul Pookkutty are just some of them. The man who made these stalwarts come together and also made a multi super star ensemble cast possible is Anthony Dsouza, taking his first shot at Bollywood. However, he is no novice and has a host of ad films under his belt.

Anthony must be making a toast now as Blue has emerged the clear winner in the Diwali race. It apparently grossed around Rs. 19 crore over its first weekend in India and made good business in the international market as well.

Not far behind is Prem R Soni who hit a jackpot by bagging Sohail Khan Productions to make Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna (MAMK). The movie that stars Salman Khan, Sohail Khan and Kareena Kapoor has a plot that deals with issues of love, career and marriage. However, the bad news is that the movie has been slammed by critics and has got a shoddy response from audience as well. The film did much better in the key international markets though; probably because of a never ending obsession that NRIs nurture for the institution of marriage.

The third Diwali release, All The Best, is also by a young director who already has two super hits to his credit – Golmaal and Golmaal Returns. Rohit Shetty made the film for his friend and producer Ajay Devgn and managed to earn him big money too. The producer may want to think it is because he dropped an ‘a’ from his name; but trade pundits say it is all thanks to Rohit’s mastery over comedy that made this no-brain laugh riot such a huge success.

No matter what verdict the cash registers will pronounce for these films in the coming weeks, it is heartening to see production houses pin not just their hopes, but big money too, on new talent. Even earlier releases like Kambakkht Ishqq (Sabbir Khan), Wake Up Sid (Ayan Mukherjee) and upcoming ones like Kurbaan (Rensil D’Silva) Pankh (Sudipto Chattopadhyay) point towards a healthy trend where freshness is preferred over experience.

It looks like Gen X is all set to rule Bollywood and how!