Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda And Me | Learning A Masterpiece | Editor's Pen

Friends,

Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda had a great influence in my early days. How old was I when I first saw this film on Doordarshan? 10 or may be 12 years. Watching Byomkesh Bakshi as a young man was a different feel altogether. Over the time, the memories faded but something was etched deep inside. The voice of Manek Mulla and haunting image of Satti.

Fifteen years later, I had my hand on a copy of this brilliant film. Must have seen two dozen times to compensate the lost time. On a personal level, the film worked largely due to little contradictions and subtle maneuvers of characters and story sub-plots and brilliant usage of narration. The idea of this being meta-fiction hardly mattered. Good performances and beautiful background score just amplified the impact. Music by Vanraj Bhatia was as important as any other element of the story. The epilogue sequence still plays in my ears.

Two good things happened in this exercise – I got a chance to talk to Rajit Kapoor for the interview and Nishaad. Talk with him will remain with me for long. He has some questions and I was struggling to find my voice. I was so awestruck. I have never being so overwhelmed by anything in my life. Talking to a childhood hero, I think only Sheldon Cooper can understand this. Nishaad was a little story I wrote and is being made into a short film. We will showcase it in our forthcoming editions. Nishaad is inspired from Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda. It’s a tribute.

I don’t know how I will feel about this movie twenty years down the line. I have seen better films but they never remained with my personality for more than a year or two. Tell us if you feel so strongly about any film. We would love to hear you.

Love

Sujoy Ghosh

Kartik From The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project | Golden Podium

Everyone who knows about Guerilla filmmaking scenario in India must have come across this name - The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project. TRM got a chance to talk to the Kartik. Here you go:

1) Kartik, what exactly is The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project?

KK: The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project is a meta-fictional film made by Srinivas Sunderrajan about him (played by Vishwesh Krishnamurthy- who recently directed The Deewarists, Bring on the Night), Me, Swara Bhaskar (Tanu Weds Manu, Aurangzeb, Raanjhana) and D Santosh (Bhagat Singh, Rocket Singh). Me and Srinivas had met via (now defunct) passionforcinema.com and tried to work together many a few times. Although nothing substantial materialized, we kept bouncing ideas and meeting each other, discussing films and the occasional filmy trivia & gossip. Meanwhile PFC had become a vibrant and passionate community and we all used to keep trying our hand at a short film or two. Srinivas later wrote an entirely inspired-from-our-lives script with liberal doses of fiction and approached me. To me initially it appeared like a joke. But then Srini was serious. I didn't know if I could be the 'lead' of a short film leave alone a 90 min independent feature. And my looks are not exactly chochlaty. So why me? Srinivas however instilled confidence and took me through the whole process.

Besides, we had a fab team. The one man army DOP Hashim Badani who's non complaining approach and pathetic Md Ali Road Bohri jokes kept us going, Prerana with her short temper, bittersweet tongue and cute looks, MS Belliappa who got us the office location for the film and HD resolution film trailers to watch in between breaks - together with Srini really made it feel like friends and family. Sometimes after a good days work, a sub of the day would be sponsored to us by Srini and on the average days - we'd eat the ubiquitous vada pav.  Needless to say - none of us got paid :) But we didn't mind.

I guess I'm digressing a lot. Anyways, it is a micro-mini low budget independent feature film made by Srinivas Sunderrajan I was a part of.

2) TUKKP is meta fiction. What was your approach to understand the character?

KK: The character was someone I could relate to - a software engineer who has a crush on a colleague wanting to make short films so that was a relief. Come to think of it, it was me a year or two ago. Except that may be I had to tone down my temper a little. Srinivas would sometimes interrupt me - "It is not you Kartik Krishnan but you Kartik Krishnan!" (whatever that means). In fact the reason the performance is told to be 'real' because Srini's casting was spot on. Friends of mine tell me - 'You are ok. But Vishwesh & Swara are super'. Vishwesh's friends would similarly brush away his 'performance' and talk about my 'acting'. "Aisa toh tu real life mein hi hai" - seemed to be the refrain. I guess for me, being meta fiction, it was easier to relate to. I'm sure I would've screwed up if he had asked me to play a farmer from interior Maharashtra or a suave urbane intellectual.

Plus Vishwesh, Swara, D Santosh were (and still are) super professionals. Vishwesh particularly would improvise a lot during rehearsals. I still watch the long take of me and him sitting in the matchbox Mohmd Ali staircase and talking. It's almost a 3-4 min long uninterrupted take and I still cannot believe that was me and Vishwesh.

3) It is hailed as a pathbreaking film in guerilla filmmaking in India. What kind of difficulties you faced while shooting the film?

KK: I don't know about that but there's no end to difficulties we faced. No money. No budget. Minimal lights. Only a single lapel mike to capture both actors' dialogues. No permissions to shoot. Plus the cast is only free on weekends. No 'Godfather' to inspire us when we're down. Date issues as one of the actors was signed under contract by a prominent production house (which meant he couldn't act outside). We all double up as our own costume dadas, continuity walas, makeup artists. Halfway through the film, the house in which Kartik Krishnan stays (in the film) was broken and the building cordoned off by BMC. So the easy option was to abandon the film and move on. But Srinivas kept going. Vijesh who did the special effects and sound and also contributed to the story; bounced off ideas with Srinivas and somehow in a maniac few months (with Adobe to FCP crashes etc) - a rough cut was made using the existing footage with a different approach.

Trying for a release of the same had been altogether a different bundle of problems. Making the film seemed easier than releasing it well. Now that the film is online, I hope Srini recovers his money completely (there's a tip jar there below the film's url)-  http://vimeo.com/66136951

4) It took almost an year to complete the film. What kept you going?

KK: For me it was not much because even thought it was good fun to work on it, very honestly I did not expect too much from the film. 'Agar kuch banta hai toh bonus hai warna sat sunday toh waise bhi khaali hi baitha hota hoon' - was my motivation to start with but later I started enjoying the process.

We guys had jobs/other work to look forward to. Srini however had only TUKKP on his mind and map for all that time. Plus he is a teetotaller. But I kept telling him about Nolan's first film 'Following' which was shot again on weekends over a year. All those filmy stories - of Robert Rodrguez, Primer etc., I guess kept the motivation and enthusiasm up despite the occasional push down. But Srinivas should really answer this question.

He may not have earned much by TUKKP & Greater Elephant but experience and optimism (to overlook the clinical bouts of depression/cynicism)....

5) What next?

KK: I'm looking for work (writing, assistant direction and thodi bahut acting shacting) for people who pay enough and on time. Vishwesh has done quite a few ADs as well. Swara is working in some mainstream films and commercials. So is D Santosh.

Hashim works with a Time Out Mumbai and is a well-known still photographer. Srini has directed his 2nd film Greater Elephant that had a limited release few months back. But I guess financially he is still as screwed as he was back then. But then we all are I suppose. As a friend used to say 'Kaafi achche kalakaar hain. Kala hai par Car nahi'.

For Team TRM, it was a great pleasure to talk to Kartik. TUKKP has come out as an interesting film and there are enough credentials to certify that. We would like to wish Kartik a great and prosperous future.

The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project | The Critique

The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project is considered as one of the first true indie films made in this country. Made on a feeble budget, TUKKP was wholly shot on locations in Mumbai without any permits and at time without knowledge of public moving around. It was shot over weekends for almost an year. Ask any indie filmmaker and one word you will hear – incredible.

TUKKP is story about an average Joe, Kartik, who meets a filmmaker whose claim to fame is his one moment with Tarantino. He wants to make short film with him. However, his efforts are interrupted by two entities – a stalker who claims to be a government officer and an antique toy which can predict future. Apart from this chaotic filmmaking effort, a romantic track goes on in parallel. A metafiction, TUKKP holds the spirit of indie-filmmaking very strongly.

Surprisingly, despite of low budget, the polishing of final product looks very decent. Editing and BGM is impressive. Performances are average. In a small herd, Swara Bhaskar rises. Cameos by D. Santosh are refreshing. The motif of future telling toy comes out well and aids the closure. Direction is really good.

However, the most important thing, beyond all the technicalities, the spirit of filmmaking emerges as a clear winner.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Gangs Of Wasseypur | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

Face of Indian Indie scene, Anurag Kashyap blended Sergio Leone and Tarantino with City Of God and created a film spanning over 3 generations. The epic was a two part film that shocked Indian cinema. It was a perfect amalgamation of mainstream and parallel cinema. GOW is a perfect example of how folklore can be adapted in modern context without losing the relevance.

GOW is story of three families – Singhs, Khans and Qureshis. Told from Khans’ point of view, film never becomes judgmental or holds a moral ground. The bottom line from the first act is revenge and in the end it culminates spirally. The narrative beautifully uses fiction and reality as the medium to present the story. At no point it tries to digress from the context.

Based in Bihar, the story is set in Dhanbad and Wasseypur. Infact, Wasseypur is the epicenter of everything that happens in the story. Qureshis were responsible for Shahid Khan (first Khan) ouster from Wasseypur. Ramadheer Singh was responsible for his death. Sardar, son of Shahid, vows to take revenge which is completed by his son Faisal. The saga successfully covers the span of over six decades and leaves a bloody trail.

Trivia: Tigmanshu Dhulia and Piyush Mishra were given the choice to pick a character – Nasir (cousin of Shahid) or Ramadheer Singh. Rest is history.

Ritu Da - A Loss That Will Haunt | Editor's Pen

Hi Friends,

Death of Rituparna Ghosh will feature among the highlights of this year. What a tragic end of a person who gave so much to cinema and was one of the reasons why cinema was able to bridge gaps over languages. I remember when I saw Raincoat. Even today, it remains Ajay Devgan’s most endearing performance at par with Zakhm. Even Aishwarya will remember it as her best. However, Raincoat is not my favorite Ritu Da film. Though it was the first, but not my favorite. My favorite was The Last Lear.

Ritu Da’s films explored what Ritu Da stood for. The way he portrayed female characters on screen, he reminded me of Bimal Roy. The sensitivity with which he sketched them, made them vulnerable and strong at the same time and remained honest to the cause, it’s something filmmakers of this era lack. We will miss him, for the filmmaker he was… for the person he was.

R.I.P. Ritu Da…

Love,

Sujoy Ghosh  

Raanjhnaa – Music Review

AR Rahman is ready to top the charts with this new album. Personally, I was too dissatisfied after Jab Tak hai Jaan, but this one showcases his exclusive musical style again.  As the setting of the movie is in the holy but musical city of Benaras, which has given many best classical musicians to the country, the album is an amalgamation of classical music with western touch.

Banarasiya, the name itself has the classical vibe in it and so does the song. The instruments (flute, table) are beautifully used and Shreya Ghoshal’s voice has sweetness to it, indulging you to hum with her. Benaras being my hometown, I was too expectant from this song and thus the lyrics let me down.

Piya Milenge, takes and awesome start and the Sufi touch adds to the romantic though melancholy mood. This can be an apt choice for a repetitive playlist. Sukhwinder Singh has done justice to the mood, but the chorus is the one adding power to the song.

Tum Tak, left me with a mixed feeling. This is probably among those songs which grow on you with time. I will give it an edge and probably another chance.

Nazar Laaye, has some kind of 90’s pop album feel. The music sounds similar to the previous song and hence a sense of repetitiveness makes you not to enjoy the song much. Neeti Mohan has done a better job than Rashid Ali.

Raanjhana, is my favorite in the album. The blend of classical and fast pace is awesome. Jaswinder Singh has done a great job and with his voice you too can relate emotionally to the song.

Tu Man Shudi, takes a wonderful start and has the potential to be the best soundtrack in the album. But alas, soon it seems to be dragging and Rabbi is putting a lot too much effort to cope up with Rahman.

Aye Sakhi, brings back the classical vibe  singers adding an extraordinary melody to the song. I am not sure who added the innovation of “tyun tyun” after every stanza, I simply did not understand its purpose. A near miss to be a perfect song.

Aise Na Dekho, is a jazzy romantic number. Little slow but enjoyable.

All in all, I will say, its a typical AR Rahman album !! This is a good one, but yes, not his best. I am awaiting for another Roja / Dil Se / Saathiya.

Written by Neha Jain.

Shuttlecock Boy Named Hemant | Golden Podium

Shuttlecock Boys came and won hearts. Rave reviews on Social Media attest that. Team TRM got an opportunity to talk to Hemant Gaba, the filmmaker and got his insights.

1: Hemant, tell us something about genesis of Shuttlecock Boys. What inspired you and how you converted an inspiration into an indie?

HG: Shuttlecock Boys was conceived in a screenwriting workshop that I attended in NY. Its probably came to me easily from my life experiences and a complacent choice in order to learn the structure of screenwriting.

2: Tell us about shooting experience.

HG: It was Pennywise Films (our company name)'s first venture and we were naive. But we managed to bring together a good mix of people although mostly freshers / first timers who were very passionate. Like any other indie films, trouble with locations, schedule, police are common issues and we were given the same set of issues by the environment.

3: What kind of resources you had for shooting and how did you made most of them?

HG: We had a cast and crew of average 25 people every day. Everybody has designated responsibility but had to don multiple hats, which everyone willingly accomplished.

4: How did you manage post production and still managed to keep costs so low?

HG: I moved my base from Delhi to Mumbai for the Post. The costs were in fact higher because we had shot in the film.

5: We have heard that SCB got good response from select audience at film fests but how has been the response from general audience?

HG: The film was released in very selected theaters and with almost negligible publicity, just few good reviews. So not many people knew about the film when it came. Only people frequent to social media got to know about its release.

6: One piece of advice for wannabe indie-filmmakers.

HG: Am still struggling myself, so not in a position to advise anyone. And every case and scenario is different. Although I did realize that it’s a saner and a wiser choice if one keeps something running on the side (which could be a full time job, a established career in TV / Ad Films etc) till your career is made in feature films; A Career in Independent Feature Filmmaking is a rarity.

Team TRM wishes Hemant and his team all success for their forthcoming ventures.

Characters In Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda | Learning A Masterpiece | Under Lens

Jamuna: Jamuna is one of the central characters. Her desire to find comfort in embrace of a man defines women at the turn of ages. Inhibited in public but extremely vocal and ready to risk everything for desires. Her courage is not in being righteous but in being happy.  

Tanna: Perhaps the most virtuous of the characters, Tanna evolves as a righteous and honest person. While he aspires to take care of his father, whose behavior has been far less than respectful, he also maintains sanctity of his relation with Jamuna and Lily. He is not a strong character in person but by his actions, he comes out as a character with strongest and infallible character. 

Maheshar Dalal: Maheshar is the most omnipresent character in the story. All events are either triggered by him or he plays an important role in the root cause. He doesn’t allow Tanna-Jamuna’s alliance, arranges Tanna’s marriage to Lily and molests Satti. At many points events are after effect of his action. Like Jamuna’s marriage to old Jamindar and Lily’s dysfunctional relationship with Tanna. As a negative character, he plays his part right. 

Ramdhan: Ramdhan, aptly, represents the working class. He supports the elite in different ways. He fathers Jamuna’s son on behalf of his employer and ensures that elite survives. When his employer dies, he supports his widow in all possible ways. His character is romanticized to bring in dry humor. Beneath that he is a person who wants to flourish in a rather hard world. 

Lily: Lily plays Manek’s companion whom he could not marry. This can be an extension of Manek’s imagination or he is putting himself in someone else’s shoes. Initially reluctant to marry someone other than Manek, Lily realizes how the world works and decides to go ahead with the marriage. After marriage and child, she is not happy with her life. Her father-in-law’s behavior and Tanna, her husband’s timidity could be the reason. However, it seems that her personal ambitions played a larger role.  

Satti: Lower strata of society relies on the rich for their development. By falling in love with Manek, Satti aspired on similar lines. She is fiery but not strong enough to keep Maheshar at bay. Her tragedy somehow represents the tragedy of this nation.

Manek Mulla: The protagonist, Manek is the passive audience in this story to a large extent. At each point, he was in a position to take a small step and ensure three women a better life. However, he chose to walk away. By the end of the story, he is already haunted by his failures. When he faces Satti in the end, he doesn’t walk away. He emerges as the ray of hope in an otherwise grim world. He is the Seventh Horse.

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

What made SRK the next big star after Amitabh Bachchan? What made his pairing with Kajol at par with Raj-Nargis and Amitabh-Rekha? What made Yashraj the biggest banner of 90s after some failures on BO? Answer is very simple – DDLJ. Aditya Chopra’s debut film was one of the highlights of entire 90 along with an equally popular Hum Aapke Hai Kaun. But DDLJ is on this list because they brought in some trends which defined cinema over next 18 years.

Raj and Simran, Indians in Britain fall in love in Switzerland. Simran’s wedding is arranged. Raj masquerades and win hearts. However, reality come to fore. After some action, love wins. Cliched to the extent of boredom. However, the narrative allows viewers to connect and relate to the motion on screen. Story was well complemented by brilliant cinematography and memorable music. And who can forget the ‘sarson ka khet’ scene? Also, the biggest heist was the pairing of Kajol and SRK. Though they had worked earlier in Baazigar, romance was hardly in focus in the thriller.

DDLJ literally opened the doors of Bollywood in UK and US. It was perhaps the biggest Hindi film in west since Raj Kapoor’s Awara. It was perhaps the first film where NRIs were subject. Many films like Pardes exploited the NRI angle with great success but failed to come anywhere close to DDLJ’s legend.

Trivia: Aditya Chopra wanted Tom Cruise initially. He wanted an Anglo-Indian love story. Yashraj thought otherwise.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose | Haunting Experience | The Critique

Some TV channel was showing this film while CSK was losing IPL finale to MI. Reluctantly, I decided to watch it because of the courtroom drama component rather than the horror thing. Well, by the morning, I forgot that I saw a courtroom drama. Horror was written all over my face. Literally.

Movie is about a Priest who conducts exorcism on a teenage girl Emily. She dies post failed attempt of the Roman ritual. Though it was done with consent, State charges Priest with Homicide due to negligence. Priest is provided with a lawyer who has a daunting task at her disposal – to prove occult practices in front of Jury. While she struggles to collect evidences, Priest insists on standing in court and testify. He wants to tell Emily’s story. The girl who fought six demons and was a martyr.

I slept at 1:30 AM. Nothing unusual for me. Sharp 3:00 AM, my sleep was interrupted by strange sounds. Electric fan was screeching. Water bottle on fell down from the table and water spilled on the floor. There were dogs barking outside my flat. I woke up, shaking and drenched in sweat. Yes, I was frightened to death and this is something pretty unusual as I hardly get scared of darkness or loneliness. Fan screeches every night and dogs bark when they see the security guard parading. Was there something going on? No. But the movie had a brilliant effect on me. Frankly, scared but enjoyed every bit of it.

Any movie which can have such an effect has to be good. I have never experienced this since Omen. Rest, watch and decide this well scripted and well portrayed film. For portrayal of Emily, Jennifer Carpenter deserves a standing ovation.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh