Today is the 52nd birthday of the busy and erudite filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar,who I have known since his struggling days when he used to assist filmmakers like Ashok Gaekwad and Ramgopal Varma. In fact, I had also acted with Madhur Bhandarkar in his films like Page 3 and Traffic Signal.We wish him and reproduce this intimate interview taken five years ago by JYOTHI VENKATESH of MADHUR BHANDARKAR, where he opens up about his meteoric rise and his no nonsense approach to cinema.
Can you please look back at your early days of struggle?
Experience has taught me a lot but the l continue to remain the same. I would say that I have grown in the sense I do not take success or failure seriously. I do not know whether I will be in the film industry after 5 years. I used to take 3 buses to go to Versova to meet people from Khar even when I was directing Chandni Bar. 6 months later when it became a hit, everything changed for me. I pinched myself when I received my award from President Abdul Kalam
In what way did the success of Chandni Bar after your first film Trishakti flop change your destiny?
Chandni Bar was nominated everywhere and I enjoyed attending every award function but was shocked when veteran filmmakers were asked to sit in the back row whereas I was asked to sit in the third row. It gave me the reality check. When Trishakti flopped, I was nobody and no one called me to parties, but everyone started inviting me to attend their parties after Chandni Bar clicked.
How did you get the germ of the idea for Page 3?
When I attended a social party, I saw some journalists who I knew rubbing shoulders with big politicians at Hotel Renaissance in Powai. I was shocked to see them walking towards the bus stop near L&T after the party late at night when I was returning. I offered to drop them and the idea to make Page 3 came, though people laughed at me. You should be what you are and not get carried away in the industry.
Which are the filmmakers who you had assisted before you bagged your independent break with Trishakti?
Initially, I assisted Ashok Gaekwad in Doodh Ka Karz for six months as an apprentice and after Dhood Ka Farz, I joined Ramgopal as one of his assistants. Ramu had a different style and skill. He was a trend setter, who had launched some big stars and good directors. I am what I am today thanks to the training I had with him.
What did you learn when Trishakti flopped?
To make Streeshakti was what I learnt after Trishakti failed. (Laughs). I started making films which are women-centric and with which people could easily relate to emotionally. I am a filmmaker who is grounded and gutsy enough to call a spade a spade. I still eat vada pav and go by auto to catch early morning flights or walk up to Siddhi Vinayak on Tuesdays even now. Success has not gone to my head. I am accessible on phone even now. I have no chamchas, because I know for sure that your equation changes here in the film industry Friday to Friday. If you get success you tend to forget your humble beginnings. I do not have a coterie. I am good to everybody and everyone is good to me. I am glad that today people know that I make middle of the road cinema
Did you ever feel alienated from the industry?
I know that I take ‘panga’ with people all the time. I know that the glamor industry is a big ocean. As a filmmaker, I experiment with reality and speak the truth in my films. When I made hard hitting films like Chandni Bar, Page 3, Corporate and Heroine, a lot of people who were not connected to the film industry started asking me whether I would shy away from showing the bad side of the film industry and expose my own industry in Heroine. A street urchin who was based in Versova told me that after my film Traffic Signal was released, he was not earning at the signal, as people had stopped giving alms to him. When I made Heroine in our fraternity, I decided not to develop cold feet. Some told me ‘Hats Off To You” for being frank.
You do not belong to any camp in the industry!
The industry has camps and spares no one. It is a superficial world and I am a part of it. I’d say that I do not belong to any camp, but the ‘orphan camp’ because I have no one. I come from a middle class family and am a drop out who sold video cassettes to earn my livelihood once. I have no Godfather. No one can say that he has made me.
On what basis do you decide the casting in your films?
I introduced Konkana Sen Sharma with Page 3. Sandhya Mridul was a TV actress, when I cast her in Page3. Jai Kalra was also new. Boman Irani was a character actor and Atul Kulkarni was my discovery. I introduced Mughda Ghodse in Fashion. I am not here to make just films with new comers or stars. I made Jail after Fashion though it was not glamorous. I make films on subjects which excite me. They could be hardcore or light. If I have to make a film with a big star, I would definitely approach a star. Like I made Heroine with Kareena and Fashion with Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut
How did you conceive the idea of Calendar Girls?
The tenure of a calendar girl is only one year and no one knows what happens after one year. My office boy came to me with five calendars and asked me what to do with them. I asked him to dump them in another room in the office and when I stumbled into them the next day, I saw the names of the girls and wondered where these girls had disappeared. Only 1% among them has achieved success. Sadly, the others are on the fringes of the glamour industry. We do not know where 99% of them have vanished. I thought it was a good subject to make films on girls who are no longer in the field.
Was doing research on the calendar girls easy or tough?
A lot of girls were reluctant to talk to me. Some calendar girls who were my fans were ready to talk to me but asked me not to acknowledge them. I interacted with a lot of girls and by and large I managed to get the story. I also researched a lot from the photographers, makeup guys and the costume guys. It intrigued me when one girl said that she went to audition for a film but after six months realized that acting was not her cup of tea and joined a corporate firm. It was a complete changeover for her. One said that she had decided to marry when she got a good proposal and did not regret her decision
Why did you not cast five big actresses and make a big budget film?
Casting aspect was difficult because there are 5 different girls. Performances are very vital in the film because it hinges on performances. It is not just a question of bikinis. It is emotional and will also make you laugh. It is a compact film designed to give you an impact. Though I have worked with Priyanka Chopra, Raveena Tandon, Bipasha Basu and Kareena Kapoor, I knew that it would be difficult to get five big actresses in one film because every actress wants to do a solo film with me. I preferred to cast newcomers in Calendar Girls after doing the auditions for 60 girls as I wanted the girls to look like they are from Pakistan, Rohtak , Hyderabad, Kolkata or Gujarat
Is there going to be shock value in your film?
I do not deny there will be a shock value as it will question your morality but it will also make you laugh and cry. It is a different magic that you see in cinema. I feel that reading in a newspaper, seeing on TV and watching a film are three different things altogether. There is a certain element of mystery revolving around Calendar Girls. People now have become immune.
Is it true that you are planning to make a film based on the Sheena murder case?
As a concept if someone tells me the concept of Indrani as a woman-centric filmmaker I would be happy to make, like a sequel to Corporate. We are a sensitive society. The Nithari Kand happened after I made Page 3 though when Page 3 came people said I was mad. Geetanjali Nagpal was on the streets after I made Fashion.
Did you shelve your film Madame with Priyanka because you fell out with her?
What rubbish! Nothing went wrong with Madame. I will be making it 100% with Priyanka who is close to it. Contrary to rumors, it has nothing to do with Dirty Politics or P Se P M Tak though I have not seen both the films. I needed 60 days from Priyanka to shoot the film in one go. Whenever Priyanka gets time from L A we will definitely make it. Konkana was in three films- Page 3, Traffic Signal and a cameo in Fashion
Which are five filmmakers who you admire a lot?
I like Rajkumar Hirani, Neeraj Pandey, Shreeram Raghavan, Imtiaz Ali and Anurag Kashyap
Name five films of yours which are the best according to you till date?
I’d say that my give best films till date are Corporate, Indu Sarkar, Chandni Bar, Page 3 and Heroine
MADHUR BHANDARKAR
“I do not belong to any camp”
Today is the 52nd birthday of the busy and erudite filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar,who I have known since his struggling days when he used to assist filmmakers like Ashok Gaekwad and Ramgopal Varma. In fact, I had also acted with Madhur Bhandarkar in his films like Page 3 and Traffic Signal.We wish him and reproduce this intimate interview taken five years ago by JYOTHI VENKATESH of MADHUR BHANDARKAR, where he opens up about his meteoric rise and his no nonsense approach to cinema.
Can you please look back at your early days of struggle?
Experience has taught me a lot but the l continue to remain the same. I would say that I have grown in the sense I do not take success or failure seriously. I do not know whether I will be in the film industry after 5 years. I used to take 3 buses to go to Versova to meet people from Khar even when I was directing Chandni Bar. 6 months later when it became a hit, everything changed for me. I pinched myself when I received my award from President Abdul Kalam
In what way did the success of Chandni Bar after your first film Trishakti flop change your destiny?
Chandni Bar was nominated everywhere and I enjoyed attending every award function but was shocked when veteran filmmakers were asked to sit in the back row whereas I was asked to sit in the third row. It gave me the reality check. When Trishakti flopped, I was nobody and no one called me to parties, but everyone started inviting me to attend their parties after Chandni Bar clicked.
How did you get the germ of the idea for Page 3?
When I attended a social party, I saw some journalists who I knew rubbing shoulders with big politicians at Hotel Renaissance in Powai. I was shocked to see them walking towards the bus stop near L&T after the party late at night when I was returning. I offered to drop them and the idea to make Page 3 came, though people laughed at me. You should be what you are and not get carried away in the industry.
Which are the filmmakers who you had assisted before you bagged your independent break with Trishakti?
Initially, I assisted Ashok Gaekwad in Doodh Ka Karz for six months as an apprentice and after Dhood Ka Farz, I joined Ramgopal as one of his assistants. Ramu had a different style and skill. He was a trend setter, who had launched some big stars and good directors. I am what I am today thanks to the training I had with him.
What did you learn when Trishakti flopped?
To make Streeshakti was what I learnt after Trishakti failed. (Laughs). I started making films which are women-centric and with which people could easily relate to emotionally. I am a filmmaker who is grounded and gutsy enough to call a spade a spade. I still eat vada pav and go by auto to catch early morning flights or walk up to Siddhi Vinayak on Tuesdays even now. Success has not gone to my head. I am accessible on phone even now. I have no chamchas, because I know for sure that your equation changes here in the film industry Friday to Friday. If you get success you tend to forget your humble beginnings. I do not have a coterie. I am good to everybody and everyone is good to me. I am glad that today people know that I make middle of the road cinema
Did you ever feel alienated from the industry?
I know that I take ‘panga’ with people all the time. I know that the glamor industry is a big ocean. As a filmmaker, I experiment with reality and speak the truth in my films. When I made hard hitting films like Chandni Bar, Page 3, Corporate and Heroine, a lot of people who were not connected to the film industry started asking me whether I would shy away from showing the bad side of the film industry and expose my own industry in Heroine. A street urchin who was based in Versova told me that after my film Traffic Signal was released, he was not earning at the signal, as people had stopped giving alms to him. When I made Heroine in our fraternity, I decided not to develop cold feet. Some told me ‘Hats Off To You” for being frank.
You do not belong to any camp in the industry!
The industry has camps and spares no one. It is a superficial world and I am a part of it. I’d say that I do not belong to any camp, but the ‘orphan camp’ because I have no one. I come from a middle class family and am a drop out who sold video cassettes to earn my livelihood once. I have no Godfather. No one can say that he has made me.
On what basis do you decide the casting in your films?
I introduced Konkana Sen Sharma with Page 3. Sandhya Mridul was a TV actress, when I cast her in Page3. Jai Kalra was also new. Boman Irani was a character actor and Atul Kulkarni was my discovery. I introduced Mughda Ghodse in Fashion. I am not here to make just films with new comers or stars. I made Jail after Fashion though it was not glamorous. I make films on subjects which excite me. They could be hardcore or light. If I have to make a film with a big star, I would definitely approach a star. Like I made Heroine with Kareena and Fashion with Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut
How did you conceive the idea of Calendar Girls?
The tenure of a calendar girl is only one year and no one knows what happens after one year. My office boy came to me with five calendars and asked me what to do with them. I asked him to dump them in another room in the office and when I stumbled into them the next day, I saw the names of the girls and wondered where these girls had disappeared. Only 1% among them has achieved success. Sadly, the others are on the fringes of the glamour industry. We do not know where 99% of them have vanished. I thought it was a good subject to make films on girls who are no longer in the field.
Was doing research on the calendar girls easy or tough?
A lot of girls were reluctant to talk to me. Some calendar girls who were my fans were ready to talk to me but asked me not to acknowledge them. I interacted with a lot of girls and by and large I managed to get the story. I also researched a lot from the photographers, makeup guys and the costume guys. It intrigued me when one girl said that she went to audition for a film but after six months realized that acting was not her cup of tea and joined a corporate firm. It was a complete changeover for her. One said that she had decided to marry when she got a good proposal and did not regret her decision
Why did you not cast five big actresses and make a big budget film?
Casting aspect was difficult because there are 5 different girls. Performances are very vital in the film because it hinges on performances. It is not just a question of bikinis. It is emotional and will also make you laugh. It is a compact film designed to give you an impact. Though I have worked with Priyanka Chopra, Raveena Tandon, Bipasha Basu and Kareena Kapoor, I knew that it would be difficult to get five big actresses in one film because every actress wants to do a solo film with me. I preferred to cast newcomers in Calendar Girls after doing the auditions for 60 girls as I wanted the girls to look like they are from Pakistan, Rohtak , Hyderabad, Kolkata or Gujarat
Is there going to be shock value in your film?
I do not deny there will be a shock value as it will question your morality but it will also make you laugh and cry. It is a different magic that you see in cinema. I feel that reading in a newspaper, seeing on TV and watching a film are three different things altogether. There is a certain element of mystery revolving around Calendar Girls. People now have become immune.
Is it true that you are planning to make a film based on the Sheena murder case?
As a concept if someone tells me the concept of Indrani as a woman-centric filmmaker I would be happy to make, like a sequel to Corporate. We are a sensitive society. The Nithari Kand happened after I made Page 3 though when Page 3 came people said I was mad. Geetanjali Nagpal was on the streets after I made Fashion.
Did you shelve your film Madame with Priyanka because you fell out with her?
What rubbish! Nothing went wrong with Madame. I will be making it 100% with Priyanka who is close to it. Contrary to rumors, it has nothing to do with Dirty Politics or P Se P M Tak though I have not seen both the films. I needed 60 days from Priyanka to shoot the film in one go. Whenever Priyanka gets time from L A we will definitely make it. Konkana was in three films- Page 3, Traffic Signal and a cameo in Fashion
Which are five filmmakers who you admire a lot?
I like Rajkumar Hirani, Neeraj Pandey, Shreeram Raghavan, Imtiaz Ali and Anurag Kashyap
Name five films of yours which are the best according to you till date?
I’d say that my give best films till date are Corporate, Indu Sarkar, Chandni Bar, Page 3 and Heroine