|
|
|
|
Deccan Herald » Entertainment » Detailed Story
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Solving a paheli
|
|
Film lovers still cherish Amol Palekar’s performances in films like ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’ and ‘Golmaal’. ‘But I have always been a reluctant actor’, this actor-filmmaker whose next film (Paheli) as director is ready for release, confesses to
JYOTHI VENKATESH.
|
|
|
Till date, over a period of twenty five years, Amol Palekar has directed nine films in Marathi and Hindi like Akriet, Ankahee, Thodasa Roomani Ho Jayen, Bangarwadi, Daayraa, Dhyaas Parva, Kal Ka Aadmi, Kairee and last but not the least Anahat. The only common factor in all Amol Palekar’s films is their uncommon women-centric subjects. Excerpts from an interview with the maverick actor-filmmaker.
You seem to be obsessed with making women-centric films all the time.
Yes. Position of women in our society has been an underlying theme of all the films directed by me till date, be it in Marathi or Hindi. I had always chosen to present very strong, progressive female characters in all my films till date. Paheli is no exception to the rule. It is my interpretation of Vijaydan Detha’s Duvidha, which he had written based on a Rajasthani folktale. It is an amazing story that portrays the irony of human life through manifolds of the character’s dilemmas.
How tough was it for you to cope with making a film on a commercial format?
I believe that life cannot be viewed in one dimension - what is socially acceptable is not necessarily fair and what is desirable is not necessarily accessible. And what ought to happen is not necessarily in conformity with the reality. I have tried to project these beliefs of mine through Paheli. I firmly believe that contents and substance need not be sacrificed in order to make a commercially viable cinema. I do not make films on calculated formulae or preset proposals ruled by market demands.
Is ‘Paheli’ yet another story of a ghost like ‘Bhooth’?
Paheli is a story of a ghost. However it doesn’t belong to the genre of the Ramsays or for that matter Ramgopal Varma. It is the love story of a ghost. It is out and out an Amol Palekar film. It is a folk tale, which will always remain fresh for ages. While keeping in tact the simplicity and linear narrative style of a folktale, I have used the mainstream idiom of song and dance as well as folk motifs such as ghost, puppets, and desert along with its ‘once upon a time’ ambience.
Is it true that Shah Rukh Khan offered to produce the film when you went to ask him whether he would like to act in your film?
The subject of Paheli charmed me instantly. When I narrated it to Shah Rukh Khan it charmed him too. After hearing the narration, he just took time off to light a cigarette. He said he was keen on producing the film himself. Yet he was gracious enough to also tell me that in case I already had zeroed in on any particular producer, he was ready to just act in the film. I was overwhelmed by his gesture.
Do you miss acting?
People find it hard to believe when I say this but it is the truth that I do not at all miss acting. I have not acted even in Paheli. I was always a reluctant actor.
How different is your ‘Paheli’ from Mani Kaul’s ‘Duvidha’?
Paheli is as distinctly different from the film Duvidha as Mani Kaul is from Amol Palekar. Both Mani Kaul and I are distinctly different personalities and hence our interpretations will also be different from one another. As a filmmaker I am of the opinion that the story chooses its own language and the format.
How was the experience of working with stars for the first time as a filmmaker?
I have been a part and parcel of the star system. I have been a star. I had no issues about working with stars. If I opted for Rani Mukherjee or Amitabh Bachchan or for that matter Juhi Chawla or Suneil Shetty, it is not because they happen to be stars but because they suited the characters they play to the T.
Have you tried to drive home any message through ‘Paheli’?
As a filmmaker I do not at all believe in making films for delivering messages. Without meaning to drive home any message I want to dwell at length on the fact that today women have the strength to go beyond oppression in a predominantly male dominant society.
How would you describe your journey as a filmmaker from ‘Akriet’ to ‘Paheli’?
I am happy that right from the time I had made my debut as a director with the Marathi film Akriet way back in 1981, I have been able to retain my honesty, sincerity and passion to give justice to every film that I set out to make without imposing my ideas on the film. I am glad I still retain that childlike enthusiasm when I am making a film. It has been a thematic journey as far as my growth is concerned, as a filmmaker over the years.
|
|
|
|
Sunday, May 15, 2005
