An Assistant Director's view of Bollywood

Forget All The Movie Making Pathshalas Of The World. There’s nothing like learning first-hand on the job – even though the pay may be peanuts.

Known as Assistant Directors (ADs), they are the unsung heroes and of late also unsung heroines. In fact, scores of fresh college graduates are signing up as ADs in the hope of becoming independent directors some day. Cut to Kiran Rathod on the best moviewallas to work with and the worst.

The lowest ring in movie making is that you have to handle the clapper board, yelling, “Scene 2, Shot 10, take 3…” The cinematographer wants you to exit faster than is humanly possible from the frame; you have to hold your breath while the shot is on.

Or light the director’s 100th cigarette, clear the ground of gutka wrappers and fetch mosambi juice for the heroine’s aunt. No problems. This is cinema education and I love it.

In six years, I’ve progressed from the ground level of a clapper boy to the exalted position of a chief assistant director. And what do you know? My name comes on, in solid block letters, in the credit titles.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE VERY MOODY

It goes without saying that the assistant director’s portfolio has its pains and pleasures. Rather than paying through our noses to learn direction formally – which invariably means flying to America’s UCLA – we get movie literate at the rancid studios. Or if we luck out, on locations exotica. The world’s the limit.

Expectedly, we are paid like casual labourers, denying us that little thrill of filing annual tax returns. If the film features saleable stars, the meal menu figures every delicacy in the rotisserie… if not, hey just grab a vada paav at the end of the night.

Plus, at the end of the movie’s production, many regret that finances have run out, were shown the door with that unconvincing line, “We will call you to clear your dues.” The phone never rings.

The age of an AD ranges from 20 to 29. There are at least 300 of us at any given time, the fringe dwellers. Apart from the usually uncontracted exploitation, we have two other factors in common. One, we dream about solo stardom. Two, we are incurable film fans.

If I’m writing this piece after years of assistantbaazi, it’s to salute film personalities who have treated everyone from Ads and the lighting crew to spot boys as team members and not as inferior geeks.

Sanjay Dutt: The no hang-ups dude, chills even if it takes an eternity to set up the next shot. When he cusses, it’s not with malice. Takes time to show up for the morning shift but when he does, delivers the goods at Ferrari speed.

Shahrukh Khan: Effortlessly creates a buddy buddy ambience. Memorises dialogue to the last comma, pacing up and down for five minutes in a secluded corner. Makes every visitor feel special. If someone is in need of money, organizes the cash discreetly.

Salman Khan: Moody as hell but kindhearted. No discrimination in dealing with technicians, Ads and catering guys. If the director or co-actor rubs him up the wrong way, he either freezes or takes follow-up action – including bouts of rage.

Sushmita Sen: If she takes a shine to you, wow. She even calls you “darling”. She cares for her staff, has a strong off-screen presence.

Aamir Khan: A stickler for order, excellent with his staff. If the Lagaan supporting cast acquired cosy homes, you know who the Good Samaritan was. And hey, he married an AD.

Karan Johar: For any aspiring nirdeshak, he’s the dream director to work with. Has a fiercely loyal circle of ADs. If he’s the best paymaster in the biz, that doesn’t hurt either.

Farhan Akhtar: Demands unflinching efficiency and ADs running around with walkie-talkies. How cool is that? Also knows that after a hard schedule, its party time.

Yash Chopra: Has always had the eye for spotting directorial talent (now with son Aditya). Does not pay handsomely (at all) but believes in a fair degree of equality in boarding, lodging and travel during the shoot.

Urmila Matondkar: Punctual, professional. No nakhras, doesn’t declare World War III if the vanity van doesn’t show up. Doesn’t launch into method arguments just before a shot is ready, a director’s delight.

Kareena Kapoor: So emotionally connected that she will even do a free item number for her favourite AD (Love Singh’s Kya Lovely Story Hai… or it the other way around).

AND THE WORST…

Boney Kapoor: Excellent with stars, indifferent to others.

Feroz Khan: You live in fear when he might want you to dress up in a bikini and play a violin at Juhu beach.

Amitabh Bachchan: Too moody, yaa.

Ram Gopal Varma: Gives great breaks to his ADs, but only if they believe in his sort of movies, only shot at Versova, Dahisar and Vasai. Only RGV can go to foreign locations.

Govinda: You have to solidly believe in the saying, “Better late than never.”

Mallika Sherawat: Attitude, attitude, attitude… but for what? She’s Himesh Reshammiya’s Heroine…ewwww.

Vashu Bhagnani: Defines nightmare, doesn’t pay… and snatches idlis away from ADs mouths.

J P Dutta: No comments.

Ektaa Kapoor: Scream queen, also rumored to slap faces she doesn’t like.

Suneel Darshan: Disorganized and some more.

Dharmesh Darshan: Falls in love too fast… not saying anything more.

Aaja Nachle divides the classes

With Madhuri Dixit’s comeback vehicle Aaja Nachle hitting the theatres last Friday, there were discussions bound to happen on how the film has turned out and more importantly how is Madhuri looking on screen after a hiatus of 5 years.

However, by Friday afternoon, the film was being discussed neither for its direction nor performances but for a sudden controversy that it had stirred. Apparently, the title track of the film had a line which offended certain lower sections of the society (read Dalits). There were protests across Northern India and by Saturday, the makers of the film had no choice but to apologize and even remove the ‘so-called’ derogatory portions.

However, the artist of the above picture has put the whole episode in a unique manner. With the initial verdict out over the weekend, looks like both the upper class as well as the lower class (pun intended) don’t really have any reason to rush to the theatres to catch this Madhuri flick. This surely isn’t any reason to dance. It even leaves you pondering whether the saying “Any publicity is good publicity” always holds true.

Ranbir's buddy-buddy baatein

As Ranbir Kapoor went into his second film from this week, a wonderful coincidence comes into light.

Over to Ranbir. "My father's co-star in his second film Raffoo Chakkar was the super-talented Paintal. Now in my second film (the untitled Yashraj Film to be directed by Siddharth Anand) Paintalji's son Hiten plays my friend. Isn't that quite a coincidence?"

Continues Ranbir, "That isn't all. My dad's first song was sung by Shailendra Singh. My first song in Saawariya was also sung by a Shailendra (Shail Hada)."

Live Chat: John Abraham on Nov 27 at 1330 hrs IST

He is hot, smart, sexy, charming, a biker, a footballer, and the list is endless. He started his career as a model through Gladrags and won the Manhunt. He made the girls ‘go gaga’ and the men green in his very first film, Jism. In the initial stages of his career itself, he played both the protagonist and an antagonist.

He gave other actors a run for their money. His film Dhoom broke records and for the first time the people went to see the film for villain. The style and caliber with which he carries himself, any girl would fall flat for him. He is all set to rock the screens again with his new look and his favourite sport, football, in Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal.

Salman Khan on Katrina Kaif and his website

Salman Khan is bamboozled. Television channels have been airing a "letter" supposedly written by dad Salim Khan addressed to the superstar. "Son, I'm getting old now and I'm waiting to play with your children. Please settle down," is what Salim saab has allegedly requested of his son.

Salman is puzzled since he can't understand why his father will need to write a letter and release it to a television channel. "We live in the same house. My dad can call me in his room and talk to me. I really want to know who has written this letter and how did the news channel play it up without verifying if it was actually Salim Khan who had written it," he says.

Salman who is currently shooting for Boney Kapoor's Wanted Dead Or Alive and Subhash Ghai's Yuvraj is also a little disconcerted with all the compliments he has received for a series of paintings depicting trees that he's supposed to have done in Jodhpur jail. "I didn't make those paintings as the television channels will have you believe. If you like them then please praise the real artiste and not me," he says.

Ask him to react to all those stories that insinuate that he's unhappy with Katrina Kaif signing a Rajkumar Santoshi film opposite Shahid Kapoor and the Akshay Kumar starrer Singh Is Kinng and he says, "I'm Salman Khan, an actor. I'm not a secretary who will decide which films an actor should or should not do." The actor also downplays news reports that he asked Santoshi to throw out Shahid from the Katrina starrer. "I've been here for 18 years and every now and then there have been incidents of younger actors trying to get mileage by latching on to my name. It doesn't bother me. We all know what happens to them," he says pointing to you-know-who.

But is it true that he has a problem with the length of Katrina's dress in the Ooncha Lamba Kad song of Welcome, which is currently on air? "As long as Katrina adheres to the Doordarshan guidelines which we are all supposed to follow then she can wear whatever she wants to," he says.

The way he makes it to the tabloids every other day maybe he should be called the King of the Tabloids. The actor's sense of humour kicks in when he retorts, "Why that? First they called me Killer Khan then they called me Ponytail Khan maybe now they can call me King of the Human Race Khan," he says. Jokes aside, the actor has had it with so called "sources" and friends commenting on his behalf. Sensing the need to give his side of the story, the actor has decided to start his website Being Human.Com which will be operational from next month. "No source or friend has the authority to speak on my behalf. Whenever I'll say something, I'll own up to it. If my fans want to know anything that is happening in my life then they just need to log on to the website. Even though I don't know how to type I'll get someone to type for me in my own words so that the truth is known," he signs off.

Madhuri is a very very special performer" - Anil Mehta

“Madhuri is a very very special performer,” says Anil Mehta, director of Madhuri Dixit's comeback film Aaja Nachle which is releasing shortly. Mehta a renowned cinematographer of such films as Lagaan, Saathiya, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Kal Ho Na Ho in an uncharacteristic move has used the services of Mohanan (Farhan Akhtar's Don) as the Cinematographer as he feels “direction requires lots of concentration”. In this exclusive interview with IndiaFM, Anil Mehta talks about the germination of the story idea of Aaja Nachle, what makes Madhuri an easy person to get along with and why media should cross check facts before spreading rumours.

How has been the experience of directing your first feature film Aaja Nachle?
It has been very exhausting. We are at the finishing stages. It's been quite tiring. The first print just came out. The entire schedule was quite packed. It was not as if I was gunning to be a director. It was Adi's (Aditya Chopra) idea. He has written the story. It all started as a casual chat while shooting Veer Zaara. The script appealed to me. After this I may or may not direct again.

After this I may or may not direct again.
How does it feel to direct Madhuri Dixit, one of the biggest stars of Hindi Cinema of all times?
It feels special. I had not worked with her earlier even as a cinematographer. She is an iconic figure of our times. For me she is a special performer. At the end of the day it was an enriching experience. She is a fantastic person to work with. When she started working, she worked with ease and grace. She is a very easy person to get along with. What started off as a huge task, just got simplified.



Madhuri is one of the finest dancers and she is making a comeback of sorts with a film which has dance as one of its principal element….for she is back from US to save a dance academy…
It's not a formal dance school. She has an open air theatre space. Song and dance is woven in the narrative. When you see Madhuri dance, it can't be spoken of, it just connects. These things can't be articulated. I had to watch the footage of her dancing again and again in the post production stage. But I was never tired of watching her dance. She is a very very special performer. She is a trained Kathak dancer. Grace is a part of her.

I had to watch the footage of her dancing again and again in the post production stage. But I was never tired of watching her dance
Jaideep Sahni is the screenplay writer of Aaja Nachle. What's his contribution to the film?
The story is by Adi while Jaideep has written the screenplay. Adi had brought him in quite early. Jaideep has been there since the beginning. For me as a director his contributions were very important. I believe a film is made at the scripting stage. Jaideep has an eye for detail and a flair for local flavour. He knows the local colloquialism.

You also have a couple of talented actors like Kunal Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma in the film. What are your thoughts about them?
In the second half, they play an important part. Konkona is fabulous. Kunal is a toughie who is into local politics. For him it's a journey for realizing that there are other important things in life as well.

Aaja Nachle seems to be a film set in a small town in India and it talks about the plight of a dance school. Why do you think it should appeal to the masses?
Why it should be appealing to the masses is the worry of market pundits, not mine. I believe it is relevant. The subject is based in a small town in India. I would be very eager to get the response from small towns. It's a direct connection. It's a fun and entertaining story.

The subject is based in a small town in India. I would be very eager to get the response from small towns
The music of the film has caught the fancy of people. What's your favourite track?
'Show Me Your Jalwa' draws from small town feel. It has a pretty upbeat tempo, yet it's folksy. It's not just a pop number. 'Ishq Hua' is a soft romantic number. I believe release of the film will give a fresh lease of life to music as well. 'O Re Piya' is my favourite track and also 'Show Me Your Jalwa'.

A lot of rumours have been floating around that Madhuri isn't happy with the film or the way it's being promoted. Is it true?
The rumours got off to a start when she wasn't even there in India. She hasn't said anywhere that she is unhappy. She hasn't seen the finished film. Obviously someone is concocting stories. When we are available, why are the facts not being cross checked! She also has a representative in Mumbai who could have been contacted as well. Why file stories just for the heck of it?

How was the experience of directing the film from a Cinematographer's perspective?
I haven't shot the film myself. Mohanan is the Cinematographer of the film. I was very clear that if I am directing I won't do Cinematography. Direction requires a lot of concentration. In the film, the cinematographic approach has been very simple. It's the kind of cinematography that gives the space to narrative to get a life of its own.

What about the 25 minute Nautanki that has been written by Piyush Mishra and is an integral part of the film?
Chod Do Main Karwaoongi, Aur Inhi Logon Se Karwaaongi…It's at the culmination of the film. It wouldn't be proper to talk about it till you actually see it.

Karan Johar to endorse Bru Coffee

Karan Johar took his coffee (or should we say Koffee) fixation a bit further as he is all set to be the brand ambassador for Bru, the flagship coffee brand Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Johar will don his new role as the brand ambassador of Bru starting November 2007 and kick off this new association with Bru Cappuchino’s first ever succession of events – “One is not enough festival”.

On his association with the brand Karan Johar said, “I guess my bonding with coffee is really very strong! I am delighted to be associated with Bru Cappuchino which is my favourite coffee brand. It’s all about hanging out together for a creamy and frothy cup of coffee that gives them a reason to celebrate life and share happiness.”

Now, in the third season of Koffee with Karan, Johar would have more meaning-n-taste in the coffee on the show. What do you say!

"There's no film with Ranbir" - Raj Kumar Santoshi

Reports that Salman insisted on getting Shahid Kapoor out of Raj Kumar Santoshi's proposed Katrina-Shahid love story had the prolific filmmaker baffled.

"I really don't know when and where these stories come from. I've seen Saawariya and I loved Ranbir’s performance. Why just Ranbir, I also loved Sonam Kapoor's performance. I'd certainly like to work with both of them in the future. But as of now, there's nothing on the anvil. I'm currently in the pre-production of my Ashoka film with Ajay Devgan and Bipasha Basu. But the Katrina-Shahid film is not shelved. We’re on the look-out for another script."

Speaking on Salman, Santoshi says fondly, "I've been fond of Salman from the time we worked together in Andaz Apna Apna. I'd love to work with him again any time. He's a very co-operative, kind and generous actor. He has never interfered in my casting and he never will tell me whom to work with or not work with. Yes, I'm open to suggestions on casting."

Kareena all set to star in an RK film

The much anticipated event in Bollywood has just happened! Kareena Kapoor is all set to star in an RK banner film. After much consideration, the famed trio of the Kapoor khaandaan: Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv are now all set to work on a youthful breezy romantic comedy early next year. News is that the script has been finalized and the screenplay is in its final stages. An ecstatic Randhir Kapoor confirmed the news and said that he was indeed making a film with Bebo (as Kareena is fondly called).

News is also strife that there is another film with Ranbir Kapoor which is being planned simultaneously under the RK banner. Randhir Kapoor said that both the films are to start at the same time next year.

Post Jab we Met and Shahid Kapoor, life seems to be smiling on this youngest Kapoor girl in full swing. As they say, it’s better to be Saif, rather be sorry! What say, Kareena!

Kingfisher Calender 2008 - Sneak Peek Goa

The King of good times; Vijay Mallaya takes us into the beautiful locales of Goa for his much talked about, most wanted and awaited Kingfisher Calender. Drool over some awesome babes posing in their bikini best for the photo maestro Atul Kasbekar. A Must Watch Video. A treat for the eyes!

Shah Rukh to inaugurate IFFI 2007

After much debate and discussion, SRK has also finally agreed to participate and be the chief guest for the inaugural function of the 38th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) which is to be held in Goa on November 23.

This decision was announced on Wednesday by the Information and Broadcast ministry. Actor Mamooty will be amongst those attending the inaugural function alongwith actresses Ramya Krishna, Mira Jasmine, and also Lenin Rajendran. Celebrated filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta will be chief guest of the closing ceremony.

4 Months 3 Weeks 2 Days, a film by the Romanian film maker Cristian Mungiun, which had been awarded at the Cannes festival this year, will be the opening film at Goa. There are big speculations about Amitabh Bachchan’s film, The Last Lear to be premiered during the fest.

In all, 21 feature and 15 non-feature films have been short-listed for the Indian panorama by the jury.

By INDIAFM