TALKING BOOKS

Long overdue thanks to Zafar for this.
He talked books with me a long time ago and the interview appeared in India Se.
Read it all on his blog.

THE GREYING OF RAM KAPOOR

He's one of the top actors in television thanks to one of the longest running television series - Kasamh Se. It's helped him bag several acting awards, put him firmly in the limelight and won him fans - young and old alike, quite something for someone who was never interested in acting. Things fell into place when Ram Kapoor was pushed into it by his school headboy (Tarun Deo, it was) at Sherwood.
"Sherwood is known for its theatre but I was never interested in theatre. When I was in the 9th standard, Aamir Raza Hussain came to direct our Founders Day play, I was pushed into going for the auditions by the school's head boy. I didn't think anything would come out of it. I just went for it, auditioned and ended up getting the role. Three months of rehersals, then the performance. Somewhere in that process, I realized that I really liked doing this, plus school gave me a very good response. I started taking theatre very seriously, I did a lot of theatre with Aamir Raza Hussain, then I went abroad, studied for it."

While he makes it sound very simple, things weren't all that easy. He didn't have the heart to tell his parents he was off to study theatre in the US and this is how he ended up charting his theatrical course:
"I went to America on the pretence of getting into UCLA at the film school. Once I got there I couldn't get into the theatre school I wanted to study in. So I stayed in America for a year, did odd jobs, sold cars, sold credit cards, insurance, just about everything to sustain myself. On my second attempt I got into the theatre school."

Once he got entry into the school of his choice, it was a lot of tough work, which involved the intense study of 'method acting', something that's always been his inspiration:
"Method acting is a very intense, very old way of learning acting. All my inspiration for acting comes from people who have studied method acting like Marlon Brando, Pacino, De Niro, so I wanted to go those kind of schools, which is why I applied for method acting. The easiest way to explain it is its internal acting. They teach you how to feel what you are performing. Not just perform but to feel it too. It's a very long drawn process but I'm very happy that I got to learn it."

That training has come handy for the persona he plays on television today. While he has a huge fan base, Ram Kapoor is best associated with playing the role of a much older man on the small screen. But he isn't afraid of being typecast:
"It's a fantastic role. I've never had a problem with playing a character much older than I actually am. My method acting training in fact, has taught me to play roles that I'm actually not. If I just have to be myself then I don't even need to act. If I act, I want to play every possible role - older, younger, positive, negative - that's where the challenge lies for me. So when I was told I have to play a role that's 10 years older than I actually am, I had no problems. There are people who do have problems but I have absolutely no issues playing an older man."

Just as he has no problems taking on roles that may make him look older,
Ram Kapoor also has no problems staying put in television:
"It's a very exciting time to be in Indian television. I'm very proud of the fact that I'm in the television today. Lots of reporters and journalists who interview me back home always ask me if I want to make the transition to film and I always say I'm very happy being in television. I've done some cinema, parallel or art films as you'd call them, but the draw of television has been too intense. The exposure is a lot all over the world. This year alone, I've travelled to five different countries and the response everywhere has been phenomenal. Television is just booming in India and I can say with certainty that this is just the beginning and I'm extremely proud to be associated with it."

GRILLING A 'LUCKY' KHAN

"How are you going to grill me - rare, medium, well done?" he asks me.
"How would you like to be grilled?" I fire back.
"Man, never ask a journalist a question."

Yes, I know it. This interview is going to be lots of fun, never mind the dark glasses that Zayed refuses to take off during the interview.

"Long flight," he explains.

Sure, thing we'll leave it at that. After all, Zayed Khan would easily rank as the most non-starry Bollywood insider. Being Sanjay Khan's son meant he grew up surrounded by lights, cameras and lots of action, but movies wouldn't have figured on his agenda, if his Dad had his way. He was meant to get a degree in Business, but finance soon lost its allure. Zayed turned to study film-making, then acting and the rest as they say has turned out be something straight out of the movies.

Q : Zayed, you hail from one of the first families of Indian film. What was it like when you were growing up? You actually ended up studying business administration, didn’t you?
A : Yes, but that was only because my Dad wanted me to and he pestered me to go in for it. He thought I was a really good negotiator because I would always crack deals with him over the dining table so he wanted me to be a lawyer and pushed me to be this kind of guy who is very chic, suited, booted and could recite the entire Constitution. But deep down, I wasn’t like that at all. I was a very playful person. As a kid growing up, I was more interested in the birds and the bees outside. I was the kind of person who liked to express himself. Whether it was dressing up like Superman and trying to fly from the roof terrace or whether it was playing mock kiddie roles in our home-made movies. As children one of our favourite playtime activities used to be ‘let’s make a movie together.’ Of course, my sister would be the Director, another one would be the Editor, another one the Producer, they’d pick the meatiest roles and then they’d go:
"Zayed, you are the spot boy."

Every time, I’d try and ask "why am I always the spot boy?"

They just bullied me silly. I’d get the odd jobs, be the gaffer, be the side kick, be the spot boy which often depleted my moral spirit to become an actor. Though I always tell them now that "you guys made me an actor by condemning me all the time, by giving me all those odd things to do while we were all making our short home videos." But it was fun growing up.

Deep down, I knew I was going to be an actor since I was 10 years old. I was born in the cradle of the industry, I had people coming in and out for dinner. At that time, when Dad was the star, being on a set was the most glamorous thing. There was nothing more entertaining. If one person was shooting, you’d have close to 5,000 people watching you. Today, of course, you don’t have the same kind of adulation. Really I grew up in front of the camera, with people who were constantly being very filmi, so it must have rubbed off somewhere.

Q : And you ended up getting one of your first filmi breaks alongside Shah Rukh Khan. Actors would die for a role like the one you had in ‘Main Hoon Naa.’ You got lots of recognition for it. What was it like considering it came fairly early in your career?
A : Man, as far I’m considered it was a complete default. I was never meant to be in the film. As fate has it, as destiny has it, I ended up in it. It’s a really interesting story actually. I was in touch with Farah (Khan) and wanted her to choreograph a song in my movie called ‘Chura Liya Hain Tum Nain’, I was in touch with her and I was pestering her. She is really hard to get and I think she only does songs for people she loves. I was not one really one of those at that time. To cut a very long story short, she called me one day and I came into Shah Rukh’s office and I was quite taken aback as to why I was even there. It had nothing to do with my song, or her choreographing my song. The next thing I know she’s offered me this role in ‘Main Hoon Naa.’ And Shah Rukh just tells me:
"Dude, can you act, Hindi bolnein aatein hain naa?" (Do you know how to speak Hindi?)
I responded "Hahn, Hindi bolnein aate hain." (Yes, I can speak Hindi) and I was born to act. It was one of those things that just fell into my lap, you never quite put a finger to it. But it was one of those roles that completely re-defined, that gave me a new birth in the industry, lots of recognition. In fact, I walk around and people call me ‘Lucky’ (his name in the film). They don’t even know what my real name is and that’s quite endearing, quite sweet. And I hope I always do justice to my characters like that so that people forget who you are and remember you by the character you portray.

What followed after Main Hoon Naa was a string of flops. Hear about Zayed's plans to reverse his box office fortunes in part two of this post.

MAD ABOUT MADDY

Think about it – how often do you come across an award-winning actor who counts 11 minutes of screen presence as "one of his toughest roles," admits that working with Mani Ratnam is "never easy" or jokes about the amount of weight he needed to lose in one of his movies. That’s not all, he also makes a bold admission of his limitations in Bollywood and how critical success doesn’t necessarily translate into commercial success. Madhavan, "call me Maddy" talks about it all and a whole lot more....

Q : Maddy, they say good guys serve the Army or become doctors or engineers. You almost got there and then made a radical career shift. How did your parents respond to your decision to join the film industry?
A : (Laughs) Thank you for your backhanded compliment about good guys, it’s a tough reputation to live up to. But you’re right, I tried to be a qualified engineer, I was about to join the Defence forces but I think it was just meant to be that I become an actor. I almost became all of these before I quit to become an actor. I just couldn’t imagine my life in an office, doing a 9-5 job, working for the Tatas, which is what was dreamed for me by my parents. Then there was of course the Army. I wanted to be in it. I wanted to be a fighter pilot and I almost became one but they wouldn’t give me MiGs to fly, they were giving me helicopters. Can you imagine my disappointment? I’d watched ‘Top Gun’ and like guys my age then I imagined flying around like Tom Cruise. As a 22 year old, who wasn’t getting what he wanted, you can imagine my sense my sadness at that. I pretty much walked out of all of that and became an actor.

Q : Well, you weren’t exactly Tom Cruise but you sure got to live a bit of your dream in Rang de Basanti – a movie that is widely credited with re-defining Indian cinema in a sense. It was a small role but an enormously significant one. What was getting and playing the role of Ajay Rathod like?
A : I am lucky because I got a character like that, a character defined and written by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. It was not just as a guest appearance. It was one of my toughest roles to date. A lot of people don’t understand why. They keep asking me "Why do you say it was your toughest role? Do you say it because it did well?" I always say no to that. In Rang de Basanti, I had precisely 11 minutes on screen and a total of seven odd scenes and in those seven scenes I had to prove that I was a great guy as a friend, that I was a good lover, that I was a good son and that I was actually a latent patriot and at the same time a guy who his friends would think is worth dying for. All these things had to work simultaneously and if any one of them failed then the film would look that much shallower when it’s released. When Aamir Khan called me, I told him, you’ve got so many stories to narrate in this film and on top of that you’ve got me in it. I don’t know if I can do it all. Aamir said, "the reason I’m calling you is because I know you can do it." It was a lot of responsibility. Then Rakeysh and I discussed it and we hit upon a way of doing it. I told him Rakeysh don’t direct me in this film, let me just be myself, let me just be Maddy. Let me not have a mannerism or a style that is different from what I am. So that when I die in the film, let people think that Maddy died, not Ajay Rathod. The whole film was just about me being me, I wasn’t acting at all. It was a very exciting phase of my acting career.

Q : I'd think your toughest role was in Mani Ratnam's 'Guru'.....

Watch this space for Madhavan's response.

PACKING THE PUNCHES

Since it's Diwali and the better part of the weekend will see us partying and catching up on the two big Bollywood releases, thought I might leave you with an interview that I did recently.

She's gorgeous, smart and successful. She's sustained an injury on the sets of Drona. Though her mega-watt smile gives no indication of the pain she's been through. 12 noon is 12 noon for her. She arrives on the dot, takes the mike collar in her hand. When the sound man gets up to help her, she gently says, "it's alright, I'm used to this." When her make-up guy walks in, she's polite. After checking if everything is alright, she's back to chatting. Having had my brushes with stars who only light up when the cameras are rolling, this one is a real surprise. I tell her about witnessing some of her back-stage action at Genting during the Zee Cine Awards. She had to do her descent several times because the choreographer wasn't happy with the way she was landing on stage and not once did she complain. If this is the stuff of stars, I want to keep seeing more of them. For now, let's get to Priyanka Chopra. Winning the Miss World title in 2000 changed a lot of things for her. She chose a career in films. The awards, the roles, the films Andaaz, Krrish, Don, prove it's been the perfect choice.

In a wide ranging conversation, she talks about how she picks her celluloid roles, the things that inspire her and what keeps her working 15 hours a day:

Q : Priyanka, you are an amazing actress. You injured yourself while shooting for your recent film ‘Drona’ and ignoring your doctor’s advice you were back at work the very next day. What drives you and makes you take on the roles that you do?
A : I like doing films and cinema that intrigues me and movies that I’d like to go and see myself as an audience. If the script touches me and I feel I’d like to pay and watch this film, then I say yes. That’s how I pick my films and it seems to have worked. So far, so good.

Q : And you believe in doing extensive training for your films. For your latest film its in Sikh martial arts?
A : I learnt gatka for a little while. Besides that my character in Drona is completely action oriented. It’s something you don’t see leading ladies, at least in Indian cinema, do too often. I haven’t seen actresses do as much action stuff as I have done in Drona.

Q : Do you think actresses today have to work a lot harder?
A : The generation of today is putting in a lot of effort to make sure that the characters we play are a lot more fleshed out. They are not just stereotypical running around trees and singing. Yes, we do have singing and dancing and I love that, but Indian movies today are a lot more than that. They are pushing boundaries, they are trying new stuff, they are integrating technology. I’m not just talking about actors, I’m talking about film makers and directors and producers who are making different films where the roles of leading ladies are a lot more fleshed out.

Q : In Don, you played Roma’s role, which is almost immortalised by Zeenat Aman? How did you approach it considering there was someone the audience was always associating your character with?
A : When you try and fill someone’s shoes, it’s always difficult and you have a lot more responsibility especially if those shoes are as big as Zeenat Aman’s. So I tried to make Roma’s role as different as I could and I’m glad that it worked.

Q : Indian cinema has grown so much over the years, in terms of eyeballs, revenue, fans, recognition and also in the ways movies are being made today. How does it feel to represent one of the world’s fastest growth industries?
A : I’ve been in the film industry for four years now. My first film released in 2003. Before that I was a student, I was studying engineering in fact. It’s quite a short span for me to understand this industry. I saw film as entertainment. I never really saw the business of Bollywood. But having become a part of it, I take a lot of pride that Indians all over the world unite through Indian cinema and I feel a huge sense of responsibility and am honoured to represent Indian cinema today.

Q : Priyanka, the first time I saw you in person was when you were rehearsing for the Zee Cine Awards in Genting. I still recall you being pulled up by those ropes, every time your choreographer felt your touch down on stage wasn’t perfect. It must have gone on like 10 times and I was thinking, that’s what true superstars are like. It’s not easy, we don’t get to see this stuff. Do you feel people just don’t get what goes on behind the scenes?
A : You are right, so much happens, so many cuts, re-takes, the sheer number of people who make things happen and the audience never really realize it. Such is the magic of cinema that you often can’t even fathom the effort that goes into the making of each film. There’s so much at stake. I’m not just talking about the economy or the monies part of it. I’m talking about the sheer effort it takes to make a film and sometimes, you wish there was a little more appreciation of what it took to put all of it together.

Q : You’ve actually been spoilt for choice. I know a lot of actors would have jumped at the opportunity, but you’ve said no to a Hollywood film. Why’s that?
A : It wasn’t the kind of film I was looking at doing. If I do something outside of India, it has to be something that really excites me. I wouldn’t do something just because it’s Hollywood. I think Indian cinema has reached a point where we stand at another level altogether. I’m not taking about the budgets and business, that would take some time, but in terms of popularity, I think Indian cinema has reached another level altogether. As an actor if I go out there and do a film it has to be at a certain level, it has to meet my expectations and that of the people who would be watching it.

Q : Does Hollywood still remain an option for you?
A : Not just Hollywood, even Tamil cinema, regional cinema, any cinema that touches me, moves me and inspires me.

Q : Speaking of Tamil cinema, you in fact launched your career with a Tamil film. What’s the journey to superstardom been like?
A : That’s right, my debut was in a Tamil film. Well, I’ve learnt a lot in the 4-5 years I’ve been in the industry. I never thought I’d be here or that I’d come so far. I’m extremely grateful to all the people who have forgiven my errors and all my fans who have come out to support me by watching me on and off screen. You know I’ve never really trained as an actor, it’s been a lot of trial and error, portraying the kind of characters I have on screen. It takes a lot for people to love an artiste and I’m enormously grateful for their support.

Q : What about the media and the way they treat film stars. I find the treatment of Indian film stars is a lot like that of the Indian cricketers. The minute you have a hit, everyone’s waxing lyrical, one flop and loyalties shift quick time. Do you think the media has been fair to you?
A : Brickbats and bouquets are part of the game and you have to be accepting of that. But I think you’ve got that spot on. In India, cricket and films are the two biggest religions after religion. We have a tremendous responsibility when we are making films. Yes, the media can be a bit unforgiving at times but one has to be understanding that they are reaching out to an ever hungry public, who constantly want more news, more information. While I understand their need to keep writing to meet the demand, I think sourcing has to be more authentic, that doesn’t really happen now.

Q : Getting back to your films, apart from Drona, which your fans are very excited about, which other films are you excited about?
A : I have Love Story 2050 coming up which is another really exciting film. It’s a science fiction drama traveling across two time zones. It’s something that’s not been seen in India before and I’m looking forward to it. Then there is God Tussi Great Hon.

Q : When you aren’t shooting, when you aren’t criss-crossing the globe and when you have more than a minute to yourself, what do you like to do?
A : I love to read. I’m a voracious reader. I like reading any kind of book. Thrillers, science fiction, fiction. And I love watching movies too – not mine of course.

Q : And how does it feel to be back in Singapore?
A : It feels great. Singapore is one my favourite places in the world. I have some really nice memories attached to the city and it’s always great to be back.

Q : Speaking of Singapore, Krrish was a blockbuster all over the world and keenly watched in Singapore. What was shooting for it like, were your expectations pretty much what came out in the film?
A : Actually it looked much better than I thought it would. We shot all over Singapore. We got a lot of support from the Singapore Tourism Board. We were allowed to shoot pretty much where we wanted to and Singapore came out looking even more spectacular than I thought it would. And coming back to the city, it’s a beautiful city, there’s so much do here, it’s a great life here and I was really looking forward to coming back.

Q : You are an Army kid, or 'Army brat' as the term often goes. We spend the better part of our childhood packing boxes, moving cities, making new friends. Do you think your Army background has helped you in your career?
A : Absolutely. We, as Army children are like water. We can fit in anywhere. Our parents keep us on the move but at the same time they instill in us the values of discipline, punctuality, conducting ourselves in public. I have absolutely no problems working 15 hours a day. And I think a lot of this has to with my childhood. In fact, I am very grateful to the Indian Army for instilling all these qualities in me.

With that, its time for her to make the first of many public appearances. Like a true fauji she doesn't want to be a second too late. She unclips her mike, is game enough to give us some pictures to remember her by and then she's off to meet and greet her fans.




Pictures courtesy Zee TV