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Anil Kapoor is looking at the current stage in his career as a new phase. With biggies such as Jug Jug Jeeyo and Animal in hand, he says, “I feel much more exciting things are being offered to me in the last ten years. Young and experienced filmmakers are wanting me in their films, approaching me with scripts, which are new age. It’s a great situation to be in. What’s important is that you’re getting respect as well, professionally and financially, all the boxes are ticked.”
Currently he’s winning praise from all quarters for his performance in the web film AK vs AK, in which he starred alongside Anurag Kashyap. He says that the reactions have been ‘tremendous’. “It’s been overwhelming, and from all over the globe and not just India,” says the 64-year-old.
Kapoor plays himself in the film. However, he is quick to add, “I wasn’t playing myself but an exaggerated version of myself. Yes it was tough in a way. It was first of it’s kind, it could have gone completely wrong, there was dark humour. (There were thoughts like) ‘will they get it’, you are making fun of yourself, with direct digs. I am very secure within myself, but you never know till you start working.”
Having been a big screen hero for 40 years of his life, doing a film meant for OTT must have come with it’s own set of naysayers. He responds, “Yes, it was the same when I did television series 24. When I went to all heads of channels, they said ‘you are a big screen star, why are you doing this? You aren’t doing a reality show as a judge, but you are playing the character, why do you have to do it?’”
That it did well is another story. “People still talk about it and ask when is the third season coming,” he adds.
As soon as her phone began buzzing on the eve of Republic Day, Carnatic vocalist Bombay Jayashri Ramnath browsed news channels. “Some friends said my name was announced in the Padma awards, but I was in complete disbelief. I called up my mother, she couldn’t verify either. During that call I could hear a few more beeps of other people trying to call me, that’s when I realised it must be true,” the 56-year-old recalls.
“I had to call my mother first, because I’ve been living their (my parents’) dream,” says Jayashri, whose fandom spans generations. “As shlokas move me, even a romantic and cosy Zara Zara (Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein; 2001) can. I was born in a house that woke up to my father’s riyaaz at 4am, until he passed away, and went to bed with the music of my parents’ students. Also, at 7.30am Sangeet Sarita
Television is unpredictable, and Hiten Tejwani recently had this bitter realisation when his TV show, Gupta Brothers, was yanked off air within three months of launch. “In my career of 20 years, I have seen many shows go off air, but they at least got a year to prove themselves, make a connect with the audiences and tell the story. Now, people expect results in one month. I wasn’t upset with the show ending, but taken aback. I wish it was better handled. Not just the actors but people behind the camera, daily workers, they should have been informed, so they could line-up other jobs. Even I refused other projects as I was shooting a daily, as one knows you don’t have time to spare,” he says. Tejwani, 46, rues the fact that contracts are skewed in favour of the employer, and played on All India Radio; it talked about all genres in one raga. I spent my childhood practising Lag Ja Gale (Woh Kaun Thi?; 1964) and other film music with as much dedication as ragas,” she adds.
Who among music composers wished her first? “Shankar Mahadevan, we’ve grown up together. I remember how he used to steal 25paise from his mumma, I’d get it from my parents, we used to have sukha bhel after our music classes in Matunga (Mumbai),” she quips.
Despite global recognition, including an Oscar nomination for Pi’s Lullaby in Life Of Pi (2012), Jayashri feels honoured by the Padma Shri. “Every award is special as it bookmarks a space in your life. I think this award means a huge thing. It’s a big deal for people who have loved me for 40 years,” concludes the artiste. giving notice to cast and crew would have helped. “I don’t know what was the contract between the channel and the producer. When actors want to quit, they have to serve a notice period of three months, so the story can be changed and a replacement can be found. It is fair, but it should be the other way round too. This was too abrupt,” he states.
He further explains how the show was getting good ratings, was in top two on the channel and should have got at least six months of air time. “My reputation won’t be harmed [with the show going off air so early] but had it been a newcomer, it would have affected him hugely. I have been here for 20 years, I have seen it all and can handle it,” says Tejwani, who recently shot for a short film on population control.
Shreya Mukherjee
The actor says he is very secure as an artiste and has never paid heed to questions about transitioning between mediums