The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
‘In cinema, it’s the filmmaker who is naked on screen emotionally’
Vishal Bhardwaj on Rangoon, portraying passion on screen and shooting in Arunachal Pradesh
You have lived with the script of Rangoon for over a decade. What’s your obsession with it?
It is such a unique story. The story unfolds during the Partition of India and World War II. It also explores the world of Hindi cinema in the ’40s when the industry produced Broadway-like musicals. We have been talking about the film since 2005 and its first draft was ready in 2006. Over the years, a lot of changes have been made in it. We have had 21 drafts of it.
You handle passion on screen with an expertise rare in Hindi cinema. How do you approach it?
In my personal life, I don’t know how to approach it. While showing it on screen, you have a detailed script that guides you. It is part of screenwriting, and we execute it during the shoot. The scenes should look real, dramatic and have an effect on the audience. It should be true to the moment. These are the moments which involve two people and does not have a third witness. In cinema, it is the filmmaker who is naked on screen, emotionally. A lot of observation goes into creating these scenes.
Your women characters are often very unconventional.
It is the combination of observation, sensitivity and the way you look at women that helps create interesting female characters. I believe women are emotionally stronger than men. Women have been suppressed methodically by religion and society. My rebellion is against that.
The cast of Rangoon is interesting. How did you pick your actors?
Julia, the female lead in Rangoon, is such a strong character that I needed two actors who would completely trust me and believe that I won’t do injustice to their roles. Hence, I opted for Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor. That apart, it is always difficult to find the
Both Ali Khan and Kapoor say that you have reinvented them as actors.
Both of them are right in saying that (laughs).
Rangoon’s songs seem like a tribute to the bygone era, especially Mere Miyan Gaye England and Tippa, whose lyrics have lines from the title song written by Gulzar for the animated series Alice in the Wonderland in the ’80s.
The Alice in the Wonderland song is also mine; I composed it. I had first used dhan te nan as a catchphrase in a telefilm of that name. I believed it did not get its due appreciation. So, I used it in Kaminey (2009). Since the Alice in the Wonderland song, Top top topi topi, seems to be forgotten now, I have tried to revive it.
In the past, whenever I mentioned the title of film Rangoon to anyone, they would bring up the popular song, Mera Piya Gaye Rangoon (from the 1949-film Patanga ).I thought of creating Mere Miyan Gaye England. This song is performed on a lavish set, as Julia is performing for the troops on the border.
Rangoon is called your most ambitious project. Do you agree with that tag?
Yes, it is ambitious in terms of execution,
After shooting Haider (2014) in Kashmir, you have moved to Arunachal Pradesh, a state unexplored by filmmakers.
The film is set in the ’40s and Manipur was affected by the World War II. I could not shoot in Manipur and I found Arunachal Pradesh more exciting. The state has remained unexplored and untouched. It still has the feel of the ’40s. I have shot a lot of action sequences there.
How do you react to Rangoon being compared with the Hollywood classic Casablanca (1942)?
I started that comparison. Everyone wants to categorise movies and used to ask me what Rangoon was like? I cited the example of Casablanca, which also has a love triangle in the backdrop of World War II and is set in a place called Casablanca. The movie Rangoon has nothing to do with Casablanca.
You had earlier decided to follow up every mainstream movie that you make with one meant for children.
I should go back to doing that. I have many stories in mind, especially of Ruskin Bond. I have made The Blue Umbrella (2005) and 7 Khoon Maaf (2011) based on his stories. Ruskin has told me that he is no less than Shakespeare and I must complete his trilogy.