QUOTE MARTIAL
MAKING WAVES
SHORT TAKES
ROUGH CUTS
MEMORIES
ARCHIVES
MOVIES CHAT

Oh! brother

Mrudula Rajyadhyaksha

Ajay Devgun. Click for bigger pic!

We are back at Film City, which is unusually quiet despite the unit hands lugging equipment around, the odd actors reading his lines in some shady corner... We walk on, wondering at the relative silence.

We come upon the huge set of a darga with village houses around it. It's a wonderful job -- it isn't often you see so much care invested on verisimilitude. And just for a moment you get the feeling that you have the real thing before you.

Then you see the charges of art director Bijon Dasgupta industriously painting one part of the set. The illusion is shaken a bit, but once completed, even a mullah could appreciate it, we guess.

We ask one of the workers why work is going on so peacefully today. Where was the usual bustle that defined Film City?

Manisha Koirala. Click for bigger pic!

That, you are told, is because work in on at two locations and shooting is to begin here only in the evening. If we wanted to see the actual shoot in progress, we'd have to go to the other location. We wonder why work is being speeded up. Was it financial trouble or just the problem of the availability of stars, we wonder. But we keep those thoughts in our head, and quietly trot away.

When we reach the other set, a helpful soul directs us to a door that leads into the very quiet set. It takes some pushing to get the portals to give way, but put in some shoulder and it would only be a door stuck stiff that wouldn't give.

The set is that of a house and there is the cameraman's trolley moving across the floor. We'd smashed in just when the shot was being taken. We look sheepishly around and try to look busy.

It's a pretty mopey scene. Manisha Koirala, in a dark-blue salwar kameez and her head decorously covered with a chunni, is walking towards the verandah of the village dwelling, all tearstained and bowed down with worry.

Govind Namdeo (in Satya)Click for bigger pic!

There's a man sitting there too, also looking pretty let down by the world and its fickle ways and smoking.

Somehow, the young director isn't happy with the expressions generated and hollers, "Cut!" And suddenly the place is inundated with sound. Some people gather around Manisha, some of the talking, and one of them holding up a mirror to her.

Some unit members look askance at us and some ask us some very pointed questions. Finally, the director, Bunty, comes to our rescue, telling them we are harmless presswallahs,, particularly since we don't have a camera. The hounds back off.

Bunty gets prepared for the next take. Left alone awhile, we look up at a fair, good-looking chap in a red silk shirt. Hey, that's Saif Ali Khan. And it dawns on us that this film has more than one hero. Maybe he was signed on when he was hot stuff; but now he certainly isn't.

The story, we slowly learn, is about two brothers brought up in different environments. How they were separated, did you ask? Well, you must see the movie for that, dear for nobody here will tell us.

Saif Ali Khan. Click for bigger pic!

What we do gather is that Saif is the city slicker and Ajay Devgan the village yokel.

This scene doesn't require Saif's presence so he's busy making others miserable. But he pipes down when the shot begins anew. Manisha again walks up, the stains from the tears running over the make-up, causing some damage. As she comes up to the door, she sees Ajay seated on the verandah. She goes over and squats beside him. Ajay is first too lost in thought to notice but when Manisha places a hand on his shoulders, he raises his head, tosses away his cigarette, then rests his head on her shoulder.

A few sentimental lines follow before the director yells, "cut". Just another take he says, just to please him. Finally he is satisfied and it is time to pack up. Rather, the equipment has to be shifted to the other set.

Click for bigger pic!

We step outside and readjust to the glare and the fresh air. We look around, trying to catch a star and realise they've all dived into their respective make-up vans. And so, given the message so subtly, we head for the other set.

Here, things are quieter and people are sitting around chatting, sipping glasses of tea.

And here are two familiar faces, Govind Namdeo and Vineet. They tell us they are the villains in the film and are waiting for their shot to get going.

This, we guess, must be the climax of the film, with all things coming to an end here. But again, no one's telling us. We make polite chat with the baddies till we see the director step in. And so we quickly hurry his way.

Click for bigger pic!

He takes us with him some distance in silence. Bunty, for those who didn't know, has assisted Mahesh Bhatt in 14 films before striking off on his own with Kacche Dhage. He has more offers now. We ask him why he's been avoiding us. He laughs.

"That's because we are avoiding all publicity. We have plans for it when the launch is near. That's also why there isn't much about the film in the media."

But a little more courtesy could have helped, we suggest.

The problem, he says, is that the producers, for some reason. are worried about the pics already published. We don't ask him if it has anything to do with the killing of Tips owner Gulshan Kumar last year.

We leave the set, feeling a sense of oppressive gloom about it. And wonder if that could affect the film finally...