Posted:
Striking the right balance
-A +A
Font
Deepa Karmalkar Posted: Apr 10, 2009 at 1419 hrs IST
The Grand Dame talks about choices, censorship and chilling-out I turned down Haathi Mere Saathi, Khilona and Tere Mere Sapne. I would refuse more and take up less films:
It's very difficult to say how I balanced home and career and there was no prescription for it - one had to evolve, improvise and be intuitive and in the process things worked out. It could easily not have worked out. The only thing is that I wanted to do both things – be married and have a family and also not give up work and be involved in it. The intention was there and being young one found the will to do it. I must have had a lot of support from my husband because he was playing cricket and travelling a lot. When we got engaged he would be away for three months in Australia and three months in England and I was shooting An Evening In Paris in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. There was continuous travel and we did not have mobiles and telephone connections weren't as they are today. If I were to call Australia, the connection was via England, communication wasn't what it was - with cells and e-mails now. I can't think of any other actress who did that, can you? Mausam, Amar Prem and Grihapravesh came after the kids arrived. It was probably a lot of luck and lot of support from family and hard work and somewhere tact and diplomacy and such things. Somewhere the neeyat must have been right. I also did cut down on work - I tried to pack up by 6.30 and I tried to take on less work. After Aradhana, I was inundated with offers but I turned down Haathi Mere Saathi, Khilona and Tere Mere Sapne. I would refuse more and take up less films. India is not ready for X - rated films, but I think that we are prepared for a little bit of nudity and liberal thinking:
Films are so big in India - there are protests and street censorship is on the rise and for every little thing there are Public Interest Litigations. We have to take a balanced view.We want one more category between the age group of 13 to 17. In U/A - we want two categories for this age group. India is not ready for X - rated films but I think that we are prepared for a little bit of nudity and liberal thinking. The problems is that India lives in many centuries and the regional sensibilities are totally diverse. There is different kinds of living –what you can get away with in cities you cannot do so in villages. Even when I go to Pataudi, I will dress a little differently because it is still traditional. The reality is that we can issue only one certificate for the entire country, so we have to be very, very careful. That is why we err on the safe side. Sometimes, mistakes happen because the committees are also human, but the margin of error is only 2 per cent. My effort as CBFC Chief has been to create a good image of the Censor Board:
My effort as CBFC Chief has been to create a good morale and a good image of the Board. Before I came in, everybody thought that CBFC was redundant... Maneka Gandhi had gone on record to call us a bunch of socialites who did not do anything, Mahesh Bhatt also gave us a lot of flak saying that we were uneducated. I wanted the civilised society to take the CBFC seriously and also to build up a team within the institution in terms of infrastructure and spirit. All my regional officers are open to the media unlike earlier times, because I told them that they must talk since they have nothing to hide. Look at the media calling beautiful young girls 'hotties' - to me that's an abuse:
The use of abusive language in films is a reflection of the society. If you listen to people talk, you will see that the whole society has changed. There is a great change from times to now. And since films cannot be devoid of reality, if you are practising it where is the harm in showing it in films? Look at the media calling beautiful young girls 'hotties' - to me that's an abuse. I find being called a 'babe' or a 'hottie' hugely offensive, but that's just a takia kalaam. This is the way people are talking and that's how realstic makers like Anuraag Kashyap and Nandita Das show it, right? If the CBFC has graded Kambakkht Ishq as U/A, it must be right:
I haven't watched Kambakkht Ishq myself, but if they have graded it as U/A, it must be right. We have very strict guidelines regarding foul language - Deepa Mehta's Videsh got an Adults certificate because only because she wouldn't delete the abusive language. Also Nandita's Firaaq, although there was no violence in the film, had abuses,so we gave it an Adults certificate. I am afraid I did not watch Rajesh Khanna's Wafaa:
I haven't watched Wafaa. I saw the posters and read the reviews, which were quite bad. I heard that he also has done some adventurous scenes in it. Dharam is my favourite:
Dharmendra is so sweet and he's looking so good! I read the script of Cheers! , his latest film - and he has a fantastic, tailor-made role in it. I really wanted to the film but I wanted a sabbatical - I have been postponing things for 30 years now. I was a stranger to my own house - I had forgotten where I kept things. Last year I did television, a Marathi film, a Bangla film and 8X10 Tasveer and Morning Walk. I really needed to put the house in order. Dharam wanted to shoot now, which would have been very difficult. If he were starting in October, it would have been fine. We just finished doing up our house in Pataudi. For personal reasons, I needed a little break. Otherwise, of course, Dharam is my favourite, I would have done anything for him. I also have very fond memories of Shashi Kapoor and Sanjeev Kumar. I liked the message of Mumbai Meri Jaan more than A Wednesday:
I loved Mumbai Meri Jaan because I liked the message in it more than A Wednesday. In the latter, the policeman salutes and says whoever you are, I salute you to the antagonist - but you cannot take the law in your own hands. After all ,we are a democracy and I preferred the message in Mumbai..I loved Ratna's character in Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, it was so different from the stereotypical mom. I have seen Rang Rasiya, which I liked very much and Nandana Sen and Randeep Hooda have performed very well. Ketan Mehta's work is very good. About Ghajini - I don't know...it was nothing great. I liked Nandita's Firaaq. I am so happy that in one year, we have had three new women directors - Nandita, Sooni and Zoya. That's great! No matter how well Saif does, I will always be anxious for him:
Of course, I am very happy for Saif's Love Aaj Kal. All mothers are very anxious for their kids and I am no exception. No matter how well he does I will always be anxious for him. He's enacted the sardar so well! Of course, credit is also due to the director, Imtiaz Ali. Now I keep smiling at whichever sardar I meet, making them wonder why am I doing so. As a mother I will want Bebo - Saif to be married soon:
Well, when Saif and Bebo marry will depend on both of them. But they are no longer that young, so both of them will have to think of settling down sooner or later. It will be their decision. But as a mother I will want it to happen soon. I'd be happy if Sara joined films, but it would have to be her choice:
I have enjoyed every moment of my profession and I can't think of any other. Why is Soha loving it after studying so much? Because everything pales in comparison - every role and every moment is different, every time you face the camera is a challenge. Of course, I'd be happy if Saif's daughter Sara joined films, but it would have to be her choice. Nobody will push her into it, but if she wants to, we will most certainly be supportive. The sun and the weather dictated the terms for 8X10 Tasveer:
It's not a typical Nagesh film, 8X10 Tasveer is different. As a director, he doesn't want to be typecast. He wants to make different genres, but I loved his work in Dor and Iqbal. I found him young, democratic and getting along very well with his unit. I just have a cameo in the film, so I didn't get an extensive exposure to him. It was mostly outdoors and sun and the weather that dictated the terms. Everybody was in a rush to get the shoot completed. He's very modern and savvy about techniques and technology. I just felt there was a bit too much of English in the film, but then today's films are like that. Then I have a modern look in the film - I wear trousers, I have never done that in other films in recent times. Akshay is committed to his work:
Akshay Kumar is very dedicated. He's very disciplined about his diet and exercise regimen. He's punctual, not prone to tantrums and very professional. He has a wonderful sense of humour and he's very close to his work. He's completely committed. Bronze artist and Rodin exhibition in South Africa- that was a treat:
Girish Karnad surrounded himself with a lot of paperwork – he was busy with his writing. Otherwise, Ananth Mahadevan, Rushabh and he were great company. These guys used to shop and watch films. I didn't go with them but we used to sit and chat a lot. There was a lovely rose garden near the shooting location - it had thousands of roses. We went to the wine country and we visited Dillon Louis, the bronze artist's studio and he had his exhibition with Rodin in the Rupert Museum -that was a treat! There are a lot of eateries in Cape Town, a table mountain and a great Safari. Soha and I had a holiday at a game park where we saw lions, cheetahs and elephants and then we went to Cape Town. Soha was with me for a while and then I stayed back for the shoot. So it was a great start to the shoot. There is a serious streak in Soha:
There is a serious streak in my daughter Soha and she's choosing such roles for herself. Whether it is light or serious, she likes realistic roles. She tried the mainstream format in Shaadi No 1, but somehow I didn't like her very much in that. Whereas she was very good in Rang De Basanti, Mumbai Meri Jaan and Dhoondte Reh Jaoge and the Bangla Antarmahal. I speak Marathi in Samantar but the clever idea is that the dialogues are a minimal like Anupama:
Amol Palekar had approached me for another film earlier, so I wanted to do a film with him. Marathi films are very much like Bangla films - literature-based and the content is little more mature and sensitive. Doing Samantar was a challenge also because there are such wonderful actors in Marathi. So it's like exposing yourself to great talent. The film also has Amol acting after a long time. Of course, I speak Marathi in it but the clever idea is that the dialogues are a minimal like Anupama. It is mostly spoken like Bangla but the pronounciation of 'cha' is a killer. I am taking a sabbatical till the end of the year:
At the moment, I have no films! I have an old commitment with Sangeeta Dutt for a Bangla-English film that I will fulfill, Soumitra Chatterjee was unwell so he's not doing it. I will do the film whenever she's ready for it. I am taking a sabbatical till the end of the year. I will do UNICEF work with HIV-infected children and CBFC work till my tenure gets over in October. We have an eye-clinic in Pataudi, I am involved with NGOs and I also start a garbage selection work in Patuadi. I keep busy with my house and health. I do both Yoga and cardio-vascular exercises.
It's very difficult to say how I balanced home and career and there was no prescription for it - one had to evolve, improvise and be intuitive and in the process things worked out. It could easily not have worked out. The only thing is that I wanted to do both things – be married and have a family and also not give up work and be involved in it. The intention was there and being young one found the will to do it. I must have had a lot of support from my husband because he was playing cricket and travelling a lot. When we got engaged he would be away for three months in Australia and three months in England and I was shooting An Evening In Paris in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. There was continuous travel and we did not have mobiles and telephone connections weren't as they are today. If I were to call Australia, the connection was via England, communication wasn't what it was - with cells and e-mails now. I can't think of any other actress who did that, can you? Mausam, Amar Prem and Grihapravesh came after the kids arrived. It was probably a lot of luck and lot of support from family and hard work and somewhere tact and diplomacy and such things. Somewhere the neeyat must have been right. I also did cut down on work - I tried to pack up by 6.30 and I tried to take on less work. After Aradhana, I was inundated with offers but I turned down Haathi Mere Saathi, Khilona and Tere Mere Sapne. I would refuse more and take up less films. India is not ready for X - rated films, but I think that we are prepared for a little bit of nudity and liberal thinking:
Films are so big in India - there are protests and street censorship is on the rise and for every little thing there are Public Interest Litigations. We have to take a balanced view.We want one more category between the age group of 13 to 17. In U/A - we want two categories for this age group. India is not ready for X - rated films but I think that we are prepared for a little bit of nudity and liberal thinking. The problems is that India lives in many centuries and the regional sensibilities are totally diverse. There is different kinds of living –what you can get away with in cities you cannot do so in villages. Even when I go to Pataudi, I will dress a little differently because it is still traditional. The reality is that we can issue only one certificate for the entire country, so we have to be very, very careful. That is why we err on the safe side. Sometimes, mistakes happen because the committees are also human, but the margin of error is only 2 per cent. My effort as CBFC Chief has been to create a good image of the Censor Board:
My effort as CBFC Chief has been to create a good morale and a good image of the Board. Before I came in, everybody thought that CBFC was redundant... Maneka Gandhi had gone on record to call us a bunch of socialites who did not do anything, Mahesh Bhatt also gave us a lot of flak saying that we were uneducated. I wanted the civilised society to take the CBFC seriously and also to build up a team within the institution in terms of infrastructure and spirit. All my regional officers are open to the media unlike earlier times, because I told them that they must talk since they have nothing to hide. Look at the media calling beautiful young girls 'hotties' - to me that's an abuse:
The use of abusive language in films is a reflection of the society. If you listen to people talk, you will see that the whole society has changed. There is a great change from times to now. And since films cannot be devoid of reality, if you are practising it where is the harm in showing it in films? Look at the media calling beautiful young girls 'hotties' - to me that's an abuse. I find being called a 'babe' or a 'hottie' hugely offensive, but that's just a takia kalaam. This is the way people are talking and that's how realstic makers like Anuraag Kashyap and Nandita Das show it, right? If the CBFC has graded Kambakkht Ishq as U/A, it must be right:
I haven't watched Kambakkht Ishq myself, but if they have graded it as U/A, it must be right. We have very strict guidelines regarding foul language - Deepa Mehta's Videsh got an Adults certificate because only because she wouldn't delete the abusive language. Also Nandita's Firaaq, although there was no violence in the film, had abuses,so we gave it an Adults certificate. I am afraid I did not watch Rajesh Khanna's Wafaa:
I haven't watched Wafaa. I saw the posters and read the reviews, which were quite bad. I heard that he also has done some adventurous scenes in it. Dharam is my favourite:
Dharmendra is so sweet and he's looking so good! I read the script of Cheers! , his latest film - and he has a fantastic, tailor-made role in it. I really wanted to the film but I wanted a sabbatical - I have been postponing things for 30 years now. I was a stranger to my own house - I had forgotten where I kept things. Last year I did television, a Marathi film, a Bangla film and 8X10 Tasveer and Morning Walk. I really needed to put the house in order. Dharam wanted to shoot now, which would have been very difficult. If he were starting in October, it would have been fine. We just finished doing up our house in Pataudi. For personal reasons, I needed a little break. Otherwise, of course, Dharam is my favourite, I would have done anything for him. I also have very fond memories of Shashi Kapoor and Sanjeev Kumar. I liked the message of Mumbai Meri Jaan more than A Wednesday:
I loved Mumbai Meri Jaan because I liked the message in it more than A Wednesday. In the latter, the policeman salutes and says whoever you are, I salute you to the antagonist - but you cannot take the law in your own hands. After all ,we are a democracy and I preferred the message in Mumbai..I loved Ratna's character in Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, it was so different from the stereotypical mom. I have seen Rang Rasiya, which I liked very much and Nandana Sen and Randeep Hooda have performed very well. Ketan Mehta's work is very good. About Ghajini - I don't know...it was nothing great. I liked Nandita's Firaaq. I am so happy that in one year, we have had three new women directors - Nandita, Sooni and Zoya. That's great! No matter how well Saif does, I will always be anxious for him:
Of course, I am very happy for Saif's Love Aaj Kal. All mothers are very anxious for their kids and I am no exception. No matter how well he does I will always be anxious for him. He's enacted the sardar so well! Of course, credit is also due to the director, Imtiaz Ali. Now I keep smiling at whichever sardar I meet, making them wonder why am I doing so. As a mother I will want Bebo - Saif to be married soon:
Well, when Saif and Bebo marry will depend on both of them. But they are no longer that young, so both of them will have to think of settling down sooner or later. It will be their decision. But as a mother I will want it to happen soon. I'd be happy if Sara joined films, but it would have to be her choice:
I have enjoyed every moment of my profession and I can't think of any other. Why is Soha loving it after studying so much? Because everything pales in comparison - every role and every moment is different, every time you face the camera is a challenge. Of course, I'd be happy if Saif's daughter Sara joined films, but it would have to be her choice. Nobody will push her into it, but if she wants to, we will most certainly be supportive. The sun and the weather dictated the terms for 8X10 Tasveer:
It's not a typical Nagesh film, 8X10 Tasveer is different. As a director, he doesn't want to be typecast. He wants to make different genres, but I loved his work in Dor and Iqbal. I found him young, democratic and getting along very well with his unit. I just have a cameo in the film, so I didn't get an extensive exposure to him. It was mostly outdoors and sun and the weather that dictated the terms. Everybody was in a rush to get the shoot completed. He's very modern and savvy about techniques and technology. I just felt there was a bit too much of English in the film, but then today's films are like that. Then I have a modern look in the film - I wear trousers, I have never done that in other films in recent times. Akshay is committed to his work:
Akshay Kumar is very dedicated. He's very disciplined about his diet and exercise regimen. He's punctual, not prone to tantrums and very professional. He has a wonderful sense of humour and he's very close to his work. He's completely committed. Bronze artist and Rodin exhibition in South Africa- that was a treat:
Girish Karnad surrounded himself with a lot of paperwork – he was busy with his writing. Otherwise, Ananth Mahadevan, Rushabh and he were great company. These guys used to shop and watch films. I didn't go with them but we used to sit and chat a lot. There was a lovely rose garden near the shooting location - it had thousands of roses. We went to the wine country and we visited Dillon Louis, the bronze artist's studio and he had his exhibition with Rodin in the Rupert Museum -that was a treat! There are a lot of eateries in Cape Town, a table mountain and a great Safari. Soha and I had a holiday at a game park where we saw lions, cheetahs and elephants and then we went to Cape Town. Soha was with me for a while and then I stayed back for the shoot. So it was a great start to the shoot. There is a serious streak in Soha:
There is a serious streak in my daughter Soha and she's choosing such roles for herself. Whether it is light or serious, she likes realistic roles. She tried the mainstream format in Shaadi No 1, but somehow I didn't like her very much in that. Whereas she was very good in Rang De Basanti, Mumbai Meri Jaan and Dhoondte Reh Jaoge and the Bangla Antarmahal. I speak Marathi in Samantar but the clever idea is that the dialogues are a minimal like Anupama:
Amol Palekar had approached me for another film earlier, so I wanted to do a film with him. Marathi films are very much like Bangla films - literature-based and the content is little more mature and sensitive. Doing Samantar was a challenge also because there are such wonderful actors in Marathi. So it's like exposing yourself to great talent. The film also has Amol acting after a long time. Of course, I speak Marathi in it but the clever idea is that the dialogues are a minimal like Anupama. It is mostly spoken like Bangla but the pronounciation of 'cha' is a killer. I am taking a sabbatical till the end of the year:
At the moment, I have no films! I have an old commitment with Sangeeta Dutt for a Bangla-English film that I will fulfill, Soumitra Chatterjee was unwell so he's not doing it. I will do the film whenever she's ready for it. I am taking a sabbatical till the end of the year. I will do UNICEF work with HIV-infected children and CBFC work till my tenure gets over in October. We have an eye-clinic in Pataudi, I am involved with NGOs and I also start a garbage selection work in Patuadi. I keep busy with my house and health. I do both Yoga and cardio-vascular exercises.
I have started a garden from scratch in Pataudi, it's just a year old. I am thinking about my garden all the time- it is my baby.
18