Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2001 10:41 pm
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Location: London
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After reading the below article you'll come to realise why Amitabh has gone on record saying that the Khakee role is the one he is most excited about (from his recent films).
Even going to the extent of signing R.K.S for his home production.
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INTERVIEW | Amitabh Bachchan
"I have shed the baggage"
Bhawana Somaaya
In three years Amitabh Bachchan has had eight film releases, two
albums and five commercials, not counting the several titles,
felicitations in India and abroad. The actor who hadn't taken a break
since 1973 (Zanjeer) except for the famous five year sabbatical, is
today, the busiest star in film firmament, booked till 2005. A lot
has changed in these two years. Bachchan appears less on guard, more
demonstrative both on screen and off screen. In an unusually
transparent interview discussing his work and life, Bachchan bares
his heart. In other words, says, `To hell with diplomacy'.
A few years ago if someone had told you that your career would be
flourishing at 60 would you have believed it?
Probably not, because all these years my career was managed and
regulated by others. I diligently followed what was told and the
outcome was satisfactory. In 1990 I was suggested that I don't need
to work and can take a long sabbatical. Soon I realised however that
a life without work, can be very dull and uninteresting. I would have
continued being in that stagnated state had economic circumstances
not compelled me to get into the throes of activity again.
You often mention the lean phase but what lessons did you learn from
the experience?
I learnt to take control of my life and career, even areas I did not
understand. I learnt to question what I could not fathom but most
important, this was the first time, I was making decisions for
myself, and right or wrong, I was responsible for my decisions.
You mean career choices?
That's right. It's a liberating feeling to know that you are
responsible for your choices. Today, I want to work as long as I can.
I feel hesitant to say `no' to friends, to turn down youngsters.
Their enthusiasm is infectious and I want to, if it is possible, be a
part of their dreams. Some day, I know, I will have to pull the
brakes. It will be the time when my face is not good enough for the
camera or the audience is bored of me. But till as long as I can, I
would like to pursue acting with the same passion.
Do you sometimes wonder what you would do when you would not be
acting?
I've always said that I'd like to learn languages, I'd like to play
some instrument. I am also inclined to doing gardening or may be just
look after home. It can be quite recreating, you know.
Your wife says you make an excellent housekeeper.
That's because of late, I have begun to look into the finances of
running a home. I've made it a discipline to check the expenditures
at the end of the day, because I don't ever want to be in the same
mess again. I'd rather be cautious than embarrassed. The memory of
the crises we endured is too painful and I want to protect the family
from such menace forever.
When one is on the set, in front of the camera, a new world takes
over. And when you hear the clapboard, an entire new identity takes
over your existence. What you do is something entirely different from
what you had imagined. That is why I shy away from rehearsals
Do you agree you have become less guarded now?
Yeah, a lot of baggage has been shed. Much as we fight shy to admit
it, economic security instills a lot of strength. I've become less
guarded because I'm less defensive. My self assurance also comes from
the fact that today, I'm old enough to be forgiven if I make a
mistake.
Nobody is willing to forgive you for Boom and neither have you
accepted it as a mistake!
My character of a don in Boom is repulsive because he is an obnoxious
man. If people have not liked the character, I'd say it is a
deficiency on part of the screenplay. However, if they have not liked
me as an actor, they are justified in their backlash and I accept
blame for letting them down. I take their outcry as a compliment
because it is a gesture of affection for my betterment.
What is it about you that generates so much mass hysteria?
I don't know and I'd rather not reflect upon it for I have more
worthwhile things to reflect upon... My father's poetry or my
mother's health... How I can ensure her feeling of comfort. Failure
or success have never been preserved by analysing.
How much of the current success do you attribute to destiny?
To a large extent destiny throws opportunities and it is up to us to
take up the challenges. Mohabbatein and Kaun Banega Crorepati were
opportunities I was willing to court and to my good fortune, they
proved to be fruitful decisions.
Today, I'm at a phase in life where I don't want to fester wounds. I
want to call a spade a spade. So whether it is a scene or a song, a
film or an argument I disapprove of, I say so. I've never done this
in the past but I want to now and I feel I'm a more relaxed person
that way
Today, you are projected as a brand equity, would you agree that you
have become more market savvy?
I have not, it's the world around us that has changed. Today,
everything is consumeristic. In the olden days who had heard about
celebrity endorsements? Today, every celebrity worth his name is
endorsing some or the other product. I'm fortunate to be lured with
so many offers because it enables me to clear my debts and rise above
my financial crisis. No matter how the public perceives me, at home,
I'm the provider of the family and it gives me joy to grant them what
they desire. That they don't desire or demand too much is another
matter. I'm privileged to have a family that is not overtly
ostentatious.
But if they were, would you indulge in the extravagance?
My philosophy is that I'm working hard and I should be allowed to
make the choices of spending my money. We lead a comfortable life,
according to some, it may be described as excess, but one has strived
for it. So if the extravagance brings my family joy, they should be
indulged. When you do it for a loved one you are never counting the
expenses.
And for yourself?
Well... I'm not demanding by nature and there are as such no
deprivations. But if there was something I cherish, I would not
exercise unnecessary self-control.
Everyday, there are new titles conferred on you. What emotions do all
these felicitations evoke in you?
Gratitude. It is all very overwhelming. I accept people's
appreciation for my work with humility but there is also a sense of
shock. I'm not sure if I'm deserving of so much adulation.
Do you sometimes fear it will all go away?
I do, in fact all the time. And I know it will go away. That's the
law of nature. Nothing lasts forever and no matter what anyone says,
nobody is ever prepared to lose it. You may sense it from the roar of
the audience at different seasons of your career, but no artiste is
ever sure.
How different is the current success from when you first tasted it
in '75?
Today, I don't have as many successes as I did that time. So
relatively the pressures are lesser. Then, with each new release, I
was expected to perform better and the expectations were rising both,
from the audience as well as the box-office. As a result, one had to
all the time succeed and was therefore all the time, worried. Today,
the responsibility of a film faring is not on me so I'm much more
relaxed. It's a more comfortable phase.
You also seem to be enjoying yourself much more now.
Most certainly, for this is a time when you have finished paying
dividends as a professional. Unfortunately, a major part of an
individual's life is expended in aspiring for success. When you are
just out of college, you are frustrated because you are not sure if
you have chosen the right career. Then, you are not sure if you are
courting the right chances and after all the struggle, you are not
sure if you are going to succeed. That's not all. When you finally
find success, you are not sure how long it will last. The process is
invigorating. But once the frenzy has subsided, there is peace. Quite
like nature, which beyond a point turns completely still. I'm
relishing that tranquil phase just now.
This reflects in your commercials, earlier there was a certain
shyness, now you appear less inhibited.
I'm shy even now. There are butterflies in my stomach everytime I
face the camera, but because I'm shooting ads more frequently now,
I'm able to disguise my awkwardness. In the past, they were isolated
efforts while now, I've understood the craft. In cinema, we have the
luxury of delivering a message in three hours. But in advertising,
one has to sell the product in three second. It is a big challenge.
From the stern patriarch in Mohabbatein to autumn romance in Baghban,
how much of the shades come from the actor?
If I feel an urge to contribute and I'm encouraged, the result has
always been positive. I would feel defeated as an artiste if I'm
denied expression. That's a part of the creative process. Its beauty
is that it cannot be described. As actors, we listen to story
narrations, rehearse our lines, some of us spend private time in the
bathroom or bedroom acting out the scene in front of a mirror. But
when one is on the set, in front of the camera, a new world takes
over. And when you hear the clapboard, an entire new identity takes
over your existence. What you do is something entirely different from
what you had imagined. That is why I shy away from rehearsals, for
I'm always frightened of losing the moment.
Hindi cinema has habitually ridiculed the police and mis-represented
the noble profession. It is time to change all that. Every profession
has its flock of black sheep but they also have their white knights.
It isn't fair to generalise
What are your other anxieties as an actor?
I'm always nervous when I'm beginning work with a new director
because it means I'm going to be on test again. It's bad enough to be
able to deliver a convincing performance, but its worse when you have
to stand up and emote in front of a stranger. There is a possibility
that he feels as much on test as me but we are not sharing notes, so
the discomfort persists till we reach a creative understanding of
each other's comfort zone. After that, it is not all that difficult.
Rajkumar Santoshi says your participation in Khakee is more than as
an actor. He says you've contributed in structuring of a scene.
It would be dishonest to not articulate something I feel strongly
about, emotionally or intellectually in the process of shooting.
Still, that does not give me the credit of structuring a scene.
Santoshi has the unique ability of explaining a scene but never
challenging you to do it exactly his way. Only in extreme cases and
for valid reasons, he insists you do the scene his way.
What about the occasions when you have after-thoughts as an actor?
That happens too and I have always expressed them to my directors the
following day. During Khakee Santoshi was very forthcoming of the
suggestions made. There were times he disagreed as well, but I
respected that. I am conscious of my responsibility as an actor and
unless I have a very strong alternative, I would not recommend it to
him or any other director. Such communications can only occur when
there is mutual trust between the director and his artiste.
What about moments when you wanted to suggest alternative and held
back.
Yes... there were such moments as well and I've regretted them. I've
held back because I did not want to be misunderstood or because I was
lazy. But during such times the creative person inside me has always
rebelled. Today, I feel that if there is an irritant I must express
it rather than leave it for posterity. I'm at a phase in life where I
don't want to fester wounds. I want to call a spade a spade. So
whether it is a scene or a song, a film or an argument I disapprove
of, I say so. I've never done this in the past but I want to now and
I feel I'm a more relaxed person that way. It cleanses my system and
what's heartening is that people take it in the spirit it is
intended. Life is so much better this way!
You sound like your character in Baghban?
For whatever reason, the character has struck an emotional chord with
the audience. The film has evoked social debates all over Asian
countries. Parents are reviewing their relationships with their
children and children are rechecking their priorities. The younger
generation is unsure of what to do with the older generation. Unlike
the West, who put their parents in old age home, we dont' have such
custom. We tend to safeguard them, sometimes to an extent of
disabling them. Inadvertently, we closet them from seeking the world.
Abroad, the retired lead a more challenging life. The process of
fending for themselves fills them with zest, whilst back home, with
our overcaring we take away their spirit to survive.
When you get old which of the two lives would you prefer?
I may not get there because don't forget I'm having chavan pravash...
ha, ha, ha... 
[color=red]** ***
  
He has played several police inspector roles in several films. From
1973, Zanjeer which shot him to fame; Amitabh Bachchan in his three
decade career, has given multiple shades to his 17 odd characters in
uniform. Suave as the plain clothed officer in Great Gambler, he was
naughty in Suhaag, anguished in Dostana, courageous in Barsaat Ki Ek
Raat, grumpy in Mahaan, foolish in Shahenshah, dejected in Akayla and
alienated in Aks. In his second innings as an actor, Bachchan
reappears as a close to retirement DCP in Keshu Ramsay's Khakee. Says
Ajay Devgan, co-star of Bachchan in the film, "If Amitji immortalised
the cop in 1973, he will redefine the image again in 2003."
Reproduced below are excerpts of the conversation with the actor
reflecting on the role. Structured in the form of a letter addressed
by the actor to his character, Anant Srivastav, there are glimpses of
a real-to-reel journey.
Dear Anant Srivastav, Destination: Khakee, DMS Films
"I first hear about you when director Rajkumar Santoshi comes to my
home and narrates a subject about police force. Since I have played
police inspector roles in several films, I am not exactly overawed.
That does not deter Rajji's enthusiasm however. In the forthcoming
weeks, he sends me a dossier about you. Name: Anant Kumar Srivastav.
Age: 60. Appearance: Strong but weighed down, has a slight paunch.
Marital status: Has a wife and grown-up children. Aspirations:
Dormant. As is my habit, I let the folder rest on my desk and look at
it from time to time. Reluctant to let you invade my private world so
soon, I watch you hover around me, as I go through my daily motions
at home and outside.
"Sometimes, while travelling long distance, I catch myself thinking
about your life. Looking out of the aircraft window one day, I wonder
if you have ever travelled abroad or desired to. My director Santoshi
describes you as someone who hasn't got his due as a professional and
is therefore frustrated. Somehow, I cannot imagine you being
diffident. At times, cheerless may be, but not without hope. And
that's what attracts me to you. There's more to you than meets the
eye... More to you than what you express or reveal to your family.
Gradually, I'm filled with a desire to unveil the mask. I'm curious
to know what's behind the face that is always so calm.
"On the first day of the shooting, as I wear the costume complete
with the belt and the medals, I notice my body language changing.
That's the effect of a uniform. Unconsciously, one absorbs the pride
of the profession. I find myself walking upright because a DCP would
not swagger. When I sit down, even in between shots, I'm conscious
not to stretch my legs wide as is my habit because it would not seem
proper. Similarly, instinct tells me that Srivastav wouldn't laugh
too loudly and when hurt, would withdraw.
"At 60, you have been picked up for a mission where other officials
have failed. It is a mystery why the political heads have chosen you,
someone past his prime, to solve the case. You resent the appointment
at this stage of your life, for there is a wedding in the family and
you'd rather participate in the celebrations. But it's a call of duty
and you cannot decline. There are other fears lurking inside you
which you cannot share with anyone. You feel on test and this is
hardly an age when one wants to fail.
"In the coming days, you are anxious and spend many sleepless nights.
So do I, worrying about your anxieties... I'm beginning to get a
scent of your character but I'm not sure if I fully comprehend the
complexities and unless I do, how can I portray them as effectively?
It would have helped, for instance, if I knew you or someone like you
in my surroundings. But since I don't, I search for answers in the
bound script provided by the director. But it's not that simple. The
more I read about the harsh realities relating to your profession,
the more confused I become. I may have portrayed several police roles
in the past, but none of the films dwelled on the perils of the
profession.
"Khakee emphasises on the pressures cops endure in the course of
duty. It emphasises on the ruthlessness of life and the changing
equations in bureaucracy. The politician and the police force and
subsequently, between the police and the common man. And in the midst
of it all is of course you, Anant Srivastav, caught in a social and
moral crisis! Victimised, oppressed, but putting up a brave front.
Breaking in spirit but unwilling to compromise on principles.
"As the shooting progresses, I become more comfortable with your
identity but self-doubts surface everytime defamatory reports appear
in the media. A current scandal involving the police force is the
headline of all the national dailies. On the sets, we wonder whether
this could affect our film. We discuss if the audience would still
have faith in a hero like you. But once again, it's our director who
diffuses all doubts. He asserts that its in crucial times like these,
that one needs to reinforce a fresh perspective. And he is convinced
that only a believable hero who may stumble, can revive faith in the
moral fibre of society. Someone like you, who has the wisdom of his
experience and the support of his able team.
"For too long, Hindi cinema has habitually ridiculed the police and
mis-represented the noble profession. It is time to change all that.
Every profession has its flock of black sheep but they also have
their white knights. It isn't fair to generalise. The message of the
film is so inspiring but more than that, it's your sincerity that is
moving. There are moments during the long battle that you are unable
to cope. Weak moments, when you get swayed but when you discover
truth, you are unashamed to acknowledge your mistake. There is such
honesty in your struggle.
"I learnt, portraying you in Khakee, that in life, there are times
when one has to forgo smaller triumphs to fulfil bigger
responsibilities. Something resolved for me internally as I am sure
it did for you as well. Or may be that's the only way you know,
perhaps. Thank you, Anant Srivastav, for dropping by my life.
Yours sincerely <span style='font-family:Courier'>Amitabh Bachchan</span>
 [/color]
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