28 November,2010 03:11 AM IST | | Dinesh Raheja
Krishna Shah, the man behind the Dharmendra classic Shalimar on why his film on Indira Gandhi is not a biopic, and how Dharam may make for a great Nehru
My mental image of Bollywood/Hollywood filmmaker Krishna Shah as I enter his office, is that of a bent, diminutive man poring over a file. But within minutes, he seems tall because he dreams big.
He is meticulous to a faultu00a0-- he practically ties me to a chair, his associate fixes the ear plugs, and I watch a DVD on his forthcoming ambitious project Mother: The Indira Gandhi Story. Later, he whips out print-outs of the notes he has made on the film and offers me a quick scan of theu00a0 detailed storyboards of the entire script. The film begins at her birth and ends at the 1971 war.
| A copy of a storyboard sketch from Mother: The Indira Gandhi Story |
Do you think a biopic will work in India?
Gandhi worked. My film is not exactly a biopic. It's a hero's journey.
What is it about the late Prime Minister's story that makes it cinematic material?u00a0
Indira was a rose of many hues. The most exciting part of the story is the rise of a shy timid girl, Indira, who blossoms into a great leader. An ordinary person becomes so extraordinary. She is told that she cannot have any children but she works on her health and bears two children.
She reluctantly becomes the Prime Minister of India. And then she takes on a dictator like Yahya Khan of Pakistan and stands up to him; and along the way she also stands tall before China and Richard Nixon, (then President of the US)! And she wins the 1971 war. Where are you going to find an icon like her?
Why have you decided to make the film in English and Hindi?
She is the stuff mythical characters are made of. Young people in India need an icon like her. She was named the Woman of the Millennium.
So you think movies have the power to motivate?
I know how Gandhi made an impact on my son, Judson, in America. When I returned home from a trip to London, he had just seen the movie and the way he looked at me was different, He re-experienced India. His friends would look at him as if they were proud of him. One film shifted people's perception of India; just think of the power of Gandhi!
What do you expect the audience to carry from Motheru00a0-- The Indira Gandhi Story?
The fact that she was a motheru00a0-- to her sons, to the nation. Some people have an image of her being Machiavellian, splitting up Pakistan but I think she was driven by the fact that she was a mother. Something just stirred in her when she saw people suffering, and I have tried to capture that (in the script). Her purpose was not the decimation of Pakistan; it was the liberation of the Bengali people.
What was the first name that came to your mind when you were thinking of an actor to play the young Indira Gandhi?
Madhuri Dixit. Later, I was considering a newcomeru00a0-- it would have been the role of a lifetime for heru00a0-- but the 'money people' thought that I should take an established name.
So who have you finally zeroed down on to play Indira Gandhi?
Kareena and Priyanka are good possibilities. I will take a decision within a month.
Which other actors have you cast?
I have talked to Dharmendra for the role of Motilal (Nehru), Nana Patekar for the role of Jayaprakash Narayan. I have dicussed a role with Abhay Deol too.
Are you also considering international stars?
I have Tom Hanks in mind for the role of Lyndon B Johnson and Tommy Lee Jones for the role of Nixon. I have talked to their agents but haven't made them an offer yet.
Will you seek to make the actors look like the historical characters they are playing?
I work with the giants in make-upu00a0-- Greg Cannom who won an Oscar for Benjamin Button and Jenny Shircore, the lady who won an Oscar for Shekhar's film, Elizabeth.
Will you use SFX to recreate some aspects of the film?
I will be creating the US Seventh Fleet using effects. A few days ago we were working on the ship design of PNS Ghazi. Technology hasu00a0 advanced a great deal.
This film is on the other end of the spectrum from your much-publicised 1978 crime caper, Shalimar. How do you look back on that film?
I was the Night Shyamalan of my times (laughs). I came out of film school and sold one script -- Rivalsu00a0-- which was considered a classic at that time. I moved on to Shalimar which I wrote, directed and co-produced.
Why did Gina Lollobrigida opt out of Shalimar after coming to Mumbai for the film's party?
The lead actress was Zeenat, but Gina wanted to play her role. I told her, 'You can't play that! I want you to play the role of a circus dancer'.
Is it true that when Zeenat saw Gina's revealing outfit at a party hosted for Shalimar, she went back home and returned wearing a sexier outfit?
No, I don't think so. But I know there was some talk about the battle of the busts (laughs).
We saw a full-fledged kiss for the first time in Shalimar.
The first official kiss, yes. And we froze on it on screen.
But the film didn't work.
Dharmendra was fantastic in the English version; it worked. He is a great actor. Besides, Shalimar has survived all these years. And that speaks for itself.
Finally, which Indian actor, if any, is recognised abroad?
Anil Kapoor is the only Indian name who is recognised abroad. His was a breakthrough performance
(in Slumdog Millionaire).
