Stories I Must Tell: Journey Of Kabir Bedi
Stories I Must Tell: An Emotional Journey About The Making And The Remaking Of A Movie Star
The first thing that strikes you about Kabir Bedi’s book ‘Stories I Must Tell’ is the honesty with which the actor has written his autobiography. This honesty can be particularly seen in the way he talks about his relationships, the open marriage with Protima Bedi and the relationship that he had later on with Parveen Babi that changed his life. He also talks about the trauma of the three divorces and how he eventually found fulfillment. In short Kabir Bedi bares his soul and takes you on a roller- coaster journey.
The book begins off with his stint as a freelancer at All India Radio. We see his fascination for the famous band Beatles and how he manages to interview them. There is also a glimpse of his friendships with Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi. They had become friends at Aunty Gauba which is Kabir Bedi’s first school In Delhi. Kabir Bedi gives a brief insight into their personalities.
From there we move to his life in Bombay where he started his career in advertising. It is here that he meets Protima Bedi and after a brief courtship they decide to get into an open marriage. More than Bollywood Kabir Bedi focuses on his international journey with particular reference to Sandokan which made him a household name in Italy. In the last chapters he talks about the fascinating love story of his Indian father, a Philosopher in Europe and his British born mother. There is also the heartbreaking chapter on his son Siddarth’s battle with schizophrenia and the consequent suicide.
The best thing about the book is how Kabir Bedi weaves the many worlds of his life, from material to mortal to spiritual. It doesn’t look like he is a first time storyteller. There is certain eloquence to the way he writes.
Not surprisingly the best chapters are reserved for his love life and his parents. There is certain candidness in the way he reminiscences about the significant loves of his life. The first one being Protima bedi, his first wife and mother of his two children, the other one being Parveen Babi the glamorous actress. A lot of the book’s first part is devoted to the tumultuous relationship that he had with both women. He writes that he had gone from one emotionally draining woman to another. At the same time he also admits the mistakes that he did and never paints himself as a perfect man. This quality of Kabir Bedi adds more emotional heft to the book.
Coming to his parents their love story is indeed unique. Their personalities and their journeys from revolutionaries in pre- independence era to eventually becoming spiritual people makes for a fascinating read. Kabir Bedi captures all these things in a deft manner.
His childhood also makes for an interesting read. A part of his initial childhood was spent as a monk in Rangoon. From his childhood Kabir Bedi had experiences with different religions. The reason being his family lineage had a direct connect with Guru Nanak Dev and his mother was ordained as a Buddhist nun. In the chapter ‘Ramblings on the beach’ Kabir Bedi shares his understandings of all religions and these include world religions as well.
Another heartrending chapter in the book is his son Siddarth’s battle with schizophrenia. You see the helplessness of a father in not being able to save his son in spite of his best efforts. There is no doubt that this chapter will make you emotional.
Apart from the above mentioned ones Kabir Bedi also deserves appreciation for how he sketches his interactions with international celebrities. He manages to give a character sketch of them with their traits.
The one slight flaw is that we don’t understand why Kabir Bedi had to jump into marriages so frequently! He had four marriages altogether but doesn’t talk much about the second and third ones, or for that matter even about the son he had from second marriage. His daughter Pooja Bedi acted in some movies but wasn’t very popular. His granddaughter Alaya F recently made her debut in Jawaani Jaaneman.
In totality, Stories I Must Tell takes you on a roller- coaster journey of emotions. It comes across as a deeply personal story with no superficiality.
Naveen Polishetty: A Rising Star
Ajeeb Daastaans: An Uneven Anthology Saved By Neeraj Ghaywan And Kayoze Irani
Ajeeb Daastaans has interesting ideas at its core but it could have been far better. Out of the four stories only two stand out. One is Neeraj Ghaywan’s Geeli Pucchi starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Aditi Rao Hydari. In this approximately 40 minutes film the director combines the themes of caste, sexuality and womanhood. Kayoze Irani’s Ankahi on the other hand is a heartwarming story with winning performances from Shefali Shah and Manav Kaul. Below is my brief analysis of the four films.
- Majnu directed by Shashank Khaitan- Majnu revolves around a couple who end up together because of a business alliance and as a result struggle to find happiness. Things take a turn when a third person Raj played by Armaan Ralhan turns up. He turns their life upside down. The biggest issue with this story is Mirzapur hangover. Right from the atmospherics to the dialogues you are heavily reminded of that series. There isn’t much here to appreciate but there are a couple of positives. One of them is the unexpected revelation of Jaideep Ahlawat’s character. It comes in when you are least expecting it. The other positive is the performance of Fatima Sana Sheikh. The actress does a good job. Jaideep Ahlawat on the other hand looks lost which is strange considering how good he was in last year’s Paatal Lok.
- Khilona directed by Raj Mehta – Director Raj Mehta’s Khilauna is an earnest attempt at highlighting the gap between rich and poor. It does succeed in making you uncomfortable but it is not in a good way. Nushrrat Bharuccha and Inayat Verma play sisters who have strong survival instincts. Sushil played by Abhishek Banerjee is a laundry man who loves Nushrrat Bharuccha’s Meenal. When her illegal electricity connection is terminated she decides to use her sexuality. In spite of strong performances by Bharrucha and Inayat Verma this segment suffers because of cramming too many things. Raj Mehta is not able to humanize the character of Meenal. Too much time is spent on her sexuality.
- Geeli Puchhi directed by Neeraj Ghawyan – Geeli Puchhi is easily the best one out of the four. In its crisp run time the director addresses caste, sexuality and womanhood in an impactful way. In fact a whole movie can be created out of this short story and it would make for an interesting film. Konkana Sen Sharma plays a Dalit assembly line worker and Aditi Rao Hydari is the Brahmin data operator who has been given the job that Konkan’s character wanted.
Historical faultiness stand between these two but they have a mutual attraction which draws them together. However the limits of their mutual attraction are revealed in a quiet but devastating manner. There is also a clever node to 36 Chowringhee Lane which was directed by konkana’s mother Aparna Sen.
Konkana delivers a super performance as usual. With her body language she conveys the multiple battlefronts that a woman faces at any given point. Aditi Rao Hydari gives a pleasant surprise as a seemingly immature woman who is a rebel in her own way.
- Ankahi directed by Kayoze Irani- Ankahi is a heartwarming story which works more because of the treatment and also the chemistry between Shefali Shah and Manav Kaul. Shefali plays Natasha the mother of a teenager who is slowly losing her hearing. Natasha and her husband Rohan are drifting apart because of the strain. A welcome distraction arrives for Natasha when she meets a deaf photographer Kabir played by Manav Kaul. Kabir touches Natasha’s heart with sign language and oodles of charm.
What keeps this segment afloat is the way the characters of Natasha and Kabir have been written. It also helps that both the actors share a wonderful chemistry. The scenes between them are sure to bring a smile on your face, especially the one filmed in Kabir’s art gallery. While Shefali Shah stands out Manav Kaul also wins hearts with his charming performance.
To sum it up Ajeeb Daastaans is a mixture of good and not so good stories. It is an earnest attempt but it never comes across as a whole.
William Shakespeare: A Writer For All Ages
Not all writers have a universal appeal but William Shakespeare’s works have transcended geographical boundaries because of the universality of his themes. Although it has been a long time since the writer has died he is still remembered by many and his works have been made into so many films across languages. William Shakespeare was a playwright who wrote stories of so many genres and in each of these genres he left his own stamp. On one hand you have the likes of King Lear, Hamlet etc which leave you heartbroken, on the other side there are the likes of Tempest, Twelfth Night etc which leave you with a smile on your face.
While Vishal Bhardwaj’s trilogy of Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet is well known there are also other movies which are slightly less known. For example, you have the Telugu film Gunasundari Katha directed by KV Reddy. KV Reddy took inspiration from King Lear but changed the ending into a happy one. Comedy of errors was made in both Hindi and Bengali. The Hindi one was directed by Gulzar and starred Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma in leading roles. Comedy of errors is a story about two pairs of identical twins and the chaos that happens as a result. The story ends with the twins finding each other and their parents. Together they resolve the entire problems caused earlier. In Bengal the film was made as Bhrantibilas starring Uttam Kumar.
I haven’t seen the Bengali one but Gulzar’s adaptation was a hilarious comedy with lots of fun elements. It is a complete family entertainer which is something you cannot say about all the comedies. The star cast made the film even more special. While Sanjeev Kumar is as good as usual Deven Sharma matched up equally.
Following are some of the things in Shakespeare writings which explain his universality.
- Plots and Themes- Shakespeare’s plots and themes are something which are timeless. They are not limited to a particular place or time. For example there is the ill fated love of Romeo and Juliet. Although the story is set in England you can place the plot anytime and anywhere in the world. The reason for that are racial, ethnic and the class divisions. Similarly if we talk about Macbeth you have the themes of good versus evil, the dangers of ambition and the influence of supernatural powers. All these themes are as relevant today as they were when Shakespeare wrote the play.
- Complex Characters- One of Shakespeare’s biggest strengths was how he wrote his characters. His characters come with distinct behavioral patterns. He presents human beings with all their vices, virtues, strengths and weakness. Because of that his characters feel like living, breathing human beings instead of being superficial. There are times when he allows the mysteries to go unsolved knowing very well that in real life most people don’t know all secrets about their neighbors, their fellow employees or even themselves for that matter.
- Universality- Because his plots and themes have universal appeal every culture has a Macbeth, a Lear, and an Othello. Versions of all his plays have appeared in almost every language. These include Turkish, Japanese, Korean etc.
- Authenticity- because he had vast knowledge obtained through self education and school he used that knowledge in his writings to make them authentic and believable. He was versed with many languages which include Latin, French and Italian. He also knew many subjects like history, medicine, geography, Flora and fauna, politics and government etc. Last but not the least he was also very well acquainted with human nature and that clearly showed in his writings.
- Observations about Humankind- Shakespeare was someone who didn’t mince words about human nature. He openly expressed his observations about humankind without any flattery or political blandishments. Blandishments are a pleasing statement or an action that we do as a means of gently persuading someone to do something for us.
In totality these are some of the reasons which can be attributed to Shakespeare’s universality. Just like Ramayana and Mahabharata his works will continue to be made forever. You will have new filmmakers exploring his stories in their own ways. The latest being Malayalam film Joji which is inspired by Macbeth.
I will end this feature with a big thanks to William Shakespeare. Thank you sir for writing stories which are so relevant even today.
Joji: Malayalam’s Macbeth
Over the years the works of William Shakespeare have influenced many directors. It started with Romeo and Juliet which has been made multiple times across languages. A popular desi version is the Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla starrer Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. You also have Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela which placed the story in a town that resembled Varanasi. Apart from Romeo and Juliet other works like Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth have also been adopted into movies. For example there is Vishal Bhardwaj’s critically acclaimed Maqbool which took the story of Macbeth and placed it in the setting of a Bombay underworld. Dileesh Pothan draws inspiration from the same source and makes a thriller which haunts you.
The setting of this story is an estate of an influential patriarch PK Kuttapan played by the terrific Sunny PN. Kuttapan lives with his three sons, daughter-in-law and others. From the very first scene we see how powerful Kuttapan is both physically and mentally. He has an iron grip on his family and as a result all the members fear him. Things take a turn when he falls and has a serious injury. Revealing anything more wouldn’t be appropriate given that it would spoil the fun of watching it.
The best thing about the film is the equation shared between Fahadh Fassil’s character Joji and the sister-in-law Bincy played by Unnimaya Prasad. Bincy is a character which is stuck in the daily routine of taking care of men around her. The kitchen is the only place where you will find her. In this woman Joji finds his Lady Macbeth. What brings them together is the circumstances and the oppression that they have gone through.
The strength of the writing can be seen in the dynamics that these two characters share. She knows how Joji is turning all the things in his favor, but both of them have a silent agreement which will benefit them. What they want most is freedom. However there is a minor issue which I have and that is the character could have used more given its potential.
The writing of Syam Pushkaran deserves a special mention as well. He skillfully builds up the tension and the dread which is very important for a story of this genre.
Each character has been well etched. The director also shows the aspect of alcoholism, a serious problem in Kerala through the character of joji’s brother. Almost all the characters are flawed and everyone becomes a catalyst for the tragedies that follow.
The film is also rich in atmospherics as the locales have been brilliantly shot. The interiors of the house also tell a story of its own. You can feel the oppression of the character Bincy and she being non relevant in the family decisions.
The house is large but almost sterile. Due to this reason the greenery outside the house offers a big relief to both the characters and also us as audiences.
Fahadh Faasil has created a niche for himself as one of the most exciting actors of this generation and with Joji he continues his brilliance. Unnimya Prasad also delivers a standout act as the oppressed daughter- in- law. Baburaj is terrific as the elder brother.
In totality Joji works as a fascinating study of human beings while exploring the lengths to which humans can go for a thing known as better living.
Pagglait: A Story Which Is Much More Than A Widow Who Can’t Cry
Umesh Bist’s Pagglait is set in the backdrop of a large Indian family but unlike Sooraj Barjatiya’s sugar overload Umesh focuses on the hypocrisies and the greed. There is no outright villain here, the circumstances make the characters do what they do. In brief Pagglait is a heartwarming winner which works on many accounts.
Sandhya played by Sanya Malhotra is a young widow who is unable to grieve the death of her husband Astik. A major reason for that is they never shared a close bond but things take a turn when she discovers a startling fact about him. It is revealed that Astik was in a relationship with a girl Akansha played by Sayani Gupta. They couldn’t marry as the girl’s parents didn’t approve of Astik. However the main conflict in the story comes when the family members are informed that Astik had left behind 50 lakh worth of insurance money for Sandhya alone and nothing for his parents who are hugely in debt. From here on an absurdist drama begins where the patriarchal figureheads are hell bent on keeping the money within the family. They devise various plans for that which includes trying to bribe the agent into changing the nominee name. Side by side you have Sandhya finding out more about Astik through the character of Sayani Gupta.
Pagglait touches upon many things starting from the hypocrisy of our culture. A good example of that is the character of Raghubir Yadav. He plays the role of an angry uncle who talks about Sandhya’s remarriage openly. He claims to be open minded but flinches every time her Muslim friend passes by.
In a very subtle manner Umesh shows how money is the only religion we follow. This is reflected in the schemes that the elders employ in order to keep the money within the family. Up until then there is no talk on remarriage but when they realize that Sandhya is the nominee of 50 lakh you have Rajesh Tailing’s character who wants to make Sandhya his daughter in law. The reason being he believes that the money will help his son in setting up a hotel.
The dynamics between Sanya’s and Sayani Gupta’s characters has also been explored well by Umesh Bist. Sandhya’s eagerness to know more about her husband and the bond that develops between these two comes out well.
Umesh Bist also deserves credit for not showing Sandhya as a tragic figure. There is nothing miserable or schmaltzy about the portrayal of Sandhya. Of course she is no Rani Laxmibai either. She is a regular woman leading a life of conformism who has an awakening in the midst of a tragedy.
Cinematographer Rafey Mehmood captures the Ganga ghat with all its beauty and complexity. Dialogues written by Umesh Bist are another major winner. They are both satirical and thought provoking. Arjit Singh’s music goes well with the mood of the film.
The film’s star cast lends even more weight to the film. Sanya Malhotra captures the journey off her character perfectly without missing a single beat. After last year’s Shakuntala Devi and Ludo this is another performance where the growth of the actress is visible. The surprise package of the film though is Ashutosh Rana. Known largely for his negative characters Ashutosh delivers a solid act as the morally conflicted father in – law. My favorite scene of Ashutosh is the scene with his wife where he expresses his anger on almost losing his morality. Sheeba Chadda is also good.
In totality Pagglait is well worth your time.
Aranya: Both Rana And The Elephants Deserved A Far Better Film
Aranya: Both Rana And The Elephants Deserved A Better Film
Prabhu Solomon’s trilingual Aranya tries to be many things at once but doesn’t do justice to any of the things that it tries to address. The story of the film is relevant as encroachments in the reserve forest zone are a reality; however Prabhu Solmon wastes a terrific opportunity. The film is also an indirect tribute to Jadav Payeng who is considered to be the forest man of India. Like Payeng Rana’s on screen character is also credited with planting several trees but the similarity ends here as the protagonist’s journey here is a fictional one. The only thing which remotely works in the film is Rana’s performance and some of his scenes with the Elephants in the second half.
In Aranya Rana’s character name is Narendra Bhupathi but he is better known as Aranya. He has grown in the lap of nature and understands every call of a bird or animal. He particularly shares a good bond with the herd of elephants. On the other side of the coin you have the central minister, and a real estate firm along with their many subordinates who want to invade a reserve forest zone. Elephants are at a huge risk of losing their access to their most fundamental need – water.
The biggest problem with the movie Aranya is the mishmash of sensibilities which irritates you. A good example of that is the character of Vishnu Vishal. His style of acting will get on your nerves very quickly as his acting would work more with the Tamil audience than the Telugu ones. It would have been much better if you had a Telugu actor. To make things worse, his character is also very loosely written. You never understand why he is helping the minister’s men more so since he is in love with a naxalite played by Zoya Hussain. Also the track ends very abruptly and it doesn’t add any significance to the story.
The sub plot of the Naxalite movement could have also been dealt in a far better way. There is a mention of it in the beginning but after a point it is reduced to more of a background thing. The characters of the tribal people could have also been more impactful. Their only purpose in the film seems to be rallying behind Rana’s character and make him do all the heavy loading.
Bhuvan Srinivasan’s editing also needed to be much crisper as the length is also a major issue. This can be seen in the very beginning where it takes forever for the title cards to end.
Technically Aranya is a sound product thanks to the cinematography and the art design by Rasool Pookutty. However here also there are certain issues. There are some images which feel very repetitive.
Over the years Rani Dagubbati proved an efficient performer and here also the actor delivers a committed performance. The energy and the conviction that he brings is commendable. The scenes of him and the elephant in the second half will evoke some emotion from the audience. There is a segment where a misunderstanding occurs between Aranya and the elephants as they think that he has killed their fellow friend. Rana’s scenes where he tries to convince the elephants that he didn’t kill are quite impactful.
When making a trilingual film there are certain things that a director needs to be extra careful. It is not enough to take actors from different languages; the sensibilities of their acting should also match the regional cultures.
On the whole Aranya aims big but doesn’t do justice to its vision.
Bombay Begums: A Bold And Evocative Portrayal Of Strong/ Flawed Women (Web Series)
