CINEMA

KALYUG An Art Film For The M asses

IKE every other Shyam Benegal finance a second film. As the script film, K alyug, slated for release next progressed, however, it went through L month, has already received more several changes and finally Kapoor has than its fair share of media attention. ended up playing Karan rather than The focus, however, seems to have Arjun. “It has been a very satisfying been on the fact that the director has role”, he says and Benegal adds, cast commercially established stars “Shashi’s character is the pivot around such as Rekha, Shashi Kapoor and Raj which the film revolves.” In a sense, Babbar in its major roles. The criticism the focus on Kapoor has helped reduce that greeted Junoon, his last film, is the complexity of a film that with its now being repeated. Benegal, it is being multiplicity of characters, and ambi­ said, has sold out, gone commercial, tious structure, works on many diffe­ dumped his art film credentials, and rent levels. switched to a more paying kind of Says Benegal of his film; “K alyug cinema. has been my most complicated film. I Yet, both artistically and stylistic­ ally, K alyu g—about the conflict be­ tween two industrial families—is Be- negal’s most ambitious project to date. For the first time, he has chosen to work on a contemporary, and, equally signi­ ficant urban theme. Unlike his previous films and those of many other art film-makers, there is no attempt to draw from Indian rural experience, no mys­ ticism, and no village romanticism. The milieu is closer to Benegal’s own world —city life, industry and intrigue. However, true to form, he has continued to draw his basic inspiration from tradition— in this case, the Shyam Benegal (top right): going commercial and (above) a tense scene from K alyug Mahabharat. He has not borrowed the have had to develop and establish far Many of the similarities to the plot, or the structure, so much as some more characters than before.” The Mahabharat situation, were dropped as of the characters, whom he has placed story shows two inter-related industrial the film progressed. “In fact, we now in latter day situations. Explains Be­ families—the Puranchands and the have only about seven prototypes,” negal, “I have long been fascinated by Khubchands—first falling out and Benegal says. “But,” he adds hastily, “I the archetypes from the epic.” then, in the course of the film, des­ wouldn’t like to name them, otherwise Changes: In fact, even before he troying each other. The family tree has audiences would seek parallels that are launched Junoon, Benegal had wanted to be well defined, and each relation­ not intended to be there.” to make a Mahabharat-like film with ship made relevant. The film had to be In addition to Shashi, Benegal has Shashi Kapoor playing Arjun. In 1978 set in the family homes where the an impressive cast including Anant Girish Karnad handed in the first draft women play a role in the continuing Nag—a long-time Benegal favourite, of the screenplay that was later to rivalry, as well as in the factories, who plays one of the sons in the become K alyug, and after the relative where labour problems beset the inter­ Puranchand branch, Kulbhushan success of Junoon, Kapoor agreed to nally crumbling management. Kharbanda, Nag’s brother, and Raj

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Babbar, who completes the trio. “I more interested in horses and racing and a member of the Walchand family have been watching Babbar since his than his work. Claims Benegal, “It will was of great help. Probably because of National School of Drama (NSD) be different from his other roles so his vast experience as an industrialist, days,” says Benegal. “And I took him far. ” Playing opposite Babbar is Rekha he was very enthusiastic about the because he seems plausible enough as — a surprising choice. “I picked her project. “In fact,” recalls Benegal, “he the brother of the other two.” Babbar because she has such an arresting, even came up with a whole new script plays an easy-going business man, immediate personality,” says Benegal, of his own.” Doshi also laid open the “when she appears in a scene one Cooper Engineering factory at Pune doesn’t look at anyone else.” Benegal for the shooting. “The employees and needed someone who could look trade union leaders participated in the sophisticated, well-bred and artistic, strike sequences, and so they appear and he is all praise for the dusky very authentic,” says Benegal. Only actress. two or three other locations were used Outside Help: “Working on this for shooting. Some of the scenes, in­ film was not as difficult as shooting cluding a wedding party, were shot at Junoon,” says Benegal. Vinod Doshi, the Bombay Port Trust Chairman’s an active participant in the Kalyug unit. rambling mansion at Carmichael Road.

Rekha and Shashi Kapoor (left); well established and (right) Anant Nag and Supriya Pathak in Kalyug

“The party was a real one, and many guests were unaware that we were shooting,” recalls Benegal. On the same evening apparently. Rani Dube from Attenborough’s Indo-British unit dropped by and promptly asked for permission to shoot G andhi on the same premises as well! Vinod’s brother Chakor Doshi, also lent his Cuffe Parade penthouse apartment for the venture. In fact some of the parapher­ nalia required for the family scenes was borrowed from the family too. Those who have had glimpses of the narrative, are very curious as to whether the film is based on any real life industrial family. Benegal, natural­ ly, vehemently denies the suggestion, Gobind Nihalani with Shashi Kapoor: a continuing association with Benegal admitting, however, that some of the

BOMBAY: March 22-April 6, 1981 47 CINEMA ■ ^ '- '1 incidents may have come from some­ to emerge from the film is a “universal SHYAM BENEGAL thing that he has heard of, or experi­ sense of tragedy”. Like in his other enced, of family-owned industry. films, he pursues his inherent belief in “Many of the ideas are picked from the moral values. “I want to say,” he Fine Sensibility Mahabharat itself”, he says “and the explains, “that you cannot do some­ h e Sahyadri Films office at Tar- rest are inventions. But,” he adds thing which is immoral, otherwise the deo, looks very much like that of philosophically, “I can’t prevent people brittleness shows.” And one has to face T any ad film-maker. Spools and casset­ from drawing parallels, which I guess the unpleasant consequences of one’s tes piled casually in dark corners, the they will.” actions. hubbub of conversation interspersed In fact, with Benegal’s background Luckily, Benegal, so far, has been with the working Jargon. But, as you of social films, Kalyug will be inter­ able to weave the moral of his film go into Benegal’s own room,you sense preted as a comment against family- expertly into the actual tale. In fact, his an immediate change—from the gloom forte is that he is such a powerful of the rear to sunlit brightness, from narrator. And Kalyug will be a real test advenising to art film. Posters of past of him as a master story-teller. Here, it triumphs are carefully pasted over two may not be so easy for him to combine walls, interrupted by billboards of plot and form with cohesion. For one Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and The thing, there are far too many characters Thief of Baghdad. His desk is strewn functioning at different levels. Each has with unattended mail, besides hard to be developed with a certain integrity cover books. He picks up his gold- and individuality, without making it rimmed glasses, lying on one such edition, apologising when they promp­ tly fall off his nose and complains mildly: “VanraJ Bhatia makes them loose by using them.” Benegal’s easy camaraderie with his unit is well-known. Most of the people who have worked with him, ascribe to the theory that it is like being on a long picnic. The man himself is as casual, sitting at ease on a straight- backed chair, in his fawn coloured shirt and dark trousers. “Film-makers are such boring people,” he says self- deprecatingly, reluctant to talk about himself. “There is no drama in their lives,” Drama or no drama, Benegal appears to be a regular film junkie. Rekha on the sets: giving her best Right since his advertising days — after the initial stage of learning the owned industry. However, he states appear as if they have been awarded only ropes that is—he has been pursuing emphatically that he has no such de­ superficial differences. For another, Be­ what has been his ambition since the signs. “My film rises above that really,” negal will have to put a much tighter rein age of six—films. “I always knew I he says. “It is not restricted to any one on his style, if it is not go awry, as in would make films, not act in them,” he class.” Junoon, chasing away at tangential char­ says. Apparently, his choice of career The main reason why Benegal has acters, irrelevant to the film. was not run down by his family, who, used powerful industrial empires is that And so, with Kalyug comes a new because of cousin Guru Dutt, were it lends epic possibilities to the film. era for Shyam Benegal, and possibly, already familiar with the film circuit. The plot structure, Benegal admits, is for the whole clique of realistic film­ “My father had a movie camera, which similar to that of a Greek tragedy, in makers. Because, for the first time, an I used to try my hand at,” he recalls. that the characters set some course of authentic look will be taken into the “In fact, I made my first mini-film at events in motion, and their actions set lives of the industrial urban elite—their the age of 12, which I titled, Chhutiyon loose a predestined string of consequ­ hopes, their aspirations, and finally Mein Mauj Maza. ” Naturally, he also ences, which go beyond their control. perhaps, their inevitable destruction. would bunk school whenever possible And in fact, what Benegal desires —Rohini Nilekani to visit the cinema. Luckily, he seemed

48 BOMBAY: March 22-April 6, 1981 to have professors who shared his dows open” as he terms it, “on life and contemporary art films. Which is prob­ interests, because he once spotted his the changes taking place in it. ” Says he ably why Benegal is viewed with some chemistry teacher at one of his truant philosophically: “You have to be alert, cynicism, referred to as a ‘picture shows. otherwise you can miss the wood for postcard painter’ and damned with Ad Line: “Later on, when I came the trees. "Benegal, in conversation, is faint praise as merely ‘competent.’ to Bombay,” he says, idly reminiscing wary of using cliches. This wariness Colleagues, of course, pick out his about his career to date, “there were probably stems from the fact that his outstanding qualities. Says Saeed Mir- unfortunately no film schools.” So critics have, sometimes without justice, za, of Albert Pinto fame: “Benegal is a Senegal, in ’59, did the next best thing. accused him of oversimplifying a prob­ good story-teller. He makes a narrative He got into advertising. In Lintas, and lem, which is also one of the reasons he film, and does it well. The form he uses in Associated Sales Promotion (ASP), does not like to talk about his films in coincides with what he has to say, and he moved from copywriting and client retrospect. “They* are done and gone, ” so there appear to be clear cinematic servicing to writing scripts and direct­ he says. “Whether good, bad or indif­ solutions. ” ing short ad films. In ’72, he got his ferent, they have established a relation­ In any case, although he refuses to first chance to break away with the ship with the audience,” adding, “not fit into any category, either art or Homi Bhabha fellowship, on which he that I don’t analyse my films, it is just commercial film, there is more to travelled, in India and abroad, made that it is difficult to translate the Benegal beyond his odd-man-in image. children’s films—of which the most technicalities into lay terms.” He is one of the very few, who have set famous is Charandas Chor—taught, Commercially Viable: However, themselves up in the government and picked up new concepts in the there is little controversy about many bureaucracy that handles all matters bargain. Back in Bombay, he also did a lot of work for the fledgling Doordar- shan—a series of films on the apprecia­ tion of Indian classical music, “which are still shown on and off,” as he puts it. “It was only when I had all this experience behind me,” he adds, “that I had the courage to make a feature film. ” For A nkur, the story of which he wrote at the age of 16, he had to indulge in a lot of softsell, before he got Freni Varavia and Mohan Bijlani to finance him. And after the success of Ankur, Benegal’s life has been an open book, public attention dogging his footsteps at every stage. “I have no notion of having ‘ar­ rived’,” claims Benegal. “For one thing, rtiy life-style has hardly changed at all, since my early days. My sensibil­ ity, is still the same. In other words, I carry the same ideology. ” Only Beneg­ al’s circle of friends seems to have of his films, in any case. Therefore, dealing with film-making—the Film tightened over the years. He associates they are not subjected to too rigorous a and Television Institute of India (Fin), mainly with people from the same post-mortem. In fact, one of the and the National Film Development profession now. For instance, Satyadev reasons w hj Benegal is so conunercial- Corporation (nfdc). Recendy, he was Dubey, Girish Karnad, form part of ly viable is that an audience can easily made president of the ftii society, and this inner circle. “We share a—what reach a conclusion about his films. The chairman of its Governing Council, for shall I call it?—a humanism,” he says, complexities are probably there for a tenure of two years. Also, he is on the regretting that the word probably those who want to read them, but by board of directors in the nfdc. These sounded cliched. “It’s a certain attitude and large, Benegal appears to have appointments have laid claim to a great to social inequalities,” he adds, trying found his answers. Tliere is not the deal of Benegal’s precious time. But he to explain further what he means. painful souhsearching, the doubt and doesn’t seem to mind. Benegal tries to “keep the win­ the constant query found in other — Rohini Nilekani

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