ALI

CINEMA ■ BARIW

including the complicated climatic recognised the voice as hers. dubbed” in the form. To add to the con- “Our work as jury ends with the se- ■ by S. KALIDAS and Labonita GHOSH scene where Kiron is holding onto the “Goutamda said to me, ‘I have known fusion Rituparno has said he hasn’t lections,” says Goutam. “The rest is up ID SHE OR DID SHE cupboard and crying. This scene was so Kiron for a long time and I know she yet seen the final print. “Now, is that to the festival directorate to investigate. not? That is the million difficult, says Kayral, that “I literally cannot speak such good Bengali’,” says not incredible?” asks Kayral. If Reeta Kayral can prove it’s her voice, dollar question. With did the dubbing for that scene with Kayral, who played a cameo role herself Sources within the jury and the then some steps need to be taken. An Kiron Kher winning the glycerine in my eyes”. in Aparna Sen’s Paromitar Ek Din, the Government disclose that the jury was easy solution would be to give a citation National Award for best With Kher negotiating the release of other contender for the National Award. deeply split over this film. The Bengali and acknowledge the fact that she actress for her lead role in the film in Bengal around Durga Puja, When a film is entered for compe- speaking members were convinced that dubbed for Kiron. This should not theD Bengali feature film Bariwali neither Kayral nor anyone else in Cal- tition for a National Award, its it was not Kiron’s own voice, but in the detract from Kiron’s acting.” (directed by Rituparno Ghosh and cutta has seen the final print of Bariwali producer has to specify if it has been face of a written declaration by pro- While not willing to be drawn into produced by Anupam Kher) a shrill con- as yet. But Kayral says people on the dubbed in the actors’ own voices. In ducer Anupam Kher to the contrary the controversy herself, Kiron has told troversy is now raging over whether she jury, particularly the chairman, this case, it is learnt that Kher had they had to take it at face value. There friends that she had learnt Bengali for dubbed the film in her own voice or not. Goutam Ghosh, have told her that they ambiguously filled the word “re- were some members who held that six months before doing the film, but Kiron may not be a prolific actress voice and dialogue articulation were a added the rider that even if the film was but few will deny that she would like to vital part of acting. The opposing group dubbed, there was a precedence of ac- be remembered as an actress of (said to have been led by Mumbai direc- tors getting the National Award for substance. From Darmiyan to Sardari tor Saeed Akhtar Mirza) insisted that roles in films where their dialogues had Begum she has been the diva of the off- Kiron’s body language and expressions been dubbed by someone else. beat. So when she is not anchoring were of such high quality that dialogue Indeed, that is not the issue. The issue gender and issue-based talk shows DUB AND delivery wasn’t of much consequence. is whether the Kher couple gave a mis- for television channels she is doing They also cited the precedent set by leading declaration to the jury and the major roles in art cinema celebrating actresses like the Malayalam speaking Films Division to the effect that Kiron the marginals. Sharda who have been honoured for had dubbed the film in her own voice. But great actors invariably get roles in regional films where their When asked for his reaction, Anupam embroiled in petty controversies. Doing voices had been dubbed by others. Kher is both angry and hurt: “Instead of roles in a language in which one is not applauding that a non-Bengali main- fluent is never easy. Add to this the cate- stream actor has spent Rs 40-50 lakh gorical claim by a Bengali television and BE DAMNED producing a film that has won several in- film actress, Reeta Kayral, that con- ternational awards, they are trying to trary to Kiron’s claims, she, Kayral, had A Bengali actress claims she dubbed for Kiron Kher in discredit a person who spent six months dubbed the entire role for Kiron. Here learning the language. It’s a shame. Ob- you have a full-blown fracas with accu- her award-winning film. Did the Khers mislead the jury? viously, I won’t be producing any more sations and clarifications flying across Bengali films.” the sharply polarised film world bet- KIRON KHER: Kayral on her part throws a chal- ween Tollygunje and Bollywood. Voice trouble lenge, “Let Kiron read out one page of According to Kayral, she the script in Bengali. I have heard her dubbed for Kiron based on the pi- Bengali and it is awful.” lot track (the “live” sound dur- Meanwhile the film has already ing shooting) which had bagged an impressive list of Kiron’s voice, including some international awards including Best lines spoken in Hindi when Kiron had her back to the camera. “Otherwise, why “Let Kiron read out one page from would the director pay me to do it?” she asks. And the script. Her Bengali is awful.” moreover, why would the producer offer her half of REETA KAYRAL,Bengali actress the award money? “Anu- pam Kher called me several Narrative Feature at the times. He wanted to know San Francisco Film Festi- about the dates of the dub- val, Netpac Award at the bing, etc. Then he said that I Berlin Film Festival, an deserved 50 per cent of the Na- audience rating of four tional Award remuneration if I out of five at Sydney and had dubbed for Kiron,” says Kayral. has also been invited to Kayral claims she has dubbed the London Film Festi- every frame of the film from dia- val in November. logues to weeping and breathing, One thing is cer- tain, for the right reasons or wrong, “It’s shameful. I won’t when it is re- leased in October, be producing any more Bariwali is bound to run to full houses Bengali films.” both in Bengal and beyond. ANUPAM KHER,producer, Bariwali —with Anupama Chopra