Genteel Storyteller a Filmmaker Who Successfully Explores the Mind of the Vulnerable Middle-Class Woman
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PROFILE ◆ RITUPARNO GHOSH Genteel Storyteller A filmmaker who successfully explores the mind of the vulnerable middle-class woman By LABONITA GHOSH In Asukh, the subject is unorthodox—the spectre of AIDS. Asukh explores the trauma of an actress who has barely LEASE DON’T SHOOT ME HERE, I LOOK VERY recovered from the loss of her fiance to her protege when she fat.” Filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh is sitting bleary- comes to know that her mother might have AIDS. eyed in his den at nine in the morning, his chin Ghosh’s strong female characters attract even Bollywood rough with a 7 O’clock stubble, his hair an unruly actresses now. Kiran Kher is acting in his Badiwali, a sensitive mess, as he makes the disarming plea. Superim- portrayal of an ageing landlady whose crumbling mansion is Pposed on the trademark lean and dandy avatar of Ghosh is the exploited by a film crew. Says Debashree Roy: “It’s the strong new image of the smug cineaste—the success and content- female leads that brings good actresses to his films. Ritu really ment also showing in the increased inches around the waist. understands and expresses the mind of a woman very well.” Ghosh’s latest film, Asukh, has been released in Calcutta’s But Ghosh says it’s not female sensitivity he explores but the theatres and like the telephones in his films, the one at home vulnerability of humans—and alienation and loneliness. “So- hasn’t stopped ringing since. With a Silver Lotus for the Best ciety automatically perceives a woman as vulnerable which is Bengali Film, Ghosh completes a hattrick of national film why my leads are women or elderly people,” he says. Then gig- awards. He won his first Golden Lotus for Unishe April, which gling boyishly, he adds: “My female friends tell me I’m so sen- was adjudged Best Film in1995. It also bagged the Best Actress sitive I’d be the best person to have an affair with!” award for Debashree Roy. His second national award was the His critics say the “sensitive director” image is a sham. But Silver Lotus for the Best Bengali Film Dahan in 1997. A dream no one wants to go on record about it. Ghosh is unperturbed run for a director who is only 38. by jibes about his “delicate Bengali sensibility”, and says, “I Two years away from the public eye—after Dahan—Ghosh love reading poetry, although I wasn’t allowed to take up lit- is back in business. But to catch the bachelor in a faded T-shirt erature.” His parents wanted him to study economics. Ghosh and baggy pyjamas is to catch him on a bad day. He’s usually a now collects literature with a vengeance. He crams his small natty dresser. His trademark flowing kurtas(“I love the Mughal but tastefully done-up house (Rajasthani furniture, an im- cut”), churidar and a dupatta draped over his shoulder, are all pressive collection of 126 Ganesha statuettes) with books. designed by him. When he won his second National Award, he Tagore, of course, takes pride of place. “I find my sustenance went up to accept it—looking quite the dainty Bengali babu— in Tagore,” says Ghosh. His inspiration too. Ghosh’s next film, in a black dhoti-kurta, with an embroidered wine red topi and Chokher Bali, is based on Tagore’s 1899 novel about four gold uttariya shawl. The other awardees gaped. youngsters and their fears and expectations at the turn of the That’s Ghosh for you, forever unpredictable, always century. The timing is perfect since it is the turn of another different, a bit of a poseur. Like his films. In 1995, when the century, but work hasn’t begun yet. “Chokher Bali is going to Bengali film market was flooded with kitschy family dramas be a period piece which calls for a lot of studying,” he says. and skin flicks, came Unishe April, a drawing-room drama Some 150 books and journals, just to get the right ambience. about the tension between a widow and her estranged daugh- The mood and atmosphere of a film are the essence. He’s ter. Critics were sure this “non-formula” film would bomb. In- particular about it to the point of nit-picking. “He’s a stickler stead, it surprised everyone by doing fabulous business. for detail,” says friend and long-time assistant Sudeshna Roy. What makes his films click? Ghosh offers a cliche: “I make “Ritu will hold up shooting—for days if necessary—till the them only for myself. If a subject honestly appeals to my sen- interiors are just so.” An otherwise affable Ghosh can get quite sibilities, that will come through.” Indeed, his films come from irritable if things don’t go right. When debutant actor Shilajit the heart. Or at least from his experiences. Filmmaker Mrinal Majumdar muffed a shot in Asukh, Ghosh jumped in to act it Sen, who considers Ghosh “one of the most intelligent film- out. The obsession with detail can have a downside too. Says a makers today”, says his films have “an urban sophistication”. director: “So much detail makes him overstate the understated, They’re usually about relationships. “Show- and this shows up as a weakness in his films.” ing a typically Bengali urban, middle-class This eye for detail probably comes from his family comes naturally to me because I was GHOSH IS advertising background. For 10 years, from born into one,” says Ghosh. Considering that 1984 Ghosh juggled copywriting with mak- soft-porn pot-boilers are the mainstay of the OBSESSED WITH ing ad films. Now when he’s not shooting, he Bengali rural market, Ghosh’s urbane films DETAIL AND IS edits the popular Bengali film magazine Anan- could have been cinematic hara-kiri. “But I’ve dalok. But he had no formal training in film- never had a problem finding financiers,” he KNOWN TO HOLD making. Not that it bothers him. He’s picked says, “till now, all my films (budgets of Rs 21- up all he needs from his father Sunil Ghosh, a 30 lakh) have been funded privately.” UP SHOOTING documentary filmmaker. But then, taking risks comes naturally to FOR DAYS IF HE’S As Ghosh gets set for another day at Ghosh. Take his actresses. He cast Debashree work, he appears to have shed the morning Roy and Rituparna Sengupta—big box-of- NOT SATISFIED lethargy and is all dressed up—long kurta, fice draws in Bengali cinema—as deglam- churidar, and all. If his black slip-ons are a ourised, plain Janes. In Unishe April Aparna WITH THE SET. bit jarring, it’s because, he says “my feet are Sen is the “colourful” widow who chooses ❂ sensitive, I have to wear someone else’s shoes”. career over family and even has a boyfriend. Such delicacy has not gone unrewarded. SOUMITRA GHOSH 000 INDIA TODAY ♦ MARCH 00, 1996 MARCH 00, 1996 ♦ INDIA TODAY 000.