Bhawana Somaaya

In the olden days film writers did not get separate credit for story, screenplay and dialogues. It was taken for granted that the one, who conceived the story, wrote the screenplay as well as the dialogues of the film.

Over the years writing of a film got divided in to three specific departments as a result one man wrote the story, the second, the screenplay and the third wrote the dialogues. Their role was to collectively translate the story idea of the filmmaker on paper and for this he was paid a small fee and often given no credit.

The writer was more often than not treated like a munshiji by the production houses. Two versatile writers who could not be patronized and who stood their ground all through their careers were Inder Raj Anand and Pt. Mukhram Sharma. Inder Raj Anand was a very knowledgeable man and Mukhram Sharma was apparently was the most dependable and systematic writer of all times.

The equations changed with the arrival of Salim- Javed who changed the dynamics of writing in Hindi cinema in the 70s. The duo rained super hit films every week in the cinema halls and the audience loved their power packed dialogues. They were the final word in casting of a film…It was on their suggestion that Prakash Mehra cast Amitabh Bachchan in Zanjeer and Ramesh Sippy in Sholay. There were times they wanted a change in the climax and they convinced director Yash Chopra that they were right. They created superstars but called the shots and it was the only time in the history of filmmaking that writers’ names appeared on the billboards.

Salim Javed were the highest paid writers in India and for the first time since inception films were identified not by the lead stars or the banner of a film but as Salim Javed films.

The magic lasted roughly over a decade. Salim Javed saw the rise and fall of Rajesh Khanna and the rise and rise of Amitabh Bachchan. When the partnership split Salim saw the rise of Sanjay Dutt in Naam and Javed was responsible for the launch of Anil Kapoor in Mashaal and Meri Jung. When the duo was together mediocre films got transformed into magic. When they split, screenplay writing went downhill. Filmmakers got back to their original role of narrating story ideas to debutant writers and guiding them into scripts.

The result was never the same. Most of the films in the coming decade suffered because of mediocre scripts. In the absence of powerful, original writing filmmakers exploited raw talent and did not pay them what they promised. Sometimes established writers rehashed old plots and sold them to new filmmakers but there was nobody to listen to their story of woes because there were no specific guidelines drafted even a Writer’s Association since decades.

In the pre-independence days a bunch of revolutionary writers got together and launched Progressive Writer’s Association comprising path breaking writers and poets like Faiz, Ismat Chugtai, Sultan Jafri, Kaifi Azmi among others. Today, this Association has a new team of gifted writers led by Anjum Rajaballi and Atul Tiwari who consistently fight for the rights of the writers in terms of fees, credit, copyright or royalty.

The Progressive Writers Group has been active and holding regular meetings and workshops to inspire young talent. A lot of them are on board with education systems like Subhash Ghai’s Whistling Woods and FTII, Pune. The Progressive Group was elected to the Executive Committee of the Film Writers Association in 2008. Since then, several over-due initiatives have been undertaken by Film Writers Association.

After long negotiations, the Model Contract is now with the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), the parent body of all 22 trade unions for different crafts of the film industry. While producers have been delaying negotiations, FWA had to impress upon FWICE to resolve the issue at the earliest. It took a lot of persuasion but finally FWICE has agreed and meetings with producers’ bodies ought to begin soon.

A Model Contract for TV writers also has just been finalized and will be submitted to FWICE shortly.
The Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2010 was tabled in parliament in April. FWA had actively intervened and made a representation to the HRD Minister to ensure that protection of screenwriters’ copyright and royalties were included in the Bill. The Bill has incorporated these suggestions and is currently with the parliamentary Standing Committee. Film Writers Association in the meantime has in a strongly worded letter made another representation. They know they have to be vigilant until the ministry passes these representations as Law later this year.

With these initiatives, FWA’s aim is clear: Replace the helplessness of the individual writer with the collective bargaining strength of the union. It has to protect every writer’s fees, credit and copyright and the writer’s association can achieve that only if it is strong. Their motives are honourable and credibility no more in dispute. It organises regular screenwriting workshops and seminars in Mumbai and outside. Their last conference in December 2008 was a landmark event which had 600 writers sharing the same space and discussing professional and creative issues!

In two years FWA has walked many miles and conquered a few milestones but the journey isn’t over. The Model Contracts for film and TV writers, the Copyright Amendment, the educational and development activities may be in place but the goal is still far away. Unless every single aspiring writer joins this noble cause, the battle for justice isn’t going to be easy. For FWA to be able to protect all screenwriters, they have first to be established and be endorsed as one powerful body.

They have to be supported by colleagues. And they were. It was hundred percent attendance on Sunday at Time & Again when every small and big writer of merit was present to lend support to the Progressive Writers Group. Every writer who cared for their craft and dignity was there to support the moment.

Today, Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan will come together for a unique jugal bandi of music and mathematics at Prithvi Theatre for Paanch Pachees. The monsoons promises to be a fun filled month at Prithvi Theatre combining films, music, mela and workshops. A sensational project Hive Mind which is a creative engagement with mathematics brought together school teachers and students.
Cconducted by Victoria Gould and Poppy Keeling the duo is masters of the special art. Gould trained at Manchester and Cranfield Universities and is an MSc in Mathematics. A founder member of the devised theatre company Kangaroo Club he collaborated on Shun-kin, A Disappearing Number and The Elephant Vanishes. Keeling started as Administrative Assistant before taking on the role of Education Coordinator, has performed with Theatre in Education Company First Line Theatre and worked as General Manager of Kettle of Fish Theatre Company.

The duo conducted the most extra-ordinary five-day workshop educating children that life is governed by mathematical principles and the prime example of this is the world of bees shaped by rules and systems. The participants studied the habits of honey bee and explored their learning by devising a performance on the final day of the workshop which was a theatrical spectacle.

Bhawana Somaaya
www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Miss you Abba

On May 2002 renowned lyricist and poet Kaifi Azmi passed away. It is eight years but I still vividly remember the first time I met him.
“Abba, ye hamari achchi dost hain…,” Shabana Azmi said introducing me to her father Kaifi Azmi sitting on a cane sofa-set, surrounded by the unique ambience of Janki Kutir, in Juhu, Mumbai. His left frozen hand characteristically resting on the arm of the chair, the right pressing it gently, he said softly, “Dost hai to zaahir hai achchi hi hogi.” That was my first exposure to his subtlety.

Over the years, due to my close proximity to the Azmi family, I got used to his towering personality and the master strokes of his intellect. The beauty of affection is that it makes no cerebral discriminations. I was included in the stimulating mehfils frequently held at the Azmi household, even though I understood very little of the language or the ideology. His awesome personality and thundering voice never intimidated only enchanted his lesser aware audiences. That was his magnanimity.

His strength was that unlike other performing artistes, he never craved for reassurance and remained truly detached from flattery. In a particularly low mood one evening, I asked him what triggered him to write the achingly romantic verse, ‘Dil ki nazuk ragen tutti hain, yaad itna bhi koi na aaye…’ from Hanste Zakhm. He looked at me with blank eyes for a long time, then looked away. It was his ability to hold back always that made his rare gestures of attachment so precious to all those who loved him deeply.

My special memory of him is walking into his room one afternoon to find Abba (as I later came to call him) disdainfully watching his man-Friday unsuccessfully struggle to pull out the naada from his pyjama. As soon as he saw me, he beamed and heaved a sigh of relief. “Is waqt mujhe ek aurat ki sakht zaroorat thi,” he said, signaling his attendant to pass me the pyjama and get on with other routine chores.

Several such magical moments come to my mind as I pen my memories. He and I wordlessly watching a murder mystery over chai and khari biscuit, unusually comfortable in each other’s silence. Me visiting him at Bombay Hospital soon after his back surgery. Brave as usual, his humour intact, he said almost like a mourning beloved, “Aaj Sheeba ki bahut yaad aati hai..” Sheeba was the temperamental dog who never left Abba’s side for a moment. And considering how little Abba communicated with anyone, it was amazing how they bonded in silence.

Over the decades, Abba visited Jaslok Hospital several times, shifting floors, rooms and doctors. Gradually from a robust man whose presence filled the room, he shrunk to a frail figure, permanently laid up on a high bed and closely monitored medically. Surrounded by gadgets and wrapped up in tubes, he was forever in discomfort, but not once did he complain even though his suffering was apparent.

In his last days, he seemed detached even from his poetry. When Shabana plugged in the ear-phones of his walkman and played for him his old numbers, there was no registration or joy in his eyes. The only time he perked up was when receiving the news of the country, or the progress in his village Phulpur, in Mijwan. The anguish was always for the larger mankind, never himself.

On the day he passed away, his new dog Gauri paced restlessly from one room to another. Sensing her master, but confused over not finding him at his regular place, she whined periodically. It was an unusually hot afternoon and a never-ending night. Lines from his poem Makaan reverberated in my mind:
Aaj ki raat bahut garm hawa chalti hai,
Aaj ki raat na footpath pe neend aayegi,
Sab utho, main bhi uthun, tum bhi utho, tum bhi utho,
Koi khidki isi deewar mein khul jaayegi…..

No window opened up to soothe our pain however. In fact, as the hours passed, the heartache increased. Grief flowed and ebbed as different members of the family displayed strength and vulnerability at different moments. Pain was omnipresent and a pall of gloom fell over the house with dusk.

When music directors Jatin-Lalit dropped by to offer condolences, it was late evening and after a long time, there was a nip in the air. After the formalities, in a spontaneous gesture, Jatin began humming Kaifi Azmi’s memorable songs. Soon Lalit joined him, then Javed Akhtar, Neelam Shukla, Parvati Khan and other family friends. It was a magical moment. From the poignant ‘Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam…’ to the reflective ‘Jaane kya dhundti rehti hain aankhen mujh mein…’ the hopeful ‘Zara si aahat hoti hai…’, and the naughty ‘Sara mora kajra chudaya tune…’ to the inspiring ‘Itne baazu itne sar…’ Kaifi Azmi had a song for every mood and moment. Suddenly, the plants he had nurtured with so much love didn’t seem barren anymore. Suddenly, even our hearts filled with hope. Abba hadn’t gone away. It was apparent in the languid way Gauri lay asleep in the doorway. She had made peace. So had the swaying palm trees in the garden…

And so will us hopefully Abba, in your immortal poems and songs.

Bhawana Somaaya
www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Not everyone is as fortunate to have a father like Kaifi Azmi and not everyone is fortunate to have a daughter like Shabana Azmi.

Sometime in the late 70s when the poet suffered a paralytic stroke, he decided to transfer his energy to the welfare of Mijwan, his home town in Uttar Pradesh. It was his zeal and consistent hard work that transformed a sleepy village into a progressive address of India that today boasts of electricity, cement roads, hospital, a railway station, primary and secondary school, college with computer facility.

After Kaifi Azmi’s demise in 2002 his daughter Shabana Azmi has carried forward his legacy and tirelessly worked for the progress of her father’s village. Early this year, Shabana and her God child Namrata Goyal came up with an extra-ordinary idea of introducing the weavers of Mijwan to the world. Supporting her in the cause were ace fashion designers Manish Malhotra and Anita Dongre.

Malhotra and Dongre came forward to mentor Mumbai’s leading fashion colleges to design costumes using the Chikannkari work. It was an ambitious plan that involved coordinating with various people but fortunately everything fell into place. The fashion show titled Mijwan Sonnets was held at Mumbai suburban hotel and participated by top film stars and fashion models. Due to constraints in space, the hair and makeup were set up in two large common rooms and all the actors sat next to each other to get ready. The green room buzzed with excitement as Urmila Matondkar, Farhan Akhtar, Bobby Deol and Konkana Sen embraced and chatted with each other as they got their hair and face done up by the experts.

It was a spectacular evening spilling over with celebrities both on and off stage. If Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Johar, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Diya Mirza dazzled on the stage, Yash Chopra, Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, Zeenat Aman, Gul Panang and Kirron Kher smiled at the participants from the audience. Boman Irani entertained the guests with a song and few jokes. The winners were judged by Parmeshwar Godrej, Twinkle Khanna and Shaina NC. Aishwarya Rai distributed the certificates to the runners up and to the winners.

Namrata Goyal delivered a heartfelt speech on what motivated her to mobilize the youth and take this forward. Kaifi Azmi’s wife, Shaukat Kaifi who was in the audience recited a poem by him that spoke about the progress of women. Shabana introduced the weaver and students of Mijwaan who had come for the special occasion and gave insight into their rural world. It was an emotional evening for everyone especially for the family, a day of remembering the great poet and his philosophy.

Shabana ended the evening with a couplet of her father – “Pyaar ka jashn ek nayi tarah se manana hoga…Dard kisi dil mein sahi, is dard ko mitana hoga…”

**

The same night was the premiere of Big Films Avatar. It is a film that producer-director James Cameron has been working on for more than ten years. The script has gone through innumerable drafts and retains very little of what they started with, even the title and concept of the film has changed. Originally the film was titled Project 880 but Cameron altered it to the more intriguing Avatar and has no qualms about admitting that the film is semi autobiographical.

It is by far the most expensive film ever made by Hollywood but the production house is more than confident of recovering the investment. For a film that is only forty percent of live shooting and sixty percent what they call- Photo Realistic CGI, it is a big experiment in 3D technology. It is being released in India alone with 600 prints in four languages – English, Hindi, Telegu and Tamil.

Like all films there are some merits and demerits. It is too long – 60 minutes- and there are too many special effects. The visual and sound quality makes you feel you are in the planet and after a point your heart craves to take a break from the alien world. Watching a 3D film is a novelty but not all will have access to the 3D theatres and not all can relish the technology quotient overpowering the emotion quotient.

The good thing about the film is the original concept. Like his earlier films, this one is a refreshing idea and tells the story of a group of humans trying to encroach an alien world and what transpires. It reflects the mind of a supremely creative genius who has the imagination to create floating fish, flying saucer, aliens with blue skin, space crafts, unseen creatures and props.

For me the most important part of the film is that it is probably for the first time that such a high budget film has a woman – Sigmourey Weaver – as the central character. Past examples reveal that filmmakers will never risk a high budget film with a woman protagonist unless of course it is a love story. It is said that Cameron too had originally wanted a hero in her role but changed his mind at the last minute for he felt that a woman is more driven by instinct and would be better for the part. The director has confessed in his interviews that the character of Grace- Perfectionist and compassionate- is in fact an extension of him.

**

It is the second time a Marathi film has been entered for the nominations for Oscars – After Shwaas a few years ago we have Harishchandrachi Factory directed by Paresh Mokashi. Mokashi is overjoyed with the responses to his film and cannot wait for the India release on January 22. He is gearing up for a dubbed Hindi version even though many feel that the flavour of the dialogues will be lost in translation but the director still feels it is worth the compromise if the film can be reached to a wider audience and I agree with him.

It is 110th birth anniversary of Sane Guruji, activist, freedom fighter and time to remember Shyamchi Aai written over eight decades ago. While most stories praise a mother for her ability to give life, Shyamchi Aai is unique in its portrayal of a mother as the one who imparts her children with their first lessons and life affirming values. It is a story that appeals even after so many years.

Bhawana Somaaya
www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Blurb
It was a spectacular evening spilling over with celebrities both on and off stage.If Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Johar, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Diya Mirza dazzled on the stage, Yash Chopra, Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, Zeenat Aman, Gul Panang and Kirron Kher smiled at the participants from the audience. Boman Irani entertained the guests with a song and few jokes.The winners were judged by Parmeshwar Godrej,Twinkle Khanna and Shaina NC. Aishwarya Rai distributed the certificates to the runners up and to the winners.