No place for gangster films in Bollywood: Saurabh Shukla

Actor-director Saurabh Shukla, who has acted in several gangster films, says such films are not being made in Bollywood anymore as dons do not exist the way they used to a decade ago.

"You tell me where the gangsters are now. When we did 'Satya', gang war was a reality in Mumbai's underworld and its ripples felt. Society has changed, people have changed and with these the gangsters have ceased to exist the way they had been in the past. "A number of movies on Naxalite movement had been made in Bengali by stalwarts 30 years back.

But those films have been reduced to academic and passing interest as film subject now," Saurabh told here today. Saurabh, who began his film career with Shekhar Kapur's 'Bandit Queen' (1994), essayed the role of gangster Kallu Mama in the Ramgopal Verma classic gangster movie, 'Satya'.

He also jointly wrote the script with Verma. In town for the staging of his play "Two to Tango, Three to Jive" at the Vodafone Odeon Theatre Festival, the NSD graduate said he was happy to be associated with Oscar winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire' and hopes 'Barfi' also has a similar luck.

"In 'Slumdog Millionaire', we got Oscar and now 'Barfi' is beckoning. 'Barfi's journey to the Academy awards can make my association more significant," said Saurabh.

In 'Barfi', Saurabh plays ACP Kishan Bedi, a police officer from Darjeeling, who constantly chases Ranbir Kapoor's character throughout the film.

"Slumdog won eight Oscars. But before that I watched the shooting of Attenborough's 'Gandhi' which won as many Oscars. So you can say I had been thrice associated directly or indirectly with films having gone to Oscars," he said.

"Anurag had put his soul in 'Barfi'. But will celebrate if it wins the Oscar race in foreign language category, and even if it doesn't, that will not take away the humane appeal from one of the finest movies in recent times," he said. Saurabh, who has liked Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh's films 'Bariwali' and 'Abohoman', said he wants to be part of his future projects.

"I had also wished to meet the late Badal Sircar, one of the doyens of theatre movement in the country, but I am unlucky," he said about the creator of the Third Theatre movement, who died last year. Coming to 'Two to Tango, Three to Jive', directed by him, Saurabh said its focus is male mid-life crisis which leads to attraction to other women and addiction to smoking and alcohol as one starts ruing over things he failed to achieve in life. The six-day festival, showcasing the very representative of recent productions in the country, will continue till November 30.

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Struggle is not a negative thing

Actor-director Saurabh Shukla believes struggle is the best part of any professional's life and it is not right to look at it in a negative way.

"According to me, everyone has to struggle in life. We look at struggle in a negative connotation but we forget that struggle is a period full of fun and so many other things," Saurabh told reporters here at the ZIMA media institute.

"Your flight is high, your thinking is at the top level, you are young, you don't know what will happen. But when you become a professional, your flight is stunted. Struggle is a good thing and it never ends," he added.

Saurabh was last seen in "Barfi!".

Currently busy with his new film "Jolly L.L.B.", Saurabh said: "In the coming days we will give you a taste of India's judiciary system in 'Jolly L.L.B.' that is being directed by Subhash Kapoor, who had directed 'Phas Gaye Re Obama'. It will release soon."

"Jolly L.L.B." has Arsahd Warsi in a pivotal role.

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Not Barfi's second fiddle

Anurag Basu's latest film which has been garnering positive reviews for Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz, has Saurabh Shukla playing an adorable cop in the film.

Though Saurabh is almost absent in the media coverage, the director feels that he had a key role to play in the entire project. I used to keep telling Saurabh during the shooting that he is the second hero of the film but he never believed me!

Now seeing the reaction from both audience as well as critics, I'm sure he'd agree with me, Anurag told B-S. We think the director knows best and in this case, Saurabh would agree!

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Making commercial films not Saurabh Shukla's forte

As an actor, Saurabh Shukla has carved a niche for himself in commercial cinema, but when it comes to making films, he chooses to helm offbeat subjects because he feels that he is not equipped to make mainstream movies.

"It depends on your capacity. As an actor I have an ability to make a transition from the so-called commercial films to the so-called art films. But may be as a writer or director, I don't have the capacity to make a similar transition. So I write only what I understand or direct only what I understand," Saurabh told in an interview.

Saurabh has acted in films like "Bandit Queen", "Yuva", "Luck By Chance" and "Aarakshan" and as a writer-director he has films like "Raat Gayi, Baat Gayi", "Pappu Can't Dance Saala" and "I AM 24" to his credit.

He reveals the subject of most of his films has been inspired by real-life.

"Every filmmaker or storyteller tells a story, which comes from his or her life. But it is not necessary that it should have happened with you. It could be what you have seen and felt. You try to reflect that reality into your films and I have tried the same whether, it is acting, writing or directing," said Saurabh

"I AM 24" released after the delay of two years and Saurabh admits it is disheartening for filmmakers to see their films lying in cans biting the dust.

"Every filmmaker makes a film to be released and to be seen by people. But this is a problem with smaller films where budgets are not so big and they don't have bigger stars on their side," he said.

"It is a common problem. 'Khosla Ka Ghosla' had to wait for nearly four years, 'Paan Singh Tomar' took a lot of time to release. Rajat Kapoor's 'Fatso' also took time. Obviously, it is disheartening to see that the film that you have put so much hard work and soul into, struggles to release," added Saurabh who also features in "Barfi!".

Apart from being a film actor, director and writer, Saurabh is actively involved in theatre.

Asked if he plans to convert any play into a film, he said: There is a cinematic language and there is a theatrical language. When you convert a play into film, it does not remain a play at all. It is actually writing a fresh film... if I ever like any story, I would definitely try to make it."

Meanwhile, Saurabh is looking forward to the release of "Jolly LLB" and "Mohalla Assi". He is also working on another script.

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I M 24 - an internet rom-com worth a watch

Actors: Rajat Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia, Manjari Phadnis, Saurabh Shukla, Lilette Dubey, Vijay Raaz and Delnaaz Paul

Director: Saurabh Shukla

Rating: ***

This team of intelligent cinema-savvy actors and technicians has been making urbane comedies for many years now. Some have worked at the box office. Most have not. But there's no denying the suave smooth-sailing charm of the narration, as we glide through one more metro-centric saga of warmth during times of loneliness.

Rightaway, director Saurabh Shukla, who also plays with relish, an obscenely over-the-top film producer, introduces us to the film's protagonist, a struggling bald writer Shubendu (Rajat Kapoor) and his struggling-actor flatmate Gagan (Ranvir Shorey).

A portrait in contrasts, physically, intellectually and morally, Shubendu and Gagan are played with such innate conviction and charm by the two actors that we barely notice how much these characters owe to the Hollywood tradition of contrasting men sharing roof and lives in a hostile city where desolation is not an option, it's a given. Deal with it, or perish.

The girls, the very charming Neha Dhupia and the surprisingly in-character Manjari Phadnis (her last remarkable performance was in 'Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na' as Rajat Kapoor's daughter frozen in a state of emotional denial), slip into the film with stealthy stilettos, creating for themselves a space in the boys' story without displacing the drama of desolation that runs through the plot.

While Ranvir Shorey happily takes the backseat, the core of the plot, a brilliant Mumbai fable with characters who resemble real persons without losing their cinematic edginess, is devoted to developing the Rajat-Manjari relationship which starts on the internet and moves uneasily into a personal one-to-one, which threatens to turn messy.

Since "I M 24" is set in the Mumbai film industry (thankfully, no one calls it Bollywood in Saurabh's film), there are some saucy references to Hindi cinema and filmmakers. In an exchange with Manjari, Rajat Kapoor playing the writer to the hilt, boasts that he wrote "Devdas" for Sanjay Leela Bhansali who, improvises Kapoor, wanted a departure from Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, and Rajat gave it to him.

Even saucier is the sequence where Ranvir berates Rajat for mentioning the film "Mujhse Dosti Karoge" among the films that he feigns to have written to impress Manjari.

The joke is, "I M 24" is at core an internet romance, just like Kunal Kohli's "Mujhse Dosti Karoge". If you look closely, you'll come across several such delectable inhouse jokes, including a beefcake actor (Karan Singh Grover), who throws a fit when the struggling actress Neha Dhupia asks about his wife and children.

Shukla's screenplay balances out these unsuccessful elements at the fringes of Bollywood. The script even squeezes in a rather hilarious encounter between a mafioso's timid money-collector (Vijay Raaz, as straightfaced and glum in his humour as ever), who is petrified of the producer's aggressive sister (Lilette Dubey) and seeks advice and solace from the producer's secretary (Delnaaz Paul).

The vast network of Shukla's characters sit with remarkable lightness over the script. These are solidly talented actors playing fringe characters whom they closely identify with. The actors imbue a bedrock believability to this bitter-sweet Bollywood rom-com.

"I M 24" has some sparkling moments of reflected glory, as a bald and bland writer Rajat Kapoor takes lessons in spunky living and convincing bullshitting from his flamboyant flatmate. What 'lies' underneath is a likeable well-crafted rom-com with many moments when the cast seems to be having a ball.

Watch Ranvir groove to R.D.Burman's "Do labzon ki hai yeh dil ki kahani", and you'll know what I mean.

Worth watching.

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You will not call Michelangelo's nudity a porn

Noted actor-director Saurabh Shukla has come out in defence of adult content in films these days and says that everything has a motive behind it.

"People say that there is abusive language in the film so it is a vulgar film. But it's not like that. Look at the real motive behind it," Saurabh said on the sets of his new film "Love Kiya Aur Lagg Gayi".

"You will not call Michelangelo's paintings porn paintings. But there is nudity in them and there is nudity in porn. But the meaning behind the two is different," Saurabh said adding that the censor board gives certificates and if a film is certified an adult film, "don't go with your family, simple".

"Delhi Belly", "Pyaar Ka Punchnama" and lately "Kya Super Kool Hain Hum" were some of the comedies that were laden with heavy dose of abuses while "Jism 2", "Jannat 2" and "Hate Story" were high on sexual content.

Saurabh, who has directed films like "Raat Gayi Baat Gayi" and "Pappu Can't Dance Saala," has put direction on the backburner for now.

"I am not directing anything right now because I am concentrating on my acting assignments. But soon a film directed by me will be out, 'I M 24'," Saurabh said.

"I M 24" stars Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Lillete Dubey and Manjari Fadnis and Saurabh himself.

Talking about his upcoming assignments, Saurabh said: "I have been busy completing my acting assignments and 'Barfi' is one of my films which you will get to see in September. I have a great role in it."

"After that, there is Subhash Kapoor's film 'Jolly L.L.B.', who made 'Phas Gaye Re Obama'. So, I am only concentrating on writing and when I get free from my acting assignments, then I'll turn to direction again," he added.

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I Am 24 inspired by 'bald' Saurabh Shukla's life

Saurabh Shukla's new film "I Am 24" narrates the story of a balding writer, who falls in love with a woman over internet, and their meeting thereafter. The bald actor-director says the story was easy to write as it is based on his real life experience.

Shukla too had a pen-friend while he was pursuing theatre in Delhi. Once the girl dropped in the city and called him to meet, and she was in shock to see a bald man.

"I lost my hair when I was quite young and I had a pen-friend who never saw me. The premise of my film is very much similar. On the brighter side, my experience gave me a lot to write, " Shukla said in a statement.

"I Am 24", releasing Aug 31, features Rajat Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia and Manjari Phadnis. The film tells what happens when the lady decides to meet the balding writer and finds him nothing like she had imagined.

But baldness is not a matter of major concern, says Shukla.

"We all have different kinds of inferiority complexes - some economic and some physical. Most of the time, we end up lying because of it. We start hiding them and it sets out a chain of events."

"My film is about truth and love. Besides, baldness doesn't matter. Otherwise, all bald guys would have stayed unmarried, " he said.

Rajat plays the bald man in the movie.

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