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| ARTS TRIBUNE | Friday, November 2, 2001, Chandigarh, India |
Cinema’s first royal personage Virtuoso dancer in the making Canvas, fabric in new genre of art
Amita Malik It is becoming difficult to write a TV column these days. Because nothing is new, not even the soaps with their lack of ideas. America’s war against the Taliban, as my good colleague Vir Sanghvi has said in his column, has become a deadly bore. |
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Cinema’s first royal personage
Yesterday’s generation remembers him as the "pehla Mughal" — Indian cinema’s first royal personage. He was the hero of countless historical films like "Anarkali", "Taj Mahal", "Noor Jahan" and latter-day love stories like "Aarti", "Bheeghi Raat", "Meri Surat Teri Aankhen" .... He was actor Pradeep Kumar. Tall, fair, his moustache always trimmed to perfection, the debonair actor was a favourite with women who packed cinema houses to watch him woo a wide-eyed Bina Rai in "Taj Mahal", win over a shy Meena Kumari so completely that there was no chance of Ashok Kumar ever getting his "Bahu Begum" and wonder about his wife Nargis’s strange ways in the award-winning "Raat aur Din", The charmer from Calcutta was indeed one of the businest stars in Bombay in the sedate ’50s when historical romances, extravagant costume dramas and melodramatic socials ruled the movie theatres. And thus he held his own in an era when the triumvirate of Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar reigned over the public imagination. Pradeep Kumar was born into an orthodox Brahmin family in Calcutta. He was christened Sheetal Batwali. His father was a district magistrate and grandfather the founder of Sanskrit College. Well-read and well-to-do, the family was horrified when young Sheetal began to show a keen interest in acting. He was instructed to perish the thought, but Sheetal was determined not to sacrifice his dreams. He would perform in plays secretly, albeit under a pseudonym. Later, at the risk of being disowned by his father, he took the plunge in the film whirlpool. At first he worked as a film technician and a theatre actor simultaneously. The legendary Debaki Bose spotted him on stage and cast him in the Bengali film "Alaknanda". So Sheetal Batwail became Pradeep Kumar. But the film didn’t fare too well at the box office. However, fortunately for him, Pradeep was noticed and bagged another Bengali film "Bhooli Nai". The film was about the freedom struggle and went on to celebrate a silver jubilee. After that there was no looking back. The next step was to move to Bombay and try his luck in Hindi films. Pradeep Kumar approached S. Mukherji and was made to sign a three-year contract for Filmistan productions. How serious he was to make his dream come true showed in the hard efforts he put in. He started learning Hindi and Urdu which were absolutely essential then. It goes to his credit that he mastered these and never let the Bengali accent come to the fore. Then he made his entry in Hindi films with S. Mukherji’s "Anand Math" opposite Geeta Bali. It too, was about the freedom struggle with the patriotic song Vande matram, vande matram... as its highlight. But it was with "Anarkali" and "Nagin" that the spotlight truly shone on Pradeep Kumar. As Prince Salim opposite Bina Rai and as a snake charmer opposite Vyjayanthimala, he became a saleable star. The success of the two films also went largely to their superb music. "Anarkali" with its melodious Yeh zindagi usi ki hai... and "Nagin" with Tan dole mera man dole... and Mera dil yeh pukare aaja... were a rage.
Similarly, "Taj Mahal", besides presenting a royal extravaganza, had some of the most haunting songs, including Jo wada kiya wo, nibhana padega.... I remember people throwing coins at the screen when during this song Mumtaz Mahal walks down the stars to meet her Shahjahan. As a matter of fact, most of his films had delightful songs. Wo bhooli dastan, lo phir yaad aa gayi... ("Sanjog"), Poochho na kaise maine rain bitayee... ("Meri Soorat Teri Aankhen"), Dil, jo na keh saka, wohi raaz-e-dil... ("Bheeghi Raat"), Unko yeh shikayat hai ke hum, kuchh nahin kehte... ("Adalat"), Raat aur din diya jale, mere man mein phir bhi andhiyara hai... ("Raat aur Din"), Duniya kare sawaal to hum kya jawab dein... ("Bahu Begum") — to mention a few. Pradeep Kumar had the opportunity to act with almost all top heroines of his time — Sarita Devi, Meera Mishra, Madhubala, Geeta Bali, Bina Rai, Nutan, Nargis, Vyjayanthimala, Mala Sinha, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh.... His film "Bandhan", with Meena Kumari and Motilal, was awarded the President Certificate of Merit. "Jaagte Raho" with Raj Kapoor and "Raat aur Din" with Nargis were also award-winners. Pradeep Kumar’s films had a very strong storyline giving him ample opportunity to exhibit his historionics. In "Adalat" he played the lawyer who goes abroad leaving behind a pregnant Nargis to suffer alone; in "Bahu Begum"he goes berserk looking for his lost love Meena Kumari; in "Aarti" he is the idealistic poor poet who marries doctor Meena Kumari subjecting her to poverty and suspicion; in "Bheeghi Raat" he loves Meena Kumari a governess to Ashok Kumar’s child but is separated by destiny; in "Sanjog" he deserts his childhood sweetheart-turned-wife Anita Guha to savour life in a big city; in "Raat aur Din" he worries over wife Nargis’s weird behaviour during daytime and at night; in "Raakhi" he fails to understand Waheeda Rehman’s love for her brother Ashok Kumar; the list is endless. Pradeep Kumar also tried his hand at producing films. He made "Police", "Ek Jhalak", "Gateway of India", "Badshah", "Fashion", "Miss India", "Adalat", "Raat aur Din", "Zindagi aur Toofan" etc with his co-stars. His daughter Beena too is an actress doing character roles on the big screen as well as in TV serials like "Parivartan" etc. Towards his last years Pradeep Kumar
shifed back to Kolkata. He was still doing Bengali plays like "Mahasangram",
but a stroke followed by a slipped disc made him decide to call it a
day. It had been a long innings covering five decades and was time for
the "badshah’’ to take a bow.
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Virtuoso dancer in the making Atreyee Roy might have stumbled upon kathak by sheer coincidence (famous kathak dancer Shovana Narayan is her next-door neighbour) but staying on to excel in the field is her conscious decision. Groomed by her guru, none other than Padmashree Shovana Narayan, this young prodigy is all set to take kathak to a newer height. At a time when every girl was busy making doll houses, Atreyee was busy learning how to tie up ghungroos and dance in step with her guru. "I did not even know the meaning of kathak when I started learning it from my guru", recalls this 19-year-old dancer. "Shovana didi used to live next door when I was barely six. Influenced by her success, my mother decided to send me to her for learning kathak," says Atreyee. Born in a progressive, culturally aware family from Bengal now settled in Delhi, Atreyee was brought up in an atmosphere rich in traditional values. Her supportive mother who accompanies her at her performances in India and abroad is the anchor of her life. "To be successful in life it is not enough to have a good guru; one must also have supportive parents," says Atreyee. "Success in this line comes slowly and one needs constant support of family members to not lose heart," she adds. Atreyee first came on the stage when she was barely six years old. Then came her first solo recital on Doordarshan at the age of 10. After that there was no looking back. Besides giving solo performances on Doordarshan, from time to time she has participated in a number of dance dramas choreographed by Shovana all over India and abroad. Not only that, Atreyee has also won the national scholarship for classical dance sponsored by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, Government of India, and was awarded the Best Child Dancer Award by the All-India-Critics Association. The most striking point about Atreyee is that she loves kathak and her spirit gets reflected in her performances with excellent footwork, good ‘chakkar’, graceful hand gestures and a professional finish to the dance movements , Atreyee has the makings of a virtuoso dancer. The heady feeling of success, however, has not gone to her head. "I feel happy when people appreciate, but it is just that," says Atreyee. "It is mainly my love for kathak which keeps me going on the stage even when sometimes inwardly I am screaming from pain due to cracks in my feet I develop from excessive practice," she adds. An avid admirer of Birju Maharaj and Shovana Narayan, Atreyee is devoting her time to learn both Jaipur and Lucknow gharanas of kathak. The Jaipur gharana strongly influenced by Lord Shiva has strong footwork and a complicated style of "bol" whereas the Lucknow gharana influenced by Lord Krishna is softer, putting a lot of emphasis on "nazakat" and delicacy of movements," explained the young artiste who hopes to excel in both gharanas. "Few kathak dancers are well educated and my aim is to take kathak to the educated class," says Atreyee. "This is the reason I admire my guru who, in spite of being an IAS officer, is balancing her job and dance magnificently," she adds. Influenced by her guru, Atreyee has
been pursuing her academic life with equal zeal. A final-year graduate
student of Mass Media and Mass Communication from Delhi University,
Atreyee is all set to start her career as a journalist. "Soon I
will also be qualified to interview achievers like you all," says
Atreyee with a naughty smile livening up her face as she talked to the
media during her recent visit to Chandigarh.
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Canvas, fabric in new genre of art For an experiment that started off as an extension of two designers’ hobby, the combination of high-profile art and fashion looks quite pleasing. A rare sight in an age when art is strictly classified, designers Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna brought together 42 top-line artists and got them to create works using the 21 colours they felt would rule fashion this year. Based on those works, the duo crafted 13 garments that reflected the colours used by as many artists and their signature designs. "Palette 2001", that concluded recently at Visual Arts Gallery in New Delhi after a six-day showing, has gone down well with most people, Khanna told UNI. The two designers now plan to showcase their profession and hobby under the same roof. A new section stocking both paintings and fabric is set to start in their Mehrauli showroom. Most of the works have been created this year and the artists chose among the 21 "Colours of 2001" suggested by the designers. "We suggested colours ranging from red to emerald green to blue to black. The colour specification ensured that artists ended up painting in colours they did not normally use," Khanna said. Maybe that’s why, Thota Vaikuntam, who sketches women from his native Telengana using reds, yellows and blacks filled with a profusion of dots, chose purple for a canvas. Most of the dresses were, however, removed after the inauguration as the venue was meant to display only paintings. Vaikuntam’s paintings were accompanied by a bindi-decked costume. A painting of S.H. Raza, who dabbles in geometrical figures, had a matching outfit sporting multi-coloured circles. The costumes had clean cuts, but were
not wearable. Which was why they were not marked for sale. M.F. Husain,
Yusuf Arakal and Anjolie Ela Menon participated. UNI |
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Sports, sex and soaps It is becoming difficult to write a TV column these days. Because nothing is new, not even the soaps with their lack of ideas. America’s war against the Taliban, as my good colleague Vir Sanghvi has said in his column, has become a deadly bore. So radio and TV columns have also run into a stalemate. CNN might have been exciting during the Gulf War, but they are now obsessed with directives from their government about Al-Jazeera, with local scares about anthrax and the rest and different top guns of the USA telling us how they only aim at military targets and not to worry about a few Red Cross and UN depots, hospitals and hundreds of civilians, including children, killed and maimed in their miserable huts. That too has become one big yawn. Then there was the assassination of Christians in a church in Bahawalpur in Pakistan. PTV lined up a whole retinue of "men in the street" and leaders to tell us how well they treat and love their Christians, clean forgetting universal condemnation within recent memory of what they did and continue to do to Christians with their blasphemy laws, including a young boy who escaped to the West from the country but was killed nevertheless soon afterwards. Then we saw young nuns cowering in a convent where they had been hiding for days. Equally, Indians of a certain hue piously condemned the Pakistanis for killing Christians, forgetting to mention what was done to Graham Staines and his sons in Orissa and innumerable Christians in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere. People do have short memories, don’t they? Yet Christians in both India and Pakistan who appeared on TV were polite and diplomatic, no doubt out of fear about repurcussions. It was left to the Pope to speak out in unmistakable terms. Good diplomat too, because these were Protestants and not Catholics. The alternative to all this is a succession of monotonous soaps on every channel which could provide enough soapy water to drown one in a bath-tub. One is reminded of the immortal instructions given by the proprietor-editor of a national daily to his staff: "In future no more serious stuff in the paper. We shall run on the four F’s — food, fashion, films and fornication". Indian channels now run on the formula of the three S’s — Sports, Sex and Soaps. Unless it is a cricket match, even if we know the Indian side is bound to lose, or international tennis, which some of us watch because Leander at least puts up a fight, and the junior hockey team which ate more than their share of laddoos from fond parents on screen and got smothered in garlands from officials, even Siddhu and Geoffrey Boycott can pall. To the rescue in human interest came Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi with the official portrait, smiling with their son. They looked so happy, while the baby looked as bored as most newborn babies do, we can only wish all three happiness. Although the maimed and killed babies in Afghanistan made us very sad and angry all over again. It has reached a stage where one missed KBC on Monday. At least it has ordinary people and a civilised anchor. Even if it is unfair to ask a South Indian participant what is a "paranda", by and large it is fun and gives one a feeling of superiority if one guesses the answer first. Many BBC 10 p.m. programmes, including Question Time India, Mastermind India and Face to Face have been cancelled or postponed since the latest Afghan War started, so I had to settle for National Geographic and Animal Planet where I found much more endearing than our jumpy filmi woman anchors Dogs That Work.They cheer up children in hospitals, fetch things for people in wheelchairs and help the blind to cross roads safely. Noble animals, wonderful trainers and what a boon to suffering humankind. I am glad Limelight has ventured out from that claustrophic studio where even turns of the head and smiles were made to measure. However, there was that terribly kitschy backdrop of what looked like rotating neon lights in different shapes and sizes when Shah Rukh Khan was being interviewed. Hope it was his set and not NDTV’s which normally has impeccable taste. But in spite of venturing outdoors for some fresh air, both the anchors, especially the Hindi lady, insist on flashing their teeth non-stop so that it starts looking like an ad for toothpaste. Then there is the question of voices
and accents. When Shah Rukh Khan was speaking he was so endearingly
natural in manner and speech that it showed up the synthetic voices (the
Hindi lady does not have that husky bedroom voice when she reads the
news) and contrived accents of the anchors. Now that you are out of the
stuffy studio, please relax, anchors. You have interesting people to
interview, so forget about your own TV images, which are more than
secondary. |
