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Noted cinematographer-director Santosh Sivan has just wrapped up his Malayalam film, Ananthabhadram. His other venture, Mistress of Spices, was recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Aishwarya Rai, the film is directed by Paul Meyeda Berges, husband to Gurinda Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Bride And Prejudice).
In an exclusive interview to rediff.com, Sivan gives us a sneak peek into Mistress of Spices.
You made Navarasa at the Koovangam festival in Villupuram without a proper script but everything was well organised for Mistress Of Spices. How different was the experience?
When they ask you to shoot a film abroad, they may be doing it because they feel you can add something more to it than someone from there. As Mistress Of Spices is all about the world of spices inside a shop, they must have thought it good to have someone used to these things. It was a challenge to create a whole world inside a shop though.
The shooting was very organised. It was nice to have all the artistes sitting together for a script reading. Everyone was aware of what would be shot each day. I like the idea of sync shooting because it's fantastic to work in silence.
Considering everything was planned in advance, what about creativity?
In such an atmosphere, you can't take too much time for creative pursuits, but it can surely be done. Whatever you like to do, you can convey it in advance, and they will make amendments for it.
Is working abroad the ultimate dream of every technician and actor?
I don't think so. It is like learning more. When you are working in a place like London, you have new equipment. You also work with big labs, which you always thought were fantastic. But when I made a comparative study of that and Prasad (in Chennai), I found that there was nothing we didn't have. Maybe their labs are a little more clean!
In the case of Mistress Of Spices, I was shooting with a director I knew well. I was happy to do something for him, especially because it was not a typical Hindi film where you have songs, fights, etc. The film was trying to explore the challenges in a shop, which I found interesting.
Interview: Shobha Warrier
Design: Uday Kuckian
-Bollywood World
You come from the land of spices. How much could you add from your own experiences of growing up in Kerala to the film?
I liked the idea of bottled pepper! Just before this, I had finished a film for Kerala Tourism, where I shot real spices. I was fascinated by the thought of shooting real spices, then shooting them in bottles a few days later. Most people do not know where they come from, where they are born, how they grow, etc. I knew I could add that dimension to the film.
Above all, I like the idea of giving a lovely Indian quality to the tale, which still borders a little on fantasy. The lady (played by Aishwarya Rai) knows the secrets of all the spices.
When someone walks in, she knows what's good for them. Her only problem is she can't touch anyone, she can't go out, and she can't fall in love. Then, she meets a person and falls in love. And the power starts turning against people. When it starts harming others, she feels guilty. On the whole, I like the almost Indian quality of the tale.
Also, I liked the idea of shooting Ash in a non-glamorous role. It was also interesting to shoot with a large mix of actors from around the world.
Do you feel Aishwarya Rai is conscious of her beauty in front of the camera?
No. People like to say such things about her. If you are looking to find faults, you can find (them). In the case of Ash, everything seems so perfect that people try and find something wrong. Possibly to make her real. I have known Aishwarya for a long time. My first impression of her was when I did Iruvar, which was her first film, and she was fantastic. She not only looked beautiful but did both the contrasting roles amazingly well (Aishwarya takes on two roles in the film).
In one role, she played a simple south Indian girl who gets married and dies. She brought out innocence in that. In the other, she played the arresting film personality who was extremely arrogant, pretty and tomboyish.
Is she trapped in an image now?
Not really. In Mistress Of Spices, she plays a person who is not glamorous. In the beginning, you wonder how she will play the Mistress of Spices but, in the end, you realise she is the Mistress of Spices, a simple person who is running a shop.
Was it difficult to make her non-glamorous?
(laughs) Yes.
Looking from behind the camera, is she the most beautiful woman you have shot?
I don't know how I can answer that. I have shot lots of strikingly beautiful people other than heroines. I have gone to several places and shot many documentaries, and there are so many beautiful visuals that stay in one's mind. To me, the documentaries are much more interesting than Hindi or English films. The images that have remained with me are those I shot for documentaries in Arunachal Pradesh, Benares, Kerala, etc.
What look have you given to Mistress Of Spices?
A lot of importance has been given to colours. We have also tried to relate the protagonist with the spices on the shelves. There is a relation between the spices and the woman, which we try to explore. But, at times, it is like a simple shop.
Your father (Sivan is a National award winning cinematographer and filmmaker) made lovely films like Yaagam, where light and shade played a major part.
Yes. You can make a statement with light and shade alone. The moment colour comes in, it adds another layer, which is interesting in its own way.
Is it more challenging to play with light and shade?
I wouldn't say that. Today, in the digital world, you can do anything.
That Mallika Sherawat has a big mouth is known to all. And just before the release of her film The Myth she went harping about her new Hollywood status. But that ‘myth’ has been ‘busted’ now.
Reports are that Mallika’s much-vaunted "stellar" role in Stanley Tong's ‘The Myth’ is just that—a myth. According to audiences at the Toronto Film Festival where the film was premiered her role is no more than a glorified cameo.
"What was all the fuss about? And why do we go on about our prospects out West when Hollywood has no patience for us?" says an Indian actor present at the festival.
"Mallika repeatedly made goof-ups in the press conferences. Apparently at a press conference Jackie Chan was asked why he chose to have Mallika in his film. He turned around and said she had great pair."
According to members of the Indian film fraternity at the Festival Mallika's presence was a complete non-event.
"Sure, she got noticed for the very obvious assets. But her twin peaks have become boringly in-your-face. At the Festival she looked out of place with her breasts hanging out as though they had nothing better to do," jokes a sporting fellow-actor.
"Seriously her female colleague Kim Hee Seon conducted herself with so much dignity. Mallika was spilling out all over the place making absurd statements about how in India doing a Jackie Chan film was like doing a James Bond film. What did she mean? Was she belittling James Bond or Jackie Chan? And then, after all the gushing, her role in ‘The Myth’ was nothing more than a glorified cameo."
While responses to Mallika at Toronto ranged from lukewarm to indifferent, audiences and critics were far more categorical in their dismissal of the film. The Myth has been declared a certifiable dud. The plot has Chan in a double role as a Ming warrior in ancient times and an archeologist in present times. Neither of the story works.
Says a prominent Indian director (who was at the Festival), "After the screening of any film at the Festival the papers next day are filled with news and views. There was hardly anything at all about ‘The Myth’. There was a cold indifferent silence to the film and to Mallika Sherawat. One feels sorry for the girl because she had pumped up her presence in it as some kind of a grand event. This is more like a damp squib."
What a sad impasse in the career of a spunky and sensuous actress who virtually re-wrote the rules of female stardom in Murder .
-Bollywood World
After Aishwarya Rai, it's the turn of Mallika Sherawat to go places.
After making a spash at the Cannes and Toronto film festivals, the actress will be interviewed by CNN on Talk Asia. The show will be telecast on Sunday, September 25 at 4pm and 8:30pm.
Here's the first part of the chat transcript, where Mallika talks about Jackie Chan, her film The Myth and how she feels about being called a sex kitten.
Over to the host, Lorraine Hahn and Mallika:
LH: Hello and welcome to Talk Asia. I'm Lorraine Hahn. My guest today is Bollywood bombshell Mallika Sherawat, an actress best known among fans for bold, on-screen kisses and steamy sex scenes. Born Reema Lamba in 1981, in the conservative province of Haryana, she changed her name to Mallika Sherawat when she moved to New Delhi. She attracted attention there as a model, and was given her first movie role in Jeena Sirf Mere Liye. But it was 2003's Khwahish that catapulted her to overnight stardom. The movie explored pre-martial sex and a sort of controversial theme that would follow her career over the next two years. Her latest role sees her alongside Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan in The Myth, a movie that boasts an international cast and was screened at the film carnival festival earlier this year.
LH: Mallika, welcome to Talk Asia. Thank you very much for joining us. I wanted to ask you about The Myth. It's an adventure epic. Very different from the movies you normally have done. How did you hear about the role, how did you get it?
MS: Working with the most famous Chinese on this planet -- Jackie Chan -- was an incentive. I was also looking out for an international project when I got a call from a production house in Mumbai, saying that Stanley Tong, the director of the movie was in town looking for a fresh face opposite Jackie. She asked if I would mind auditioning. I went and met him, there was a little audition, he asked me a couple of questions and then, after a month they told me I was on. It was a big challenge. I had to do all the stunts on my own, I got bruised, I cried, I howled, I complained, I fought with Jackie but it all worked out beautifully in the end.
LH: So did he teach you any funky stunts?
MS: He taught me all the action secrets. (LH: Amazing.) All the action secrets I know now!
LH: How different was shooting The Myth compared to making a Bollywood movie?
MS: I would say, the working style is not very different, just why Myth has an edge is because it's a very big budget film, it's a $20 million production. They could afford better production values, everything was better. Otherwise, in terms of professionalism, it's all pretty much the same. But the whole world's going global now, you know, and the way to be is to be global. For that, you have to cast global actors.
LH: You did your own stunts -- how long did it take you to learn how to do them?
MS: Flying around on cables and wires is not easy. I trained for a month with the stunt coordinator, with Stanley Tong, and with Jackie. All three of them helped me. There was a lot of stretching, I mean, now when I see the movie, I think, it looks so easy, it looks like a cakewalk. Hell no! It's not a cakewalk. It's a big challenge, you know, and I'm glad I took the challenge upon myself and did it. (LH: I know, I can just imagine.) Also, because in Bollywood, actresses don't get to do action at all, and here I was given a chance to play a character where I got to do a lot of action, I got to try that you know, so that was fascinating in itself. Back home, I'm used to doing movies that revolve around me, but here, I'm just doing a supporting role in the movie, just doing my bit and not having the burden of carrying the movie myself, you know.
LH: And what was it like at Cannes?
MS: It was great! A fantastic experience. I loved it, I couldn't believe it myself. It was my first experience of the film festival and when Time magazine said kind things about me, it felt great!
LH: Traditionally in Bollywood, female characters are portrayed as good and pure. Now, you have opened the doors to your work and have encouraged a lot of young actresses to be risky, to be what they want to. What made you decide to do this?
MS: It's just that traditionally in Bollywood, actresses are either portrayed as femme enfant, child woman, a femme fatale, or a vamp. They are not shown or portrayed as normal thinking women who can have grey areas, who can have likes and dislikes, who can feel passion towards somebody. It's not the done thing, but today with the Internet revolution, with the changing times, with the youth wanting to see more realistic cinema, I took it as a challenge, to play a realistic character. And that's why my movie Murder became the biggest hit of 2004 because people related to it, they related to the character. There was some truth in it.
LH: How difficult was it to break, you know, the old traditions. Was it difficult for you?
MS: Not really, for me. (LH: I mean, people talk behind your back.) Every character for me is the same. I give equal importance to every character I do, that's what's more important, whether this character has so many kisses or that many steamy scenes is not important. It's like every other scene, we're all professionals here.
LH: So it wasn't emotionally or physically challenging for you initially.
MS: You do feel shy, and my co-star had onions. (LH: Onions!) Imagine just before an intimate scene, he had onions. It was awful. It scarred me for life.
LH: Your critics would argue that you have used your sex appeal instead of talent to get to where you are now. What do you say to them?
MS: Jackie Chan used his kung-fu skills to get where he is, Arnold Schwarzenegger used his muscle. Every actor uses his or her own unique selling point to establish herself and if I used my sex appeal, what's wrong with it?
LH: People have called you a sex kitten, or a sex icon. Is that a flattery or an insult to you?
MS: I'm not even bothered, you know. I see it as a side-effect of what I do, what I'm really interested is in doing good cinema, sourcing good scripts, working with competitive and challenging directors with good co-stars. That's what my main aim is. I'm not concerned with all these sexy images or what people say, what critics say. It's not important to me at all.
LH: What kind of roles do you really like to do now?
MS: I love Southeast Asian cinema. I'm a big fan of directors like Zhang Yimou, Wong Kar Wai, Chen Kaige, Stanley Tong, Suhar, Ringo Lam, there are so many actresses like Gong Li, Anita Mui who are so inspiring. I would love to work with them and do cinema like that.
LH: As far as Indian cinema goes, do you see it changing now?
MS: Yes, it is. With younger filmmakers coming in, and also with Hollywood influencing it a lot, cable TV just dominates everything. I would put it this way -- if Indians want, if we want other cultures to like us, we have to embrace other cultures as well. It has to be a healthy mix and that's what's happening now. The younger generation is less hypocritical and more realistic in their approach. (LH: Right, which translates into the kind of movies you see now in Bollywood.) That's right.
LH: Mallika, we're going to take a very very short break. When we come back, Mallika talks about growing up in a small conservative town. Stay with us.
Don't miss the second part of the chat transcript on Monday, September 26.
Courtesy: CNN
Photographs: Getty Images
-Bollywood World
Is Shah Rukh Khan feeling insecure?
One can't help but wonder why the actor needs to release a DVD on his life, called The Inner And Outer World Of Shah Rukh Khan.
The official reason is that it is an interesting concept and people would love to know more about King Khan. It could even be a collector's item.
But rumours circulating in the industry suggest that Shah Rukh is suddenly feeling left out this year.
His only 2005 release, Paheli, bombed.
Shah Rukh KhanHis new endorsement, Lux, may have backfired, as his fans feet he should have not done the advertisement. SRK in a bathtub full of rose petals is not a very macho picture.
He has no other release this year, and so does not want to fade from public memory. Answer: DVD.
Another rumour doing the rounds is that SRK is feeling threatened by Saif Ali Khan. The Chotte Nawab is clearly making inroads into the Yash Raj camp, and is doing another film with them while the original favourite, SRK, has none with them.
Shah Rukh did clarify in an interview recently that there were no differences between Yash Chopra and him.
Maybe true, Shah Rukh. But can be there be smoke without fire, is the question doing the industry rounds...
-Rediff
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is a bundle of contradictions.
Humble and arrogant in the same breath, a dreamer and a realist, now vulnerable and now supremely confident.
Who is the real Shah Rukh Khan?
The actor has now allowed the camera to capture his private life for the first time - London-based filmmaker, Nasreen Muni Kabir, has directed two documentaries on his "outer" and "inner" worlds.
The documentaries will be out on DVD early next month and may unravel the enigma for his millions of fans, from Morocco to Malaysia.
Will the DVDs sell?
"Shah Rukh Khan sells, period," he replies, with his famous dimpled smile.
Autobiography
But if the answer appears arrogant, the notion is quickly dispelled.
These documentaries will stand as a tribute to the uniquely creative life and thoughts of a marvellous human being and truly iconic star
Nasreen Muni Kabir,
director
"Any comparison between me and superstars such as Amitabh Bachhan and Dilip Kumar is blasphemous," he says.
Shah Rukh Khan, 40, says the documentaries are not an expose. "There's a personal me, there's an actor me and there's a star me."
He says he has been writing an autobiography for the past four or five years and that the idea behind the documentaries was to let his fans know he is as ordinary in real life as they are.
"My life may seem glamorous from the outside but off screen it's as ordinary as anyone else's. I want people to know that movie stars live a normal, middle-class life."
Khan has been in the limelight for more than 10 years now.
He started his career as a TV actor in his hometown, Delhi. But soon after moving to Mumbai (Bombay), home to India's entertainment industry, he established himself as an accomplished performer. Innumerable hits have followed.
Khan is one of the most coveted Bollywood actors today, winning all the awards the entertainment industry can offer.
His critics say he is awards hungry.
"I've won many awards and I want more. If you want to call it hunger then I'm hungry for awards."
He is highly competitive. "I'm the child inside who, when taking part in a race, wants to win, when he jumps he jumps the highest," he says.
Religion
"King Khan", as he is popularly known, is one of the most saleable faces in Indian cinema.
He has also made commercials for more than 25 brands.
Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai
The star's critics say he is awards hungry
Nasreen Muni Kabir, who followed him for more than 25 days to make the documentaries, says: "Time seems to stop when you are with SRK. These documentaries will stand as a tribute to the uniquely creative life and thoughts of a marvellous human being and truly iconic star."
Shah Rukh Khan, born into a Muslim family, is married to a Hindu and his children follow both religions.
At home, next to idols of Hindu gods he has the Koran. The most important thing is that "the children should know about the value of God".
Khan lost both his parents before he became well-known. His tenderness comes to the fore when he talks about them.
"I do miss them a lot, especially now that I'm successful, because I would have liked them to see part of it."
He was very attached to them and says his way to avoid depression is to "get up in the morning, wear make up and be someone else".
Shah Rukh Khan rules Bollywood, but who exactly runs his life?
"My two children, my family and friends. I do whatever they tell me. I love spending time with them."
And what about his fans? "They run my professional life."
Humble and arrogant in the same breath, a dreamer and a realist, now vulnerable and now supremely confident.
Who is the real Shah Rukh Khan?
The actor has now allowed the camera to capture his private life for the first time - London-based filmmaker, Nasreen Muni Kabir, has directed two documentaries on his "outer" and "inner" worlds.
The documentaries will be out on DVD early next month and may unravel the enigma for his millions of fans, from Morocco to Malaysia.
Will the DVDs sell?
"Shah Rukh Khan sells, period," he replies, with his famous dimpled smile.
Autobiography
But if the answer appears arrogant, the notion is quickly dispelled.
These documentaries will stand as a tribute to the uniquely creative life and thoughts of a marvellous human being and truly iconic star
Nasreen Muni Kabir,
director
"Any comparison between me and superstars such as Amitabh Bachhan and Dilip Kumar is blasphemous," he says.
Shah Rukh Khan, 40, says the documentaries are not an expose. "There's a personal me, there's an actor me and there's a star me."
He says he has been writing an autobiography for the past four or five years and that the idea behind the documentaries was to let his fans know he is as ordinary in real life as they are.
"My life may seem glamorous from the outside but off screen it's as ordinary as anyone else's. I want people to know that movie stars live a normal, middle-class life."
Khan has been in the limelight for more than 10 years now.
He started his career as a TV actor in his hometown, Delhi. But soon after moving to Mumbai (Bombay), home to India's entertainment industry, he established himself as an accomplished performer. Innumerable hits have followed.
Khan is one of the most coveted Bollywood actors today, winning all the awards the entertainment industry can offer.
His critics say he is awards hungry.
"I've won many awards and I want more. If you want to call it hunger then I'm hungry for awards."
He is highly competitive. "I'm the child inside who, when taking part in a race, wants to win, when he jumps he jumps the highest," he says.
Religion
"King Khan", as he is popularly known, is one of the most saleable faces in Indian cinema.
He has also made commercials for more than 25 brands.
Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai
The star's critics say he is awards hungry
Nasreen Muni Kabir, who followed him for more than 25 days to make the documentaries, says: "Time seems to stop when you are with SRK. These documentaries will stand as a tribute to the uniquely creative life and thoughts of a marvellous human being and truly iconic star."
Shah Rukh Khan, born into a Muslim family, is married to a Hindu and his children follow both religions.
At home, next to idols of Hindu gods he has the Koran. The most important thing is that "the children should know about the value of God".
Khan lost both his parents before he became well-known. His tenderness comes to the fore when he talks about them.
"I do miss them a lot, especially now that I'm successful, because I would have liked them to see part of it."
He was very attached to them and says his way to avoid depression is to "get up in the morning, wear make up and be someone else".
Shah Rukh Khan rules Bollywood, but who exactly runs his life?
"My two children, my family and friends. I do whatever they tell me. I love spending time with them."
And what about his fans? "They run my professional life."
Bips says she will make Ash look like an amateur in dropping the clothes and pure seduction. Ash is planning wear a tight short bikini to make Bips run for cover. Bips in turn plans to go almost topless. Well folks the race is on between two Bollywood bombshells!
The film’s director Sanjay Gadhvi too is tightlipped about the issue and all he will say is, “Wait and watch.� However, a source close to Rai, claims that Ash is indeed working out like a maniac to improve on that already perfect figure
The film’s director Sanjay Gadhvi too is tightlipped about the issue and all he will say is, “Wait and watch.� However, a source close to Rai, claims that Ash is indeed working out like a maniac to improve on that already perfect figure
cecilia
Staff member
this is why he's so successful..great mind..thanks for sharing Ana..make me known him more..though i'm a huge fan..sadly..both of my fave (Bi//Shahruk) lost their parent at a younger age..what a coincidence aint' it..lol..but yeah..they tend to have a tender side to them..and tha'ts what make them great men..thanks for sharing...
"Ana" said:
queeny_bee
sarNie Juvenile
thanks for sharing!! it was very interesting to read this
queeny_bee
sarNie Juvenile
wow interesting!! do imagine that?? I grew up watching Madurhi's film.
queeny_bee
sarNie Juvenile
that's so odd!! I thought bollywood prides their women have alittle meat?? That's what i always thought and liked bollywood for that. The actress didn't have to be skinny, but just pretty. I guess they've changed somewhat and trending towards american's way of thinking??
queeny_bee
sarNie Juvenile
i love their clothings!! They look so elegant and sophisticated! I bought a saree once and it was so pretty! the outfits are so much more expensive! but still very pretty!
queeny_bee
sarNie Juvenile
i think that it's actually a good thing that he is making a documentary. he IS the King of bollywood, what if there's an accident and he dies... no one would know much about him but from his friends and family. it takes us into his lives and know him even better than we do now.
queeny_bee
sarNie Juvenile
interesting to read about her. I didn't know who she was when i say her in the trailer of jackie chan's new movie. thanks for sharing.