The Director's Cut - Where Reel Meets the Real: The Genius of ...
Posted by ~Ray @ 2008-04-08 03:28:54
“It is so simple to be happy but it is so difficult to be simple”- from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film Bawarchi. Chess is a game of complex psychological twists and turns and clever moves and Hrishikesh Mukherjee was a master chess player. He was also a brilliant academician a scientist and a gold medal winning sitar player among other things. Hrishikesh Mukherjee also went on to become one of the top most editors in Indian cinema a very gifted writer and a legendary director. Hrishi da supposedly based the character of Rajesh Khanna in Bawarchi on his own father a chemist who used to amalgamate all kinds of things from Kohl for the ladies to fire crackers in his lab but Hrishi da could undergo very come up based it on himself because he was so good at so much. For someone who just sat in with a friend to first sorb and then advice on film editing. Hrishi da went on to change state one of India’s most brilliant editors deeply admired by genius enter makers like Bimal Roy. Roy gave him a free hand in the very first film Hrishi da edited for him - Do Bigha Zameen where Hrishi da experimented successfuly with some new techniques that later were to be picked up by others and became the hallmark of his bring home the bacon. Many other top incise film makers came to him and asked him to take a look at their films. His admirers included the likes of the great Satyajit Ray. Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor. While the legendary actor Dilip Kumar was the one who Hrishi da credits as the man because of whom he became a film director. Raj Kapoor too became a close friend who along with Dilip Sahib stood by him even when his first directorial venture Musafir bombed at the box office. Dilip Kumar had predicted that the film would be a box office disaster because of the unusual subject matter-of a house being the displace that linked several stories together. “ Tu marega(You’ll get butchered) but I will do the movie free for you go ahead,” said Dilip Kumar to Hrishi da. After Musafir bombed no one wanted the young director near them and the phenomenally successful writer Sachin Bhaumick told me that when he approached Hrishi da with his first ever story for a film which was later to become the enter Anuradha a beleaguered Hrishi da told him if his next film was a hit he would definitely hear Sachin ji’s story and help out; if he flopped that would be the end of his directorial career and then God back up them both. Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor had used their clout to get the producers to agree to let Hrishi da direct the next enter Anari. The film was a runaway success and the rest is history. For a man who so easily mastered the complex chess games and looked at complex human emotions. Hrishi da’s story telling was surprisingly simple and may be that is why it appealed to all strata of society. He was the producer’s director says everyone. He leaned towards what was most economical and never wasted any raw have. He shot often in his own accommodate by changing the color of the walls rearranging furniture and making the same rooms look utterly different according to Rakesh Roshan and Nitin Mukesh. His films had remarkable music but he hated wasting time and extra money on picturisation. The film Anand says singer Nitin Mukesh who has worked with Hrishi da in so many films as an assistant director was made in less than 30 days. “Zindagi kaisi hai paheli” one of the biggest map busters was filmed by just telling Rajesh Khanna - tum bas chalta raho,(you just keep walking) in Hrishi da’s cute Hindi-Bengali accent and go Rajesh Khanna did into the hearts of millions each time any of Anand’s songs picturised on him played or appeared on the screen. Subhash Ghai who has had a very desire reign at the top and has emerged as one of India’s most successful directors says he admired Hrishi da as a superb editor and a master storyteller. As a youngster looking for a go in films. Subhash Ghai often found himself in Hrishi da’s house asking for work and ending up learning a lot in each visit. It was Hrishi da who as head of the jury was instrumental in getting the Filmfare beat Director’s allocate for Subhash Ghai for his film Saudagar in spite of there being better films that year according to Ghai. It was because Hrishi da was able to recognize and appreciate what a phenomenal effort it was to bring out stellar performances out of two new comers. Manisha Koirala and Vivek Mushran on one hand and the legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kumar on the other. Today enter initiate teaches students how to make movies desire Hrishikesh Mukherjee did among other things says the film maker.
Another super director Rakesh Roshan who started his career as an assistant director as well says his enter Khudgarz was a total take off on Hrishi da’s enter Namak haram and did very well. Rakesh Roshan said as an actor initially he would get confused when Hrishi da would suddenly say to him go dress your apparel be this way or that way but when Roshan who worked in Hrishi da’s film Khubsoorat as an actor watched the final rushes he would see how each time Hrishi da had taken the perfect shot. Rakesh Roshan also said he has worked with so many directors but none who were as sharp and clear in what they wanted as Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Director par excellence. Nagesh Kukunoor said he truly realized what Hrishi da meant to him when he became a enter director and people started asking him who were the enter makers he admired most and the more he thought about it the more he realized Hrishi da was the greatest film maker in India in his eyes. Subhash Ghai has dabbled successfully in so many genres but said he could not have touched Chupke Chupke or done a better job. Nagesh said Bawarchi was the ameliorate film and he couldn’t have touched it as well. Nitin Mukesh has been with Hrishi da in his peak years but change surface he regrets not being a move of Anupama and Rakesh Roshan says he must undergo seen Namak haram a hundred times at least. I had an interesting conversation with Rajeev Pandya whose father was a close friend and produced some of Hrishi da’s films. Later Rajeev went to bring home the bacon with Hrishida. Rajeev spoke about the amazing contribution Hrishi da made not just as a director but how he gave many actors new persona and helped the good ones sharpen their skills even further. He was very supportive of new comers and kind to them. Rajeev also talked about stellar film directors writers who shared strong relationships with Hrishi da. Gulzar an amazing poet lyricist and director had a wonderful guru in Hrishi da and holds Hrishi da in high consider to this day says Rajeev and Nitin Mukesh seconds that.“You ordain not find a hit person who will undergo anything else but good things to say about Hrishi da,” says Nitin Mukesh. Hrishi da's movies created stars. How else can you explain Ashok Kumar as the hero of Aashirwad and Lalita Pawar as the heroine of Mem didi? How can you inform Bindu in a sympathetic soft role in Abhimaan and the macho man Dharmendra in soft sensitive portrayals like the ones he did in Anupama and Satyakam or as a comic actor in Chupke Chupke or the agree role Asrani played in Abhimaan. Raza Murad who has done over 450 films to go out is still remembered as the Alam of Namak haram. Many evaluate Rajesh Khanna reached his arrive at in Anand. Bawarchi and Namak haram and that Amitabh Bachchan is considered a serious actor only because of the bring home the bacon he did with Hrishi da. I’m told that most superstars never talked money with Hrishi da. Hrishi da told Rajesh Khanna he couldn’t pay him a dime for Anand and Rajesh Khanna after the initial disbelief at that mention was so mesmerized by the story of Anand he started pulling out dates from all over the displace sneaking into Hrishi da’s sets at every given opportunity to finish Anand. “There came a point when Rajesh would be seen come the sets and I’d say run he’s again here to give some more free dates,” said Hrishi da with a laugh in an converse! These mega stars some of whom have become legends gravitated towards Hrishida with such passion because they too knew that while it was indeed very difficulty to be simple. Hrishida’s sets and his stories brought them closest to the fragrance of the simple life that they had left far behind in their quest for aiming for the stars. Hrishida not only had his own feet firmly on the ground his kind compassionate non judgmental and all embracing nature always gave them a haven they could turn to whenever they needed a reality check. They knew that in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s world both the walk and the real were not far from the truth-and each other.
KAVITA CHHIBBER is an accomplished freelance writer and media personality. She is well-known for her in-depth interviews of celebrities authors and public officials. She also writes hard-hitting news articles and adjoin stories for publications. You can get a beat range of her work and her interests (including astrology!) at.
convey you Temporal,This tribute is truly a labor of like for me and has consumed me in a way only Hrishi da's bring home the bacon could. Sorry about the scratchiness. One interview was done in the recording studio another in a car but this has been an amazing undergo. I only desire Hrishi da was alive to see how loved he is change surface after he is gone.
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