Why Prakash Jha loves Bhopal ?

Why Prakash Jha loves Bhopal?

The release of Prakash Jha's super-hit film 'Rajniti' last month occasioned a shameful spectacle in Bhopal. Local theatre artistes, who could barely be glimpsed in the film, had ceremoniously gathered at a cinema hall to show that they too were there with super stars.
The artistes had garlanded themselves with marigold garlands and were dancing on the drum beats. The audience, aware that entire film was shot in Bhopal, was bemused but not exactly delighted at the artiste's antics. Barring a few locals, who got one or two lines in the film, all other jubilant artistes formed barely- visible crowd in the film. They needed the well wishers to see the film at least twice to be spotted. Yet, they were so overjoyed as though Prakash Jha has brought about a cultural revolution in Bhopal.
Being a theatre artist for 30 years, I found the scene disgusting. Such debasement of theatre by its artists vis-à-vis an out- and -out commercial film is another strong indication of the decadence the Hindi theatre is stuck deep into.
Prakash Jha with all his loud commitment to making films with social message had not come to Bhopal on charity or cultural mission. He had sensed a good potential in Bhopal to save huge money in his big-budget project.
And Bhopal did not let him down. He got every thing he looked for -cheap artistes for crowd scenes, a fixer to get all clearances from the administration for shooting locales, a fawning administrator in Bhopal commissioner, and, above all, a peaceable public that didn't protest any inconvenience caused due to film shootings at various locales for nearly two months.
And the director didn't have to pay a single penny for shooting. Could he have done so in any other place?
No wonder, Prakash Jha acknowledged MP Government's support in the titles of the movie. No wonder, again, he announced to shoot his next film featuring Amitabh Bachchan - Arakshan-- in Bhopal from some time by yearend.
Significantly, around the time Rajniti was shot in Bhopal, a film under Amir Khan Production was also being shot on the outskirt of the city. No body was aware of this low-budget film, now ready for release as Pipli Life. Super star Amir Khan himself spent a night with the film unit at the locale. But he kept away from the media.
Prakash Jha, on the other hand, basked in the local media hype. He had at least two press conferences organized for Randhir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. Other artistes such as Nana Patekar, Naseer, Manoj Bajpei and Ajay Devgan, of course, kept a distance from the media.
Prakash knew how to cash in on the celebrity status of the young super stars. The director befriended a range of top administrative brass by simply allowing Katrina Kaif to be photographed with starry-eyed children and spouses of top bureaucrats at Hotel Jehan Numa Palace, the hotel where the actor stayed during shooting.
The then Bhopal Commissioner Pukhraj Maroo had already been won over with the role of an MLA in the film. Maroo appears barely for a second in Rajniti but his craving for celluloid ensured that Prakash Jha did not face any hassles during shooting in Bhopal.
When the commissioner is in cast of the film, can minions of district administration do any thing except obsequiously facilitating shooting?
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too seemed floored by Katrina Kaif's charm. It so happened that a pool- side party was organized for local crème la crème of Bhopal by Dilip Suryavanshi, the mightiest power broker in MP. Suryavanshi gets more salutes from top IAS and IPS officers than even the chief minister.
A good businessman that he is, Prakash Jha had realized the clouts of Suryavanshi soon enough while in Bhopal. And this petty contractor-turned- billionaire fixer lived up to the director's expectations.
In the pool-side party, Katrina Kaif was, predictably, the main attraction. The Chief Minister was also invited and he did make it. How could he not? It was Dilip Suryavanshi's party after all.
Of course, I was not invited in the party. But an eyewitness recalled to me how the Chief Minister almost jumped on the seat to greet Katarine Kaif from afar when Prakash Jha introduced the actor to Chouhan. The chief minister looked completely smitten by Kaif's plastic smile, the eye witness said.
Jha has one more reason to prefer Bhopal to other cities. He managed to hire crowd dirt cheap. His local contractor for crowds arranged artistes from across the State. The arrangement was redolent of the late nineteenth century contracting of the indentured labours from Bihar to work in Mauritius and other West Indies nations in sugar plantations. These 'Girmitia', who are otherwise heroes of local theatre, readily agreed to work for Puri- Subji as lunch and Rs 300 per day as daily allowance.
And all this to become part of a crowd which may or many not be edited out of the film!
So, don't you agree that the spectacle at the cinema hall on the release of the film was shameful?

Raghuvir Yadav and Jabalpur

Raghurvir, Jabalpur and thrashing
By sheer coincidence, actor Raghuvir Yadav and writer Arundhanti Roy were in news last week – first for being sent to jail and the other for daring the authority to send her to jail. The newspaper reports freshened memories of Pradeep Krishna-directed film “Messy Sahab” which featured both as husband and wife. The film was not a commercial success but had won best actor award for debutant Raghuvir in the 11th international film festival. Arundhati essayed a tribal woman’s role in it. She looked ravishing. It was in 1986.
I interviewed Raghuvir Yadav for All India Radio, Jabalpur station soon after he returned to his native place (Jabalpur) after winning the coveted award. He behaved like a quintessential Jabalpurian- plain ,simple, almost like a rural bumpkin. We chatted in Jabalpurian dialect about his experience of working with Pradeep Krishna before starting the interview on air. Since it was his first film, he had little to say about film making. The interview was mainly focused on his theatre. Raghuvir was charmingly candid. “ It so happened that Ranjit Kapoor’s theatre troupe had come to Jabalpur. I used to sing a little bit. Ranjit spotted me and took me along with the troupe. Later, I got admission in the National School of Drama. That was how my journey began”, I remember him telling me this in the interview.
Raghuvir lived in a predominantly Yadav village Karondi. The village in those days would often hit the headlines in local newspapers for its inhabitants’ clashes with students of the government engineering college which was in the vicinity.
In the subsequent years we got to see a lot of Raghuvir Yadav’s acting prowess on theatre, films and television. Mungeri Lal , his most memorable role in the “ Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapney”, has become a metaphor for day-dreaming. I never had a chance to meet Raghuvir again but would hear about his troubled marriage from friends in theatre world. Photographer Sundar Rajan , who is also a film and TV actor ( remember the sweeper in Mumma Bhai MBBS whom Sanjay Dutt gives famous Jadoo ki Jhapppi?), had shared flat with Raghuvir in late eighties. The venerable photographer was all praise for his room partner’s talent and personal life when Raghuvir was being discussed in an evening at Gyanranjan’s Agrawal colony’s house in Jabalpur in those days. Gyanranjan, one of the most well known story writers of seventies but better known as editor of now-would esteemed magazine “ Pahal” is Sundar Rajan’s friend and my guru.
I really can’t say how good or bad human being Raghuvir Yadav is. But it was extremely pained to see the good actor being thrashed by his ex-wife Poonam in public, in front of policemen. He looked devastated. The Sahara news channel anchor sounded almost demented with glee when he narrated the incident as TV camera showed Raghuvir being slapped from behind. My first interview with Raghuvir 24 years ago suddenly flashed before me. Is Raghuvir , a bumpkin-turned-actor , victim of metro lifestyle ? He could never cast off his rural upbringing completely. That proved his strength in role but may have turned his handicap in real life as he grappled with merciless world of tinsel town.