Bharathi S. Pradhan
There is a peculiar one-sided protocol that the Hindi film industry follows and don't you dare breach it. After watching a film, you're allowed to text anybody associated with it and heap lavish praise on the product — from the maker and film star to the chaiwala and the light boy, they'll lap it up. But what happens when you don't like a film?
It happened with Rishi Kapoor. In the recent past, Rishi has been impressively sliding from a crude slave trader (Agneepath) and gay dean (Student Of The Year) to suave lover (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), a corrupt cop (Aurangzeb) and an underworld don (D-Day). Each time he performed well, I'd send him a 'well done' text message and his reply would be swift. Rishi (or Chintu as we call him) would either text back a 'thank you' or he'd pick up the phone and have a short chat that would amount to, 'Your opinion matters a lot, thanks.'
Alas, in film star language that has to be translated into, your opinion matters as long as you're paying me a compliment. Here's why: following Besharam I was honest enough to send Chintu a text message that the film was pathetic and I was disappointed that the trio of Kapoors was a part of it. How did Rishi react to this? With total silence!
Mom Neetu Singh did something similar. Every time I complimented Ranbir's work in films like Raajneeti, her reply would be prompt and she'd tell me that she had forwarded my message instantly to her son. But when I sent her a message that his Rocket Singh lacked energy, I got no response.
It's not an affliction that ails the stars alone. After The Dirty Picture, director Milan Luthria happily received my compliments and said that because I was honest, my response really mattered. My honesty continued but his happiness didn't when I saw Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbaai Dobaara and texted him that I was disappointed. You don't have to guess that to this day Milan hasn't replied to that one!
Despite all their experience and years of exposure to the limelight, men like Rishi fail to handle a setback with grace. Today Anil Kapoor is thrilled because 24, the TV show he has produced and is acting in, has fetched him a pile of compliments. His message saying, 'Thank you, I'm so glad you're hooked,' was spontaneous. But the same Anil hadn't replied to a message that I'd sent him after his daughter's debut film Saawariya had failed to impress me.
In fact just after Saawariya had tanked, Rishi and Anil were frosty cold to old friends in the media who had not liked the film. Both Ranbir and Sonam had also issued haughty statements that their respective dads had advised them not to read reviews or listen to critics. By that yardstick, if you flip the situation, none of them should be pleased when we compliment them because they shouldn't be listening to us, right? But logic obviously doesn't enter the picture. Don't breach the protocol, QED.
Recently, Kajol's mom Tanuja turned 70. This Maharashtrian actress who speaks fluent Bengali and did films with stalwarts like Uttam Kumar, has a very soft corner for this part of the country. 'I was a newcomer and Uttam Kumar was a huge star. But he was so nice to me, he'd take me all over Calcutta and give me so much attention that I was really touched,' she said.
Tanuja is a rare actress who isn't coy about the truth. At an official function in Mumbai at the Prince Of Wales Museum (now renamed after Shivaji), she spoke about her mother, Shobhna Samarth's relationship with actor Motilal. 'What's there to hide? My mother always told us, if you pay attention to other people's opinions, you'll never get down to being the person you want to be. The whole world knew about Moti Kaka and my mother and he was an important part of our lives,' Tanu shrugged.
At the same time, she maintained a great equation with her own dad, Kumarsen Samarth, even after her mother had moved away from him. Tanuja had this gem to share: she had started smoking, so she once asked her dad how he could give up cigarettes so easily. 'When I could give up the one woman I loved, what's so great about giving up cigarettes?' he shot back, referring to the way he had accepted the separation from Shobhna.
Tanuja herself has done it now — she gave up cigarettes and alcohol when she turned 70. 'It's time to look after my body now,' she grinned.
