The sun shines bright at 3.30pm on Saturday in Patjor, Jharkhand, a five-hour drive from Calcutta. Our car hits a dirt road that cuts away from the highway. We are on our way to the shoot site of Srijit Mukherji’s first Hindi film, Begum Jaan, located in the middle of nowhere. A couple of huts along the track throw up the only signs of life. Finally, the road leads to a clearing and Begum Jaan’s haveli comes into view.

Begum Jaan, with Vidya Balan playing the titular role, is an adaptation of Srijit’s Rajkahini (2015), which tells the story of how Begum Jaan (the owner of a brothel; played by Rituparna Sengupta) and her gang of girls put up a resistance against the governments of India and Pakistan out to raze the “whorehouse” and build a border during the Bengal Partition. Begum Jaan, though, is set in Punjab. 

Spread over 9,000sq ft, the haveli overlooks a hill. Inside, strains of music — a song by Asha Bhosle — waft around. The action is on in full swing in the courtyard. Crew members dart from one end to the other, following instructions. Srijit is hunched over the monitor keeping  a hawk-eye on proceedings. We inch closer towards Srijit, and finally spot her!
Vidya Balan comes into focus almost in slow motion, on Srijit’s monitor screen. The camera slowly moves in to reveal Begum Jaan inside a room doing her morning riyaaz. Within a few minutes, it’s time to shift the action indoors — rain-bearing clouds are hovering over the set. “The weather is completely schizophrenic here,” shrugs Srijit.

Rain-shine-rain-shine... that’s how it has been for the past couple of days. The schedule has been worked out keeping the moody weather in mind. The crew members quickly set up the next scene — a slow-mo sequence of Begum Jaan drying her hair with a dupatta. “This shot will capture the full flight of her hair,” Srijit tells us.  

Soon cinematographer Gopi Bhagat is ready to roll camera. “Vidya, we need more flourish with the hair, try and do a full arc with your hair,” says Srijit. Another take. Cut. “Vidya, can the hair go up and then down,” he asks. Vidya follows. “Yes, that’s the thing,” smiles Srijit. Next take. Cut. “The water droplets should fly. This is the diva Begum Jaan, full-on glamour. Vidya, can we do the action once more?” asks Srijit Mukherji into a mic.” Vidya complies.

“This shot will probably come in the film for two seconds, but she has so much patience. Vidya is effortless. And has a natural presence. Begum Jaan is an erstwhile courtesan. A very famous baiji from Lucknow. Now, she has retired and opened this kotha,” Srijit tells t2. Finally, the shot is okayed by Srijit. After canning a couple of more scenes for the film being produced by Vishesh Films, Vidya takes a quick time out to chat with t2. 

How has it been working with Srijit?

He knows his mind. He knows his story that he wants to tell. He is extremely organised. His team is constantly on the go. I find that incredible. This is the fastest I have worked on any film. The amount of work we put in in a day is incredible. The shooting hours are of course a lot since we are dealing with truant weather. I don’t know how he manages to keep focus despite the stress of the weather because at times it is really blazing and hot and within 10 minutes the weather changes. His team is on the ball constantly. All his actors are prepared... because he workshopped with them. Everyone knows what they are doing. And then you leave a little leeway for exploration, discovery, spontaneity in the take.

We are ahead of schedule... that’s never happened to me on any film. It’s been a first of its kind. Srijit is the quickest (laughs). He is constantly trying new things, in terms of his stories… he is extremely focused. So there is no nonsense happening on the set. His Rajkahini was extremely powerful. 

What’s your impression of this place and Santiniketan (where Vidya is staying)? 

They had mentally prepared us for the heat thing. All I could think about was, ‘Oh my God, it’s open, how are we going to shoot.’ But then Bolpur I wanted to visit, it’s my first time. Since Bhalo Theko [her 2003 debut directed by Goutam Halder] I wanted to visit Bolpur. Every time I said I want to go to Bolpur someone would say, ‘But it’s a three-hour drive…’ I never managed.

So I am loving Bolpur. I love the drive. It’s so peaceful. The sky here is magical. When it rains it is so romantic. It’s great that there is no network here... there’s no scope for cell phones. I am the happiest. I am not a cell phone person as such. So there’s no scope for that one message or one call also. I call all the people I need to speak to early in the morning and at night, and during the day it is just this. I am loving it.

I went to the Shanibar Haat and I loved it. I heard baul musicians, I saw all kinds of jewellery and musical instruments, clothes. I went to Amar Kutir and I went mad! I loved it. I picked up two kantha saris, bandhni, one regular sari. I picked up kurtas and I bought musical instruments… it’s like a kanjira, a little, one-sided dhol sort of thing, and the ektara… my sister’s son loves music. I have taken the ektara for my niece. It’s broken now, so I have to get another one.       

Have your tried the Bengali food there yet?

Not yet. I am hoping to go to Banalakshmi. But during the shoot I prefer not to eat out. My cook travels with me. I travel so much that it is safer to eat ghar ka khana… rice, or roti, dal, sabzi… there’s not much deviation from it. 

In a previous interview to t2 you had said, ‘Begum Jaan is a character I want to give three-four months of my life to’...

I thought I would have to give three-four months to Begum Jaan because I thought I would have to use an accent. But Srijit didn’t want me to adapt the Punjabi or the Lucknowi accent. He wanted my Hindi to be pan-Indian. It’s more in the language, not so much in the accent. You’ll see some Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati… he wanted Begum Jaan to be almost like India. He wanted a hoarse voice… and I don’t smoke the hookah. So I kept smoking it and saying, ‘Arre kuch nahin ho raha hai’. They said, ‘Aap andar nahin le rahe ho’ (laughs out loud)! Then I started smoking it, and he would keep guiding me and saying, ‘No, it has to sound heavier, coarser’. So that little work we did. I am going to start learning to ride a horse. Because for some parts of the film I have to do that. I always wanted to learn horse riding. Every year I tell myself —  new year resolution: this year horse riding. This year hopefully I’ll learn to ride a horse. And ride it myself for the film (laughs).   

What’s special about Begum Jaan?

She personifies every aspect of feminine power. You see a sensuous Begum Jaan, a strong Begum Jaan, an abusive, violent Begum Jaan… she is very unpredictable. There’s a very tough exterior but there is a certain softness to her. She is a consummate woman, a woman in every way. 

How was your first day on the set of Begum Jaan?

First day was with Naseeruddin Shah. I met Naseer sa’ab after a long time. [The two did Ishqiya (2010) and The Dirty Picture (2011) together] Normally on a  film you take a day or two to warm up. Srijit pushed us into the deep end on the very first day… there was no mollycoddling… or saying, ‘Achha, aaj gaane se shuru karenge’. Nothing like that. It was not an easy scene. It was with Naseeruddin Shah! By the end of the first day I was asking Srijit, ‘Listen I don’t know what I have done’. But on the second day when I came on set I knew exactly what I had done. 

What would Naseeruddin talk about between takes?

He regaled us with a lot of stories about the kinds of films he has done, fun instances… I don’t think it is okay for me to say (laughs) what exactly he has said… this time around I had more conversations with him. I used to keep a big distance from him before. But we have done films together, so…
[Srijit chips in: There’s some serious chemistry between Vidya and Naseerji!]

How are these Bengali directors you have worked with — Srijit, Sujoy Ghosh, Ribhu Dasgupta and Pradeep Sarkar — different from one another and what are their strong points?

Each one is unique, like every Bengali I know! Extremely passionate, individualistic, but extremely different styles. Pradeep Sarkar is a perfectionist. I remember doing 46 takes for something. The frame is really important for him. Ribhu was extremely easy to work with… he is very soft-spoken, and with a disarming smile he’ll come and say something to you and go back. Sujoy is a madcap. It’s like he is operating parallely. I have not met anyone with better lateral thinking than him. And he is great fun. Srijit is extremely focused, organised… Begum Jaan is a very realistic film, and yet there is a certain beauty to it. He manages to discover the beauty in the rawness. Sujoy expends energy to keep the energy levels of the team high. Srijit channelises excess energy productively for the film. 

What do you do after pack-up? How do you relax?

Sleep (laughs out loud).

Do you listen to Bengali songs?       

I listen to Bengali songs on the way. I have a pen drive with a lot of songs. There is Jao pakhi bolo, Jete jete pathey holo deri, Ami je jalshaghare, Shey je boshe achhe, Ekla cholo re… so many songs. 

What’s next for Vidya Balan?

This is the year I have worked the hardest in my career so far. For eight-nine years I have been doing one or two films a year. I have already shot for two and I’ll start my third, a biopic on Kamala Das in Malayalam, in a month. Three scripts excited me this year. This year has been a triple whammy!

Arindam Chatterjee
What Bengali song would you dedicate to Vidya Balan?
Tell t2@abp.in