T.V. to big screen: The success story
Subhash K. Jha
DilpematleThere was a time not too long ago when filmmakers from the Hindi movie industry made programs for television simply to while away their spare time. But no longer -- satellite television has transformed the entertainment landscape in the country and from being the medium for mostly has-beens, it is now seen as a stepping stone for success in Bollywood. In fact, three wannabe feature film directors are ready to make the transition from the small to the large screen with films that promise to further expand the glory of mainstream Hindi cinema.
Anurag Kashyap, who started his career as a writer for director Ram Gopal Varma's films "Satya" and "Kaun," and wrote the Hindi dialogues for Deepa Mehta's "Fire" and the forthcoming "Water," is ready with his first film entitled "Paanch." It features television and theatre actor Kay Kay (who earlier this year made his big screen bow in Mahesh Mathani's "Bhopal Express") and actress Padmini Kolhapure's sister Tejaswini Kolhapure. The film, about the lives and loves of a rock band in Mumbai, has plenty of melodious songs. Kashyap says "Paanch" is a realistic slice-of-life work with no concessions to escapism except the songs composed by Vishal Bharadwaj. Kashyap, who is currently scripting the thriller "Darr" which is telecast on Star Plus, hopes to capture the attention of a more discerning viewership with "Paanch."
Hansal Mehta is a qualified computer engineer who abandoned his cushy job in Australia to pursue his dreams on celluloid. His first feature film about medical malpractice, "Jayate," was never released. But the Mumbai-born Mehta's second film, "Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar" starring arthouse star Manoj Bajpai and the serious commercial actress Tabu, is ready and waiting to open in cinema theatres. Mehta has done a couple of soaps and several telefilms on television. He wrote and directed satellite television's trendsetting cuisine show 'Khana Khazana'. Mehta speaks for his other colleagues from television, who are keen to make the transition from the small to the large screen when he says he sees television as a stepping stone to cinema. Says Mehta, "Television allows me to experiment with the medium in ways that I can't in cinema.
Television has helped me to evolve as a filmmaker." Though "Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar" has ingredients from commercial cinema, including songs (again by Vishal Bharadwaj) which Mehta sees as the component that gives a peculiar identity to Indian cinema, "Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar" is not a run-of-the-mill film. Mehta is also working on a comedy on modern marriages entitled "Shaadi.Com" and a film on a traditional Bihari cross-dresser dancer entitled "Netua" which will also feature Manoj Bajpai. The film, for which Bajpai intends to take lessons in classical dancing, is to be shot in a location in the eastern Indian state of Bihar next year.
Like Anurag Kashyap and Hansal Mehta, Tigmanshu Dhulia loves to work with theatre and television actors. The Allahabad-born filmmaker made his debut on television with a mini-series called "Krishna's Dream" for Britain's Channel 4. He is currently directing the brilliant Delhi-based political soap "Rajdhani" on Star Plus. Dhulia, who is now planning his first feature film, is seen by many people from within the film industry as one of the most promising young filmmaking talents in the country. The filmmaker says he wants to make a romantic thriller, set in his home state Uttar Pradesh, with a small town romance as a backdrop. He plans to cut down on his television assignments so he can concentrate on his feature film. Says Dhulia, "Television has been a great training ground for me. I was provided with the freedom to dabble in all sorts of genres and styles." Dhulia was noticed on television by young director Goldie Behl who signed him on to write the dialogues of his Abhishek Bachchan starrer "Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai."
Television in India is no longer looked upon as a breeding ground for mediocrity. Big filmmakers like Vikram Bhatt and Tanuja Chandra are happily making serials and feature films simultaneously. And Hindi cinema is ready to absorb talent from television unconditionally. Several serial makers are waiting in the wings to make feature films. If Anurag Kashyap, Hansal Mehta and Tigmanshu Dhulia succeed in making an impact with their large-screen debut films, the floodgates will be opened for talent to move effortlessly from cinema to television, and vice versa.
Subhash K. Jha
DilpematleThere was a time not too long ago when filmmakers from the Hindi movie industry made programs for television simply to while away their spare time. But no longer -- satellite television has transformed the entertainment landscape in the country and from being the medium for mostly has-beens, it is now seen as a stepping stone for success in Bollywood. In fact, three wannabe feature film directors are ready to make the transition from the small to the large screen with films that promise to further expand the glory of mainstream Hindi cinema.
Anurag Kashyap, who started his career as a writer for director Ram Gopal Varma's films "Satya" and "Kaun," and wrote the Hindi dialogues for Deepa Mehta's "Fire" and the forthcoming "Water," is ready with his first film entitled "Paanch." It features television and theatre actor Kay Kay (who earlier this year made his big screen bow in Mahesh Mathani's "Bhopal Express") and actress Padmini Kolhapure's sister Tejaswini Kolhapure. The film, about the lives and loves of a rock band in Mumbai, has plenty of melodious songs. Kashyap says "Paanch" is a realistic slice-of-life work with no concessions to escapism except the songs composed by Vishal Bharadwaj. Kashyap, who is currently scripting the thriller "Darr" which is telecast on Star Plus, hopes to capture the attention of a more discerning viewership with "Paanch."
Hansal Mehta is a qualified computer engineer who abandoned his cushy job in Australia to pursue his dreams on celluloid. His first feature film about medical malpractice, "Jayate," was never released. But the Mumbai-born Mehta's second film, "Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar" starring arthouse star Manoj Bajpai and the serious commercial actress Tabu, is ready and waiting to open in cinema theatres. Mehta has done a couple of soaps and several telefilms on television. He wrote and directed satellite television's trendsetting cuisine show 'Khana Khazana'. Mehta speaks for his other colleagues from television, who are keen to make the transition from the small to the large screen when he says he sees television as a stepping stone to cinema. Says Mehta, "Television allows me to experiment with the medium in ways that I can't in cinema.
Television has helped me to evolve as a filmmaker." Though "Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar" has ingredients from commercial cinema, including songs (again by Vishal Bharadwaj) which Mehta sees as the component that gives a peculiar identity to Indian cinema, "Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar" is not a run-of-the-mill film. Mehta is also working on a comedy on modern marriages entitled "Shaadi.Com" and a film on a traditional Bihari cross-dresser dancer entitled "Netua" which will also feature Manoj Bajpai. The film, for which Bajpai intends to take lessons in classical dancing, is to be shot in a location in the eastern Indian state of Bihar next year.
Like Anurag Kashyap and Hansal Mehta, Tigmanshu Dhulia loves to work with theatre and television actors. The Allahabad-born filmmaker made his debut on television with a mini-series called "Krishna's Dream" for Britain's Channel 4. He is currently directing the brilliant Delhi-based political soap "Rajdhani" on Star Plus. Dhulia, who is now planning his first feature film, is seen by many people from within the film industry as one of the most promising young filmmaking talents in the country. The filmmaker says he wants to make a romantic thriller, set in his home state Uttar Pradesh, with a small town romance as a backdrop. He plans to cut down on his television assignments so he can concentrate on his feature film. Says Dhulia, "Television has been a great training ground for me. I was provided with the freedom to dabble in all sorts of genres and styles." Dhulia was noticed on television by young director Goldie Behl who signed him on to write the dialogues of his Abhishek Bachchan starrer "Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai."
Television in India is no longer looked upon as a breeding ground for mediocrity. Big filmmakers like Vikram Bhatt and Tanuja Chandra are happily making serials and feature films simultaneously. And Hindi cinema is ready to absorb talent from television unconditionally. Several serial makers are waiting in the wings to make feature films. If Anurag Kashyap, Hansal Mehta and Tigmanshu Dhulia succeed in making an impact with their large-screen debut films, the floodgates will be opened for talent to move effortlessly from cinema to television, and vice versa.
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