Film Industry

Album: Topiwalleh
Band: Swarathma
Rating:
Swarathma’s latest offering, a 10-song album titled Topiwalleh, is a package of musical refreshment in a true sense. The Bengaluru-based folk rock band has recreated its trademark musical storytelling style of harping on a social message through a musical medium — the hard-hitting, witty lyrics lashing out at issues like the state of affairs, corrupt politicians and the darker facets of society like child abuse (the track Ghum is centred around this), religion (Yeshu, Allah Aur Krishna) etc, blended with high energy notes that translate into a one-of-its-kind musical drama. And all this with an impeccable stage show makes the album, and of course the band, stand out!
While the album is certainly a delightful treat for the devoted followers of the band, it is nothing less than a pleasant and gripping musical chant for a first time listener too. The album opens with the title track Topiwalleh, a daringly honest, playful mockery of the politicians — ripping apart their several ‘social stints’. Duur Kinara is a spellbinding, mellifluous Kannada-Hindi motif with artist Shuba Mudgal’s sonorous voice for embellishments.
Tracks like Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar, Mukhote, Khul Ja Re and Yeshu Allah Aur Krishna, capture the raw, earthy elements, the folk-rock fusion, and high voltage energy — which are both contagious and consistent. However, watching the band play these songs live is an experience unmatched, and purists may complain that the visual ethos and the performance charm do not translate completely on to the tape. But if there was something called a socially responsible music, without diluting the sensory pleasure even by an iota, Swarathma’s Topiwalleh sure would have defined it aptly!

Seems like veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra has a follower — we aren’t talking about his sons Aditya or Uday — but director Anurag Kashyap. Says a source, “Anurag is the only person besides Yash Chopra to make a film on Dhanbad and the coal mafia there. Yash Chopra had made Kaala Patthar with actors Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha and Shashi Kapoor in the late ’70s and the film went on to became a huge success. Anurag has seen Kaala Patthar. Not that his film is inspired from it, but he has seen it for research. In fact Gangs of Wasseypur is Anurag’s first out and out commercial film.”

Actor Randeep Hooda, who’s had a hat-trick of sorts with three back-to-back hits, admits that while his roles in Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai and Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster were much-appreciated, it’s post his latest release Jannat 2 that the industry’s looking at him with renewed interest. So, from playing the second fiddle, the actor’s now looking at scripts where he’s the solo lead. But Randeep insists that acting in a solo or a multi-starrer film is never a criteria for choosing a film. “Ï agree that being offered solo hero projects is encouraging, but for me the only pull are films that excite me or challenge me in some way,” he says. As for the sudden jump in the credibility of the actor, Randeep adds that it’s difficult to point out what triggered the change. “Well, I’ve always been here, but I think the perception of my bankability increasing over the past months has much to do with the fact that there’s been a merging of appreciation as well as success for me at the BO,” explains the actor who’s currently working in Jism 2.

There’s also buzz in the industry about Randeep being the new blue-eyed boy of the Bhatts, now that their favoured actor Emraan Hashmi is busy with films outside the banner. But the actor waves it off. “The only thing here is that I trust them, so whenever they have a good project, I’d want to work with them,” he adds. About the other buzzword, marketing, the actor insists that he’s yet to get a hang of that bit. “I’ve always believed that if you do good work, you will be noticed, whether you feature on the posters or not and I would want to stick to that belief,” he adds. On a high professionally, the actor’s personal life too is buzzing with talks of him tying the knot with rumoured girlfriend, actor Neetu Chandra soon. But the actor is quick to dismiss all such talks. “No marriage talk please. I am not getting married anytime soon,” he says. “There was a time, when I used to speak about my personal life, but now I realise that I don’t want to be in the news for my link-ups. I am here in my capacity as an actor, so I’d rather be spoken about for my work than relationships. All my focus is on my work alone,” quips Randeep.

Actor Emraan Hashmi has confessed that the excessive use of cuss words in Jannat-2 cost the film a business of Rs 10 crore. No, not because it was certified ‘A’ but because “teenagers felt embarrassed to see it along with the elders”! Not only that, he even admitted that in future he will think twice before doing a film that has unwarranted abusive language. This coming from the hero of the hit film is a huge revelation and begs the question: how much is too much?
According to pyschcologist Seema Hingorani, there is an alarming trend of using bad words among kids, the youth and even married couples. “Kids feel it’s cool to swear at others. I have so many parents coming to me to help their children get rid of the habit. Films and actors are the role models, influencing them in a huge way and this is having a negative impact on the society,” says Hingorani. She cites an example of a teenager who wanted to watch Delhi Belly “only to learn the cuss words and use it on his friends”.
However, Abhinay Deo, who directed Delhi Belly, the film that broke the barriers when it came to freely using the ‘F’ word argues that cinema mirrors society. “If you go to any college canteen and listen to the youth lingo, it will put even Delhi Belly to shame. We have been shying away from some of the realities for so long that when a film like this comes, it becomes shocking,” explains Deo. He reckons that the item songs or the implied bad language shown in ‘U’ films is crassier than what was shown in Delhi Belly.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, whose Gangs of Wasseypur is set to release this month reveals that his film has a liberal dose of cuss words typically used by North Indians. “My film is set in Dhanbad, it’s about illiterate gangsters and gaali galauch is part of their natural lingo. We need to get over our moralities and leave the audience to decide for themselves,” he quips. He, however, admits that the option of using bad words is completely upto the filmmaker. He gives the example of Paan Singh Tomar, which is set in Chambal and is known for its abusive language. “But director Tigmanshu Dhulia refrained from incorporating it in the film. Had I been in his place I would have definitely used it,” he swears!

Celebrating his team’s recent victory, actor Shah Rukh Khan is in an exuberant mood as After Hrs catches up with him at his palatial Mannat. “I know people have been talking about my insanity, saying midlife crisis hai, making careers trying to analyse me… but as insane as it actually sounds, to be honest for that one moment I actually believed that I could fly. In fact, I would have taken off the railing, had (wife) Gauri and (daughter) Suhana not pulled me back,” says Shah Rukh, “More than worrying about what they all had to say about my insanity, I’m thinking of working on my cartwheel, as Aryan had pointed out that my landing was not perfect!” But talking about his recent Wankhede fiasco, the actor clarifies that the only people who he does owe an apology to are his children and the audience. “I’m an employee of my audience and there’s simply no justification for abusing in front of them or my children,” he says.
The win has come as a breather for the actor, who admits that not just the past few days, but even the past few months haven’t been easy. “Yes, my heart’s broken by whatever has happened in the past six-seven months. I’ve been hurt by my own people,” he says talking about the intense scrutiny and countless speculation surrounding his personal life. “I am no role model, and there’s no ‘grow up to be like papa’ happening at my home ever, but my kids do get affected with all that’s going around. Every day I wake up making a joke about what gets written about me, just so my kids don’t take it seriously. I’m no hero for my kids and they don’t take me as a hero, but I’m still their dad.”
That, says Shah Rukh, is also one of the reasons why he’s gone off Twitter. “I don’t want to be explaining myself, and be abused by people who won’t have the guts to say any of it on my face,” quips the actor. “People exist in small boxes of judgement and limitations and when they do not have any power over me, they try to hurt me, whereas all that I’ve done is tried to entertain my audiences and have only wanted to be liked in return! I just wish they would be happy instead of being so cynical all the time.”
As for his films, the Badshah will soon be seen on his home turf with a romantic film this year, for which he will be leaving for London soon for the next shoot schedule, but the actor insists that it would be unfair to compare this Yash Chopra film with one of his best ever Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. “I can’t do a Dilwale again. I was 31 then! I don’t think it can ever be the same, it can be better or not, but can’t be the same. I would never want to do the same thing again!” signs off the star.