Calling the shots
Bhawani Cheerath
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`Phir Milenge,' directed by Revathi, focusses on AIDS and, yet, it does not preach.
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Photo: S. Gopakumar
Crossover: Revathi has skillfully woven the message on AIDS into the format of a commercial film.
"Why haven't you asked me?" Salman Khan asked Revathi about the role of a HIV patient in her proposed film `Phir Milenge.'
She mumbled something about the reluctance of glamour boys (and girls) to do these roles, which they fear might tarnish their image. Salman, who was Revathi's hero in her Hindi film `Love,' brushed it aside and said, "Ask me now." She did and the role was his.
Lucky breakthrough
This breakthrough proved to be lucky. Shilpa Shetty expressed no reservations about doing the film. Abhishek Bachchan too agreed to act in the movie. And the rest, as they say, is history as `Phir Milenge' went on to win the accolades of the critics and the viewers.
Why Shilpa Shetty? "I wanted a glamorous heroine and Shilpa has moulded well into the role," says the director who is quick to add that the cooperation she received from the cast and their involvement with the project was something she found amazing. She adds, "One very interesting aspect about the Mumbai film stars is that they respect talent and they, therefore, had faith in my ability to deliver."
Replying to a query about her moving to a Hindi film after choosing an English film - `Mitr, My Friend,' for her directorial debut she says "I wanted the message to reach larger audiences and therefore Hindi was an ideal choice. Moreover in `Phir Milenge' I address a totally different segment when handling the HIV issue."
Awareness films on AIDS have often targeted the commercial sex-worker, the lorry drivers and the highly vulnerable sections.
But according to Revathy, who is also associated with organisations working in this sector, "This film is meant for a section that is deluding itself into believing that the dreaded disease will not touch other lives."
The film makes one realise that the filmmaker has successfully balanced the ingredients that would attract audiences to the theatres and carefully avoided ending up as an `arthouse' production or sliding into an instructional documentary format.
While on the film, she says that it has travelled to some of the smaller festivals abroad, but more rewarding was the screening of the film at the United Nations and the British Medical Association, where they found this blend of the AIDS' message with a commercial film ideally suited to spread the message.
Acting
Will she not don greasepaint anymore? "Being an actress is like going on a holiday, particularly after one has gone through the process of making a film.
In fact, I took up a role in a film after both `Mitr, my Friend' and `Phir Milenge' because as an actress you need not know the entire process of filmmaking and for that reason it is less demanding."
As an actress, Revathi has to her credit 125 films in the three South Indian languages - Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. She also has acted in five Hindi films, three of which were remakes of box office hits in Malayalam.
She is, however, more comfortable doing south Indian films. Next film? "Most probably in Tamil," says the filmmaker who is convinced that "Indian Cinema is being talked about and crossover films like `Monsoon Wedding' and `Mitr, My Friend' have broken the glass ceiling that existed vis-à-vis the growing market in the United States and Europe."
One can't agree more when she says, "After all the trouble taken, I want people to come to the theatre to see the film. None of us can deny the fact we desire the adoration of our audiences and if the film does not have the reach, it will not have served the purpose."
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Memorable roles
Revathi is best remembered for her roles in films like `Kattathe Kilikoodu,' `Mayamayooram,' `Kakkothikaavile Appooppan Thaadi,' `Varavelpu,' `Mangamma,' `Killukam,' `Agnidevan' `Devasuram,' and `Ravanaprabhu' in Malayalam.
Some of her films in Tamil are `Manvasanai,' `Kaikoddukum kai,' `Puthumaipennu,' `Thevar Magan,' `Anjali,' and `Mounaraagam.' Revathi has five Hindi films to her credit. The first three were (`Love,' `Muskurahat' and `Raat') were remakes of hit films in Malayalam.
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