The dominant debutant
RANA SIDDIQUI
|
Young Shreyas Talpade makes his debut in Nagesh Kukunoor's "Iqbal" releasing this Friday.
|
BEYOND ALL ODDS Shreyas Talpade, flanked by Girish Karnad and Shweta, in a scene from "Iqbal".
What is the parallel between Amitabh Bachchan and Shreyas Talpade, the debutant in Nagesh Kukunoor's latest roll-out "Iqbal"? It is theirremarkable voice and the role in their first film. Remember Amitabh despite having a notable voice, landed up the role of a speechless man in his first film "Saat Hindustani"? Shreyas too despite that velvet quality in his vocal chords, has landed up the role of a deaf and dumb in "Iqbal" in which he plays the title role (though Amitabh was one of seven men in "Saat Hindustani"). Iqbal is a poor villager who dreams of making it to the Indian cricket team. How does he realise his dream despite the handicap is the crux of the film.
This Commerce graduate from Mithibai College, Mumbai, was chosen to play the title role by Kukunoor after the auditions of 200 candidates. Recalls the 25-year-old, "A friend of mine called me to say that auditions were going on at Mukta Searchlight Films (film's producer Subash Ghai's new venture to promote small budget film ) and asked if I knew bowling. I was amazed. When I reached the studios, a few others and Nagesh also asked the same question. Surprised, I told Nagesh that I was a medium pacer. He asked me if I could bowl fast, I assured, with practice I can. With the help of coaches I was taught fast bowling. Audition continued for four days," recalls Shreyas, whose experience in a cricket academy as a student and in dramatics in school and college came in handy during the auditions.
Sign language
Shreyas had to learn the sign language to communicate too. "It was a bit difficult. But the best part was, Nagesh had short-listed 100 most common words and phrases used in different states and transferred them onto a CD. In it, the sentences a character had to speak in the film were also present in the sign language. So basically, we had to imitate it, but Nagesh warned me that it should not look a rehearsed exercise but second nature as Iqbal is disabled by birth. But the focus of the film is his dream rather than his handicap because disability is not an impediment for him. So I was asked to keep it subtle and yet natural," shares the actor who admittedly took 18 days in getting into the skin of Iqbal.
"For me, Iqbal's body language was more difficult. Nagesh told me, I have to think of myself as the son of a poor villager who walks and jogs barefoot, grazes buffalos, and keeps dreaming of cricket," he recalls.
With co-actors like "extremely humble and hardworking" Girish Karnad, who would keep on doing `catch practice' for two hours constantly, and Naseeruddin Shah whom he had learnt was "little arrogant" but he would bestow him with books like "Manwatch" on human gesture and behaviour to read and would ask him to tell him if anytime he feels "scared of Nagesh", Shreyas says his fear had vanished the "very first day".
Now this owner of two theatre groups - Mumbai Kalakaar and Upstagers in Mumbai - is much too happy to have begun with a film, which is "not run-of-the-mill kinds." "Mujhe to aik hi thali main sab kuch mil gaya" (it's complete package for me), chuckles the actor.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Entertainment
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
