`Conquering' Hollywood
V. GANGADHAR
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In the past, struggling actors pretended to be busy. Now, their excuse is a `Hollywood commitment' to get media hype.
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GOING BEYOND BOLLYWOOD?: AISHWARYA RAI
The Bollywood star strategy for media publicity is changing. In the past, struggling actors looking for a break would never admit that they were jobless. They would assert to a friendly journalist, that he or she was the director's first choice but had to turn down the offer because of date problems. Some would even mention the casting couch or revealing scenes as reasons behind their refusal of good roles.
GULSHAN GROVER.
This approach has become outdated. Today, their excuse is `Hollywood commitments'.
The tabloids front-page such statements and the actors get their publicity. Now as many non-resident Indians (NRI) and foreign-based producers fund Indian films, such statements have acquired a level of credibility. Some Bollywood stars' attitudes have changed just because they are supposed to be shooting abroad all the time. Although no one knows what they are shooting for.
No time for Bollywood
Leading the brigade is Aishwarya Rai. She is hardly ever seen on the Hindi screen and has been left far behind by Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta, Kareena Kapoor and even Priyanka Chopra. According to her PR people and obliging friends in the media, she is so busy with foreign assignments that she has no time for Bollywood.
Aishwarya Rai is, no doubt, beautiful, but her roles in films such as `Bride and Prejudice' hardly make an impact. Once there was even talk of Aishwarya Rai being the next `Bond girl,' the Hollywood bug, real or fiction, had percolated down. Indian stars who visited the Cannes Film Festival no longer regarded this as a nice holiday.
They dropped names of Hollywood producers and directors and even hinted at the fact that they were being considered for major roles.
For several days, the Mumbai tabloids were full of news that `desi bad guy' Gulshan Grover was playing the villain's role in the James Bond film, `Casino Royale.'
This was hard to swallow because the villain, Le Chiffre, is French and one wondered how Grover qualified for such a part. Later, the tabloids announced that due to `unavoidable' reasons, the role has gone to someone else.
Nowadays, wealthy, expatriate Indians from United States and United Kingdom are prepared to invest in films with both Indian and western characters. So minor roles are always available.
Actor Milind Gunaji, it was reported, had bagged four roles in films being produced by one such Indian, while Rahul Bose was mentioned as one of the actors in a movie directed by Santosh Sivan.
Little known actor Irfan Khan has bagged a role in a film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, based on the life story of the American journalist, Daniel Pearl, who was killed by terrorists.
The media seldom mentions these roles as minor ones but exaggerates their importance with headlines like `X, Y or Z Conquers Hollywood'!
One recent example is the Aishwarya look-alike Sneha Ullal who is supposed to `storm' Hollywood. The fact is that she is making her debut in `Gandhi Park,' produced by Anil Paulose, an Indian settled abroad.
A `cross-culture' film, `Gandhi Park' will be shot in Goa and New York. The plot revolves round the romance of two couples.
Plain speaking
Anupam Kher has some interesting comments on India `conquering' Hollywood. He does not like the term `cross over' film. "That will happen only when an Indian actor has the lead role in a genuine American made film," he explains. Today, Indian actors are offered subsidiary roles, such as the hero's doctor, lawyer or friend and that does not mean they have become Hollywood stars.
Having realised the vast market for their films in India, these producers do not mind offering roles to Indian actors. Kher had a major role in `American Blend,' produced by an NRI, a professional filmmaker.
Yet there has been instances of Indian actors performing in genuine Hollywood films. Amrish Puri had a major role in Steven Spielberg's `Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,' appearing alongside stars like Harrison Ford.
Earlier, comedian I.S. Johar was seen in `Death on the Nile,' `Harry Black and the Tiger' and `Lawrence of Arabia.'
Dilip Kumar seldom talks about it, but he was offered a major role by director David Lean in his `Lawrence of Arabia.'
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