The GenX Devdas
ANUJ KUMAR
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As ‘Devdas’ gets its tenth incarnation on the celluloid as ‘Dev. D,’ meet director Anurag Kashyap.
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Directing a new course: Anurag Kashyap says he wants to learn from the new rather than the old.
Every generation has an enigma. Anurag Kashyap is one for the present generation. Everybody can’t understand his dark world but those who do see a cult figure in him. “I don’t think it is my moral responsibility to explain my work. My responsibility is to make my work accessible.” His statements retain their sharpness, but as his interpretation of ‘Devdas’ arrives as ‘Dev. D’ in theatres, he is happier than ever before.
“I got rid of the ‘jinxed’ tag with ‘Black Friday,’ now I am looking forward to box office acceptance. The good thing is my kind of cinema is gaining acceptance.” His kind of cinema means the cinema his “democratic group” which includes the likes of Imtiaz Ali, Abbas Tyrewala, Sriram Raghvan and Shimit Amin are busy creating. “…Something free from the stereotypes, where the actors don’t break into a Punjabi number on one pretext or the other. India has so many languages, why don’t they inspire a lyrics writer.”
But his latest takes off from Punjab? “It is relevant to the plot. Sarat Chandra’s ‘Devdas’ was based in Kolkata because it was the capital of British India and a centre of opulence. Today, the richest state is Punjab. And if my protagonist goes for an auction of a special mobile number and is ready to pay a lot of money for it, it has to be Punjab. My Punjab is not the one you have seen till date.”
So is New Delhi’s Paharganj. “It is where lost souls congregate. As a youngster I have been to the place for grass and alcohol.”
But shooting in the claustrophobic lanes… “It gives a visual edge to the film. We adopted the technique, we mastered in ‘Aamir’ – hidden cameras and shooting early morning.”
Static motion!
Anurag has tried something new as well. He didn’t want to show the use of drugs. So he has relied on camera movements to get the psychedelic effect. “I met Danny Boyle, who suggested the use of a special still camera, whose shots have been incorporated to accentuate the effect.” Will the audience get the import? “I know, traditionally, our audience has yet to attain a degree of visual literacy. They rely more on dialogues. But things are changing….”
Of course, words like ‘emotional atyachaar’ are finding place in a Hindi film song. “It is a phrase that aptly describes the situation. We still glorify self pity and sacrifice. That is why Devdas, the character is still relevant. As for purity of language, it is no longer found in the language of youth in Delhi. They want to be hep but somewhere in their mind they have portions of the vocabulary of the previous generation intact. It is a mishmash. Similarly, the MMS episode is included in the plot because this is what today’s generation indulges in. The school scandal was in the newspapers for a long time.”
Anurag clarifies he is no great fan of Sarat Chandra’s novel. “The idea came from Abhay Deol. Once at a party, to get rid of boredom, he narrated a story which was contemporary but ‘Devdas’ at the core. That was the catalyst but at that time Abhay had not taken up acting.” Anurag is candid enough to share that he didn’t know Abhay will make a great actor. “He has turned out to be one of the best. When everybody wants to be a hero, he plays the character.” Anurag has relied on two newcomers Mahi Gill and Kalki Koechlin for the enduring Paro and Chandramukhi.
“I saw Mahi at a party and she was my Paro, even before the character was written. She has the required earthy feel. Kalki came through auditions. Both are hardcore theatre professionals and can give an inferiority complex to many big names. Yes, the producers did ask me if I was sure about my choice, but as you know I was adamant.”
Arrogance pays?
Indeed, people do say Anurag’s arrogance reflects in his films. Sometimes it is well directed; sometimes it is ‘No Smoking.’ “Right but as I said I don’t want to explain, what others think about me.” He does agree that ‘No Smoking’ was his way to give it back to the Censor Board, which harangued him for ‘Paanch.’
“It was my way to tell the Government that it is a democracy.” And he felt vindicated when the Delhi High Court quashed the Government’s notification of banning smoking scenes in films. “Absolutely. This is the victory of the freedom of speech. If you want to ban smoking, ban it in real life. Ban the tobacco companies, which provide funds to political parties. Ban the politicians, who are so short sighted.”
Anurag is now set for a long innings. We saw a different side of him, when he appeared in a cameo in ‘Luck By Chance.’ And soon after ‘Dev D,’ his long pending ‘Gulal’ is ready to make a splash, where his trusted mate Kay Kay Menon plays the lead. “As for acting, it is just small roles for friends. ‘Gulal’ is close to my heart It is about college campus politics.”
But what about the politics of Oscars? Can’t a ‘Slumdog’ come from India?
“Indeed it can and over the years there are many films which could have got international attention. The problem is with the distributors and production. They don’t want to distribute a film which shows real India in the overseas market. Unless a film is seen, how can it get attention? Films like ‘Black Friday,’ ‘Johnny Gaddar’ and ‘Manorma Six Feet Under’ have not been widely released abroad. The distributors only release fairy tales because they feel only Indians living abroad watch Hindi films. They need to be educated about the reality.”
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