An exclusive interview with superstar #DILIPKUMAR What was your earliest movie goingexperience like? At Bombay Talkies (movie studio founded in 1934), it was compulsory for us to view movies either in the studio’s preview theatre or at a cinema house as part of our study of the medium. I had seen only a couple of war documentaries until I joined the studio. The first feature film I viewed was For Whom The Bell Tolls (1943). I watched three shows back to back at Metro theatre — 12 pm, 3pm and 6 pm. Since it received several Oscar nominations, we were told to submit our critical observations to Mrs Devika Rani (actor/founder of Bombay Talkies). I was impressed by Ingrid Bergman’s work and I submitted a critique, which so impressed the lady boss that she couldn’t believe that it was my first movie experience. Were you fascinated by movies as a child? Cinema was not a pastime my family indulged in. The elders spent leisure at home, reading and reciting poetry, laughing and chatting over high tea or just enjoying being together. I was and still am an outdoor person. As a child, I liked wandering out in the open spaces. I had a natural tendency to seek answers to questions that filled my mind about brooks that flowed ceaselessly, clouds that seemed to move in the sky, flowers that spread different fragrances, etc. I hated the thought of being captive within the four walls of any place. Is it true that Devika Rani spotted you in a military canteen in Pune? Did you have to go through an audition? I was introduced to Mrs Devika Rani at the Bombay Talkies Studio by a family friend who was helping me find a job. She had not seen me anywhere before that. She offered me the job of an actor on a salary of ` 1,250 per month. I thought the amount offered was for a year, it being a sumptuous amount. So I requested the friend, Dr Masani, who took me to her, to find out whether I had heard it right. She told Dr Masani it was the monthly remuneration because she saw potential in me and did not want to lose me. It was a surprise and it spurred me to take the offer seriously without hesitation. Who was your inspiration then? I spent the initial months at Bombay Talkies observing Ashok bhaiyya (Ashok Kumar) who was shooting for Kismet (1943). He was a superstar and he welcomed me with spontaneous affection when Mrs Devika Rani introduced me to him. I used to sit quietly on the set watching him perform ever so effortlessly and naturally. He told me something that became a guideline for me. He said, “Acting is all about not acting. I know it’s a confounding statement and will perplex and haunt you. But you will understand when you face the camera yourself.” You brought underplaying to the fore at a time when cinema was thriving on theatrics… I was always a painstaking individual. When I had to prove something I worked with relentless determination, whether it was scoring in a football match in school and college or securing high marks in literature, history, geography and Persian to make up for the low percentage I got in mathematics. I made sure I was ahead of my class fellows. As an actor who had to teach himself, it was imperative for me to create my own space in the competitive profession. I realised early in my career that my screen presence should essentially have something of my own personality. My personality was not flamboyant or given to exhibitionism of any kind. For example, it’s not that I consciously developed a style of delivering dialogue in a soft voice. That’s the way I speak in real life too. My father never shouted or ranted even when he was upset. My mother was gentle and docile. Even at work, I befriended people who were simple and refined. Sashadhar Mukherji, Anil Biswas, Narendra Sharma, Amiya Chakravarthy, Gyan Mukherji and, of course, Ashok bhaiyya were my friends at Bombay Talkies. Nitin Bose (director) became a friend after Milan (1946) and he changed the way I interpreted and studied my scripts and roles. Real-life influences impacted my acting style to a great extent in the early stages. Because that’s where I found my inspiration, especially since I had to be my own instructor. Reportedly, Devdas (1955) was an emotionally exhausting experience and you had to do Kohinoor (1960) to rejuvenate yourself. I was doing tragedy at a young age. Renowned tragedians like Sir John Gielgud and Sir Laurence Olivier played tragic roles at a later age. They were in their ’30s when they achieved glory for their tragic roles. I was in my ’20s. It had a telling impact on my personality. Not just Devdas but roles in other films as well. I tried my best to shed the morbid outlook that was seizing me. I was advised to take the help of a drama coach in England who was also a counsellor. He advised me to try comedy, which would give me relief and also bring the much needed variety to my acting.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:04:16 +0000
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