For many years, filmistan’s mega-star Amitabh Bachchan (he abhors the term ‘Bollywood’) wished to work with one director. The Superstar finally played the lead in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black, produced by Applause Entertainment, which clocks 20 years on February 4.
The role was written specially for the Bachchan. “I was deeply, deeply honoured. I wouldn’t expect any filmmaker to do this for me, let alone someone as phenomenally gifted as Sanjay. The role that you say he has written for me, and it was you connected me to Sanjay, was one of the best I’ve come across as an actor. It required a whole lot of preparation.”
Speaking in an exclusive interview with this writer, Amitabh Bachchan couldn’t contain his excitement. “It’s a dream for every actor to work with Sanjay Bhansali. He’s such a phenomenal director. I watched his three films Khamoshi: The Musical, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas over and over again. And I always wondered what it would be like to work with him one day. I was totally fascinated by the way he depicts human emotions within such a grand vision. I’ve always wondered what sort of a thought process Sanjay undergoes to design films as grand as Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas . Black was a kind of film that I’ve never done before.
Jumping to the defence of Sanjay Bhansali’s critically bashed Devdas Amitabh Bachchan says, “People were used to imagining Devdas in a particular way. But Sanjay was able to digress from the tried-and-tested path to open up an incredible vista of light colour sound and emotion. I think Devdas was sheer genius. Those who said no soul were overawed by the spectacle. Sanjay had the mad passion to visualize Devdas as a spectacle, and we should stand and applaud him. Why are we so quick to criticize our own visionaries for the same crimes that we applaud in foreigners? Didn’t Baz Luhrmann put Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet into a modern context? And we praised him sky-high!!! Condemning Sanjay Bhansali’s Devdas for being impure is sheer hypocrisy. It’s a symptom of the cultural inferiority that we’ve lived with for many centuries.”
As humble as ever AB says the challenge of working with Hindi commercial cinema’s finest practitioner was daunting. “I think Sanjay’s film required a special training and talent. I had to learn particular means of communication that isn’t part of normal life. Unlike other films, here I had to unlearn and re-learn about acting. Come to think of it, I had never before done a role that required special training. Sanjay had a magnificent idea and a fabulous script. I surrendered completely to him. Before shooting, I was very scared, anxious, and nervous. Sanjay Bhansali is a director of such great creative quality. Black is such a wonderfully sensitive script. I’m now at an age when the process of learning slows down. And here I was learning and unlearning constantly with Sanjay.”
Bachchan Saab is all praise for Sanjay Bhansali as a craftsman. “His efficiency, his desire to get everything absolutely unquestionably right, is remarkable. As an artiste I crave for this level of commitment. I rank Sanjay very highly. That he’s able to create two films as dissimilar as Devdas and Black one after another is a measure of his sensitivity. I believe the personality of a creator is reflected in his output. You’ll never find Sanjay incorrectly dressed, even for a script narration. The diamond in his ear, the neatly ironed crisp kurta-pajama… when he came to narrate Black, he did what he had come to do and didn’t waste any time in idle talk. Even the binding of the script was in black. Each scene is put in a separate cellophane bag with tags in them. Everything in the script makes life easy for the artiste. When you drive to Film City, you discover Sanjay has hired the best floor for shooting. There are no extra people hanging around on the sets. The crew is work-oriented and polite. When I entered the set for the first time, I was overawed by the imposing design. There are candles lit, music is playing, and the air conditioning is humming invitingly….that’s Sanjay Bhansali for you. Every shot and every frame of his cinema reflects his personality.”
Bachchan Saab admits Black was a very tough film. “Once I was on the sets I was immediately transported to the world he created. Even in -between shots, music plays in the background. The quality of performance was bound to be enhanced. His sensitivity and values are unique. Not every director wants to give as much as Sanjay does to his work. He creates an atmosphere and then allows his artistes to enter his world. He isn’t rigid. Magical incorporations take place.”
