The iconic Amitabh Bachchan spoke To Subhash K Jha about the drama Vidhu Vinod Choorake Eklavya before its release in 2007. Read on to see what the esteemed actor had to say about working with the director, Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, and so much more. This is a must-read!
Vinod Chopra and you seemed to have established a very special rapport in Eklavya?
He’s a kind human being, and very passionate about his work. He has a keen eye for aesthetics. He creates an atmosphere conducive to good work. We waited thirty years to work together. All directors must work towards building a rapport with their actors. Eklavya is an intriguing film. The visuals may suggest a mythological or a period film. But Eklavya is a modern contemporary thriller. It’s set in today’s Rajasthan.
Eklavya is a very short film….
It’s just about two hours long. That’s fine. You don’t need too much time to spread out a dramatic thriller. Every film has its rhythm.
You were seen giving television interviews on Eklavya in super-cool sun-glasses?
Oh, those were for a particular reason. I had been shooting the whole time for Ram Gopal Varma’s Sholay. The role of Gabbar requires me to wear contact lenses. These left me with bloodshot eyes and no choice but to wear sunglasses for the interview that followed the shooting.
Vinod Chopra insists Eklavya is your best performance?
That’s his viewpoint. I don’t agree with him. True, I’ve never done anything like this film. I did have a cameo in Shah Rukh Khan’s Paheli where I was a similarly dressed. But all told, my physical appearance is very different in Eklavya.
You hated the beard, didn’t you?
It’s such a pain! It was an absolute pain. Once you stick on the beard with gum, it restricts your facial movements and irritates you, and you lose your facial movement. God bless Pran Saab. He’s a master with beards, and he manages to work so wonderfully with them. Vinod and I have agreed that if I’m required to wear a beard in my next film with him, everyone else on the crew would’ve to do the same.
Does that apply to Vidya Balan too?
Provided she’s part of the next film
You had to recite lengthy dialogues in sync sound.
That was tough. But when you have to do something, you do it. The false beard made the dialogues difficult. Vinod Chopra suggested I take six months off and grow a real beard. That’s the level of commitment. But my other commitments do not allow me the luxury of changing my physical appearance. But others in Eklavya went out of the way. Sanjay Dutt cut his hair. Jackie Shroff grew a beard. It would’ve taken me a couple of years to grow the beard that was required to play Eklavya.
Most of the Eklavya cast was new to you?
Except Sanju. He has a unique personality. You could put him in any circumstance, his presence and personality takes care of everything. He’s one of the most lovable person in the film industry. He’s adopted Abhishek as his younger brother. I have known Sanju from the time I came to Mumbai to become an actor. Dutt Saab and Nargisji had taken me under their wings, nurtured me…
And Saif?
He has evolved beautifully. Thank God we saw his potential bloom in Dil Chahta Hai. Subsequently, he has improved with every project. It’s a great joy being with actors like Saif. The amount of care and dedication that they give to their roles is wonderful.
And Vidya Balan?
I’ve a special soft corner for her. She’s absolutely marvelous and so wonderfully natural. She’s so endearing to watch on screen. When I saw her in Parineeta for the first time in Amsterdam, I wanted to look only at her and nobody else on screen…with all due respect to the rest of the cast.
Your assessment of Vinod Chopra as a director?
Vinod is very progressive in his thought. He has a very high regard for Indian cinema and wants to take cinema to another level. All his efforts have been directed to taking our movies abroad. All his films have a truly international stamp. His penchant for perfection is truly laudable. When he’d come to narrate his script he brought his writer, music director and editor along. He encourages input from everyone. That’s a great quality. We had many discussions on how my character should dress, talk, and behave. Sometimes, he’d call in the middle of the night. He’s a man totally involved with his craft. One day, when he was home, he found my father’s translation of Shakespeare lying on the table. He was surprised that my father had done this. He took the book home, read it, and said my character Eklavya should conduct himself through the images described in my father’s translations. All creativity is inter-connected in his mind.
Did you adopt your father’s Shakespearean imagery in your performance?
Not me. But it was part of Vinod Chopra’s writing process in deciding the attitude that Eklavya would adopt. Vinod accidently met Peter O’Toole. The next day, he invited Peter O’Toole home and asked me to come and observe his ‘Shakespearean’ walk. I couldn’t go to Vinod’s house…Vinod is continuously creating a creative pool. Only he could connect Shakespeare and Peter O’Toole with my character Eklavya.
How do the mentor Vinod Chopra and his most accomplished protégée Sanjay Bhansali compare?
When during Black, I saw Sanjay’s detailing and passion, I didn’t know Sanjay had worked with Vinod for eight years. It was only after working with Vinod that everything fell into place. The time spent with Vinod has obviously rubbed off on Sanjay. Today, Sanjay has his own subjects and style, and Vinod has his own.
