Turning 21 this week is Shyam Benegal’s biopic Netajji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero. Sachin Khedekar, who turns 60 today, talks with Subhas K Jha on playing the lead character Subhas Chandra Bose.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has always been a controversial figure. Filmmakers have shied away from delving too deep into Netaji’s life.
Not Shyam Benegal. In 2014 he made a brave if flawed bio-pic on Netaji entitled Netajji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero. The story goes that media baron Subrato Roy commissioned Shyam Benegal to make the best-possible bio-pic on Netaji, budget unlimited.
“So how much do you think you will need to do full justice to Netaji?” the millionaire wondered aloud.
“10 crores?” Benegal whose budgets had never gone beyond 5 crores, ventured boldly.
“Take 60. But give me a bio-pic on Netaji that will never be forgotten,” Subrato offered.
Benegal who had never known such a budget just didn’t know what to do with that kind of money. He chose the super-talented Sachin Khedekar to play Netaji.
Actor Sachin Khedekar said he was truly blessed by the complete experience of the making of Bose: The Forgotten Hero but was surprised at the film’s lack of commercial success. He also admitted to “certain cinematic liberties” having been taken in the making of the film. “Those liberties have to be taken to make the story flow well. In ‘Bose…’ the emotional and political sides of his character have been brought together in one flow,” he maintained.
Says Khedekar, “I’ve no clue why it failed. I poured my heart and soul, sweat and blood into playing Netaji. I researched it thoroughly. It was a complete experience for me as an actor. Not too many actors get such an opportunity. I’m truly blessed. It took away two years of my life, and I’m very pleased with the way critics have responded to my role. I’m grateful to my producer Sahara for venturing so wholeheartedly into something so daringly unconventional. I got the hang of his speech and body language. Documentaries and audiotapes helped. I worked hard on Urdu and English, which he spoke fluently and without an accent. He was a distinctive linguist. Shernaz Patel helped me with the English. Shama Zaidi and Atul Tiwari were there on the sets to help with the dialogues. I’ve spoken Netaji’s dialogues and delivered my speeches in different tones. It’s frustrating. But what can be done about it? I’m baffled by the commercial response. But I’m very happy with the way my producers treated the project. Whether it’s Bhagat Singh, Bose or Mangal Pandey, films on our national leaders are the need of the hour. Today’s generation has no sense of history. But films of this sort don’t seem to have any market.”
Sachin admitted he got the role as he resembled Bose. He was chosen over other contenders like Madhavan, Paresh Rawal and Jackie Shroff for the role of Netaji. “I think my face did the trick,” he chuckles. “In terms of physical resemblance, I come closest to Netaji. I don’t need much makeup to resemble him. I have just cut my hair. This is the first time I am working with Shyambabu. Whether it is Govind Nihalani or other eminent directors, they have their clique of actors. Renuka Shahane once joked there is no room for us in those films because we are too fair and prosperous looking.”
Sachin admitted he approached Benegal for the role. “Shooting a Gujarati film cinematographer Rajen Kothari asked me to meet Shyambabu who was looking for actors to play Netaji. He was keen on casting Paresh Raval. In fact, Paresh’s name was splashed all over for Netaji’s role. I think Shyambabu was extremely comfortable with Paresh ever since he saw him in Sardar Patel. Since the role required a 40-ish actor, finding someone fresh was a problem. They wanted someone capable and not very popular. That is how I fit the bill! I did not realise that if I shaved off my moustache, I would resemble Netaji so much. When I did a photoshoot without my moustache, I came out just right for the role. My son was shocked to see me without a moustache.I was finalised a month before that but was not supposed to talk about it.”
Sachin researched the part. “I went through all the material about the Indian National Army which Shyambabu had collected and met Netaji’s family. Shama Zaidi and Atul Tiwari’s script is foolproof. We shot on a set at New Theatres in Kolkata. In March, we will shoot in Uzbekistan [which will stand in for Afghanistan], Ladakh, Germany, Burma and Malaysia. We wanted to shoot in the Presidency Jail [Kolkata] for a day but were given only two hours. I don’t blame them. With 200 convicts and January 26 around the corner, a whole day of shooting seemed impractical. After “Bose…”, I realized acting is reacting to the unknown. Without knowing any of the actors in “Bose…”, I was given such perfect rhythms to follow. I realized how important it is to have responsive colleagues. The only actor who can give an outstanding performance in isolation is Mr Bachchan.”
