Our films Their films

“… there is a pointer here for the new film makers. Bhuvan Shomme may well define the kind of off beat most likely to succeed with our minority audience – the kind that looks a bit like French counterpart, but is essentially old fashioned and Indian beneath its trendy habit.”

Satyajit Ray, 1971

An Indian New Wave? Our films their films.

Sadness

I desperately want to see Manorama Six Feet Under. But who cares?Definitely not the exhibitors in Delhi. I missed the film on the weekend. And what a mistake that was... The film is still on. But on at times such as 11.10 am or 01.10 pm, on a week day. Of course there is an option of visiting PVR Vikaspuri or WAVES CINEMAS Raja Gardens. How how will I watch it on screen? I am told that it won't last another week. Oh no the DVD again.

Took a second look at the film timing section. Guess what? Which film is running in the maximum halls? Ladies and Gentlemen, it's not even Dhamaal. It is DHOL.

No food today. It's far too sad.

Om

There is a numbness that takes over your senses after a brief dose of the "comedies" that are coming out of Bollywood. These days I restrict myself to watching just the promos. But even that was not acceptable to Rahul Rawail and he unleased upon us the trailer of his film Buddha Mar gaya and later Victoria No. 203. No, this state of 'beyond numbness' does not come from the story line , nor the standards of acting, neither the song and dance. It was the presence of Om puri, which was the most upsetting.

Om Puri... one of the most talented actors in the world today, graduated from NSD and FTII in the 70's and started his career with some of the most memorable films produced by the film Industry, Ghasi Ram Kotwal, Bhumika, Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan. And then came Aakrosh, Sparsh, Ardh Satya, Jane bhi do yaron, Paar, Party, Holi the list is endless. Check out IMDB entry of him, by the end of 2008 he would have acted in 173 films.

The 90's was a fallow period for Om, as it was for many in an industry. He reinvented himself with the City of Joy in ‘92 and started to shift west wards. He has a number of British and American films. Apart from the many National awards he won he was also awarded the OBE(honorary) in 2004 for his services to the British film industry.

Now just consider the films that he has been lately associated with

Victoria No 203
Buddha Mar gaya
Fool and Final
Baabul
A titsy bitsy role in Don and RDB.
Kisna
Kyun ho gaya na

Why? Is it that he has become a lesser actor? Or his choice of role has changed drastically? When Naseeruddin Shah was asked why he didn't cast Om in his film, Naseer had said that the film could not Justify an actor like Om. So could it be just this that we no longer make films that can justify the presence of an actor like Om? In which scenario what is he expected to do but to appear in Victoria No. 203?

These days there is a buzz going around … new wave in cinema is on its way… just around the corner, well within our reach. So before the back slapping begins just one question Boys...Can the new Wave Justify an actor like Om?

It was difficult finding a apt recipe for this post, so I am stealing one from an on going reserach work on 'Mathurs'. The recipe is about 200 years old and has been an integral part of Holi celebrations among the Mathurs of Delhi.

Here goes...

Kaleji and Gurde Kapure:

Ingredients:

1. Kalegi/gurde kapoore - I kg

2. 3 large onions (chopped finely & fried golden brown)

3. 3 large tomato (either grinded or pureed)

4. 3 -4 large spoons of cooking oil

5. 1 1/2 large garlic bulb [paste]

6. 1 piece of ginger [ paste]

7. ½ tsp turmeric powder

8. ¾ tsp red chilli powder

9. Salt to taste

10. 2 tsp Kasturi Methi

11. 1½ tsp coriander powder

12. 7 cloves

13. 1 cinnamon stick

14. 8-10 black pepper seeds

15. 3-4 illachi large and small

Method:

Wash Kalegi well and keep it aside in a deep pan for 1/2 hour after adding salt to it.

Put oil in a Pressure cooker add fried onion, garlic and ginger paste, tomato paste/ puree, coriander powder, salt, chilli powder, kasturi methi,turmeric powder and fry well on slow fire till oil gets separated

Meanwhile wash the Kalegi again and add it to the gravy. Add crushed cloves, blackpepper and Cardamom. Cook the preparation on a slow fire till all water in it evaporates and the Kaleji has been bhunoed.

Then add little water (little means little) and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook the kaleji till it is fully done. If one opening the cooker you discover some left over water please to dry it before you eat.

Big films, big ideas

A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting a Director. A big director with a big film company,who wanted big ideas for the big films he was going to make.
So happily we went for coffee and discussed the state of the industry, the state of his company, the state of everything. Then as I was warming up to the state of the stories and scripts, the coffee got over and so did our meeting. No sweat...cool this was just the preliminary meeting. Just to to check out and all that.

The next day we had another meeting in which the brief was discussed. The brief was, that there is no brief. My God! what does that mean? I can write whatever? I don't have to dictated by the director, freedom!

The next day we had another coffee meeting. The director being the generous and fair man that he was, asked me what were my interests.
Politics, History and crime.
I thought I saw his expression change. Just a little. Maybe I am imagining it.
Very gently he pointed out that he is not interested in Politics, History but yes Crime could be looked into. But he cautioned , women are better at writing Romance and comedy.
Okay. Theek hai. I will become good at writing romance and comedy.
So I eagerly sent off a romantic synopsis. No no that wasn't that great. You see the director felt that he knew the moment he read the synopsis that the Hero and the Heroine are going to fall in love. Was that suppose to be hidden? And I mean if there is a Rani Mukerjee and Saif/ Shahrukh in a film, do you really need a very high IQ to figure out they will fall in love. One is a Hero the other the leading lady, as they are popularly called now.

Never mind. The thriller. Wow! he loved it.
The next day he didn't love it that much. He slept over it and felt that it was stolen. Oh my god! what next. A 100% original smacks of plagiarism.

Another coffee meeting. The director told me that he loves the work I do, the way I write but he needs big ideas. Big Ideas, I ask? Silence. Big ideas like you know, Little Miss Sunshine.

I see.
Small ideas too can make big films my friend.
But you won't understand that.

So to all those who want Big ideas for Big films

Parwal Aloo.

1. Parval - 1 kg (scrapped and cut into halves length wise, please be intelligent enough to remove the seeds)

2. Aloo - 300 gm or 400 gm (depends on how Aloo stuck you are, cut them into 2 1/2 inch pieces)

3. Zeera (Cumin) Powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon

4. Dhaniya (Coriander) Powder - 2 tablespoons

5. Tej Patta (Bay leaves) - 2

6. Garam Masala powder - 1 teaspoon

7. Ginger paste- 1 teaspoon

8. Mustard Oil - 4 tablespoons

9. Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

10. Red Chilly powder - 2 1/2 teaspoons

11. Sugar - 1/2 table spoon

12. Ghee - One table spoon, make it less if you wish

13.Water - 1 cup

Method:

Add 1/4 cup of the water to the cumin and coriander powder and blend it into a paste.

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Group parwal into two batches. Lightly fry each batch and remove. Lightly fry the Potatoes and remove them too.

Add the bay leaves in the remaining oil left in the cooker. Fry them for a few seconds and then add the Cumin, coriander paste, ginger paste, turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala powder to the oil. Stir fry for about a minute of so (don't stick to the minute if you can see that the masala is burning)

Now add the Parwal, Aloo, salt, sugar and the remaining water.

Close the cooker and bring it to full pressure on high heat. Remove the cooker immediately from the heat and release pressure by lifting the vent. Open the cooker and pour the ghee on the vegetable.

Eat it.

Yakhni Gosht and Satyajit Ray

Not that Ray was fond of Yakhni. I don't even know if he ever had any. But the two are connected because as I started this blog the first person that came to mind was him. Lets work on the presumption that if he had Yakhni he would have liked it.

These days I am preoccupied with the preprodution of my first feature film. That brings me to cooking. A few years ago Shiela Dhar had established the links between "Achcha Khana aur achcha gana". I think this pretty much applies to films too. The right ingredients and in the right quantity with just the right stirring and don't forget the utensils.

Anyway here goes

Important note: This Yakhni is a wholly Qaimganji preparation and is not to be confused with the Kashmiri Yakhni.
Almost all my cooking is in Mustard oil (Sarson ka tel)

INGREDIENTS:

Mutton - 1kg

Garlic pod - 5

Mustard oil - Cooking spoons 4 - 5

Sookhi lal mirch (Red Chillies ) - 8 or more

Saunf (Anise seeds) - 2 serving spoons full

Sabut Dhaniya (Coriander seeds) - 2 serving spoons full

Onion - 2 medium sized

Aloo (large) - 4 (cut into two halves)

Salt to taste

Method:

In a pressure cooker put all the ingredients given below

Onions cut into four pieces
Mustard Oil
Mutton (better be washed)
Lal Mirch
Salt
Garlic pods (whole...please DO NOT dismember them)

And now get a clean white square piece of clothin which you will tie the Saunf and the Dhaniya.
Once the potli is made that too will go in the pressure cooker.
If the mutton is freshly washed then don't add any water other wise add a small cup of water to the ingredients in the cooker.
Pressure cook it till the meat is just about tender but not fully done.

Once the cooker cools open it and you will find it full of water as the meat would have released it's own water. Back on the fire again. (Arre tap tap ke hi to sona nikalta hai)
Add the Aloo to the preparation and cook it till all the water has evaporated and the oil comes on to the surface. (This is a very delicate and necessary step. Every dish has to be Bhoonoed and that will eventually decide it's taste). Add about 4 cups of water to the cooker now. If the aloo is still tough then pressure cook it again otherwise your Yakhni is ready. Have it with roti or rice and think of Pather Panchali.