Telling a film's story well
| This lack of Bollywood's physicality, an absence of a clear definition of what this maya nagri is has confounded authors before Alter who have wanted to say important things about the industry, the place or its lead actors who live in the mindspace of millions of Indians. But Alter, already a celebrated author and with important intellectual credentials like being writer-in-residence at the prestigious MIT and having received both the Guggenheim and Fulbright fellowships, is up to the task of trying to give those who adore Hindi cinema more than a glimpse into how a full-length feature film is made. In some ways Alter is also suitably equipped to do this book by virtue of being related to actor Tom Alter, a Hindi film veteran. The two men are first cousins. The author acknowledges this in "the Author's Note": "This book would not have happened if it weren't for my cousin Tom Alter ... his contacts and introductions opened many doors and gave me access to individuals, studios and sets." |
| At first glance, the choice of Omkara to tell Bollywood's story seems inappropriate. Bharadwaj, the film's director, isn't the archetypal Hindi film director. In fact, he is an outsider who has made it good in many ways, including his choice of stories for his films. But the fact that the reader is not treated to a typical masala Hindi film set doesn't detract from the book's appeal. Alter, given that he has a serious academic background to live up to, also refuses to let the pages of his book to turn into a cheap gossip rag by getting into the lurid details that seem to surround the film industry and especially its stars like a permanent fog, often eclipsing the talent and the hard work that do go into making a film. But he still treats the reader to some tantalising scraps of information meant not to be gossip stuff but which give an insight into how many factors play a key part in the final way a film will look. So, for example actor Saif Ali Khan, who is to play the role of Langda, the villain whose handiwork unravels Omkara and Dolly's love story in a brutally mesmerising way, is asked to cut his hair really short. Till Khan's arrival on the set for the first schedule, there is some palpable tension as to whether he would actually cut his hair short for the film. Alter lets the reader know that Khan's reluctance to cut his hair could have something to do with his Italian girlfriend, who seems not to keen on that idea. A producer and director's work in Bollywood is clearly never done, what with having to worry about everything under the sun and more and it is vignettes like this one about Khan that brings the book alive with what transpires on a film set. |
| Alter's writing style is easy, and despite a wealth of detail and information, the reader is unlikely to feel taxed or overburdened. A good book like a good movie should not lose its narrative thread, no matter how complex the plot and Alter manages to hold on to the plot even as he meets other directors, lyricists and luminaries from the Mumbai film industry in the course of the making of Omkara. And by virtue of being an Indophile, Alter also manages to keep his book free of cliches and a sense of awed stupidity that seems to afflict many foreigners who decide to write about India. Alter ends the book by concluding about the film Omkara as thus: "It also meets the test of any art form by using familiar material to create something completely new." Although Alter does not create something completely new with this book, he does show that familiar material being used need not lead to ennui and a mediocre book. This book should be read, only to enjoy the wonder that is Bollywood. |
| FANTASIES OF A BOLLYWOOD LOVE THIEF INSIDE THE WORLD OF MOVIEMAKING |
| Stephen Alter HarperCollins x+281 pages; Rs 295 |