The French connection

Few know Vijay Singh in India, but over two decades now the Paris-based historian, journalist, writer and director has been making films with Indian themes. His last, the Indo-French-British production One Dollar Curry, did the rounds internationally, albeit with not much commercial success. But Singh is back now with a documentary, India By Song. He talks to Tanushree Ghosh about his journey as a writer and director, and how Bollywood is a great chronicler of modern India.

How did you become a filmmaker?
I studied contemporary history at St Stephens and Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi and moved to Paris for a doctorate. It was here that I started writing for various French publications and wrote a few books, including the critically acclaimed Jaya Ganga. I always thought literature was a far greater art than cinema. In 1985 French actress Jeanne Moreau suggested that I should make a film based on Jaya Ganga. Costa Gavras, a French filmmaker, helped me produce the film. I made my first film Chami and Ana the Elephant in 1989 and since then have been dabbling with both writing and direction.

What is India By Song about?
It is my 64 minute homage to Indian history. I have tried to splice together various events and testimonies like Mahasha Dharampal, who came in as a refugee from Pakistan and went on to found MDH Spices, recounting his anger at the Partition; historian Romila Thapar talking about the Emergency; Bishen Singh Bedi talking of the Sikh Riots and how he was suspended from the cricket team following Operation Bluestar; Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy talking about globalisation and how Indian values have a lot to offer to the West; and so on. These are superimposed with Bollywood songs. While songs like “Awara Hoon” illustrated the poverty and homelessness of the 1950s, songs like Mughal-e-Azam’s “Pyar kiya toh darna kya” took away the pathos of the defeat in the Sino-Indian war and Nehru’s death in the 1960s.

Why did you make the documentary? Was it an attempt to reassert your roots?
I have been greatly influenced by French surrealism and wanted to bring history and poetry together through my work. There is an instructive element in this documentary as well. It’s a complicated task to balance the film’s form and content. The French refer to this film as Documentaire de Creation as it has a bit of me fooling around enmeshed in the narrative action. When you live abroad, you can’t escape the questions of identity. I have tried to showcase a part of my life in this film.

Is it true that you used to sing on the Paris metro? And how did you zero in on the songs in India By Song?
(Laughs) I used to sing with the Baul folk artiste Paban Das Baul on the Paris metro during my student days. I love the music of Baul, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Pink Floyd. I have tried to show how notions of music, romance and body language changed over the decades. Choosing the right Bollywood songs was the biggest challenge. I rejected Helen’s “Mehbooba” song in Sholay for Madhuri’s “Choli ke peeche kya hai” (Khalnayak) to show the transition where the lead actress does a bold number.

Since the documentary won’t be released in theatres, where can the audience watch it?
We had a screening in Cannes earlier this year and will be showcasing it at other international festivals as well. It is on today at the India Habitat Centre, Delhi and will show again in September at Alliance Francaise. I have sold the rights of this documentary to France Television, TV5 and STAR which will telecast it on all national holidays. STAR is waiting for the Censor Board to approve the movie or it would have been on TV this I-Day only.

What after India on Song?
My next film is Opium Symphony, adapted from my book Whirlpool of Shadows. It’s the story of Nawab Nasiruddin Haider of Awadh and his British consort Anne Walters. I haven’t decided on the casting yet but I’m hoping to get Shah Rukh Khan for the main lead and for the female lead I want to cast either Scarlett Johannson or Angelina Jolie.