Down Melody Lane..::..Article on Films, Personalities, Music Reviews and More..

Q: What kind of acting was required of you back in the 1950s?

The hallmark of any good actor is that he doesn't act in front of the camera; acting should come very spontaneously. It should not appear to be artificial. In my time, actors and actresses were more natural. I feel the love scenes which were picturised then were more natural, they had depth of feeling. But today if the heroine slaps a hero he does a somersault and starts singing instead of looking tense. The roles which were portrayed were more human, more real. We were also more involved in the project. We used to act in only one or two films at a time, which I think gave our work more consistency. We could give sufficient time to every film. But today every artiste is in a tearing hurry, to finish a shot in one studio and rush to another. The reason for signing so many films is insecurity, the fear that if they do not grab the offers they may be left twiddling their thumbs later. I used to be offered many films but I would turn them down and concentrate only one film at a particular point of time. This gave me job satisfaction as well as enough time for myself.

Q: According to you what kinds of themes were favoured in the '50s? It is said scripts are usually never ready before the actual shooting commences. Has this always been a norm or is this a recent phenomenon?

In the early 50s, films were musicals and every second film had a romantic theme. The director used to cram the movie with songs because that was the order of the day. At that time, nationalism was in the air, quite a few movies dealt with this subject but even then songs in those films played a vital part and contributed towards its popular appeal. Even in those days, scripts were not given to us beforehand. Sadly this system has lingered on over the years. In Indian cinema, work is not carried out very systematically because most of the people are not professional. They do not have any formal training from any institute and lack of college education is another factor which reflects on their work. Films are never completed in one long schedule; it was done in bits and pieces. On an average, it takes two years to complete a film. For an actor, a script is essential if he wants to maintain a semblance of continuity, he returns to a film quite often after a break of six months. Without a script he does not even have the basic reference point to keep his emotional and dramatic levels on an even kneel. In the 50s, we did not have ready scripts. Yet, it was not a major problem. A writer could work on the sets since there was no real hurry. A scene would be re-written until the producers and the directors were satisfied.

Q: Which of your films were you most satisfied with?

Shaheed and Biraj Bahu. Shaheed had a nationalist theme with a touch of romance. As it was released in the post-partition period, the theme appealed to the sentiments of the masses. Some of the scenes were written by its leading man Dilip Kumar as well. The unit was like one family working for the film's success. My role in the film was a very credible one, which is why my performance was appreciated. Biraj Bahu was a great experience, the film was very well handled in its details by Bimal Roy.

He was a perfectionist who would not leave any loose strings. He made me read the story at least 20 times till I could feel the character of Biraj Bahut within me. He was such a stickler for nuances that if a scene had to be shot in the dark he would shoot it only in the night, for the realistic edge. My role of Biraj Bahu was very dramatic and intense. It took a lot out of me but I really enjoyed doing every bit of it. Bimalda had his own inimitable style of extracting the best out of an artiste.

The other film which I liked was Nadiya Ke Paar. It was like a lyric and has a very sensitive story line. Then there was my first film as a character artiste, which was also titled Shaheed. When Manoj Kumar approached me I was reluctant but he insisted that he had written the role with me in mind, to play the mother of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. He really did a fine job, I would rate the film's script as Manoj's best to date. Melodrama was underplayed, there was no loudness at all. Although some of the emotional scene did not have dialogue, they could still bring the tears to the eyes of the viewer. Quiet, understated moments, that's what cinema and real life is all about.

Q: Do you think black and white camera work was more expressive that color cinematography?

With the advent of color there was a lot of glamour; color was used to dazzle the audience's senses. Color should have been used in films to give it a more realistic look, instead of making the visuals jazzy. With color, the storylines suffered and the directors tried to outdo each other in laying on the gloss. In the process, screenplays suffered. Color has been a bane to certain extent. I acted in my first color film Shahenshah, this was unlike acting in any other film. More emphasis was laid on the sets, the costumes, the opulent look rather than on human drama.

Q: Were you ever resistant about doing song and dance sequences in movies? Or do you think they form a natural part of our movies?

I have done a lot of song and dance sequences but they were very different that what one sees today, which are highly westernized. Earlier the dance sequences did not involve too much footwork. Facial expressions were used to convey the rhythm of the music. I was not self conscious during the dance sequences: songs and dance are an integral part of our culture. I got used to them after a few films.

Q: Would you have liked our cinema to be more realistic?

Each director has his own different style. If a film is to be realistic, the director should ensure that it does not go off the track. Like you can not force in unnecessary songs and make an extravaganza of it. If you want to make an extravaganza then you should follow the norms which are followed in making those types of films. In any case most of our Hindi films are extravaganzas. But Bimal Roy's films could appeal to the common man, he could identify himself with Bimalda's themes.

Q: Which directors of 50s and 60s were underestimated?

Guru Dutt and V. Shanataram. They were both ahead of their times. Their films were aesthetic and could yet communicate wit the lay viewer.

Q: Do opportunities for an actress diminish as she advances into middle age. Is there any scope for a character actress in our cinema?

I think this problem applies only to our cinema. Abroad, these things do not happen. Their canvas is very wide and they can exploit a good actress any time, never mind her age. They have guts to make films on mature women but in Indian cinema such themes would be suicidal at the box-office. A film is catered to people who are hardly literate and can not understand the emotions they are not used to on the screen. Directors are not willing to take risks. They would rather make films with teenyboppers.