Parties, plastic smiles and Page 3 Madhur Bhandarkar on his latest film and that defining moment when it was born By Anurita Rathore http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=116895 Ahmedabad, February 7: ''I too have piled on, gatecrashed parties after my first film Trishakti bombed,'' admits Madhur Bhandarkar, explaining the nuances of to-see-and-be-seen on the Page 3 circuit. It's not out of nowhere that his film's been born and been successful. Appearances at high-profile parties, exercising choices of selecting and socialising with the glitterati-chatterati and banking on plastic smiles surely hasn't been easy. But then, nothing good came easy. And Bhandarkar, who was at City Pulse to promote his film, shows that with precision. In 160 minutes, to be exact.
Presenting a slice of life is enough for now. ''I want to do comedy now,'' says Bhandarkar, who's done a lot to make Page 3 the movie that it is. ''I had to see so much â jewellery, character, behaviour, parties â before I began streamlining. Like, I remember walking out of a party one day to find my driver chatting away in a group comprising other drivers. Though he said I wasn't discussed in their talk, I didn't quite trust him,'' he smiles, continuing, ''I thought it was a nice device and clubbed it in the film's frame that included old socialites, wannabe starlets, waiters, fashion icons. But let me tell you this: My primary idea was to portray the life of a journalist and all that's happening in her life,'' says the Page 3 director. Script, dialogues, music, these juggle in the minds of most directors. But there's always a defining moment where a decision is laid to rest. Making the film, Page 3, too, had that moment. ''I was going back home in my car one night after a party when I saw journalists and photographers rushing out. While inside, everyone wanted to talk, chat and get photographed by them, outside these were ordinary people. I stopped my car to give a lift to a journalist and photographer and that's when I learnt a lot of things happening in her life,'' he reveals. But were there no qualms showing a director in the film who tries taking advantage of a girl desiring a break, considering he was accused of the same a few months ago? ''There weren't any hassles whatsoever; I have merely taken chunks from life and presented them in a film to show the Page 3 life,'' says Bhandarkar. But the movie's got him compliments galore: Someone asked me where I 'got the brains from', another said 'I envy you for having made this masterpiece' though there have been some who felt it was a ''dark film''. ''But then, I wanted the audience to think as they left the movie hall,'' reasons Bhandarkar, who agrees the film addresses too many issues, but then, ''they're woven together''. There's one thing, however, the successful director wishes to say, quoting a line from the film: ''Film stars aur politicians ke saath dosti aur dushmani permanent nahi hoti. It's indeed a superficial world and I wanted to show just that!'' Now does this make you do just what he wants you to: Think? ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Meet the McDonald¿s® Lincoln Fry get free digital souvenirs, Web-only video and bid on the Lincoln Fry prop charity auction. http://us.click.yahoo.com/U0ptCC/fV0JAA/Zx0JAA/uTGrlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥««¤»¥«¤»§«¤» Members of the ZESTMedia list exchange news and views about the media in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan. Write to [email protected] If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTMedia by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ Get all ZESTMedia mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ ====== theZESTcommunity ====================================== [1] ZESTCurrent: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCurrent/ [2] ZESTEconomics: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTEconomics/ [3] ZESTGlobal: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/ [4] ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/ [5] ZESTPoets: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/ [6] ZESTCaste: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ [7] ZESTAlternative: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTAlternative/ [8] TalkZEST: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TalkZEST/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
