The time is right
to talk to Swara Bhaskar who has been the talk-of-the-town for her bold stuff
in Anarkali Of Aarah.
Excerpts from an interview:
Did you think that your film Anaarkal Of Aaarah will land in such a messy
situation with the Censors?
The content of
the film is fantastic. It’s about an orchestra party singer who sings
double-meaning songs in weddings, celebrations in small towns and villages in
and around Aarah, a city in Bihar. This is a real cultural practice.
The film is about this girl called Anarkali who is a small star in Aarah. She
is leading her usual life until something happens that shatters illusions she
has about her life and exposes the contradictions of our society which idolises
and glamourise a small town girl into a desi, local star because of her songs
but uses the same songs to condemn her when things go wrong with her.
People question her character, you mean?
Yes. The society
questions her character, the typical victim-blaming, victim-shaming mentality
that we have. It’s a brave film.
Bollywood as an industry glamourises the item number so much, here’s a film
that takes a look at the world of the item girls. What is Chikni Chameli’s life
really like? What kind of life does Munni Badnam lead? We don’t give these
women a voice, a story, a world in our films- we just treat them as
entertainment, glamour value.
Talking about the mess with the Censors, there is a process every film has to
go through and I hope that this film will go through it and come out fine.
Image Source: cinestaan
Are you happy with the cuts considering the content that the trailer depicts
may be diluted in the film?
I don’t think any artiste will be happy with cuts advised to them by anyone
because that’s an artiste’s preoccupation and everyone would want complete
freedom of expression with their content. But unfortunately we do not have that
privilege in our country. I am sure a large number of people have faced this
problem.
Were you comfortable with the exposure involved and mouthing the brazen
dialogues?
These scenes are always difficult to shoot, but I had read 20 versions of
Avinash’s script, worked out ideas with him, jammed on the script- so nothing
came as a surprise to me. I trusted Avinash’s intentions and the team that was
shooting the film. Everything was shot with a lot of respect and integrity.
Frankly, such scenes are always shot in a respectful way keeping in mind the
vulnerability of the female artiste.
See this is also the problem with cuts and deletions. When you see something
out of context, it will always seem sensational and gimmicky. But in the
context of the film you will understand that it is there for a reason and there
is nothing sleazy or sensational about it.
Everything is serving a purpose and connected to something that is going to
happen in the film. And that is true for our film as well. There are
certain things that are uncomfortable, but as a professional artiste, you have
to bifurcate your personal discomfort and have faith in the script in order to
do it. Like I said it is not done in a sleazy way or in a desire to titillate.
It is done for a valid reason.
Image Source: popopics
I don’t know man, I am not in the business of piracy (laughs). I think that content goes to so many places, there are so many people who have access to it at various stages. Plus the thing with technology is that you either use it or misuse it, There is a certain voyeurism that is involved in this kind of an activity. When people do it they are basically doing it for a voyeuristic purpose, right? That, in a way, reflects how we think doesn't it?
Just a thought. The leak could also be done by the producer or the director to
publicise his/her movie to a certain extent...
That is for the police to find out. Anything is possible. Our producers have
lodged a formal complaint in Delhi and there is an investigation which is
supposed to be underway.
You recently did a video with Taapsee Pannu which was your voice against
slut-shaming, similar to the what Anaarkali of Aarah is about. What is your
take on it as a woman because it’s happening a bit too often nowadays?
I think it’s disgusting and wrong. It’s a reflection of a certain kind of mentality
that thrives in our society, who judge women by the clothes they wear.
It’s nobody’s business who wears what. Slut-shaming is essentially a part
of a larger culture that we have in our country of not being able to deal with
female sexuality. The bizarre judgement of women by the way they dress, and
from that judging we conclude they dress like this so their personality must be
like this, this must the levels of sexual activity and inactivity with people,
number of partners she must have had... it's all so disgusting.
These are the wide leaps that the cultural imagination takes based on women’s
clothes. So much so that the judges have been known to ask during rape trials
that what was the raped woman wearing? This is completely irrelevant to whether
or not somebody was raped. Rape is a crime notwithstanding what you were
wearing. So yeah, this is why I did this video. It is important to have a
culture where women feel proud of their bodies, not be apologetic- and where
women are safe, no matter what they wear. That can only happen when you have
the cultural mindset, the mentality, that is accepting that women are free to
wear what they want and clothes are not the invitation of crime of any kind.
Image Source: webbyimage
How do we break such perceptions?
The more and more
mindsets we change, such practices will get challenged. It’s like saying kisi
zamaane mein Sati bhi to pratha thi na kuch kuch hisso mein India ke, ya child
marriage bhi to pratha thi na, but now that’s changing isn't it? Now, if you
are marrying a 10-year-old child, everyone is going to be like –What is wrong
with you? Society changes. It happens when more number of people begin thinking
in the same way. So we have to reach that point about women’s clothing and
bodies as well.
Kamaal R Khan had
things to say about your film on Twitter. While you did give a fitting reply,
what did you exactly feel at that point of time? Has KRK ever met you?
I don’t know him
at all and I keep replying to people from my account without knowing them.
First of all, I wasn’t talking to him. I was talking to Karan Johar and
thanking him for something he very generously did for us. This was the perfect
case of someone butting into a conversation when he wasn't even involved.
I replied but
didn’t realise that so many websites and blogs will pick it up and write about
it.
Image Source: nyoozflix
But you do know
what his mentality is like? He is one of those who take a dig at women so
often...
Which is why it’s
important to check such people. It’s a great way to point out and shame
trolls.
(A few hours
later, the Censor passes the film with an A certificate and 8 cuts- and we talk
to Swara again)
We have just
learnt that the groping scene from your film has been deleted and 7 other cuts
have been given. What’s your take on it?
The Censor Board
is playing a detrimental role in the Hindi film industry. For a brief period of
2 years when Leela Samson was the chairperson, the Board was quite liberal and
I have no qualms in admitting it. I know that because my mother was one of the
advisory board members then and I had an understanding of how they were dealing
with things.
There were many
films that came to the Tribunal and I remember those people had a very liberal
outlook towards art and culture. Unfortunately that has not been the case with
the Censor Board in the entire history, especially with the current one.
Also, the Censor
Board’s job is to certify films and tell us about what age group can watch the
film. Why are they telling us what to cut and what to keep?
In India, at 18
you can get married (If you are a girl), vote, drive but you can’t watch a
film. Is that what the Board is trying to tell us? It’s ridiculous right? Any
good art can only thrive in an environment that is free--- Free to experiment,
free to discuss, free to shock, free to fail.
How can you
stifle expression and then expect good cinema to come out? Then you can keep
watching the typical commercial, formula films that you have been watching
since the longest time.
The Censor
Board’s attitude is unfortunate. The attitude of being at war with the
filmmakers is absolutely unnecessary. I think even Courts don’t have the right
to tell creative people what to keep and what to cut as long as it is not
illegal, inciting violence or promoting hatred towards another community.
Earlier I knew that they had recommended 13 cuts, now that they have brought it
down to 8, what can I say?
The groping scene
has been deleted. I don’t know how important the scene is, but...
It is an
important part of the film otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. It is telling you
something about Anaarkali’s character, the world she lives in, the kind of
relationship she has with this man. Based on that, it is going to do something
fundamental to the film. There is a line in the trailer “Hum koi sati savitri
nahin hain”. That’s what the scene is showing you. Now, if you cut out the
scene which characterises this person, then what are you going to understand?
Image Source: nyoozflix
The link is lost,
you mean?
Of course.
They have
retained the bare back scene, though...
Very kind of
them. What else can I say?
They made the
producer Sandip Kapoor write an apology letter that it was not we (Censor
Board) who had leaked the scenes...
Nobody from our
team has accused the Censor Board of leaking the film. They are themselves saying
that we haven’t done it. But what scenes you have cut out, we can question you
on that right?
Coming back to
the groping scene. It must have been extremely difficult for you to film it
considering there is no camera work involved
Like I said, the
intention is important- the reason why that scene was written, why it’s in the
film and what the actor does with it. I had read all the drafts Avinash wrote,
I know Pankaj Tripathi (Swara's co-actor in the groping scene) is a decent man.
I know how uncomfortable he was feeling. I know no one was getting a sleazy
pleasure out of it. It was done for the sake of the script and the film.
What’s next after
Anaarkali Of Aarah?
I just completed
shooting for Aapke Ke Kamre Mein Koi Rehta Hai directed by Gaurav S Sinha. Then
I start shooting for Rhea Kapoor's Veere Di Wedding in May.
Thumbnail Image Source: popopics & youtube/promodomemotionpictures