26/11

Dibakar, the genius, and I

On the 26^th of November, the cast and crew of Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye were in Goa for the film’s premiere at IFFI. When we emerged glowing from the houseful cheering hall, we heard.

Our premiere to be held the following day was cancelled. Obviously.

So for most of us, the film is the semi-delivered child. The head is popping out, but the limbs are still kicking in the womb. I couldn’t say a decent good bye to nearly a year worth of work. My first film was stuck in my throat, choking me.

I sank into depression…till Rajinder called.

He called to ask how Dibakar Banerjee had his number. He had received a call on his mobile that urged him to make the title track ‘Oye Lucky’ his caller tune. I explained to him that the call must have been from Airtel, not Dibakar.

Rajinder is our driver. He is from Gorakhpur, UP and currently stays in Trilokpuri in Delhi. His voice smiled with the complete satisfaction of watching a good film.

“Ji,actually meri biwi bhi mirchein sukhati hain, chatai pe. Sachai to yahi hai… hamare mohalle main jab ek bacche ki pitai hoti hai, saare chat pe aa ke dekhte hain. Ha ha ha… bilkul  aisa laga jaise hum apne gharon main jhaank rahe hain.” (My wife too dries red chillies in the sun. In our colony, when one kid gets beaten up, all the others peer in from their roofs to watch. It was like peeping into our own houses).

Rajinder is a 29 year old father of three. He is a class 9 drop out. My mother bought tickets for his family so that he could go and watch the film in a multiplex.

OLLO had moved him. He sought to express why.

With Abhay after pack-up

“Bachpan mein, hum private schoolon ke ladkon ko dekhtein the… wo ghar se garam garam lunch banva ke latein the… unke paas acche pen hotein the… ab ye Lucky mere jaisa hi hua na? Farak sirf ye tha, jab main ek pen churaya, to Ma ne ek chapat lagai…aur samajhaya ki chori se end mein haasil kuch nahin hota.  Ab Lucky bechare ke ghar mein kalesh tha, aur Ma – Baap dhyaan kahaan de pate the? Mujhe meri Ma ne roka, use nahin. Ab chori ka chaska lag jaaye to phir Ram hee bachaye.” (As a child we would envy the boys from private schools who would get warm home-cooked food and carry good pens. Lucky is like me, the difference being when I first stole a pen, my mother slapped me and explained that thieves end up empty-handed. But his troubled family couldn’t pay any attention no? Once you enjoy the thrill of stealing, no one can stop you).

He seemed to understand what many “educated” cine-goers couldn’t. He asked me whether Paresh ji had been cast in a triple role due to lack of money.

“Pehle to mujhe laga Ram aur Shyam type ki fillum hai, phir main samajh gaya. Jaise Ravan ke das sar the, waise hee Paresh Rawal alag alag roop mein mano Lucky ka hee baap tha. Hamesa bechare ko dhokha deta gaya. (At first I thought it’s a double-role type of comedy. But then I understood, like Ravan had ten heads, Paresh Rawal was essentially the same character. All three betray Lucky

Is picture main gaane kyon nahi hai? (Why were there no songs?)  He quizzed me. “Because…” I started off and he interrupted me. “Matlab, jab Kasmir gaye to ek aadha gaana ga lete. (If you shot in Kashmir, why couldn’t you shoot a song) I told him we it was Manali where we shot. Realization dawned on him.

Actual mein, bhala kiya gaana nahi daala. Warna log heroine ke thumke dekhte. Ha ha. Picture mudde se hat jaati. (Actually, great that there were no songs. Otherwise, the point would have been lost. The heroine’s dance would have diverted everybodys attention.)

Police ki bhi bhadd thoki hai picture mein, yaani bhadda dikhaya hai. Jaisee hoti hai na, waisee hi. (The cops have been shown in their truest ugly form)

Gogibhai with an angry Dolly

Rajinder’s ultimate analysis of this intelligent masterpiece stunned me. “Didi ji, chor ko izzat kahaan? Lucky ne jeevan bhar parivar khoja, nahin? Pyaar khoja … use mila kahaan? Yahaan tak ki, uski girlfriend, kameeni, buri cheez ki haath nahin lagaati par istemal to karti hai na? Bolti, “Paise fridge pe rakh do!” Matlab, pehle kahegi ki gaadi mein nahi baithungi phir Kasmir chali gayi?

Us ki saans bhi, pehle toaster maangti hai, par jab doosra ameer damaad aya to Lucky ko khaana tak nahi dalti. Aise hoga to koi bhi confuse ho jaega, samjhega paise se hee pyaar milta hai… par Didi ji aisa pyaar kis kaam ka.”

(All his life, Lucky looked to belong. A thief may have money, no dignity. His girlfriend won’t touch his money, but she uses it anyway. She won’t sit in his big car, but because he has one, she will go with him to Kashmir. His Mother-in-law asks him for a stolen toaster. But she won’t serve him food if the other richer son-in-law is around. This would confuse anybody, makes it seem like money CAN buy you love. Where is the truth in such love?)

OLLO touched Rajinder, as his review of it had touched me.

This is a successful film. It has reached out to the people that it is about.

A beautiful feather in your cap, director ji.

( This was written for the late passionforcinema.com...re-posting it since it got many comments back then!)