Posted on: May 9, 2008 - 1:59 am
Nasik, On location for ‘ShoeBite’, some miles out 10:14 am May 8, 2008
Stark beautiful and barren hills. Barren and dry, without any vegetation. Dark steely rock formations peeking out of low moisture clouds as the sun appears behind them.
Its 5:45 am and the unit is trickling in. Trucks and buses with the camera and production equipment. Reflectors, boxes, trolley tracks. Languid momentum. The odd unit hands sipping make shift tea. Assistant directors just beginning to adjust their mode of communication – the walkie talkie. A few wild ‘testing’ crackles here and there. At some distance the jimmy jib – a vast crane like arm which holds the camera and moves it to exciting angles and heights through remote means, being set up on tracks. Men moving. Men lifting. Men getting busy.
Its show time !!
I settle into my vanity van, the news on satellite TV already on, CNN-IBN – Parliament, nuclear deal, a murder, cricket. I put it off and open up iTunes. Feel a bit religious this morning. Holy chants come up. Good and auspicious way to start the day. Certainly a calming factor before the GLUEEEE !!! comes on !!
Wig, beard, mustache, make up, costume. A quick glance at the mobile for messages. None. Strange ?
Oh ! No signal !
OK.. READY..READY..READY !!
Movement around the jimmy jib gets into a flurry.
The walkies crackle – ‘Stop the traffic, block it !!, ‘Copy that !’ ‘ I said BLOCK IT !!’ ‘Look at that guy moving across the field, GET HIM OUT OF THERE !!’ ‘AYE ! AYEEE ! HATO ! HATO !! ‘MAAGHE, MAAGHE !!’(this is Maharashtra, people).
Director : ‘Stand by !!’ ‘Stand by’ “ Take the camera lower’, ‘LOWER LOWER !!’ ‘Ok’ ‘Taking.. TAKING !!’ ‘Kopal, make sure the truck moves as soon as the little girl comes and stands next to Sir !!’
AD :‘YEAH YEAH COPY THAT SIR !
Director :‘OK STAND BY ! ROLL SOUND !!
Sound :‘EH ! AYEE ! SILENCE !! SILENCE ! No ! no ! I can still hear someone talking ! Come on shut up ! SHUT UP ! QUIET PLEASE !! Are chup karao yaar ! Kaun peche bol raha hai ! WHO GAADI KA ENGINE BAND KARO !!
AD : ‘Sir woh passing hai shot may truck ka, uske engine ki awaaz toh on rahegi !!
Director : ‘DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT, JUST START !! START !! BABY, baby ! Look here Baby ! Don’t look into the camera ok !! YEAH STAND BY !! STAND BY !! START SOUND !!
Sound : Sound Rolling !
Director : Baby ! BABY !!! Smile… SMILE rakhana face pe.. OK SLATE !!
Camera : AREE SLATE NEECHE LAO, AUR NEECHE !! YA ! Camera rolling ! Slate ! SLATE ! GIVE THE SLATE ! MOVE ! MOVE OUT !! Reflector thoda right may le ! Right ! Right ! RIGHT KYA HOTA HAI !! YA ROLLING SIR !!
Director : STAND BY !!
Director : STAND BY !!
Camera : SIR CAMERA ROLLING !! ROLLLINNGG !!!
Director : ‘Kopal truck chodho.. leave the truck.. MOVE THE TRUCK !!
AD: Copy Sir !
Director : WHAT COPY !! ASK THE DRIVER TO MOVE ! MOVE !! BABY, SMILE RAKHNA OK ?!! OK STAND BY !!
Director : STAND BY !! HERE WE GO ! HERE WE GO !! KOPAL CROWD, CROWD !! GET THE CROWD BACK !! THEY.. ARE… IN… THE.. FRAME !! CAMERA TRUCK KO LE, TRUCK KO !! GO LOWER ! YA ! STAND BY !!
Camera : Sir, camera rolling for a long time sir !
Director : OK ! OK ! TAKING , TAKING !! Baby, smile ?
Director : ANNNNNDDDDDD !! ACTION !!
Director : AYE ! CUT ! CUUUT !!! TRUCK KIDHAR HAI !! TRUCK !!!
AD : ( walkie crackle )
Director : WHAT !!
AD : ……. Sir, truck nikal gaya… time pe !
Camera : Mag change ! Naya magazine lao ! Kitna bhara tha isme ? 400 wala lao.. LAO !!!
(Silence)
Director to AB : Sorry sir ! Quickly we’ll do one more.
Director : STAND BY !!
An actor is sensitive to certain command sounds on set.
Generally, its SOUND, CAMERA, CLAP…. And ACTION !
These four precious words are the actors life. They normally take on an average of 4-5 seconds to be completed. In those 4-5 seconds, he composes his face, his character, his lines, his cues, his markings… his career ! Whatever he can gather in that time, is what will remain for the audience to see, for box office to judge, for critics to analyze, for his future to be assessed, for posterity to record.
And I wonder sometimes, in all thus confusion and noise and management, do we really get our fair opportunity to get into the role and perform ?
Tabu, the lovely Tabu, who had just returned after working with a French film unit in Europe, told me how diligently respectful people and crew working on the film were, to ‘talent’. ‘Talent’ ?. The artist, the actor. Talent must not be disturbed, must be kept comfortable, away from all confusion, allowed to appear on camera only after all was set and then given sufficient time to rehearse, to check, to discuss, to perform to change, to give alternatives, to act !
Sometimes we clamor desperately for it. Sometimes we just go with prevailing circumstances. We are compromising. A terrible attitude to have as a professional.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali gave me that moment to myself for ‘Black’. He and many others too spend a great amount of time in the mechanics, technically required for the shot, but on many occasions the artist must have the capacity to switch on in a couple of seconds.
Not so fair I think. And I scream and shout at times for that little moment of respect, not just for me, but for my colleagues too. Colleagues who may not have substantial parts, of lesser dimension, but who all form an integral part of the team. Just because the length of their role is less compared to the lead, does not diminish their requirement as an actor for that respect and time to give their best. It bothers me to see some of them being rushed through their part. Asked to perform at an instant they at times falter, they are only human. And then I see the agony of them being replaced because they held up proceedings, or kept the ‘star’ waiting. I admonish units that practice this and feel deeply about it. After all we were all in that situation in our early years and still are. We make our mistakes, we forget our lines, we do numerous retakes, but we are looked upon compassionately, with understanding. We are no different from the others, only our treatment is different. And that pains me !!
With love as always,
Amitabh Bachchan
June 1st, 2008 at 7:45 pm
SOUND, CAMERA, CLAP…. And ACTION !
..guess all dreams of becoming a ’star’ begin with these words! …or maybe, the more commonly used phrase ‘Lights! Camera! Action!’
..and this post is truly worth reflecting upon..some friends of mine work on a reality show, n i attended one of the technicals…the treatment given to the people was seriously disturbing, and of course, it shouldn’t happen like that!
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May 31st, 2008 at 6:45 pm
This is the first time i am reading ur blogs..
thanks to the internet that has made it possible us to reach u directly..
Sir i request u to use simple language so v can understand u in better ways..
“Because of you I laughed a little harder, cried a little less and smiled a lot for no special reason. “
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May 22nd, 2008 at 9:02 am
Dear Amit ji,
“AB TAK CHAPPAN” SAAL KE TO HO HI GAYE HONGE AAP
“LAWAARIS” LONGO KE LIYE KUCH TO KARIYE
“SHARABI” LOGO NE KITNI HI JINDAGIYAN BARBAAD KARI HAIN, UNKE LIYE
“MAJOR- KAAM KRNA BAKI HAI -SAAB”
SHAAYAD KISI “BHOOTHNATH” KA INTEJAR HAI YA
“WAQT” KE SAATH SAB KUCH APNE AAP THIK HO JAYEGA ?
SOUNDS FILMI PAR SACH HAI !!!
Pl think a on the above and do your bit !!!!!!
Thanks a Ton,
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May 20th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
saw a small clippin of the shootin of shoebite on the news channel when i ws in shanghei……thot of the blog and felt sad tht i cudnt read it daily…..and oh yes i agree with wht u said towards the end………….
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May 17th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Dear Sir,
I have been a great Fan of yours and watched many of your movies. There were days in my college where I would get into verbal duels with my friends over who is the best Actor and best “Personality” in Bollywood. I would win those arguments because i had the stats to prove that your movies were all time greatest hits, your awards and that you were one of the greatest personalities who always has been down to earth and modest even after achieving so much success. For many others who are successfull, there have always been some controversies associated but in case in your case, no one had ever had a chance to point a finger at you.(barring instances where someone had done it intentionally). There are a few personalities who are similar to you like Sachin Tendulkar, Chiranjeevi.
But sir, I doono why but somehow i feel bad about the way you have criticized others in your Blogs. I have always enjoyed your interviews and the idea of Blogging is terrific but i think that by criticizing others you are giving others a chance to point fingers at you which many fans of yours out there may feel hard to digest.You have always been a role model for many out there.
I know I’am no capable of giving suggestion but just felt like writing this to you.
Abhilash
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May 15th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Hai Amitji,
I am very glad of u, i want to meet you directly plz tell me the date and time ji…
yours
big fan
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May 14th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
i am glued to what Mr B writes,sometimes i think he is being very defensive.A personality like his need not go at pains to xplain himself so much.He has to remember ,that whatever he does,someone or the other is bound to make an issue ,thats the price one has to pay for fame:people trying to drag you down.Mr B needs to chill really.
Cheers,
Neetu
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May 14th, 2008 at 1:55 am
Hello Sir,
Regarding “An actor is sensitive to certain command sounds on set”, it’s nice that you brought this up. Oftentimes, people think just because actors get paid alot, their feelings or emotions should be taken into consideration.
Madhri Dixit recentely said that things are changing in Indian Cinema for the better. Things are more organized She said that now, actors get ready scripts. And Tabu, yes as you desctibed her, the lovely Tabu, did an interview last year during “The Namsake”, also said the same thing. That until recently, actors didn’t sign contracts. There was just a letter that you sign as agreement. Maybe, things on the set will also start changing and people will be more professional and treat actors as “talents”.
I’m not sure if you will be able to answer this, another film with Tabu (a favorite actress of mine), is that a possiblity this year or next year? I really loved your chemitry on “Cheeni Kum”. It was a delight to see Tabu in a comedy. I wish she’d do more films.
Keep up the blog. God Bless!
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May 12th, 2008 at 9:23 am
i heard from somewhere that u have started blogging! was curiouse enough to read that since then. I thank to technology who made it possible! i am feeling very good to read ur blog in the begining of this morning. would love to read ur more blogs. Mr. AB ur AtoZ of this film industry and i respect you a lot.
regards
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