A bouquet of Gulzar: Three classics, conversations and a whiff of nostalgia

I had been humming Iss mod se jate hain from one of Gulzar’s most iconic films Aandhi for quite some time now and couldn’t quite fathom the exact reason behind my doing so. Though I consider myself a believer of the ‘old is gold’ genre of the Hindi film industry and have stuck to the music of the 50s and 60s, there are a few compositions scattered in the 70s and 80s that I appreciate and love, especially the music from Gulzar’s films. 

Thinking of my current obsession as nothing but a desire to return to my childhood, I went on with the humming, until one fine day, I got down to deleting my junk mail. Call it serendipity, but one of the mails struck me like a bolt of lightning and I couldn’t help but marvel at providence. 

HarperCollins had come out with a series of three books, analysing some of the poet’s best works (Ijaazat, Aandhi and Angoor) on silver screen. Not wasting another minute, I sent them a message asking for a chance to interview the authors. To my delight, my request was accepted and after a quick perusal, I sent off the questions. Credit also goes to the eclectic selection of the  films, all different from the other, yet holding true on their own, bound by timeless dialogues and exceptional background score and music.

Gulzar’s interpretation of this poignant and mature love triangle was way ahead of its time. Helmed by brilliant actors, Naseeruddin Shah, Anuradha Patel and Rekha, Ijaazat still tugs at the heartstrings for portraying relationships at once romantic and realistic. The music by RD Burman (Pancham) helped cement its place in the minds of cinelovers, young and old. A chat with the author:

With most Indian films banned in Pakistan, how difficult was it for you to get hold of Hindi movies?

The ban on exhibiting Indian films in Pakistan was in place for about 40 years, until the mid-2000’s. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t watch Hindi films. On the contrary, there was a massive Hindi film following that grew in Pakistan thanks to the pirated VHS market that was booming in the 80’s and 90’s throughout South Asia and the middle-east. And as a kid growing up in the 80’s, I watched just about everything I could lay my hands on, from Bimal Roy to the Ramsay horror flicks. 

Do you think the film is relevant? 

If it were a bad sci-fi or superhero movie then sure, it might be outdated! But it’s a film about human relations, about love, and about selfishness and sacrifice – those things are timeless and always relevant. In fact, Ijaazat was quite ahead of its time, so it still feels right, and timely, because cinema that is concerned foremost with people and their foibles and frailties is in vogue again.

The film has been analysed by many. How different do you think your book is?

But that’s the great thing about art. Two plus two will always be four and nobody can prove otherwise, but with a work of art, you can find a million different perspectives on it, each one valid in its own right and even those keep evolving over time. 

Do you think Gulzar’s works are remembered by cinema lovers today?

I have no doubt about it. I teach Film Studies in Lahore and when I discuss Hindi films with my students Gulzar saheb’s is the one name that always comes up. Despite not having made a film since 1999, he is still one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved and distinguished figures, for people of all ages.

Can Ijaazat be remade?

I’m generally averse to the idea of remakes anyway, I find it lazy, so no, I definitely wouldn’t want to see Ijaazat remade!  

How long did it take for you to compile and put together all the information on Ijaazat? 

Altogether it took about eight months to put together the research, work out the structure, etc. I work full time and have two kids, so it wasn’t easy. I also visited Mumbai to conduct my interviews, which were just a lovely experience.

It was 1975, a landmark year for Indian politics. In this backdrop, released another one of Gulzar’s gems, Aandhi, and true to its name, was also embroiled in many controversies. From comparisons being made to similarities between the lead character and the then PM Indira Gandhi, to the storyline and her life, the film and the crew experienced its share of troughs and crests. It later emerged as one of the most engaging films of all times and was also banned 23 weeks after it released. At that time, Gulzar had not been in India. Needless to say, the music, by the evergreen Pancham, has remained timeless and is extremely popular, even today. A quick discourse with the author;

Why a book on Aandhi now? Do you think it holds relevance in today’s Indian political scenario?

The question, in a way, answers itself. Even after 40 years of the release, it holds the interest of the people, talks about its status of being a cult in the world of Hindustani cinema. The film is as popular today, if not more, as it was four decades ago. The evergreen songs still feature in the list of most-heard ones. Although, the backdrop is politics, it is a story of love and estrangement.  With regard to the relevance of the film in the political scenario of today, one can say that the film talks of the inherent nature of politics and how certain politicians plan and plot. It also talks of the power that the masses have when they question the leaders that they had elected. The book is divided into five chapters – ‘The Auteur’, ‘The Controversy’, ‘The Stellar Cast’, ‘The Poetry’ and ‘The Language’ with an in depth interview with the filmmaker, Gulzar saab, who talk on various aspects related with the film.

Have you watched all of Gulzar’s films? Is there any other movie that has echoes of Aandhi?

  The film Hu Tu Tu (1999) seems a sequel to Aandhi to me. It kind of takes forward the story and the issues which were in the earlier film. Similarly, I feel Maachis (1996) is a sequel to Mere Apne (1971) where there anguish of the youth goes forward, in the then socio-political scenario.

Did Gulzar speak about how he got his actors to get into the roles created for them? 

 Yes. His views, in the form of an interview, are appended in the book.

Has Gulzar seen the book?

 Yes. After the book was released.

Any favourite moments

from the film?

 I have lost count of the number of times I have watched the film. The problem that I faced was that I would continue watching the entire film, even when I had to decode a song or a particular scene. Whichever scene, I would pick on, would only finish at the end of the film. It was a problem, but a pleasurable one.

Gulzar’s genius is manifested in the fact that despite having only 17 films in his kitty as director, all movies have distinct story-lines. Similarly, Angoor is nothing short of a tribute to Shakespeare from the master story-teller himself. Not only does it draw heavily from the Bard, but also has multi-lingual influences. The end product is so satisfying that it is counted as one of the greatest comedies ever made in Hindi cinema. What especially stand out are the performances and the music ‘squeezed’ into the screenplay. A tete-e-tete with the author:

What was your initial reaction of getting a chance at writing on Gulzar’s classic? 

 I was quite delighted. I have interacted with Gulzar Sahab over the years as a journalist and shared my short stories with him. Most recently he had launched my book on SD Burman along with Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma. I grabbed the opportunity to interact with him once again and as it was on his own film, it was also a chance to understand his creative genius better.  

How many times did you watch the movie to detail it?

 At least three times in full. And specific songs and scenes again as I was selecting them to expound on.  

Can Angoor be remade?

 A classic is a classic. Shakespeare’s works have been ‘remade’ in so many avatars through the ages and still stay fresh. If there is a young filmmaker who can layer the film with philosophy and humour and music with the same dexterity as Gulzar has done in Angoor, perhaps a remake will work. And of course we need actors to match the original cast. 

How satisfied were you with interviewing most of the cast? 

  It was pretty good as an experience. I have had a kind of nodding acquaintance with Tanuja and she was very open and welcoming. Deepti Naval is like a friend. Sadly, Moushimi only agreed to a phone interview. I sorely missed being able to speak to Sanjeev Kumar and RD Burman and just missed Deven Varma as he passed away. Gulzar Sahab was as always able to convey his thoughts in his own direct style. I also had a copy of Rinki’s book on Bimal Roy and Gulzar directed me to re-read his chapter in it for a lot of the information on Do Dooni Char. 

Do you think it should be part of film courses?

 Angoor has brought some of the complexities of Shakespeare to the lay person in a simple, acceptable way. But it is for the use of language and metaphor as well as the art of handling both the subject and comedy with style and easy sophistication that Angoor is text book material for younger filmmakers. It is a film that can be peeled layer by layer like an onion and never lose its bite.