Abhishek Kapoor's Kai Po Che – Journey into India's Heart
By Lavina Melwani • Feb 21st, 2013 • Category: The Buzz
Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)
Digvijay Deshmukh, Sushant Singh Rajput and Amrita Puri in 'Kai Po Che'
Kai Po Che – India Unfurled…
India is like a gigantic Hall of Mirrors – so many reflections, some
magnified, some distorted. Which is the true India? And who is the true
Indian? In 'Kai Po Che', Abhishek Kapoor's stunning new film, you
realize there are no easy answers as you step into the complex,
complicated terrain that is India.
'Kai Po Che', based on Chetan Bhagat's best-selling novel 'The Three
Mistakes of My Life', takes you into the innards of the bustling city of
Ahmedabad and introduces you to real people in situations taken right
out of real life, such as the 2001 earthquake and the Godhra killings.
You are relentlessly drawn into the ugly, unpredictable vortex of
current events, of unforgiving real life as it happens.
Abhishek Kapoor deftly gets you involved by weaving the lives of
three ordinary people, close friends Ishaan, Omi and Govind – into
these events. Each has modest dreams of achieving happiness. They are
starting a sports business against great odds and you find yourself
rooting for them and wanting them to succeed. But what could have been a
light-hearted story about friendship escalates into something much more
deeper and darker.
Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkumar Yadav, and Amit Sadh inhabit the
characters of Ishaan, Govind and Omi perfectly. No big star names here
and that's actually an advantage. (No big leading ladies either – Amrita
Puri as Vidya, Ishaan's sister, is the only female presence, and she's
good.) These actors are relatively unknown faces and so bring little
celebrity baggage with them; they are regular guys you might encounter
on the streets – each is three-dimensional and a person in his own
right. What is wonderful is the chemistry among the three men – you feel
they've known each other forever.
The English name of the film is 'Brothers…for Life' and all three,
especially Sushant Singh Rajput, have a palpable screen presence which
keeps you hooked. 'Kai Po Che's strong script – usually never a strong
point in Indian cinema – is what gives the film its internal
architecture and strength. The script was written by Bhagat, along with
Pubali Chaudhuri, Supratik Sen, and Abhishek Kapoor, and directed by
the latter with a sure hand.
Everything is honest and from the heart in 'Kai Po Che', from the
locations to Amit Trivedi's music which is embedded in the culture and
tempo of Gujarat. No song just for the sake of a song scenario and
certainly no item numbers. As the film ricochets to its powerful
climax, you are fully invested in its outcome and the lives of the three
friends. And later you mull about deeper things such as the nature of
friendship and family and values – and think some more about where India
is headed. It is a fully satisfying movie which stays with you long
after it's over. Yes, India is shining but it's tarnished too, and you
get to see it, warts and all.
Abhishek Kapoor on the sets of 'Kai Po Che'
Abhishek Kapoor talks with Lavina Melwani about Cinema & Life
Abhishek Kapoor was in New York for two days on his way to the Berlin
Film Festival, and sat down for a chat with me at the Ritz Carlton
Hotel. Having worked crazy schedules to finish the film and send it out
into the world, he was sleep-deprived and plain exhausted but clearly
excited about finally completing something which has been a passion and
occupied his life for four years.
Ever since Kapoor read Chetan Bhagat's book, "The Three Mistakes of
My life", he knew he wanted to make a film of it. He's been working on
the script for two and a half years, and the making of the film took a
year. But that's alright with him because he loves the project.
Cinema has pretty much occupied his world, growing up in a film
family as he did. His uncle is the popular superstar of yesteryear,
Jeetendra, and his cousins are Ekta Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor. He's also
related to Aditya Chopra. Although his own father was not in the film
business, Abhishek did go for several shoots as a kid and recalls
watching Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munim shoot outdoors for Subash Ghai's
'Karz'.
He certainly grew up on a steady diet of Hollywood and Bollywood:
films ranging from 'Guns of Navarone' and 'McKenna's Gold' to Hindi
films like 'Mother India', 'Amar Akbar Anthony', 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili,
'Bobby', 'Deewar', and 'Sholay'.
Abhishek Kapoor went on to win the prestigious National Award for
'Rock On!' so it's a surprise to learn that he had a really tough time
breaking into the film industry, first as an actor and then as a
filmmaker.
" Either you were mainstream Bollywood or you were nothing"
" Either you were mainstream Bollywood or you were nothing," he
recalls of the tough, early grind of his career as an actor. " I don't
think it was a very good time for Indian film business – in the late
80's and 90's really crappy movies were being made. I made my foray into
acting at that time and I didn't see any success. Maybe I wasn't good
enough or maybe the films were not good enough. I didn't enjoy the
process at all and just took a backseat. I felt so uncomfortable, so
not-in-control of the way my career was going – it was very scary."
Gradually he got into writing and wrote a film 'Aryan'. It took him
4-5 years to make it; there were money woes and the film got stuck and
he chased it. It didn't do well at the box-office but it was
well-received by critics and Kapoor finally discovered what his true
calling was.
Then he made "Rock On!" and the rest is history. With a National
Film Award under his belt, the backing of Disney UTV as producers and
distributors of 'Kai Po Che', and the support of his parents and
girlfriend Pragya, life seems pretty 'Kai Po che!' (which means a
victorious 'I have cut it!' in Gujarati kite-flying lingo.)
So having seen both ups and downs, what are his thoughts on success and failure?
"I think failure is very important because it can teach you
something. Success, I think, is just mere garnish, it will just get you
more money and that's great because it makes your life more comfortable
but it doesn't teach you anything," he says.
He shares some of the truths his ups and downs have taught him: " I
realize that nothing is more important than enjoying your work. If I'm
not going to enjoy making my movies, I might as well not do it. I love
this movie and I put my heart into it. I want people to see it. If it
was a movie I was not proud of, then every step of the way would be
painful. So it's important to love what you do – and that's something I
really believe."
Real life and reel life mix in 'Kai Po che'
In the Director's Chair: 8 Questions for Abhishek Kapoor
1. Does 'Rock On!' have anything in common with 'Kai Po Che'?
The only common factor is that both are about friendship: 'Rock On!'
was more urban, it's with rock music as a backdrop, it's got a different
style to it – characters, people in cities are more responsive,
they're a little bit more cerebral. But this is about middle India,
middle-class India, where people are more reactive. There's so much
familiarity because people live in such small homes and so close to each
other, you can hear people whispering in their homes. It's like one
big family – everyone knows about everything. Just the way they react to
each other, the rawness of the space – it's diametrically opposite."
2.
'Kai Po Che' has been called a movie about male bonding but it seems
so much deeper than that – it's about people's lives, their values and
how random acts can change everything.
When I read the book what really got me was the fact that it was
about real events, the earthquake, the riots and the India-Australia
cricket test match. I saw it as a great opportunity to make a real
Indian film because of the fact that it was about real events and make
the rest of the film also as real as the events. As a filmmaker I saw
great potential.
"Making Movies is About Unlearning…"
3. This was your first visit to Gujarat – how did you manage to capture the many nuances, the soul of the city?
I had never been to Gujarat before. Making movies is more about
unlearning – clearing your slate, starting afresh and asking questions
all over again, without having any preconceived answers as if you know
it all. You have to go and immerse yourself in the geography, culture
and value system of the people and embrace it – and only then I think
can you make a movie about a place.
We did not shoot the film on any set – we looked everywhere – and
finally got these locations because if you get the locations right, then
half the battle is won. The location is part of the character – it's
not just there for show. To find the correct temple was a struggle. In
Gujarat especially temples are everywhere – temples are the
centrifugal force of the community – so it had to be right.
Amit Sadh and Digvijay Deshmukh in Kai Po Che
"There is a Hero in Everyone, I do believe That" – Abhishek Kapoor
4. This movie has no big star names yet there is a star quality to these actors.
I think it's in the characters. You show different dimensions to
these characters but I believe that there is a hero in everyone. I do
believe that – when the moment arises I'm sure the hero will also arise.
Some people just don't have the moment, but there is something sitting
dormant in everyone.
These actors are fabulous actors – they haven't had much exposure in
films except for Raju who's done a few films but the other two have not
been seen much on this platform. They are very seasoned, very
professional and very dedicated actors.
There may be so many like them out there but they aren't getting an
opportunity because people are so unsure of themselves that they just
keep chasing stars to make proposals. I think it's important for people
to believe in themselves, in their script and to have a producer who
can back you up. Only then can you give an opportunity to actors like
these.
5. That is really such a shame. We are losing out by just staying with 7- 8 big star names.
It's regressive. We make excuses by saying the audience only wants
this. I don't think the audiences want that. Why would the audience want
to eat the same thing again and again – nobody would want that – but we
force it down their throats! Indian audiences love their films –
there's no other entertainment in our country, it's the cheapest form of
entertainment. And they love their stars.
So somewhere we exploit that faith and love the audience gives us.
It's important to give them back, give them something new, even at the
risk of failing. You don't have to spend 50 crores. When these movies
are making 50-60 or 100 crores – half the money goes to the stars.
Writers are given a minuscule sum of money, they are not given any
importance. It's important to invest in talent, not just in your stars.
Kai Po Che mirrors real events
"Acting, Locations, Music – It all had to come from the script"
6. In many films the music feels
tacked on, and there has to be a mandatory item number. In 'Kai Po Che'
the music is natural, almost part of the skin.
It was important to keep everything organic from the script. Whether
it was acting, characters, locations or the music, it all had to come
from the script. The script demanded that the score be very authentic
Indian, soulful and raw because that's how the film is, that's how these
characters are, that's how the geography of this place is. So we didn't
want to step out of the realm of that. It's a big story – we need the
narrative to go on – you can't stop the narrative with a song coming in.
It just makes the story go further.
7.What do you hope viewers will take away from 'Kai Po Che'?
I made this film to showcase my country as I see it, as I've
understood it while I made it. I want people to come and take a piece
of India with them – I'm talking of a global audience. We are showcasing
at the Berlin Film Festival and premiering it there – I'm hoping the
world over people will understand my country a little bit more,
understand the value system of this country a little bit more.
8.The film touches poignantly on
the Hindu-Muslim divide, on ordinary people living together in
neighborhoods and yet not connecting.
Shit happens, you know, but what is important is to let it go and to
move ahead. Whatever happened to these boys something good came out of
it but it will only come about if you let it go. If you keep picking on
what happened 10 years ago and taking political mileage out of that,
you're going to ruin the future of this country. You have to shut the
book and forgive and move on. Forgive the other person and forgive
yourself. There are two people to a fight; both have to let go of
things, and shut the book.
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