Showing posts with label Raees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raees. Show all posts
Raees | Film Review
“Aa raha hoon main” - a line synonymous with Shahrukh Khan in and as Raees. A powerful dialogue that created great buzz among fans and cinephiles alike, and was the centre of all promotional activities related to the film. Needless to say, Khan has arrived with a bang and how. The actor is back with a power packed, full on entertaining film. Raees will to take you back to the 70s, an era of masala entertainers and the angry young man. Read on to know more:
As you watch ‘Shahrukh Khan in and as Raees’ unfold under the opening credits, even a newly turned cinephile is bound to get awestruck. Set in the backdrop of Gujarat of the 70’s and 80s, a time when alcohol prohibition was affected in the state for over two decades, the film traces its central protagonist's journey to the top. His mother’s words - "Koi dhanda chhota ya bada nahi hota, aur dhande se bada koi dharm nahin hota," becomes the main motto of his life. It shows how a young boy living in the bylanes of a small village called Fatehpur goes on to setup his own business and becomes Raees - the most powerful man in the state. Raees is intelligent, smart, witty, determined, brave and above all - a Man of steel with a heart of gold.
Raees will to take you back to the 70s, an era of masala entertainers and the angry young man
Nawazzuddin Siddiqui as ACP Majmudar is brilliant. His character is equally determined to catch hold of Raees and curb his illegal businesses. The relationship between Majumdar and Raees is one of the strongest highlights in the film. Both Nawaz and Khan have played their respective parts quite interestingly and their equation as a cop-thief keeps you engaged throughout the film. Mahira Khan (as Asiya) plays Khan's love interest in the film. The actress has made her presence felt with a strong performance. Rest of the cast too have done good justice to their respective roles, with a deserving mention for both Atul Kulkarni as Jayraaj Bhai and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub as Sadiq, who have performed incredibly well.
Both Nawaz and Khan have played their respective parts quite interestingly and their equation as a cop-thief keeps you engaged throughout the film
After the national award winning film Parzania, a few popular documentaries and his last release, Lamhaa in 2010, Raees marks Rahul Dholakia's return to the big screen after seven years. But, he has hit the bulls eyes with superb directorial skills and does complete justice to this power packed entertainer, just like a pro commercial film maker. The film is complete with some terrific action sequences, fabulous songs, and fascinating high speed shots, which only adds to the impact of Raees, both as a character and an overall film. Ram Sampath's fantastic background score keeps up with the energy and pace of the film. The soundtrack is catchy and serves as a breather in between the well paced storyline. Dialogues of the film have already garnered a lot of attention and accolades before the release, but the film has many more to cherish. K.U. Mohanan's cinematography manages to capture Raees like a King, so much that as an audience, you are in an awe of him throughout the film. Overall, Raees will keep you hooked on to your seats and glued on to the screen, right till the end credits roll out. This is paisa vasool entertainment, at its best!
Verdict: Gripping story, captivating performances, great songs and of course, Khan, in a never before seen avatar, delivering one of his best performances till date. Raees has everything that a blockbuster hit needs. We recommend you book tickets before they are sold out for the week!
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I Believe it is Very Important To Be a Director's Actor | In Conversation with Shah Rukh Khan (Part II)
After a great response to Part I of our candid conversation with King Khan, we are back! Raees is just a day away from release and needless to say, fans of the actor have ensured the advance bookings for the film gets a tremendous response. But, before you get all prepped up to catch Miyan Bhai in action, grab a cuppa and settle down to read our tete-a-tete with the Badshah. As promised, here's Part II of our special interview with Shah Rukh Khan. Excerpts:
What is your state of mind on the sets like? Do you enjoy being on the sets?
I am a very happy go lucky guy. Even if I am tired, I am always very happy on the sets. Most of the people who I work with, are a little wary of me, because many of them have grown up watching me. Like or dislike is besides the point. But, I completely understand that. So, I want the atmosphere on the sets to be very happy. I want everyone to have a good time. I really enjoy myself on the sets. I like to have fun and crack jokes.
What was the on set atmosphere like during Raees?
While working on Raees, I would notice how everyone was somehow very serious. So, I thought because Rahul Dholakia is a very serious director, maybe he has told every actor to focus on their work. You know, because some directors are like that. Farhan (Akhtar) is very serious on the sets. He likes to be quiet. Karan (Johar) is very funny on the sets, while Adi (Aditya Chopra) is very strict. A lot of other directors have been that way, and obviously, it’s their space and I respect that. So, I thought Rahul must one of those directors who is very serious. But, after 15 - 20 days, my cameraman, who has worked with me on a lot of films, told me, “Sir, is there a problem? Are you going through some bad phase. You look like you are in a very bad mood. Is there something wrong with the film?” I said no. Since everybody is serious on the sets, so am I. I thought maybe that’s how Rahul wants it. He said, “No, no. Everybody’s saying Shah Rukh Khan is a very angry person. He is very scary. But, I tell them that no, he is very happy and always loves having fun. Maybe, it is because of the Kajal.” (laughs) So, after that, I called everyone to my room. Since we were shooting for 50 days, Riteish had made this beautiful huge room for me, which had everything including a playstation (smiles). I said, please call everyone and let them know that I am not angry with anyone or anything. But, because of this whole fierce look, complete with Kajal and that voice I used to take out, everyone got very scared. So, I had to actually stay back and party with them, hug everyone, including Zeeshan, Nawaz Bhai, Mahira, and tell them, “Listen guys, I am not like that. You can say anything you want, but I am not so serious.” So, that was very shocking. Nobody knew me, as it was a new set and I was working with all of them for the first time.
I had to get everyone on the set together and say, Listen guys, I am not like that. You can say anything you want, but I am not so serious
How do you prepare yourself for a character, especially before the film takes off?
For me, script leads the way. You have to get into a state of place. First, you have to device the world of the film you are going to be in. Like, if you are in a Bhansali film, you have to become a part of that world. So, your pitch, tone, dialogues, inaction and everything has to match. At least, that’s what I believe in. I will never go into a film and be in my own world, when the film demands that I have to be in a different world. So, Imtiaz Ali’s world is more edgy, relaxed, easy and natural. When you do a Farah Khan film it is over the top, funny. You have to do things in her zone. Similarly, Karan Johar, Adi (Chopra); everybody has a different world. So, you first understand the world of the director. That’s why, I spend about 6 - 8 months with the director. I spend time with them, chat with them in order to understand their ideas. That way, I understand ki unka world aisa hoga. The enactment has to fit into that place.
What is the mental process of approaching either a negative or positive character, before essaying it on screen?
I always tell everyone, if you are playing a really nice person - like a Rahul or Raj, the devta samaan guy, or if you are playing a character who is darinda samaan, like a Don or the one in Baazigar, the common trait is always the passion and obsession. You have to be really obsessive to be very good or extremely bad. Rest of the characters fall in the middle. So, these two character types are the two extremes. To be both a really good and a bad guy is extreme. So, as an actor, when you play a character like Raees, you have to forget everything, especially stuff like - Arey! Log bura toh nahi manenge main yeh karunga toh. What if I beat up someone, say something or behave in a certain manner, log yeh toh nahi kahenge ki yaar, dil nahi hain iska. Similarly, for a good guy, even if a small hair pin falls down from the desk, toh bahut acchai dikhani padhti hain (laughs). You have to be really nice while doing it. So, they are both unreal, because all of us are somewhere in the middle. We are not so bad or not so good. I do a lot of reading. I read a lot of books, and find characters in them. I also see a lot of people, including you and everyone else around. When I see people, I pick on things - like gestures or physicality, and then, very naturally, I bring them into my films. It’s like, you could be a part of my next film and you won’t know it (smiles).
When I see people, I pick on things - like gestures or physicality. Then, very naturally, I bring them into my films
Many believe you are a director's actor. What is your take on this statement?
I am very clear. If I am playing Jehangir Khan in a film, I learn my lines, understand the essence of those lines and then, I am very open to the idea that Gauri (Shinde - the director) will tell me how to do it. Every film maker has a vision and point of view. I have a point of view as well, but I am only the actor here. I don’t need to believe in what you (the film maker) are telling me. I just need to make you believe whatever you tell me to say. That’s what my job is. I meet a lot of actors who turn around and say - ‘Oh! I don’t believe in this.’ Honestly, it doesn't make any difference, because you are an actor. I don’t believe I could be throwing a girl off the terrace like in Baazigar, or I don’t believe I can drink myself to death like in Devdas. I don’t believe I am as good a person that I was in Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham. I don’t believe I can be Raees, nor do I want to live in the kind of house that he does. I want to make you (the audience) believe, and that is an actor’s job. I have to believe what my director believes in. Sometimes, I may not agree with their opinion and that is alright. It is just a point of view ya. So, I will do what Gauri wants me to do in Jehangir Khan, Rahul wants me to do in Raees or whatever Karan wants me to do in his film. At least, I will be different that way. Otherwise, I will be just giving my point of view in every film. So, personally, I think it is very important to be a director’s actor. Otherwise, like I said earlier, you will be working in a different world and the director will be making a different world. So, you need to attach it by listening to the director.
Fan Questions
Nahi ya, Nitin (smiles). I didn't really have to learn the language, as the character just required me to say ‘Aavjo’ and some little bits and pieces. Rahul (Dholakia) was clear that the character doesn't speak too much Gujarati, but he understands it. Sometimes, he may say 2-3 lines. But, I wanted to make it look natural. It shouldn't look like I am trying to speak Gujarati, so a few words would just flow naturally in a conversation.
Hi Devotee! That's an interesting handle. Thank you for your love (smiles). See, it's very tough to choose. Don is completely different from my character in Raees. Don was more sexy, suave, with an over exaggerated swag. He was very unreal. I remember telling Farhan how Don was like a James Bond gone rogue. He is a bad James Bond. I work characters in my mind and for me, So, Raees is nowhere close to Don. Raees is very calm, quiet yet powerful. It’s more of a desi character. Also, Don was very mean and selfish, whereas I don’t think Raees is selfish at all.
I think it is very important to be a director’s actor. Otherwise, you will be working in a different world and the director will be making a different world
Red Chillies VFX is one of the best in the business today. In fact, the Paris Images Trade Show also has a special tribute to RCVFX planned this month. What are your thoughts on the journey so far, since it has also completed a decade last year?
I think visual effects is a very interesting space. We started the Red Chillies VFX wing with Harry (Hingorani) and Keitan (Yadav). We were three boys when we started and the first film we worked on was Paheli. We had a very small unit. In fact, we didn’t even have proper machines. Now, it has been more than a decade. So, I am very proud of them. To make a film like Fan, Ra.One or Krrish and what they are doing with Aanand L Rai’s next is a very big leap forward. I am not saying this because it is my company. It is hardly my company. But, it is a difficult business. That's because a lot of people in this country, especially film makers don’t use VFX right. They think it should only be used for superhero films. It should be used to enhance the way a film looks. It looks cleaner and better. Even in a normal love story, one can use visual effects and we will try that in Imtiaz’s next, as that is our company’s film. So, I am very proud of everything that they do, and also about the fact that they are going to Paris.
What are your thoughts on the use of VFX in Indian films? Also, what are your strategies and plans for Red Chillies VFX in the future?
I think there is a huge necessity for bringing in technology and VFX into this country. I won’t say I was disturbed, but it was very strange that some people don’t even realise that Fan is a VFX film. We assume that if we are only flying or shooting, then only VFX should be used. See, those are also wonderful. I am not deriding it. But, I think the recognition, acceptance and belief in visual effects and special effects in the Indian film industry is extremely necessary for us to go international. We (Red Chillies) can do it, Prasad (The Prasad Group) can do it, and even the 4-5 other big companies who are trying it. I would implore all the film makers, directors and writers to think about this. VFX is much cheaper in India than anywhere in the world. We, as a company, and the others as well, are making VFX for some of the best films that you are seeing in the world today. And, it is high time India made them too. You know, all these brilliant films that you see, be it Sin City, X-Men; the VFX was done here. If our Indian film makers have the vision for that, it is possible here and it is much cheaper. So, I think it will be interesting in the next five years, if we can hold on to Red Chillies VFX and take them forward. I am excited to see how things pan out with Aanand L Rai's next.
I think the recognition, acceptance and belief in visual effects and special effects in the Indian film industry is extremely necessary for us to go international.
Love,
The Dancebee
Raees is a Very Realistic and Unique Character | In Conversation with Shah Rukh Khan (Part I)
There is bound to be excitement in the air when the King makes an appearance. And when he walks in for an in-depth chat, we are all ears for his candid, witty and insightful responses. Shah Rukh Khan completes 25 years in the industry this year, and almost everyone who has worked with him over the years will agree that his enthusiasm, passion for cinema and dedication towards a film maker’s vision hasn't changed a bit. Despite a high fever and cold, the actor took time out for a long day of promotions for his upcoming crime drama - Raees, where he plays a kohl eyed baddie. As we wait under the starry sky on a breezy night at a suburban studio, Khan arrives looking his stylish best, complete with a leather jacket and pair of Adidas superstar metal toes. While the actor attended a quick phone call, we couldn't take our eyes off that dimpled smile. After a quick sip of water, Khan settled down for an interesting conversation. Here's Part I of our candid chat with the Badshah of Bollywood.
How would you describe your experience of working on Raees?
It started off as a very small film. Then, I got injured and there was a gap. Maybe, that is a good thing, because we were trying to contain a film which is half realistic and half popular. So, during that space, we got enough time to work on it. Some of the things that we worked on later have only added to the film, in a way helping us towards what we were trying to achieve. It was great fun. Rahul (Dholakia) is from a different school of film making. Also, it was our (Red Chillies Entertainment’s) first association as a production with Excel entertainment. Also, working with Mahira (Khan), Nawaz (Siddiqui), Zeeshan (Ayyub) and everyone else was great.
What was it about the script that stood out for you?
This is not a regular story, where you see a guy who grows up and becomes a don. Then there is a villain, who beats him up and the guy kills him to become a bigger don or goes to jail. Raees has an interesting journey, which is very unique. It traces the journey of my character from a seven year old kid to the time he turns 42 - 45. In fact, all the characters move along in the film together. It’s not a very typical Hindi film, where the boy meets a girl or say, a revenge drama. It’s just the story of a person who is in the midst of a world that is completely bad. He also does bad things, but somewhere along the line, we still wanted to create an aspect that shows some human quality in him. We are not justifying anything or forcing upon anyone what to like to dislike. The audience can make up their mind - whether to like or dislike him. In commercial cinema, we generally don’t do that. It is generally forced upon you ki bas Hero accha hi hain. Usne bahut sacrifices kiye hain. Because of Rahul’s presence, it is a more open ended discussion in the film, which I don’t know will work or not. But, it is more realistic. However, the popularity part of it - songs, fight, drama are all there. So, I feel the mix will be interesting.
Raees is a far cry from the kind of characters you have portrayed in the past. What was it about the character that impressed you the most?
There is a strain in this character, where you own up and take responsibility for your action. Normally, that’s a thing you associate with good people. But, Raees is a bad person in a bad world, who does bad jobs according to us. But, he does stand up for the result of his actions. He is powerful enough to get away from things, and also to reject it. However, he believes that if you have done something, you need to stand up for it. That’s the strength of his character.
Raees has an interesting journey, which is very unique. It traces the journey of my character from a seven year old kid to the time he turns 42 - 45
The dialogues take you back to the Angry young man era. They have become quite a rage. Apart from your style, of course, what do you think attributed to the popularity?
The film is written by journalists. They have done a lot of research and so, most of the dialogues have been picked up from spoken word, on the road. ‘Baniye ka dimaag, miyaan bhai ki daring’ is a dialogue that is often spoken, not something they have invented. Similarly, battery is a word often used for people who were glasses and that’s how, ‘Battery nahi bolne ka' came up. The likability of the dialogues is because they are very spoken and normal. Having said that, many dialogues which are spoken by other actors in the film are also very nicely done. They have got a nice rhythm. Maybe because journalists have written it, they are real or perhaps, the writers are very creative (smiles).
You are sharing screen space with Nawazuddin Siddiqui for the first time. What do you have to say about his work?
Nawaz bhai is one of the finest actors from the last decade we have seen in India. Since both Nawaz and I come from a theatre background, there is some amount of likeness to us. We both know that we have done our studies. But, he is very different as an actor than I am. Both of us were very happy to come together and respect each others space. It’s like, Shah Rukh knows this, Nawaz Bhai knows that. So, let’s try and see if we can include it together in our performances. We are very important in the film together, as our respective characters span through 15 - 20 years. It’s a relationship based on hate, as one is a cop and the other is a bad guy. But hopefully, when the film comes out, you will see that it won’t be like a typical cop-thief situation. That has been possible only because Nawaz is such a well nuanced actor.
Since both Nawaz and I come from a theatre background, there is some amount of likeness to us. We both know that we have done our studies
Was a fresh face always the first choice for the leading lady opposite Raees in the film?
Casting has always been the director's call. I have never participated in the casting of any of my films. But, I think we needed a new face opposite me. Because whenever I do a more realistic character, like Suri in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, you need a new girl to make me look more real (laughs). Otherwise, people always expect me to be this cool, urban guy. Same goes for Om Shanti Om, because I was playing a struggler. Farah (Khan) was very keen on casting a new girl, so that she looks like a star. Otherwise, if you take an established actress, then it just looks like - woh heroine aur Shah Rukh Khan hero. For some films, especially when it is reality based, you need a new face. So, one reason was that. I think the second part was that the role demanded someone who is very petite to look at, but is very strong in her convictions. She stands by her boyfriend / husband (as the story progresses). At one point, they were trying to look at the existing female actors, but then, Rahul (Dholakia) was very clear that most of the people who work with Shah Rukh in the film should not have shared screen space with him earlier. So then, it will be possible for the audience to see the character more, than just looking at Shah Rukh Khan. If I do a film with, say Deepika (Padukone) or Kajol, then people will just say - Yeh Shah Rukh or Deepika ki ya Shah Rukh aur Kajol ki picture hain, instead of saying, yeh toh Renu aur Ravi ki picture hain (smiles). We are such strongly presented actors in films. And, that works well for a commercial film. But, since we were trying to be more realistic in Raees, they auditioned some people and zeroed in on Mahira (Khan).
It's interesting how you have worked with several debutants in the past, who have gone on to become popular leading ladies today. Do you think Mahira too will follow suit?
Most of the actresses who have worked with me are extremely talented ladies. They haven't become stars because they debuted with me. Some of them who did not work with me in their debut films also went on to become stars (smiles). Even before working on Raees, Mahira has established herself as an actor. This is not a new world for her. She is wonderful in the film and it was nice to work with her. I think she perfectly fits in the film. And, one can only wish the best for everyone who has worked on the film, including Nawaz, Zeeshan and myself (smiles).
Most of the actresses who have worked with me are extremely talented ladies. They haven't become stars because they debuted with me
Fan Questions
Well, I got injured while shooting for a sequence in Fan, just before wrapping up the film. I was hospitalised and had to undergo a surgery. So, when I started Raees, I was very badly off. In fact, the sequence where I walk out of the smoke, which was a prominent part of the teaser and trailer, is where I was on crutches. But, I had to work on these shots as the set was ready and standing. It was later that we had to postpone the remaining shoot and the film.
Due to my knee injury, learning Garba was extremely difficult, Faizan. Especially all the jumping around. In fact, they wanted me to wear a kediyu for the song, but I would look very funny (laughs). I didn’t realise Garba would be that difficult. We had to use the Dandiya, and do some of those round steps (laughs). With the pathani, it was all the more difficult. But, our choreographers - Sameer and Arsh Tanna, were very good to me.
In Part II of this interview, we chat with the actor further about Raees, the process of preparing for a character, his future projects and a technical aspect of film making that is very close to his heart. Stay Tuned!
Love,
The Dancebee
The Dancebee
