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Why Rahul Khanna likes working with Deepa Mehta
Bollywood/ Hollywood opens Perspective Canada at Toronto fest
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Lata Khubchandani
His film --- yet another one with director Deepa Mehta --- premieres in the first week of September. Bollywood/ Hollywood opens the Perspective Canada series at the Toronto International Film Festival, reveals Rahul Khanna, the ever smiling leading man of the film.
Rahul has now worked with Deepa Mehta in two films --- 1947 -- Earth and now Bollywood/ Hollywood. He was also in her now aborted Water.
He recalls, "I first met Deepa Mehta in Mumbai. I was in Singapore at the time, working with MTV [as a veejay]. She had seen me on television and rang me up. She asked me whether I would fly down to Mumbai to meet her.
"We met and within half-an-hour, she said, 'Congratulations, you have the part [for Earth].' I was thrilled. I had read the script and had really liked it and was keen on working with her. I was looking out for a film project and nothing that came my way seemed right. But since I had seen Deepa's Fire and had liked it and I was eager to work with her.
"1947 -- Earth was my first film. It was shot entirely in Delhi.
"Deepa rehearsed with each of the actors for a few days. I have all these memories of Delhi during winter, rehearsing at her parents' place. It was cold and we had heaters and hot water bottles around us. That was my first interaction with her.
"I was so wide-eyed at the time. I was in awe of everyone --- the production designer, the cast and crew. All these people were experienced and skilled, and I was the typical over-enthusiastic newcomer. So for me it was all very exciting.
"But I would not call it fun. Shooting in Delhi was very tough. Most of it was outdoors at night. So many times, I thought I was catching pneumonia or frostbite. The irony was that the movie was supposed to be set in summer, so we couldn't wear anything warm.
"We were supposed to be sweaty, so we would be sprayed with this fake sweat which would add to us feeling cold. We shot on location. People were so excited seeing a shoot at 3 am in the middle of Chandni Chowk that there were these crowds and riots would break out --- it was sort of reliving the Partition! Overall, it was a wonderful learning experience.
"Very initially, Deepa had approached me for Water, but things didn't work out. Bollywood/ Hollywood came out of the blue. I was in New York last year working in a film called The Emperor's Club, and I got a call from Deepa saying, 'Look I've written this treatment. I really want you to play this part and I am sending it to you.'
"She sent it to me and I really liked it --- it was so unexpected. I was quite shocked because it was what I would call a fluffy romantic comedy --- with songs --- a musical. I couldn't believe this was the same woman who had written Fire, Earth and Water. But it seemed like a fun project, so I said yes. I was keen to work with her again.
"Bollywood/ Hollywood was real fun. It was such a light subject and had a great script. We were constantly cracking up. There's also Lisa Ray, Moushumi Chatterji, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Ranjit Choudhry and Dina Pathak in the film.
"Having known Deepa for some years on a purely professional level, I would say she puts together a really amazing crew. She handpicks people who are superb in what they do. So for an actor that is a really wonderful environment to be in because you know that you are in very safe hands, as you are very vulnerable as an actor.
"Everyone who works with Deepa wants to sort of bend over backwards for her. She has this quality about her. I can't put my finger on what that quality is --- she is extremely passionate about her work, has high standards and is very appreciative of other people's work. She gives praise where it's due.
"I think that also makes people want to do well. That is why I love working with her because of the crew she puts together. She has amazing aesthetic sense. Also, she is very open to suggestions. She takes every suggestion you give her very seriously --- she doesn't dismiss anything you tell her. That is amazing because there are directors who feel that their way is the only way.
"She is the first director who has called me and said I want to work with you again. And that is always gratifying. She is wonderful with actors. She can tell you how to do scenes in different ways. Deepa has also acted. She studied acting, worked in a film and even won an award for it. She told me she did it because she wanted to understand the craft from an actor's perspective so she could better relate to it as a director.
"I am off to the world premiere of Bollywood/ Hollywood. I had gone to Toronto for the Earth premiere. The Toronto film festival is arguably the largest film festival in the world. It has great dynamics --- films, producers, actors, directors, distributors, buyers from all over the globe sort of converge at Toronto.
"You walk on the road and you see film people. You just eat, sleep, breathe films. You see some fantastic work, you meet people you never meet anywhere else. There are great vibes. I am really looking forward to it. This year, we are in a great category --- the Perspective Canada category. This section has films made by Canadian directors and we are the opening film. Deepa is over the moon about that.
"After that we go to the Halifax film festival in Nova Scotia, and I have just received a grand royal invite to go to Morroco for the Marrakesh film festival. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend that as it clashes with Halifax.
"Here in India, I am reading different scripts, looking at projects which are absolutely mainstream cinema to projects which are slightly less mainstream. There is so much change taking place here. It is virtually metamorphosis time. People are looking at different kinds of cinema, and I am excited about that."
Son of actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna, Rahul Khanna schooled at Bombay International, Mumbai, St Xavier's College, Mumbai, and studied acting at the Lee Strasburg Theatre Institute, New York