If first impressions are anything to go by, debutant director Anusha Rizvi belongs to a minority in Bollywood. Case in point: she isn't boastful — despite the fact that Bollywood heavyweight Aamir Khan has given her his stamp of approval by agreeing to produce her debut feature Peepli Live.
In our brief chat over the phone, the former broadcast journalist, 34, only whipped out the Khan name twice in our conversation and was more intent on speaking about her satire on debt-ridden farmers in India.
"It's easy to assume that the battle is already half-won if an accomplished actor like Aamir agrees to produce the film. But the fact is, the battle begins for real after that," says Rizvi. Now before you jump to conclusions about the notorious perfectionist Khan stepping on anyone's toes, Rizvi is quick to clarify.
No experience
"At first all I had was the script, then I got the money. Suddenly, I realised that now I have the money and the script and there's no reason why I shouldn't do the film. There was this big blank in front of me.
"That's when the real battle begins — the battle to sort out the script and fill that blank," With no prior experience in filmmaking, no elite film school on her résumé and only a stint on the NDTV news channel in the production segment for onscreen experience, Rizvi is what they call "fresh-off-the-Bollywood-boat".
"I am not a trained filmmaker and therefore filmmaking was a scary process. But it worked out for me because I didn't bring to the sets a set of rules and regulations to follow. You learn to make your own depending on your comfort level."
Her rules included choosing a set of obscure but talented theatre actors and choosing a subject that most filmmakers shrink from — rural Indian life. Peepli Live is a satire on the farmers' suicides that have plagued India since the '90s. Reports suggest that more than 18,000 farmers resorted to suicide in India after their crops failed and debts piled up.
The film has all the promise of becoming a film-festival favourite, but Rizvi begs to differ. As we speak, the Peepli team is gearing up to attend the Melbourne International Film Festival after its outing at the Sundance Film Festival last January.
"I don't see Peepli Live as a film-festival favourite. As much as I enjoy the movies shown at film festivals, Peepli Live is a dialogue between Indians. It's also a dialogue between Indians and the Third World. And I want as many Indians and as many people in the Third World to watch this film. We are aiming for a wider release."
Enter director-producer-actor Khan, who has his finger clearly on what audiences want. If his stellar record is anything to go by, films produced by Khan — from the Oscar-nominated Lagaan to youthful Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and Taare Zameen Par — have appeased both the critics and the box-office alike.
‘Tale about survival'
"Contrary to what many think, Peepli Live is a tale about survival and it celebrates the Indian people who have the will to survive against all odds," says Rizvi.
"Journalists often ask me why did I choose a subject like farmers' suicide and whether it shows India in bad light. My answer: ‘My film doesn't look down upon Indians, it merely reflects our circumstances.'"
Apart from this, Rizvi also often faces the inevitable question: Whether Khan has ghost-directed the film.
"Right now, I don't care what people think. My main concern is that Peepli Live gets seen by as many people. Who cares if people think that Aamir has made the film or I have made the film — as long as the movie is seen. In five years, if this film reaches small towns and villages in India, I will be happy. I am not concerned what people think." says Rizvi pragmatically. Though she has the highest regard for Khan, it's not his compliment that has Rizvi floating in the air.
"The biggest compliment that I received was from Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra. Before he watched the film, Aamir had warned me that he is overly critical and that I shouldn't take his critical comments to heart. But the best bit was when Rakeysh Mehra came up to me and said it didn't look like my first film, but my 25th. That was the high point, I suppose."
Rizvi has not only floored Bollywood insiders — she also managed to convince a group of villagers in Badwai to pitch in on the acting front in Peepli Live.
"We shot for more than three months in some of the villages and we were careful not to invade their daily space. But I wanted my film to look authentic. Having villagers lent a certain credibility to the film. No star or a big actor could have brought that element into the film."
She is also quick to point out that star-studded magnum opuses such as Kites do not guarantee box-office hits.
"The landscape of Bollywood is definitely changing. Nowadays, people are open to small-budget features and if a story is told well, they accept it. It's an exciting time to be a filmmaker."
I can't believe that I got such a lucky break at 40: Omkar Das
Actor Omkar Das has dabbled in theatre for more than a decade, but it took him just one film to become a local hero in his hometown in Chattisgarh. In his debut feature Peepli Live, the 40-year-old actor plays a debt-ridden farmer, Nathu, who announces his suicide plans to help his family gain financial security. A decade back, the Indian government introduced a scheme of compensating families with the equivalent of Dh10,000 when a farmer committed suicide.
"The villagers from my hometown in Chattisgarh are so proud of me. Not many in my village knew that I was a theatre actor nor have they seen my plays. But now they feel I have brought them honour because I play one of them — a farmer," Das told tabloid! in heavily accented Hindi. Though it was Das' first shoot in front of the camera, he says it was director Rizvi who led him.
"Initially, I was very nervous. But whenever I had any doubts, I asked the director and the villagers to understand my role better. I can't believe that I got such a lucky break at 40. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I will act in a film." That was his not his sole high point. Acting in an Aamir Khan production comes a close second.
"I have always admired Aamirji and I have seen all his films. When he came to the sets one day, I couldn't believe it was all happening to me."
Das will be travelling to Mumbai soon to make the most of his glorious debut and to scout for more work.
"I want to see people's reactions and what they think of my performance. After that, I will stay on for a few more days to hunt for work."
Rizvi's take on:
Urban-rural divide in India: "Look at the issue of farmers' suicides. There was this spurt of special news reports and breaking news, then after that everybody forgot about them."
The gender gap "Every woman in the world in any profession faces this problem. While working with a woman, men are either slightly flirtatious or they are condescending and these are the two variations that they choose from. You just need to be a tough taskmaster to keep your head above that."
Media bashing in Peepli Live [if the trailers are anything to go by, journalists are pictured as news-hungry vultures]: "We have not caricatured the media or shown them as devils," says the former TV journalist. "We have tried to show their insecurity and the constant pressure of grabbing eyeballs."
