First Film
It was summer… I think it was summer because that’s the time I saw maximum number of movies. Two hot long months of vacations… When most of my friends either studied for the next class or indulged in sports, I visited my favorite place… Movie theatres…
I liked everything there… The anxiety of getting the ticket… Sitting in the theater lobby, staring at the big wooden door, waiting for it to open… The first chilled blow of the AC, as the doors opened… Ads… Tailors… Bharatiya Vrat Chitra and The movie… Interval… Deep fried, oil dripping, cold burgers… 2nd half of the movie… It was pure joy for me. I was allowed this pleasure twice every week. Yes… My parents too loved movies.
Mostly I watched English movies… Westerns, mostly. The Heroes in them were like my alter ego and I loved their accent… It is next to impossible to understand what they speak… It was a great discovery of speaking wrong English and yet making it sound right…
My parents used to be off to the University by the time I came back from the school… Heating lunch was great fun… But the greater fun was imagining me in a country pub, eating roti like beef steak and drinking water like whisky… I delivered a speech every afternoon as a part of the scene I used to be in… I still remember the dialogue…
“Yeah… Yeah? Why… Waa Waa Waa… Gwa Gwa… whaa? Yeah! Nah!!! And you think you daa baa-ra-dhaa dhaa… No… Why… Tell why you do raa raa raa”
If anybody could see me doing this, they would have definitely suggested my mother a physiatrist for me. Thank god nobody saw me. It was not possible for average minds to understand that I was Johnny Cogan, delivering my last lines before I kill the man who killed my wife and my daughter…
The pitch went higher as I eat…
“Why did you kill Bra-bra and Tra-tra…? They were my life… I loved them… Waaa Waaa WAAA… DIE! BANG BANG BANG…”
Last gulp of water was always used like a whiskey shot… And Johnny used to be out of the pub with a background signature tune.
…Didn’t realize it then that the actor in me already started preparing…
But an actor needs a writer… So I tried my luck… during the first semester of 6th standard, they asked us to write an essay titled ‘MY DREAM’.
And I wrote…
“Last night when I slept I had a dream… I saw the dessert… Johnny was on his horse… He was tired but there was no time to sleep, as he had to reach the palm Ville town, where he could find the clue of the murderer… Bla Bla Bla…” My English teacher completed reading my essay and tossed it aside… He was dejected and depressed by the dream of the young generation…
“You don’t have a dream about your country… your society… your future?” He asked hiding his pain.
“I don’t know sir… But this is what I saw” a confused child replied.
He just kept looking at me… wondering… And I was wondering too…
Any way time went on… And I decided to make a film… I was still in 6th standard… Told it to a couple of friends… They were exited but confused.
I said, “don’t worry I know how to make a film…”
“How?” was the obvious question…
“My brother has a Camera (Agfa Click III still camera, which takes 120mm roll)… We need to buy lot of rolls(16 pictures per roll) Click them one by one… when it gets over, next roll and so on… finally we join all rolls and we will have film.”
The inane logic somehow worked for them… Now we needed money to buy camera rolls… It was agreed that all friends would contribute 10% of their monthly pocket money for the cause (My pocket money those days was Rs. 20 pm)
Years passed by and two things remained constant… The dream… and not enough money to buy even 2 rolls…
We passed school. In the first year of college, another idea struck me.
I planned to record a film on Audio cassette. We had two tape recorders… First I got hold of the soundtrack of Sholay and then edited the ambience sound (made loops and joined them). I got everything from bird sounds to the gunshot.
A script was written… I had no idea how many pages are required to make a film… I wrote approximately 400 pages and the film still was not even close to interval.
The film was called SHOLAY part 2, and its story starts 20 years later after Gabbar is caught…
Next step… All friends used to get together and roles were distributed… Recording started… God! We even gave a Muhurat clap!
After every scene, I used to sit on edit and mix the 2 layers of Dialogs and ambience track… It did sound professional… At least to all of us. A friend, who had a family business, even made the marketing plans…
We recorded approximately 75 min of audio, which resulted in 3rd division in the 1st year exams for most of us… The film never found its audience… Mr. Ramesh Sippy! I just didn’t how to reach him.
In 2nd year, a friend of mine suggested that we should try theatre. “…it has everything… drama, acting, story, music… It is just short of a camera… It would be a great practice for us, before we hit a film.”
Made sense… So I announced, “Now we will do theatre”… Once again my friends showed confidence in me and I entered the world of theatre, of which I had no experience…
The first blocking was atrocious… I told my actors not to turn their faces from the audiences, ever.
But thank God… the same week I saw my first theatre performance of Tennessee Williams THE GLASS MENAGERIE, performed by a Delhi based group Dramatech. A realistic, well performed performance that made my head clear about the kind of theatre I wanted to do… And my first play Sab Chalta Hai, happened.
That was my first film… without a camera ofcourse!
Tags: I m 24, raat gayi baat gayi, satya, Saurabh Shukla, Slumdog Millionaire
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sir jee, loving your prose, the flow, the unpretentious earthiness. keep them coming. please.
When I saw the photo of little Toto(Salvatore) i thought you are writing about cinema paradiso. Anyway i still found it very exiting.Well we all are busy chasing our dreams..some are good chaser and some are not.
Being a film maker I always feel that my relationship with camera is quite identical to relationship between Salvatore and Alfredo. We all have little Toto in ourself. Thanks a ton for reminding me cinema paradiso. It seems that you were more crazy of cinema than Toto.
wow, what a post. past memories and full of love to cinema. Wonderful reading experience.Keep on writing. Happy diwali to you sir.
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Your write up reminded me of MY good old times…!( Thanx )
The flow simply proves your writing-skill yet again.
Keep it up…!
my best wishes !!!
saGar
Was that you who sold RGV the remake of Sholay then!
I liked you in Luck by chance. Especially telling Vikram “itna subtle hindi pichchur me nahi chalta”. So true. Its later that I realized that the greatest actors tweak their acting to keep it realistic and yet make it acceptable for hindi cinema.
“Was that you who sold RGV the remake of Sholay then! ”
What a line Sirji.. If even not then Saurabh Sir movie would be much better than ‘Rgv ki aag’
Mine was not a remake it was a sequel my friend… I can’t guarantee that it was better than Ramu’s Sholey
i love the way you write and i love reading about your experiences …they feel so raw[tacky but ya it came to my head] and real….
please keep them coming….
:D
Sir,
This is great great writing that proves once gain that how natural a storyteller you are. I wish you could make a movie, sort of, ‘Saurabh Shukla’s childhood days’ from all these memories. After all we don’t get kid’s movie that touches hearts of ‘lamenting-those-days’ adults very often.
And please keep writing like this… with lots of picturscapes straight from the heart.
Regards,
what a great article followed by some lousy comments!!
sometimes art doesnt lives up and most of the times,the audience!!
P.S. its great fun to watch you on screen!!
thnx Ahmad… Don’t be harsh on people… They all mean well. Read ur blog… Nice and very strong… shocking too…
thanx a lot sirji!!feels like it finally paid off!!
thanks sirji!! looks like it finally paid off!!
i can feel the child-like innocence dripping out of your writing.
most of us who read things here, must have imagined and mouthed dialogues of movies we used to watch when we were kids.the way you put it was simply awesome.i could actually see you doing that as a kid.
a desi Stephen Dedalus on PFC.. Potrait of an actor as a young man… let the smooth flow continue … they are coming real nice…
Greetings from Vancouver. Great post. Your contribution to Luck by Chance had me in splits, and I loved your role in Khoya Khoya Chand, just perfect.
Very different kind of first film…. happy Diwali Saurabh!
Beautiful post.detailing in your posts are above par.
Your post connects….
.
Reminds me of my childhood days when I was always the hero in my solo imaginary movies.
.
Thank you for a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
To All: It’s really heart warming to know that this piece connects to most of you… I guess “All lives are unique and similar”… Let’s be in touch to know that we are differently similar… Cheers
Somehow, I did not find it too interesting.Maybe am a fool.
Not at all my friend… U have ur own mind… And it has it’s own views
the essay part just reminded me of my schooldays whenever i was asked to write an story or someting ,we had story writing in our assessment and i used to write weird and bizzare stories which i called supernatural,they never published my story in the school magazine throughout my schooldays.they call me ‘a call 7 student’ anti god i donno why.and sir the flow and the simplicity of yor writing made me read it several times.one thing i have seen your telefilm on starone where you played a librarian who calls up a lady everyday to buy her piano.that was one of the best films made for t.v .i am sorry but cant remember the name can you tell it.from that day i am waiting for a film directed by you.best of luck and happy diwali.
The Tele-film is called Piano
keep writing saurav da …cheers
Wah!wah great to know how it all started for you.While I certainly wasnt allowed 2 films a week ( it was 2 films a month for me ) but my mind would again play imaginary filmy situations for me to ponder on.Keep the flow going Sirji, its nice to hear personal accounts written like this.
wow…. i read that word 4 times where u wrote u had a dream of making a film in standard 6th… wow…gr8 post sir … well… there is bus stand near my school at my hometown where 1 guy used to sell “posters” of famous STARs … then i had a dream that one day everybody will buy my posters here….
… 
its really gr8 to read n more about u sir…
great.. the way u expressing each and very sentences is really fantastic.. very impressive..
Great Sirji, at 6th I would have never imagined to watch a movie and remember it, forget about enacting the actor….wonderful…
Perfecto!!!….Reading the post made me think you were always destined to be in the line you are now…..you became what you had wished – A Director.
Aur likhiye…
can totally relate to this post. lol, made me remember 9th grade when me and a couple of desi friends tried to make a punjabi spoof of romeo and juliet. haha, we even had the songs all planned out!
anyway, keep ‘em posts coming!
To All: Thank you all for ur views… It’ll make me write more…
Hi Saurabh,
Do you have the Sholay 2 cassette with you? You can market that now, but please make it free for PFC users
It’s really heartening to read articles on an aspiring artist who made it one day. While reading such article(s) from renowned artist like you, I tend to relate the incidents with my life and make believe this had happened to me as well, even if it didn’t ….. don’t know why ;)
Cheers,
Suraj
I tried to write Jurassic Park IV in ninth class… I was influenced so much by Jackie chan’s Who am I?, Mr.Niceguy, Rumble in the Bronx Armor of God, First Strike, etc., I just wanted to see Jackie Chan in dodge and do stunts with dinosaurs in Isla Nublar and isla sorna… didn’t have net connection at home, was allowed weekly Rs.20 for one hour of net cafe (”Internet Khelalaya la” – for playing internet, that’s what my parents say). So while researching on dinosaurs (through Jurassic Park website)… I wrote about 18 pages…
Simultaneosly searching for Mr.Spielberg’s Contact. One website had contact button on it.. Woohoo!! I got spielberg’s address, net can do anything or so i thought…
Gathered courage told mom about this and my intention to meet spielbergji… Whatever I needed I asked it to mom (and boy, can she convince dad.)
It was the Water day, everybody was up by 4:40 am to fill water, dad was scurrying all over house to check water pump, leakages in pipe, problems in electric wires,etc., Mom asked in her sweeter than usual voice
“Aho, hela cinema madhye chance aahe, jar kaahi nighala… tar paathavta ka hela amerike la” ( He has got a chance in films, if the need be will you send him to America)
That morning, system crashed.Lo Kal lo baat. Tata, bye bye Spielberg…
Yes, we are all differently similar. Continue writing… Kallu Mama.
really nice writing Saurabh…
Piano and last train to mahakali r my fav. telefilms from best-seller….
Thanx a ton Romi
Saurabh,
You know what – its that dream which makes you unique. I guess most of us end up focusing on more on what we hear and what others advise us rather than our dreams.
I sometimes do wonder what its like to be someone like yourself – when you know you are a million times better than most of the people around you and not being at the sharp end of being acknowledged and appreciated by the whole world. I am pretty sure you know and you would have dreams of doing a masterpiece and I know you have it in you to create the masterpiece – I guess its just about finding those camera roles.
Keep following your dreams mate ..
Abhishek
interesting bio fiction, awesome writing…
It was great reading your posts – all enduring slices of life. I don’t expect you to still remember me but it was sheer pleasure interviewing you a couple of years back.
Wishing you every success.
Sudhir Raikar