The new 'new wave'
Not since the seventies when Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Om Puri and Smita Patil led an arty bunch that collectively captured imagination of the cerebral audience has Bollywood seen such a rush of offbeat talent. The emerging lot is defining.
Not since the seventies when Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Om Puri and Smita Patil led an arty bunch that collectively captured imagination of the cerebral audience has Bollywood seen such a rush of offbeat talent. The emerging lot is defining.
Slowly but surely, the Bollywood new- wave is developing its new order. For the first time since the seventies, there is a dedicated focus on cinema off the beaten track. An enterprising bunch of filmmakers and actors have come to define the current movement.
Conceptualised and released with due planning, their efforts are making money, too.
There is a difference from the arthouse movement of the past. In the seventies for instance, the thrust was on developing an indie cinema model as it has worked for offbeat cinema in the US. In the glamour-driven Bollywood market, that was bound to spell the death knell. A consolidated effort to regularly produce cinema beyond conventional ideas soon died down. By the eighties, producing non-mainstream fare became a rare option for our moneybags.
The current wave of offbeat cinema on the other hand has benefitted from the corporate influx into the Hindi film industry. Big banners have found a quick way to make small, neat profits in the urban multiplex market churning out such stuff.
The biggest benefit to have come out of the situation is the contribution of acting talent it brings in its wake. Over the past few years, a steady flow of offbeat and crossover cinema has introduced powerhouse talents such as Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Nimrat Kaur among others.
New wave as a genre may continue remaining in the shadow of the commercial biggies. Its actors are making a mark in masala films, too.
IRRFAN
CALLING CARD: Paan Singh Tomar; The Lunchbox; Maqbool
HE has been Bollywood's export to Hollywood in the true sense, and he has fully justified that feat with consecutive laudable roles. Back home, Irrfan has come to be the mascot of new-age new wave, the first-choice actor for all major offbeat filmmakers.
He has been around since 1988 when he made a small debut in Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay. Irrfan is a unique actor who has perfected the art of rendering reality despite retaining a defined personal style in his acting.
COMING SOON: Piku co-starring Amitabh Bachchan & Deepika Padukone; Vishal Bhardwajs Haider.
NIMRAT KAUR
CALLING CARD: The Lunchbox Lunchbox is actually her sixth film. She made her debut with a small role in Shoojit Sircar's Yahaan in 2005 and has done prop acts in Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, Encounter the Hollywood film, One Night With The King . Peddlers, film she did before The Lunchbox, is yet to release. A theatre artist at heart, Nimrat has insisted the stage is her love.
COMING SOON: The Anurag Kashyap co-produced Peddlers.
HUMA QURESHI
CALLING CARD: Gangs Of Wasseypur; Ek Thi Daayan; Dedh Ishqiya HUMA brings old- world simplicity the Bollywood heroine that has become a USP of sorts for her. She tried an action makeover in DDay last year and was convincing that avatar, too. Her decision to look for realism in roles has resulted in lesser offers coming her way, but she seems to be okay with The choosy actress has already carved a niche with an original style of acting.
CALLING CARD: X, a film directed 11 filmmakers and featuring Rajat Kapoor and Swara Bhaskar.
RAJKUMMAR RAO
CALLING CARD: CityLights; Shahid; Ragini MMS THE National Award win for Shahid brought respect though the audience has noticed the sparks in his debut act in Dibakar Banerjee's Love, Sex Aur Dhokha. The sinister eyes and deceptively guileless grin make him stand out in any cast.
COMING SOON: Dolly Ki Doli with Sonam Kapoor.
KALKI KOECHLIN
CALLING CARD: Dev. D; Shaitan; That Girl In Yellow Boots SHE added an exotic touch to Bollywood realism on her debut with ex-hubby Anurag Kashyap's Dev. D, which saw her give Chandramukhi of Devdas a fascinating newage twist. Kalki has proved she is more than capable of gelling with Indian realities on screen despite her French roots. In a short span of just about four years since Dev. D she has also proved her easy screen presence works even in multistarrer such as Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.
COMING SOON: Happy Ending co-starring Saif Ali Khan and Ileana D'Cruz; Margarita With A Straw featuring Revathi; Jiah Aur Jiah with Richa Chadda.
NAWAAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI
CALLING CARD: Gangs Of Wasseypur; Kahaani; Bombay Talkies NOTmany noticed his one- scene debut in Sarfarosh in 1999. He played one among a bunch criminals being interrogated by Aamir Khan and Mukesh Rishi in a police station. It took 13 years for luck to turn, with Anurag Kashyap's Gangs Of Wasseypur in 2012.
COMING SOON: Kick starring Salman Khan; Ghoomketu with Ragini Khanna.
RICHA CHADDA
CALLING CARD: Fukrey; Gangs Of Wasseypur; Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! ONE scene in her debut film Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is what it took for Richa to impress. She was cast as the heroine's elder sister, normally not a character actresses consider a safe bet for debut. The scene where she tries seducing the hero stood out.
Richa has been unstoppable since then, blending spunk with realism in her roles, best seen in her negative act in Fukrey.
COMING SOON: Ishqeria with Neil Nitin Mukesh; Tamanchey with Nikhil Dwivedi; Jiah Aur Jiah co-starring Kalki Koechlin.
THINK TANK
Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj, Dibakar Banerjee and Tigmanshu Dhulia have emerged as driving forces of new- age new wave. After redefining realism as directors, they have turned producers and are giving a break to budding minds that brim with ideas.
ANURAG KASHYAP
He made edgy a fashionable mood as director before turning producer with Vikramaditya Motwane's Udaan in 2010. He has Bejoy Nambiar and Ritesh Batra.
COMING UP: Bombay Velvet starring Ranbir Kapoor; Doga
DIBAKAR BANERJEE
The maverick director has entered a three- film co- production deal with Yash Raj Films. The first is Detective Byomkesh Bakshi. The second Titli is directed by old associate Kanu Behl.
COMING UP: Detective Byomkesh Bakshi
VISHAL BHARDWAJ
The multitalented Vishal turned producer- director after a successful stint as composer.
He has quietly expanded his production house giving breaks to Abhishek Chaubey and Kannan Iyer.
COMING UP: Haider, the final film of his Shakespearean trilogy based on Hamlet.
TIGMANSHU DHULIA
Tigmanshu had a brief period of struggle despite an admirable debut with Haasil in 2003. He found his feet with Paan Singh Tomar and Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster before finally turning producer for Sai Kabir's Revolver Rani this year.
COMING UP: Milan Talkies; Yaara