Men I love

Infinite talent, incredible curves and an innate confidence. Vidya Balan is cut from a different cloth. It’s that fabric of sheer magnetism and talent. A lustrous weave that ensures nothing but quality. Naturally, Vidya is attracted by yesteryear icons who stood for the same sense of excellence in cinema. Actors are not too different from their fans. They too look up to matinee idols and yesteryear greats. Vidya Balan is no exception. Tapping into her fan girl side, Vidya steps into the shoes of her icons. She decides to recreate legends like Charlie Chaplin, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and Kishore Kumar. She decides to engage with the idea of imitation being the highest form of flattery.

She also talks about the others who served as inspirations. “There are so many great actors whose influences I cherish. I wish I was good at comedy. I’ve never had those opportunities. Sridevi, Juhi Chawla and Madhuri Dixit are three actresses who got the opportunity to do comedy. The rest of us haven’t got those kind of chances. None of the yesteryear actors fit into a conventional mould. Yet, they tapped into their instincts and left you with images and films that will live on forever. They just followed their heart. They didn’t try to be anything that they were not. Till the ’80s there was no homogenisation. Every actress was distinct. Be it their body type or their clothes. Sadhna had a unique hair cut; Saira Banu had her fashion quirks. Hema Malini had her own style...” 

She recalls what inspires her most about her favourite icons. “With Raj Kapoor and Charlie Chaplin there was this undercurrent of sorrow. They were seemingly funny but somewhere there lay an underlining sadness. While Guru Dutt personified tragedy. He was the tragedy king. And Kishore Kumar fit in perfectly with that idea as well. Everyone holds sadness within but when you see funny people, you believe there is no unhappiness in them. Because they make sure you only see the laughter and the smiles. Their funny side makes you laugh. Raj Kapoor and Kishore Kumar didn’t necessarily lead unhappy lives but I’m talking in terms of their onscreen persona. And of course, somewhere your onscreen image is an extension of who you are.”

She’s mesmerised by the depth they brought to their characters and by the way they have inspired many a generation and continue to do so with their charisma. The timeless beauty brings out the timeless men in the most dramatic way...  

Guru Dutt
“I am in awe of Guru Dutt because of the maturity he showed beyond his years and the great heights he achieved in filmmaking at such a young age.
I won’t say I identify with Guru Dutt. He’s the tragedy king. His films, the characters he played had a different perspective from the way I look at life. Having said that, when you watch him on screen, you’re completely convinced of his characters and you believe his stories. Your heart goes out to him. My most distinct memory of Guru Dutt is him wrapped in a shawl standing in a backlit frame and singing Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaye toh kya hai (Pyaasa). There’s a deep philosophy in that. But I reiterate, his perspective on life was different from mine. (Laughs) I chase the light including limelight or should I say, I chase the light and limelight
chases me.”

Kishore Kumar
“Kishore Kumar’s madness on screen was admirable. The moment you saw him, you smiled. He was multitalented. He didn’t care about what you thought of him. And that showed in his work.  I too am like that, I don’t care. I do what I want to do. Be it the big decisions of my life or day-to-day choices. I try to be true to myself. That’s kept me happy all these years.

My choice of films speaks volumes about the fact that I go ahead and do exactly what I want. I won’t say that I’m inconsiderate towards people. I can do what I want without hurting people. But I don’t need to get their approval each time. The people who matter to me will anyway accept me the way I am. That’s true about love. When you love someone you accept them even if you have differences. Whether it’s your partner, your family or your friends.

If you’re trying to do things constantly to make other people happy, at some point you’ll tire because you do not have the key to someone else’s happiness. I’ve learnt that. Therefore somewhere I’m stubborn. The people I love are my strength. I don’t see them as weakness. That’s what lets me be. I also appreciate someone else living their life the way they want to. That certain irreverence, not insolence, is what I identify with Kishore Kumar.”

Raj Kapoor
“I’ve been wanting to pay tribute to Raj Kapoor for a while now. What better than the poster of Mera Naam Joker, which tells you everything about the film. Here’s a joker who’s making the world laugh, but underneath the buffoonery there’s so much grief. The broken heart and that one arm put out, tells you everything about the film.
I remember mourning Raj Kapoor’s death. I was seven when he died. When I watched his Shradhanjali on TV, I was sad. I felt he was one of us. That’s what his image evoked. In the week that followed they showed all his films on TV. That’s when the germ of wanting to tell those kinds of stories was planted in my mind. Jaagte Raho is one of my favourite films. It’s so inspiring especially that moment when the child asks, ‘Tum chor ho?’ And he says, ‘Nahi.’ She says, ‘Toh phir kya darna... Sir uthakar chalo.’ And he actually does that.  Both as an actor and a director, Rajji told beautiful stories. Also, the image of the common man, no one has been able to capture it better. The trials, the tribulations, the love, the hope, the wrongs, the repentance, the redemption, the resolution, the small pleasures and the triumphs, no one has done it better. Even today his films are relevant. And his films were not preachy and in-your-face. You could relate to his films completely. ‘Mera joota hai Japani yeh patloon Englishtani… phir bhi dil hai Hindustani...’ It’s a timeless song. It’s slightly like Charlie Chaplin, I’m sure Rajji was also inspired. But his innocent and simple avatar conveyed what a common man feels during his daily trial by fire moments.”

Charlie Chaplin
“He’s one of my favourite icons. Chaplin is Chaplin. Every kid on the street knows Chaplin. Even though he’s dead and gone forever, his iconic status lives on. He is the most glorified loser. I guess everyone would choose to be a loser if they could be Charlie Chaplin. He humanised everything. He was the hero and yet he was so real and relatable. He had his limitations, his shortcomings. He was stupid, he was goofy. He was not even good looking like the classic heroes. But he had the power to make you laugh even in tragedy. You’d be laughing and you’d tear up. That’s the beauty! A Chaplin movie makes you smile but also makes you think. His films touch your heart somewhere. I must confess that I’d never have dreamt of ‘playing’ Chaplin if I hadn’t watched Sridevi as Chaplin in Mr India. The only actor, who could have done it, is Sridevi. She was so adorable and versatile in Mr India. She had so many different looks and she is so mad on screen. I mean mad in the most inspiring way. I believe Mr India is an encyclopedia of acting. I wish someday I’m able to pay a tribute to Mr India.”