Sound, Lights, Camera, Action and Love

Do you know what a director’s biggest dilemma is?

Yes, to get good actors. In fact to get actors. Because there is no good acting or bad acting. Either you can act or you can not. There is no other option. While in struggle I discovered an amazing fact, there is no competition in the field of acting. Just clutter. Mumbai has lakhs of wannabe stars and handful real actors.

There is a notion that actors and actresses compromise to get roles but it is other way around most of the time Directors compromise by casting a non-actor. To reach out real actors is really a play of destiny.

Stage fear is the worst kind of fear. It is a crisis situation and an obstacle for actors. And, worst for wannabes. Dale Carnegie in his incredibly famous book (How to win friends and influence people) mentioned that people fear more, about what others may think of them, than death. So, before camera starts rolling Director says few things that will curb fear and boost confidence in actor.

We had a subject in college, “Radio and TV broadcast.” Where a former newsreader thought us. Apparently she was also one of most early and flawless TV newsreaders of India. She gave us a guru mantra, “Whenever on screen just remember; the lens is not just the lens, it is thousands of people who love you and understand you. Look at them with love and you will always have confidence within and fear will dissipate with the power of love.”

It really works!

Whenever I have performed a good skeet, play or character, it has been this mantra that made me successful. Whenever I have performed badly was due to the stage fear and precautionary conscious.

So, the story goes like this. Once while shooting our weekly TV show an anchor was fumbling a lot. She was not a performer. We had to make her perform. There were numerous failed takes. It was taking long. Unexpectedly the director had to leave due to some urgency. He asked me whether I could wrap up the rest of shoot. I was pleased with opportunity and assured him the work will be done. Later I told the girl that look into the camera with love. The senior and other cast and crew broke into laughter. The director heard it and joined them. There reaction was, “Are we making Porn?”

And my thought was, “Is Sex and Love a synonym for you all.”

But unfortunately yes. For masses it is.

I have often got into discussion with actors mostly females. I am surprised to find that they take sex for love. Once a smart wannabe actress also mathematically expressed: Sex + emotions=Love. She was a good engineer and understood everything mathematically. Even dance, like how much do we need to raise our hands 45 degree or 30. Whatsoever, other female members of the group agreed to her. And I was numb.

 I guess that is the reason every other beautiful girl I see has been done wrong by some deceitful guy.

My dear friend, colleague, and guide, Satish Purohit (Former editor of a leading Newspaper) once told me about a poet. One of the most respected poets till day. Even Galib bowed in their name.  Almost all his poems are on love. Inspired by and for her. You may not be familiar with his name but certainly you have heard his poems in the form of famous old Bollywood songs that are popular unto day. Many guys must have got their girls by singing songs written by him. The exciting thing about this man is the girls go gaga by his words but he never got chance to even touch his love of life, or to spend some time in talks. What would you say about his love? Fake?

It doesn’t matter what I think, feel or believe. The point is what masses think. I will have to half-heartedly believe the norm.

Now, once I was watching an Amitabh Bachchan interview. In this, Bachchan sir shared his Acting mantra. He said, I love my audience and my audiences love me. Whatever I am I owe it to their love.

I wonder how would these people interpret whatever the god of acting said.