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'Raveena deserved the award'Bombay, 18 April 2001: The controversy over the National Awards and Daman's had many people log on for the chat with the film director.
Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Hi everybody, I'm eagerly waiting to talk to all of you Nandini : HI KALPANA, DID U HAVE ANYONE ELSE IN MIND FOR RAVEENA'S ROLE? OR WAS SHE THE FIRST CHOICE Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I had initially thought of the role Raveena has played as that of a 40-45 year old woman and I approached Dimpl Kapadia to play the lead but since she did not express any desire to do so and Raveena had approached me on her own I went ahead with her and changed the age to early 30s. Karan : Hi!!! Why dont u do a subject dealing with men for a change? :) We men have lots of problems too :( Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I have dealt in a film the problems men have faced, Darmiyaan was my last film, which dealt with a male protagonist played by Arif Zakaria and his conflict about coming to terms with his sexuality. maku : i think pradeep krishen is a frustrated man? what r ur views? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : *lol* No comments Brijesh : Hello madamI heard you just sign Karisma to play your Chief Ministerji Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Yes I have Infact yesterday we finalsed all the details in principle Karisma Kapoor has agreed to play th role of a woman politician in my movie Chief Minitsrji. In June 2001 we will formalise the agreement and go on floors by April 2002 for a 40 day schedule. Vinod : How do you rate dimple and raveena Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Dimple Kapadia is a bundle of aesthetics and has a great del of wounded maturity and a more of an emotionally responsive actress whereas Raveena is far more collected a personality temperamentally strong punctual and professional and in a strange way enjoys her work to an extent which is her plus point therefore making her a more prolific actress. babai : hi kalpana whats ur view about daman Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Daman is a film which hopes to create an awareness in society about the existence of domestic violence in upper middle class socity as a filmmaker I have not issued any solutions to the problem but I have presented the matter to the audience in exactly the way it exists today. Vinod : Why u make all glamorous bollywood actresses to act in ur movies. is it because that u keep in mind the commercial aspect rather than going for complete perfection? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I think I can achieve complete perfection having a glamours Hini film actress and I have proven it in Ek Pal with Shabana Azmi, Rudaali with Dimple Kapadia and Daman with Raveena Tandon. You are right commericially it is far more viable to reach out to a market to a wider audience with a presence of a star, Kiron Kher in Darmiyaan despite giving a brilliant and courageous performance not having star value failed to reach out to a wider audience thereby Darmiyaan too failed commericially. Vinod : But the real achievement is that when u make an art movie reach a wider audience.right?? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Yes infact I'm so happy you have made this tstatement because I have noticed that only in India that art is looked upon in such a derogatory fashion. Individually I feel that art and aesthtics combined with entertainement is the idea platfrom for a filmmaker to be a complete story teller Only then will that particular project suceed, even tragedy can be entertaining and riveting. avssharma : you all ways choose the diffrent storys, on diffrent cultures, how you get thise ideyas.who is real inseperetion for you in life? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Some times a short story, sometimes a novel at times an article in a newspaper and at times actual incidents around me, all contribute to my decisions in my choosing subjects. jaya : does raveena deserve the national award? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Yes, I think so, once you see the film for yourself you will realise she has meritouriously deserved the National award, though personally I'm proud the Karisma Kapoor i Zubeidaa and Fiza and Tabu in Astitiva who were in the reckoning also have given equally brilliant performances repsectively. Tashneem : You have filmed many of your films in Assam--what was the experinec like? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I havent made many films in Assam, two, my first and my most recent, Ek Pal and Daman and yes I have made a serial called Lohit ke Kinare in 1988. The reason being Bhupen Hazarika's strong influence in my appreciating that state for its culture, music landscape and its peoples. Vinod : Kalpana, when and how will be your contribution in taking the indian cinema to the level of oscar? do you have any specific plans for that in the long run?? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : My film Rudaali was Indias foriegn language film for the Oscars in 1994. But when I see world cinema I'm well aware of the fact that I have a great dea more to learn, grow and develop as a filmmaker before weaving dreams of sharing laurels at the Oscars with giants like Speilberg and others... Brijesh : Mam how do you rate Karisma as an actress and human Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Karisma Kapoor is a very fine actress the little I have met of her, she comes across as a very well balanced and mature person forb one who is so young. I'm sure with these qualities she will go very far in life, both as a human being and as a professional. rishu : why dont you take nandita das ....in your movie as she is perffect for that kind of movies..ans she is talented to?? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : First of all I think it is right that you slot Nandita Das as an actress who does 'those kind' of movie I dont undetstand what you mean by those kind of movies. But yes we have talekd to each other and if there is a sbject in future which we mutually like then I'm sure we will work together. BhupenDa : What are your future projects? Apart from women related issues are you planning some other other social issues relatiing to child labour or socially oppressed groups Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I am trying to make a film on the reasons of insugency in North East but on a more humane level, and otherwise very immediately a film which is a thriller about obessive love. Krishna : Can't you plan a movie with Rekha as heroine? I think she has the calibre and maturity. Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I had approached Rekka for Darmiyaan, but rejected doing the role saying it was too close to her life I do hope in future we both can work together on a project that mutually satisfies us. puja : Kalpanaji, how was it working with a govt. dept. as producers? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Very tough:-)Because there is no infrastructure with the gvernemnt to understand the discipline of filmmaking, merely financing is not enough, a cell has to be opened within their dept to understand and appreciatie the painstankingly slow procedure of making a film from its insception on paper till its release in the market. I am of course extremely grateful to the dept of family welfare GOI for having chosen me to make this subject which was my choice. santosh : In this era what type of films are neccessary for the youg peoples? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Films that have fun, entertainement and yet underline a corect value system SRK : Was Sayaji Shinde your first choice for the role. It comes across as a role that Nana Patekar excells in. Ms Kalpana Lajmi : You are right Sayaji was my first choice for the role and I equate him as an equaly great actor as Nana Patekar. Mohinder : Its just a wish not a question. As u take up the motive in ur films of a particular family or a common problem of a common human being. its good to raise these type of issues. i mean a real issues. though u can't get much as the commercial film usually do. butgood form entire society. Wish u all the best. mohinder Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Thank you very much amita_t : kalpanji, how come commercial actors are not interested in working in art films nowdays Ms Kalpana Lajmi : True but very sad, the actresses are far more open to chellenging roles, today we have not only Tabu, Raveena and Krisma, but I have been approched by Sushmita Sen, Mahima and Shilpa Shetty, all who are very young and at the pea of the careers. Governed by market com;plusions preferring to be known more as bbrand equities rather than as brand actors, the male stars today prefer today not to take up challenges and is more complacent in the traditional mould and safety of playing the chocolate boy formula hero. buddy : hello ma'm why do people in the so called intelectual (read cocktail)circuit look down upon the native story telling like we have in the main stream movies Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I have never ever looked down about mainstream cinema, and never claimed in public or privte that it shouldnt exist, I havd alays claimed that why cant we have logical reality instead of distorted reality. Scorsese : Why do u equate 'good'cinema with cinema having women protagonists Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Not necessary, not all good cinema needs to have women as protagonists, it deoends on the subject, one can have a male, a child or even an animal. gana : Hi Kalpana, Do you belive in portraying the truth as it is ? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : However Harsh, YES tiger : ANIL KAPOORS PUKAR WAS HIGHLIGHTING KARGIL WAR - WHICH VAJPAYEE WANT TO REWARD = ANIL KAPOOR GETTING NATIONAL AWARD FOR STUPID ACTING ! WHAT RAVEENA & U DID FOR VAJPAYEE/BJP ? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I have not seen Pukar so I cannot comment and Raveena has stated very firmly that she has never campaiGned for BJP and I'm sorry to dissapoint you but I do not belong to any political party and no political party has colourted or influenced my work. ravinder : hello kalpana ji how are you what are the future plans that you have in respect to the movies will you continue with the same kind of movies that you are are making at the moment or will youchange the trach? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : By changing track if you mean am I gonna make candy floss formula film? No. But my future subjects could also be happy ones and yet have substance. Krishna : I think (since I have not seen it) your last film dealt with marital oppression/rape etc, depicting the male dominate family system. But why can't you plan a film where the female is destroying an innocent man's married life? I have a personal experience by which I was forced to opt for a divorce within less than 6 months of marriage? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I'm sorry to hear about your situation, which I'm sure does exist in large nos in society and if some day a subject revolving around this situation excites me enough I'd just may go ahead and film it. gana : Portraying truth as it is(Yathartvad) maybe ok on one count But don't you think portraying Adarshvad is even more important? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : But truth and principles are entiwned, both cannot be segregated from each other. dharminder : hello, i only want to ask you ist the reason that being a women , you have undertood yourself very deeply adn get encourage and so preparing films based on womens. what is man level/image in your view. Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I've always felt that man is an equal counterpart to awoman and neither can live without each other. tarun : Hai Kalapna Ji,first of all I would like to compliment U on the lovely theme movies u make.My question to U is that do U get enough returns for the movies U make and do U really influence the society by making ur theme based movies? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : Sometimes the films do not give back the monetary returns one expects, buyt if more friends like you communicate with me, it means my films has influenced society. Nandu : kalpanaji..how 'bout makin a film with bacchan (big B) Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I would LOVE to. ravina : What message you want to convey to low/upper middle class women from ur film Daman? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I think the film will speak for itself, that one should implement ones education, not lose self esteem, garner courage and try to break out of a trapped marriage and its equally the responsiblity of friends and social peer group and family peer group to help such traumatised women to start life afresh. raja : Since the backdrop of your movie is Assam, how do you expect the people of Assam to react towards DAMAN ?? Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I dont know but we must remember that domestic violence is a unversal phenomenon. It doesnt meant that domestic violence exists only in Assam, we just happened to choose that beautidul state and there the resembelance ends. Ms Kalpana Lajmi : I'm very happy to have chatted with all of you today, please do buy a ticket and go and see Daman in the theaters.
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