Latest news with #Life…inaMetro
Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Konkona Sen Sharma on going from Life in a Metro to Metro In Dino: ‘I knew Irrfan isn't going to be there, that broke my heart'
Konkona Sen Sharma and Irrfan Khan screaming at the top of their lungs on top of a Mumbai high-rise is a gift that keeps giving. That scene from Anurag Basu's Life… in a Metro 18 years ago summed up succinctly the spirit of the 2007 romantic anthology — there was pain, there was Mumbai, there was companionship, and then there was catharsis. It helped that Konkona was there too. Ever since her Hindi film debut in 2005, the actor has represented the modern young Indian woman, who relocates to Mumbai in order to chase work, freedom, and identity. Whether it's Madhur Bhandarkar's Page 3 (2006), Life… in a Metro, Ayan Mukerji's Wake Up Sid (2009) or Zoya Akhtar's Luck By Chance (2009), Konkona was navigating Mumbai as cluelessly and adventurously as a lot of us. Her real life also reflected her reel life, as Konkona moved to Mumbai from her hometown Kolkata in mid-2000s to pursue a career in movies. 'I really feel Mumbai is my home now. I've lived here for 20 years. It's a city, which like many big cities, has opened its arms to so many migrants from all walks of life. There are so many people here from outside here,' she tells SCREEN in an exclusive interview. Konkona is still trying to fit into Mumbai and make space for herself in the city, but she's at peace with that process now. 'Being an outsider gives a very unique and interesting perspective. It allows you to have some objectivity. And I enjoy being an outsider a little bit. The struggle to belong is a part of the human condition. You feel like you want to belong, you struggle to fit in to belong, and sometimes you don't want to belong to certain things. It's a way of expressing and identifying yourself,' she explains. Konkona is the only actor who's made it to Metro… In Dino, Basu's spiritual sequel to Life.. in a Metro. She wasn't surprised because going by Basu's impromptu style of working, she wasn't too clued in with the rest of the cast both the times. 'I have to say, I didn't really know very much, the first time around and the second time around also. There's not that much interaction between the four stories,' she reasons. But Konkona was aware the one actor who would definitely not be in the follow-up was her co-star from the first one, Irrfan, who in fact gave Basu the idea to make a spiritual sequel. 'I just knew Anurag is making this, so that's fine, I don't need to know anything else. In that sense, I didn't know who else is there. I just knew Irrfan is not going to be there this time, and that broke my heart,' she confesses. Konkona admits she missed working with Basu, despite his eccentric style of filmmaking. 'You can be very organized, you can have a hard-bound script, you can have all systems working in place. But that doesn't ensure a good film. It's the creativity, the artistry, the craft, and all of that is there in spades, where Anurag is concerned,' she says. 'I've been shooting for 20 years plus. In today's day and age, when you're shooting, very often, you're working here and the video village is there. Often, even your DOP (Director of Photography) is not operating close to you. You feel alone. But in this case, the director and DOP are right behind the camera with you, so it's instant communication, and you feel supported,' points out Konkona. Basu began writing Metro… In Dino with Konkona and Pankaj Tripathi's track, out of the four tracks featuring Anupam Kher-Neena Gupta, Ali Fazal-Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Aditya Roy Kapur-Sara Ali Khan. So he always had Konkona in mind for the part, but admits it was different directing her this time, since she was now also an established filmmaker. 'I was directing a director. The first two days, I asked Koko, 'Frame, all okay?' And I love her work as a director. So when you have respect for someone as a director, then you're completely nervous because there's another director on set,' says Basu, only for Konkona to dismiss him promptly. 'Don't believe him at all! I didn't do anything, I didn't say anything. There's nothing like that,' she says. Konkona, who turned director with A Death in the Gunj in 2016, followed it up with another critically acclaimed directorial, The Mirror, a segment in the 2023 Netflix India anthology Lust Stories 2. But unlike Anurag, she's a meticulous director, who has everything from the script, shot breakdown to workshops and rehearsals in place before she goes to set. 'Anurag is such a creative person, whether it's singing, dancing, acting, writing, or directing. He responds to the stimuli around him. When I'm directing, that's very difficult to do. I'm very scared because I'm not that experienced. I keep everything ready because I have to be prepared. Anurag is a visionary so not only him, but also everyone around him have the confidence that he'd pull it off,' says Konkona. But Basu doesn't mind giving some dialogues to Konkona in advance. He explains, 'Koko gets upset if I don't give her dialogues in advance. She has a problem. She still gets stuck in Bengali Hindi, between 'ki' and 'ka.' So I know I have to help her there a bit,' says Basu, much to Konkona's embarrassment. 'I've tried to blackmail, scold, and beg Anurag to give me the lines in advance,' says Konkona, laughing. That was the most crucial for her in a scene she had to do with Neena Gupta, who plays her mother in Metro… In Dino. 'I can see her scared even in a long shot. Koko's face is so transparent, which also makes her such a good actor. Whenever she's feeling upset and trying to hide it, that never happens,' says Basu. Also Read — 'Anurag Basu wanted me to compose for Saaya too, but Mahesh Bhatt didn't want to bet on a rank newcomer': Pritam Konkona agrees and says, 'I also feel Anurag really understands his actors well. There are things which I'm feeling but I'm not aware of, and he'd say, 'Feeling like this, na?' He can read my face. I'm trying to be well-behaved, but he can tell what's happening inside my head also. Now, what to do?' Metro… In Dino releases in cinemas on July 4.
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Anurag Basu wanted me to compose for Saaya too, but Mahesh Bhatt didn't want to bet on a rank newcomer': Pritam
Pritam and Anurag Basu's first film together was the 2006 romantic thriller Gangster, but their professional and personal companionship dates even further back. Over the past decade and a half, they've collaborated on the memorable soundtracks of Barfi! (2012), Jagga Jasoos (2017), Ludo (2020), Life… in a Metro (2007), and its upcoming spiritual successor, Metro… In Dino, which is itself named after a chartbuster from the first film. When SCREEN visited Pritam's studio for an exclusive interview, he was neck-deep into delivering the soundtrack of Metro… In Dino, 'Side A' of which is out on Spotify. Like Basu, Pritam beliefs in perfecting their product till they're forced to give it up. He talks to us about his long association with Basu, how the music of the spiritual successor is different from the first part, and missing his partners-in-crime from Life… in a Metro. Do you remember when you first met Anurag Basu? When I moved to Mumbai after FTII in 1998-99, I met a school friend who was already working in the film industry. One day, he asked me if I can make a song for a horror TV show Anurag Basu is directing. That's when I first met him, he had a red gamchha around his neck. Then we did a lot of serial title songs together, like Manzilein Apni Apni (2001) and Miit (2003). Then we landed up staying in the building. That's when we started bonding. Anurag tried to get me into Saaya (2003) also, but none of my films hadn't released then. So Mahesh Bhatt (producer) didn't want to trust a rank newcomer. Anu Malik was already working with him then. Before Gangster (2006), my work in Dhoom (2004) had released so that became the first film we did together. Why do you keep going back to working together? He's very clear about what he wants. We trust each other blindly. He's a full genius. If you see him now, he looks like Satyajit Ray from a side angle. Unka aashirwad aa gaya hai ab ispe (laughs). He knows every layer of filmmaking, from camerawork to edit. He also has tremendous faith in his technicians. Any movie he makes, I like being a part of that process. He has a very good music and lyric sense. Do you also connect on the fact that neither of you wants to give up on bettering their product till the delivery date? Yeah, of course! I'll keep working till you snatch it away from me. Ultimately, the products we're working on are for posterity. I've changed a lot of pieces in the OTT releases also, like in the case of Jagga Jasoos. I keep improving and layering till the OTT delivery. So yeah, our combination gets a little mad. What is it about music that Anurag Basu gets right, that other filmmakers don't? He builds his narrative around music. He thinks in terms of music. Life.. in a Metro was one of the first anthologies of Hindi cinema. Multiple stories need a common thread. He could've made a narrator that thread. But he came up with a band which ties all the stories together. Similarly in Barfi!, both the protagonists didn't talk with clarity, but with actions. So he told that story musically. Then he made Jagga Jasoos into a complete musical because Jagga stammers, so he sings. Even in a film like Ludo, which is more raw than emotional, he had music. A minimum of six songs have to be there in an Anurag Basu film. There are more in Metro… In Dino. While doing Metro… In Dino, did you miss your band from the first film? The person I missed the most was KK. He wasn't a part of the band. James da, I haven't worked with much. I'm in touch with Soham (Chakraborty) and Suhail (Kaul). It's been 18 years, that's a lot! But I got hold of Niladri Kumar (zitar player), who was also an integral part of the first part. This time, my band is with Raghav Sachar and Papon. Raghav is a very sweet and exuberant guy who loves collecting perfumes. I call Papon the king of the North-East. He's very culturally rooted. So I didn't feel the absence of James da, Suhail, and Soham. Was Soham also a part of the band? Yes, if you see, 'In Dino' was sung by Roopkumar Rathod and Soham in different versions. Soham sang 'In Dino' because he was in the band initially. But he couldn't make it to the shoot when we were doing the band scenes. So Anurag asked me to lip-sync the song and said we'd record it later. But none of us could match how Soham sang it. In this film also, we have multiple singers singing the same song. There are different singers in the film version and the album version. Like in the first one, 'Alvida' was sung by both James da and KK. 'Baatein Kuchh Ankahi Si' was sung by Suhail and Adnan Sami. This is a good luck charm now. Did the audience start recognizing you after Life.. in a Metro, since they also saw you in the film instead of just listening to your music? Ya, because of that, people still think I'm a singer. Of course, I sing, but music direction is my primary identity. I always wanted to be a composer, I don't want to be a singer. Whenever anybody meets me, even till today, they say, 'Ye toh woh singer hai na.' Now, I've gotten tired correcting them. Now, I just smile and click pictures with them. If anyone refers to 'In Dino', I know they know nothing about me. Because they don't see me on screen anymore, even in reality shows, they ask why I'm not doing anything these days. Aur yahan meri band baji padi hai. That song did give me recognition, but more as a singer, which I don't want (laughs). How much was the soundtrack of Life.. in a Metro an influence of Metro… In Dino? See, even when I was doing Love Aaj Kal (2009), I told Imtiaz (Ali, director) no matter what we do, the audience is going to compare the album to that of Jab We Met (2007), since it's you, me, and Irshaad Kamil (lyricist) coming back together. In the case of Metro, that comparison would be on steroids. In the 18 years since the first part, those songs have become a part of life. There's no point competing with that. This is a new concept with new stories and new characters. In fact, Life.. in a Metro was a little darker. This is sweeter and lighter. Is that why those songs were heavy on rock, as compared to the ones in Metro… In Dino? When we did Life.. in a Metro, rock hadn't entered Hindi cinema then. Rock On!! (2008) had also not released then. So there was no concept of rock or a band in a Hindi film. Now, rock has fused with synths worldwide to become alt rock. The bands who started as rock bands, their sounds have also evolved. So the basic language in Dil Ka Kya and Mann Ye Mera is still rock. But overall, the texture of pure rock has changed. So we've left the sound of the first Metro behind. This is a little more progressive in terms of sound. The songs in Metro… In Dino are also influenced by ghazals, right? We think of ghazal as a music genre. We used to refer to 'Aabad Barbad' and 'Hardum Humdum' (Ludo) as 'ghazal EDM.' After that, 'Besharam Rang' (from Pathaan) and 'Aaj Ki Raat' (from Stree 2) were also done in the same format. But ghazal is actually poetry. If a nazm is sung in semi-classical style, it's stereotyped as ghazal. But why can't I sing a ghazal in a modern way? Like in Barfi!, I did Ghalib's 'Dil-E-Nadaan' in a rock style, but it didn't make it to the film. Similarly, in Metro… In Dino, we've used an established ghazal in Qaisarul Jafri's 'Tumhare Sheher Ka Mausam Bada Suhana Lage'. I added the hook of Zamaana Lage to it to keep it in the rock style. We've also done some Ghalib songs. We'd also done a Nida Fazli ghazal, but it's no longer in the film. If we manage to make ghazals in the current format, they'll become popular again. The harmonium image of a ghazal would go away. Rock bands would perform ghazals. There'll be Reels made on them. Kids would lap them up. Which is your favourite song from Life.. in a Metro? 'Alvida', because I made it long before the film released. I had become the official music guy at the institute because no one else used to do music while studying sound there. I did the background score for all the diploma films. At FTII, I composed the song, which is an angry heartbreak song. Tumhe jana hai toh jao. You'll miss me more than I'd miss you. Every party I'd go to, my friends would ask me to sing 'Alvida'. It was an extended version with an outro, which wasn't used in the film because of the length. A lot of directors liked that song, from Anurag, Rajkumar Hirani to Sanjay Gadhvi. In fact, even at the success party of Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002), Gadhvi asked me to perform Alvida because he wanted Aditya Chopra to listen to it. You should've auctioned the song if there was so much demand among makers. Right? (Laughs) Ya, I'd even called up Raju and told him when we were finally using 'Alvida' in Life.. in a Metro. I'd never worked with Raju till then, but he introduced me to Sanjay Gadhvi because Raju was editing a movie for him then. Raju and I did a lot of ad jingles together. When I told Raju we're using 'Alvida', he was fine with it. Because a song like that couldn't have been used in mainstream Hindi cinema of that time anyway, especially in Raju and Gadhvi's movies. Dhoom 2 mein toh nahi jaata Alvida (laughs)! Have Aditya Roy Kapur and Anupam Kher also lent their voices in Metro… In Dino? Yes, Anurag wanted to take this one a notch higher. So along with having a band as the narrator, this film also has characters singing like in a musical. A section of Anupam ji's singing has been chopped off in the edit. But Adi's is still there. He's a mast singer. He was also a surprise for me as an actor. I didn't know he's so good! He hasn't done many films where I've done the score, so I haven't seen him perform much. In fact, the whole star cast is very good. Ali Fazal is playing me, who does jingles and is looking for a break, but is also a singer. You've done both the old and new Love Aaj Kal, and the old and new Metro. But you're also doing Ayan Mukerji's War 2, which isn't your baby. Vishal-Shekhar composed the songs of the first part in 2019. How do you then make it your own? I don't think it works for me. I walked into War 2 mostly for Ayan. The journey of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Brahmastra (2022) are among the most enjoyable in my career. The way I'm possessive about a brand which is mine, I'm not about sequels. It didn't work in Tiger 3 (2023) either, although I was initially supposed to do Ek Tha Tiger (2012). I was working simultaneously with Victor (Vijay Krishna Acharya) and Kabir Khan for Dhoom 3 (2013) and Ek Tha Tiger respectively. It was getting very heavy to work on such big films within the same system. So Adi asked me to choose one of the two. I'd already composed a couple of films for Tiger since it had more scope for music because of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif's romantic track. But Dhoom was also my baby so I went ahead with Dhoom 3. Then a song made for Tiger, Tera Deedar Hua, went into Jannat 2 (2012), and another, Rang Sharbaton Ka, went into Phata Poster Nikhla Hero (2013). They were options for the same situation in Tiger. Also Read — Anupam Kher says long-distance marriage with Kirron Kher doesn't bother him much: 'Aashiqui is difficult in practical life' Action films, in general, have less scope for music. But even otherwise, I want to pull back a little from commercial music because I've been doing it for 20 years now. My kids have grown up. I've hardly been around. My wife has brought them up. My son is leaving for college in the US. My daughter will also leave soon. I haven't been able to be a part of their life decisions. I really feel bad I haven't spent time with them. I'm a workaholic. I spend 200 days a year only at my studio, I don't even go back home. I like working round the clock. But it's all done now. I want to be an integral part of my kids' journey now otherwise I'll repent a lot. I'm already a gone case for my wife. Every song of mine is like a baby. But those kids also need attention (laughs). Metro… In Dino releases in cinemas this Friday on July 4.
Indian Express
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Amitabh Bachchan got embarrassed by sounds Shilpa Shirodkar's mom was making as I massaged her shoulders, reveals Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher didn't end up becoming an actor in films right after graduating from the National School of Drama in Delhi in 1978. Interestingly, he completed a three-month massage course, gave professional massages for a short while, and eventually, even provided his services to his co-stars on film sets. 'I'd completed my formal education. I was sitting in the Bengali Market (in Delhi) not knowing what to do. Then I saw an ad in the newspaper of a massage course at the Oberoi Hotel. I did a three-month massage course and then gave massages for two months,' revealed Kher. On the latest episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show season 3 on Netflix, Anupam Kher recalled giving massages to his co-stars between takes on the sets of Mukul Anand's 1991 crime action drama Hum. 'Right after giving massage to Danny (Denzongpa) and others, when I began doing the massage of Shilpa Shirodkar's mother, there was an electricity cut,' said Kher. 'Shilpa's mom kept saying, 'Oh, Anupam!' so Amitabh said, 'Bhaiya, light jaldi le kar aao (Please get the lights back on quickly),' recalled Kher, laughing, revealing how Bachchan was embarrassed by the sounds Shirodkar's mother was making then. Host Kapil Sharma even joked that the Saaransh actor was giving massage to others only so he could get to Shirodkar's mother. Kher denied that and jokingly warned Sharma to not suggest the same. Hum starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Govinda, Shilpa Shirodkar, Denzongpa, Anupam Kher, Kadar Khan, Annu Kapoor, Vijay Khote, and Shammi, among others. It's best known for its dance song 'Jumma Chumma De De,' featuring Bachchan and Kimi Katkar. Shilpa Shirodkar's mother Veena Shirodkar was a former model who passed away in 2008. Meanwhile, Anupam Kher was on The Great Indian Kapil Show along with his co-stars and director to promote their upcoming romantic anthology Metro… In Dino, slated to release in cinemas on July 4. Produced by Bhushan Kumar's T-Series, the spiritual sequel to Anurag Basu's 2007 directorial Life… in a Metro also stars Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Rohan Gurbaxani, and Saswata Chatterjee, among others. In an exclusive interview with SCREEN, Kher recalled when he first moved to Mumbai to become an actor back in 1981, the city has held him captive since. 'Mumbai is a very intoxicating city. It's like a security blanket. There's no other city in the world, other than New York to an extent, which is so generous. It gives at least one chance to everyone who comes here. It's true that if you've lived here, you can't live anywhere else. It's truly bindaas,' said the actor. Also Read — Anupam Kher says long-distance marriage with Kirron Kher doesn't bother him much: 'Aashiqui is difficult in practical life' 'But Mumbai is very dominating in the beginning. Because you're part of the crowd. But any kind of a person can live here. I haven't seen anyone starve to death here. Someone was telling me vada pao has been one of the top seven meals of the world. I've had so much vada pao myself,' he added.
Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan saw me freaking out on day 1 of Metro In Dino, recalls Ali Fazal: ‘The film is inside Anurag Basu's head, no one knows what's happening'
Anurag Basu is all set to return with the follow up to his 2007 romance anthology Life… in a Metro, Metro In Dino, slated to release in cinemas on July 4. It consists of almost an entirely new cast, including Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, and Ali Fazal. Fazal recently revealed he initially struggled with Basu's style of filmmaking. 'Basu sir has a very interesting way. The whole film is inside his head. So nobody knows what's happening. And that's another exhilarating experience because you don't know what's coming,' said Fazal, adding, 'I remember Adi (Kapur), Sara and all these guy are on set the first day, and they can see me freaking out! Kya karein, scene nahi hai (What to do, there's no scene paper). But that's how he works.' In the interview with Galatta Plus, Fazal explained further, 'The scene paper comes in very last minute. Of course, there's a whole script, and he's got the whole thing down.' But he also pointed out that nobody could access the full script because Basu's approach to Metro In Dino is quite different from its first part. 'This particular construction of Metro is pretty different. And I think for that very reason, he didn't want us to read the script. It really helped! When the film is out, I'd love to talk about it. It's surprising that even in a very light, romantic film, he's managed to bring his swing. And I enjoy that,' added Fazal. He claimed that collaborating with Basu can be both unsettling and rewarding. 'He pushes you! He'll throw in a word or an emotion, and just give me a little different perspective. Most times, when he gets it, he doesn't. That's another problem directors don't realize — Mani (Ratnam) sir, Basu, they are lovely directors, but actors love it when the director goes, 'Good!' But there's nothing. He just says, 'Next shot,'' said Fazal. Fazal will be next seen in his debut Tamil film, Mani Ratnam's crime thriller Thug Life, in which he stars alongside Kamal Haasan, Simbu, Trisha, and Nasser among others. The film is slated to release in cinemas next Thursday on June 5. Going back to Metro In Dino, Fazal revealed it's a musical so Basu works around that. Also Read — Ali Fazal on Mirzapur The Film: 'It is like going back to the start…' 'He'll give you a rhythm, literally a rhythm, sometimes as a beat! For me, that's like nectar because then I can map everything. We don't use beats or rhythm much. That's the way I learnt. I never got to learn acting. Hence, Adishakti. It's the one place where I managed to learn anything. Which is why I keep going back there,' said Fazal, referring to Adishakti Theatre Arts, a laboratory for theatre art research based in Tamil Nadu.
