By Fuad Omar
Pictures by Ayesha Monani.
This week we give Asiangigs.com readers a sneak peek into behind the scenes
of what is the biggest movie of Indian cinema and one that everyone seems to
have seen. Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham has not only found itself to become a big favourite of many
in no time, but as viewers will have noticed the lavish production
of the film has left no stone unturned, be it the shooting of Suraj Hua
Maddham in Egypt, Hrithik's dance in the British Museum or well, the entire
London shoot.
Your favourite stars were in London between May and June 2001 shooting away
for portions of the movie which are now on screen (and some of which aren't
yet on screen but will appear on the DVD).
So as an online exclusive we take you on a day behind the scenes of K3G on a
cold morning when Karan Johar was shooting the portions of the Vaande
Mataram song where Hrithik arrives in London.
Sunday 6th May 2001
It's 0830 on a Sunday morning and Trafalgar Square is occupied and awake
earlier than usual. The biting cold weather does little to deter the warm
and jovial Karan Johar as he rubs his hands together and looks into a black
monitor, before looking at Nikhil Advani and giving the go-ahead to begin.
Farah Khan emerges, barely visible under layers of cold-battling gear, but
the commanding voice is unmistakable. The sonic boom she usually unleashes
which causes feet to blister and sprinkles magic on the ground that shakes
as she wants it to, is unusually quiet. Her presence alone reassures me I'm
in the right place and her team-up with Karan denotes that the near future
will find many of the world's population dancing to her tune. A smile shines
from beneath the layers she's wearing as if she's heard my thoughts knowing
full well they're true. I spot Hrithik preparing for the shot, his face
glowing with a smile which makes me feel as though I'm the only one scowling
at the cold. Sporting black leather pants and a cool black pullover with an
orange band seeping through, he looks every bit the superstar and is
extremely relaxed and alert despite the early hour.
Adjacent to Nelson's Column a team of dancers ready themselves by making
sure their costumes are on properly and stand in a line preparing for the
shot. The music of Vaande Mataram begins as Hrithik gets into position and
begins approaching the camera. The chorus line of delicately decorated girls
bearing scarves of the colours from the Indian flag scurry backwards,
flowing with the wind that blows his hair back as he smiles and takes a deep
breath of British air. The cameraman swoops in and takes his first shot,
before Karan analyses the monitor and asks for another take, unhappy with
the timing.
Watching Karan's calm demeanour and the spark in his eyes as he scours the
monitor, you can vividly see his mind ticking away, picturising a shot or
working out the next. Whatever is unfolding in there, you can be sure its
result will be brilliant. The quiet, smiling character of his allows one to
visualise the side of him that is brimming with directorial and technical
brilliance. The shot is okayed, and preparation for the next one begins.
Hrithik comes forward to view the short take and although the difference
between the first and second is negligible, it defines the nuances that
contribute to his director's midas touch.
Moving on, Nikhil sets up the shot for the famous Trafalgar Square lions
where Hrithik walks forward from behind them and gleams at the sky, his pace
in tune with the beat. Some pigeons watch from afar as others attempt to
sneak into the area, curious about their new-found friends and craving
attention. Watching the monitor, Nikhil sees the near-perfect shot and adds
that Hrithik's emergence coinciding with a flock of pigeons flying up would
be complementary and so someone is sent to co-ordinate the effect. A re-take
later and we are all in splits, as a man whose notion was meant to encourage
the pigeons to fly is seen in the top corner of the screen chasing them,
causing them to merely walk at a brisker pace, while stealing looks directly
at the camera, as if wanting to share in the limelight. The sight of this
man shoo-ing them away unsuccessfully and the manner in which they jerk
their heads sharply to look at the camera is one to be noted as a classic,
and causes smiles all round. A replay later and I have just experienced one
of the many memorable moments that are to make up the nurturing of Karan
Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, the project he conceived and is raising
much to the delight of an audience that thrives on good cinema.
By 10am we arrive at Leicester Square and Thilaka Paramesh is busy getting
her costumes onto the dancers. Her eyes are weary but her enthusiasm
unscathed, clothes are nothing short of a passion for this young lady and
especially for such a patriotic song which she is humming already. An
injection of hot coffee later and the location begins to take shape with
cameras being set up, tape being put up around the monitor and a bevvy of
dancers being brought out.
As the girls rehearse in their Indian outfits, brightly adorning rainbow
colours, a small crowd forms to see why Indian cinema is the only medium
truly deserved of the title 'the peacock screen'. The cameras begin to click
as the Indian look conjures its cosmic rays, basking onto every face that
passes by making it smile.
Once the girls have perfected their steps Farah calls Hrithik who strolls
past them, mimics their Bharat Natyam dance steps in unison to the now
familiar Indian tune that flows through their bodies, and smiles before
taking a bow as they cheer him off. The shot is canned in about four takes
and Karan, remaining the embodiment of calm, watches the monitor closely
asking for retakes on shots which are canned with too much black in the
background or a camera angle which could be improved on. He calls for a
re-take after another near-perfect shot, asking Hrithik not to look up as he
leaves the edge of the frame, and once more the area of Leicester Square
is transformed into a stage of Indian talent and feeling. This time Hrithik
does a little jig effortlessly, leaving the girls breathless and exploding
with cheer without finding the need to act. As he walks out of the frame,
their hearts flutter and they catch their breath, beaming at the shot just
completed, and it becomes evident just how much Hrithik loves with a
vengeance the field he's in. Giving his all to each shot, he smiles at those
around him before and after each take, but only after seeking the seal of
approval for the framed sequence by his director. Critical of his own
performance, he constantly dashes to the monitor to see the result which got
the 'done' tick on Karan's 'to do' list for the film.
The cameras are shifted to the park opposite as a street
entertainer awakes to capture the attention of the ready-made crowd the
shooting has generated. Mr Yash Johar makes an appearance, after silently
watching his son hard at work from a distance and he too is positively
glowing. In these moments it is difficult to distinguish between Yash
Johar - the producer of the movie, and the father whose pride in his son and
his artistry is clearly evident in his every look. Karan may not notice it
as he readies the next shot, but Mr Johar is quietly watching, blessing
every one of his son's shots.
Hrithik walks down the Square's park as Vaande Mataram plays again, this
time allowing him to sport his brown shades while coolly walking in and out
of a clear cut shot which is okayed in a single take. A man dressed as a
town crier walks past the suitably situated stone statue of Charlie Chaplin
and a few of the unit members' eyes light up like firecrackers in sequence
as the same idea pops into their heads. A few run after the Lord Mayor's
official town crier and before the smiles are allowed to wither, the magic
of the movie seeps through the rugged British exterior of the elderly
gentleman as he happily agrees to hop next to Hrithik while announcing his
joy with the bell. Farah counts them into the song and another shot is
swiftly canned in two takes and the montage is beginning to come together
and effervesce with the Karan Johar feel that echoes in one's mind after
experiencing his work. The feel-good factor is sprinkled in small doses
(literally) as two small tots sit in their prams as the music plays on and
Hrithik's face pops in between them to bring sunshine to their day. He
mimics a child easily as their eyes remain fixated on him for the split
second it takes him to evoke the resounding joy on their faces - their eyes
following him with pure curiosity and surprise. Two more takes are shot with
slightly different mannerisms and you are reminded why you fell in love with
Karan's first venture in a shot which exudes cheer.
The final shot before lunch and two elderly ladies are sat on a bench eating
ice cream under the slowly emerging sun, with Hrithik in the middle enjoying
his pick of the flavours again pulling faces which magnify the mood of the
song, and the feel of the shot, resulting in a joyous way to reel in the
first break of the day.
The soft-spoken director steals a smile from behind the monitor, as Nikhil
claps his hands announcing lunch, and the equipment is shifted and fans
descend onto Hrithik for autographs and photographs, all of which he obliges
to without a moments pause now that the shot is over. Mr Johar takes a small
step forward towards his son and with a look that speaks volumes, smiles as
he too walks from the now complete-shot, followed by the rest of the unit.
It's only a few hours into the day and the cold faces are now warm smiles,
the weather has been dry and on the unit's side. Karan has barely shot a
minute's worth of footage today and in what translates to so little screen
time he has succeeded in making everyone who came out today smile. What
wonders will he weave with a three-hour opus?
This is just a glimpse of the magic of Karan Johar and the dream that is
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Making this motion picture isn't simply about
making a movie, it's about making smiles along the way.
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