With Wazir due for release on Friday (08
January) let’s dwell a little bit on the brilliance of Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s
filmmaking style and in particular three
scenes from his vastly underrated; Eklavya
– The Royal Guard (2007).
By way of a refresher or if you haven’t seen Eklavya it features Amitabh
Bachchan in the role of the royal guard to the Maharajah (Boman Irani).
Saif Ali
Khan plays the foreign educated prince who is in love with a commoner (Vidya
Balan).
Sanjay Dutt is a gritty police officer, while Jackie Shroff and Jimmy
Shergill are an up to no good father and son combination.
The story deals with the betrayal of loyalty and belongs in the thriller genre, and while the
plot unravels
at a slow pace the thrills come thick and fast.
It's not a long film just 138 minutes running time but it is an intense one.
My focus is on three scenes in particular:
- At timecode 37:30 Sanjay Dutt urges Amitabh Bachchan - whose character’s eyesight is not as sharp as it once was but whose hearing is almost supersonic - to demonstrate his dagger throwing prowess which involves picking out the minutest of items with a pin point throw. In this instance a tiny set of ghungoos (bells) are tied to the feet of a dove which is then let loose. For good measure, Bachchan’s character is blindfolded and all he has is the sound of the bells to pick out his target, its a thrilling sequence
- At 52:50 Bachchan is escorting the maharajah on an evening drive when the combination of a herd of camels and a passing train forces their vehicle to stop. Against the backdrop of the setting sun, a hurtling hooting train and the nervous clutter of camel hooves, they come under a surprise attack. What unfolds on a hot evening in the Rajasthan desert is riveting. Chopra revealed that he pre-recorded the background score for the scene six months before he shot it, and that it was filmed like a song. The result is operatic, a symphony of sound and vision, and an assault on the senses.
- My favourite sequence comes in at 1:18:00. Jimmy Shergill is enjoying a private screening of the film Parinda the movie with which Chopra first announced himself (nice touch). Shergill is alone in the theatre when Bachchan enters and is instantly reprimanded and told to “get out”. As Bachchan turns to leave, he flicks the power switch and everything turns to darkness. Now Bachchan’s baritone voice and Shergill’s nervous breath are the only two characters, one filled with menace the other exuding fear, Bachchan’s characters keen sense of hearing and poor eyesight become the weapons with which he taunts Shergill whose only hope of survival is to stop himself from breathing!!!??? … It is an iconic moment in Indian cinema, that is masterfully executed.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s production house is
living proof that brilliance doesn’t happen by accident. It is a painstaking
process and while he may not always get it right (remember Kareeb?), when he does it is awe
inspiring.
The LA Times described Eklavya as “a lost film of David
Lean”. High praise indeed!
In a South African context the name Chopra immediately
conjures up images of Yash and Aditya Chopra, but Vinod is the
thinking person’s Chopra and all his productions from Parinda to PK come from this school of film-making.
He is a master technician, who tries something with each of his stories, challenging his actors to embrace complex characters and supporting them though it with memorable sequences.
Although Wazir hasn’t been directed by him, Bejoy
Numbiar has, it is his baby as he has been working on it for well over 15 years. Chopra co-wrote and produced it and with high-calibre actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar heading it up and against the background of the game of chess, masterful sequences are guaranteed.
Your move Vinod...
Wazir releases in South Africa on Friday 8th January 2016 at Suncoast, Killarney, Monte Casino, Gold Reef City, Gateway, The Zone-Rosebank, Canal Walk-Cape Town, Galleria, Pavilion and Trade Route Mall.
It is a Prabhu Nepal Africa release.
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