A titan comes alive
Some men are born small but destined to make one big difference to the destiny of an entire nation. They are blessed with some rare power which changes the hearts and minds and souls of their people who follow their man, their leader, his teachings, his thoughts and his feelings. They bring about a transformation among their people during their life time. They create history and become an integral part of history itself. They are not saints but their disciples follow them like saints. They, infact are human beings who literally rise from the dust and raise a storm which sweeps across times, across generations, across an entire saga of a nation struggling, fighting and finally winning a place among some of the greatest nations of the world. India would not have "been" if it didn’t have these great leaders and, thank God, India has been blessed with so many throughout its life. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, born in a class spitefully called the Harijans (the lowest class of society) who rose to form the Constitution of Free India was one of the most brilliant architects of modern India, a man who made himself a living monument which will stand immortal, stand for all the values he stood for, all his contribution to the making, moulding and maintaining all that modern India and Indians for all time will stand for. Some years ago Dr. Jabbar Patel, inspired by the making of Sir Richard Attenborough’s "Gandhi", decided to bring the saga of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar alive, whatever the cost, whatever the circumstances.

It was not easy going by his struggle, a Herculean task almost. Dr. Patel had to go through a series of struggles to bring the various struggles and strives of Dr. Ambedkar alive on screen. He had to first pass a test by fire put before him Mai Ambedkar, the wife of Dr. Ambedkar and his son, the fiery leader, Prakash Ambedkar. Prakash wanted Shyam Benegal to direct it but Mai wanted Dr. Jabbar Patel. Mai won. Dr. Patel was given the privilege of bringing alive one of the all-time great Indians. He took up the challenge.

The making of a saga means money. The money came from the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra and the National Film Development Corporation. It was the question of an entire era in turmoil, of a nation’s struggle which had to be captured on celluloid. It was a question of big money but Dr. Patel convinced the authorities at every step during the making of the film and they were only too glad to help. The film which has taken almost eight years in the making also took about Rs. Eight crores. " The money was necessary to bring an entire era in its making, an entire atmosphere, and the essence of the struggles of the man, his times and his contribution to the growth of a great country which was till then all tied-up in chains by the British. The creation of every scene was a challenge and every challenge demanded money and thankfully, I got the money whenever I needed it. I couldn’t sacrifice the greatest challenge in my life just for money.

Then came the second and more trying test for the creator in Dr. Jabbar Patel-the actor to play Dr. Ambedkar. Some of the best names were considered from all over the country till Dr. Patel zeroed in on that absolutely brilliant actor from Malayalam Cinema, Mammootty. The decision was taken differently by various people but Dr. Patel continued his work and Mammootty stopped being Mammootty for a long time and turned into Dr. Ambedkar, got into his spirit, imbibed his mission, realised his place in history and worked like he had never worked before, he said. And Dr. Patel proved right when Mammootty won the National Award for the best actor for "living" Dr. Ambedkar.

Dr. Patel had collected a whole lot of material to try his best to bring one great life and an entire chapter alive. He is satisfied with his own hard work. He has used every possible method, all his ideas, all his mind and worked like a missionary to make his film a film to remember. The late Mohan Gokhale plays Mahatma Gandhi. Atul Kulkarni and a number of artists from theatre who had no choice but to play their roles to the best of their ability are in the cast.
The film is being released all over India on December 1, a red letter day for all those for or against Dr. Ambedkar and all that he stood for. Dr. Patel has fulfiled a massive mission. Will his mission with his message send out the right ideas to all Indians, the ideas they have about Dr. Ambedkar? Will Dr. Patel’s film tell the truth history demands ? So much depends on one good film made by a man who changes from a filmmaker to a missionary, a man who devotes some of the best years of his life to tell people what they should know about a man without whom India would not have been what India is today.

What went wrong?
It’s been a series of solid impressions and striking impacts for Suresh Oberoi, a clear case of so near yet so far. Thoughts about Suresh Oberoi while watching him make one more impact with a natural performance in a serial which has been going on and on for God knows how long, a serial mostly shot on some locations in Sharjah, I am told.

Suresh made an impact even when he did the Lifebuoy ad made more than twenty years ago. He was very good as an actor when he played the investigating police officer in Phir Wohi Raat, the only film directed by Danny Denzongpa. He made his first major mark when he played a super star from India in Ek Baar Phir, a sweet little film which gave the industry a dependable actor like Suresh, a hyper-sensitive actress like Deepti Naval and a sensitive actor (they don’t make actors like them any more) called Pradeep Verma. He for some mysterious reasons was not taken seriously by the industry. He was too sensitive to ask for work so he went into some serious business and is doing well for himself while still looking as young and sensitive as he looked twenty years ago.

Suresh continued playing good roles in bad films. There were particular situations when it looked like Suresh was all set for the big take off. It almost happened but didn’t. I wonder why such sad things happen to good actors.

The woman specialist
This man, Govind Nihalani, is many men in one man, but there is one man in him that very few seem to know. That is one Govind even Govind doesn’t know. The other man, the new man is Govind, the astrologer. He can predict what can happen to an actor or an actress and his predictions have not fallen flat on their faces like the predictions of so many pundits and prophets of doom, most of whose predictions that have fallen by the wayside and trampled upon by little urchins and beggars hanging around large dustbins which are a landmark in Mumbai.

Govind, I remember, was the first man who said Dimple would get the National Award for her performance in Gulzar’s Lekin. Govind was also the first man to sing the praises of Tabu as a fascinating actress, an actress who had the potential to out do what Shabana and Smita did in their peak period as actresses. He had said Tabu was a genuine contender for the National Award and every other award for her performance in Gulzar’s Maachis. Govind’s prediction for Tabu came true and how! Govind also "quite inspired” with Rekha’s performance in Basu Bhattacharya’s Aastha. He raved about ‘Re’ for days and also predicted great things to come for her, a National Award, too, if all went well." Govind saw Prakash Jha’s Mrityudand, and could not forget away from the brilliant work put in by Shabana Azmi "for whom good work comes naturally". He was doubly impressed by Madhuri Dixit who was "amazing in the film", something she would rarely be able to surpass. Govind predicted the National Award for the Best Actress would go to Madhuri and the best supporting actress to Shabana. Govind is a woman specialist. I know.

Javed’s struggle
It must be very difficult life for writers like Javed Siddiqui, writers who have proved they are masters and have proved themselves before masters and then have to prove themselves before men who are philistines, men who don’t have door door ka rishta (distant relationship) with learning with intelligence, with culture, with civilisation, with taste.

The other day I saw Javed Siddiqui whom I consider among the best writers working in Hindi films today banging his head trying to explain the nuances of a very crucial scene he had written after days of serious thinking and feeling to a director who kept shaking his head both ways, spitting, then standing, then sitting again, not knowing what to do with himself. Javed was making all out efforts to make the director understand the impact of every word he had written and I realised what Jesus Christ meant by the phrase “casting pearls before swine”. The director sat down finally, scratched his head and said achcha hai, achcha hai, and Javed looked visibly relaxed. He had no energy to do any other work after that. The director got into his sleek car and drove away. He had his own problems. He had to explain the scene he had not understood to his hero who had not even finished school.

Javed, a well-known name in theatre circles (IPTA) who has written some of the best plays during the last twenty years, started off in films with Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khiladi. He then realised he could reach a larger audience, even make more money if he wrote commercial films. It took him very little time to realise that writing for Hindi films was a big deal - and it is a big deal for him now - a big writer, writing big films for big money.

Raj, the leader
The young man who once not-so-long ago slept in a garage, today owns his own garages and designs his own cars whenever he has the time, Raj Babbar, the actor who found life getting tough when he was a student at the National School of Drama is trying his best to make life better for others, as best as he can. Raj who once looked for leaders to lead him along is a leader himself, a very important leader on the national scene. He is playing a very important role as one of the key leaders of the Samajwadi Party with a “great” leader like Mulayam Singh Yadav as his leader. And the way he is going I am sure he will be a major leader in the time to come, a leader who I hope will find some answers to the problems this country, our country, your country and my country is going through.

Raj is already a prominent spokesman of his party (and is quite a fiery spokesman) in the House of Elders, the Rajya Sabha. But I feel he is too young to be a leader of the Rajya Sabha. He could be better in the Lok Sabha, the Sabha of leaders elected by the people. He tried when he contested in the elections against Atal Behari Vajpayee. He lost after putting up a brave fight but he did not give up the battle. He fought again. He won from Agra. He has all the qualities to win. A little more effort, a little more patience and he can be one of the best leaders, the kind of leader India needs.

Raj and his wife, Nadira had a surprise in store for them on November 26. Their children were in New Delhi. They invited their parents to Delhi to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, a fact the couple had all but forgotten in all the “madness” they are involved in.

Destiny decides
Yes, what is destiny? I ask Mehmood, the one-time king of comedy who is an old and sick man these days but has not lost his zest for life, his love for laughter. He tells me his own story to try and explain what he thinks destiny is. He was the son of Mumtaz Ali, a very well-known actor. He doesn’t take his father’s help. He starts off as a junior actor in several films. He soon shows signs of turning into a very good mimic. He becomes a comedian, a leading comedian who is more popular and more powerful than all the leading heroes. He is even paid more than the heroes. He takes his first big step and becomes a director with a film called Chhote Nawab. He first thinks of signing the great RD Burman as his music director. He changes his music director when he meets SD Burman’s only son RD Burman who assisted his father those days. He decides to sign RD as his music director. Little does he know that he has given a break to a man who would be as good as his father and in some cases even better.

He encourages a junior artiste called Mumtaz and sees that she becomes Mumtaz, one of the most successful actresses in Hindi films. His greatest triumph he says is his getting Mumtaz an opportunity to play the legendary Dilip Kumar’s heroine in Ram Aur Shyam.

He remembers how a young actor called Amitabh Bachchan who was a friend of his younger brother, Anwar Ali came to him for help when he was going through some very difficult times. There were times when Amitabh almost packed his bags, ready to bid adieu. It was Mehmood who stopped him because he saw something in AB’s destiny which would take him places - what places!