| SEVENTH SCREEN VIDEOCON
AWARDS |
SCREEN
AWARDS January 20, 2001...7 p.m. The studio lights dimmed and as
Rahul Khanna stepped on to the stage, you could see the smiles of
anticipation on the faces of the select thousands who had gathered
at Mumbai’s Shahaji Bhonsale Kreeda Sankul that evening. It
was the first gala of the millennium and excitement was running
high as our debonair master of ceremonies wound up his introductory
speech and Meenakshi Seshadri with her troupe of dancers swirled
in. Suddenly a whisper reached us across the sea of upturned faces,
“Hey, the Screen-Videocon Awards have started but where is
Screen’s golden lady?”
The lady who’d spoken aloud was cradling a year-old baby, her
face wearing a look of anxious bewilderment. It was easy to empathise
with her. Ever since she entered our lives 50 years ago on a sunny
September day, Screen has come to be identified as an integral part
of showbiz. She has always loved the film industry and the industry
has grown to love her for her outpouring of warmth, her gentle concern
for their problems and her no-scandal stance. A magazine that’s
made reel life all too real for her readers.
Today five decades later the film fraternity along with the avid
film buff has come to equate Screen with the business of entertainment
and since the Screen Awards started seven years ago, with the golden
lady. The golden lady whose replica adorns many a star home today.
“So where was the golden lady who was celebrating her 50 birthday
that evening?” we could almost hear our frowning guest wonder
as with graceful Bharat Natyam mudras Meenakshi and her men grouped
at the top of Omang Kumar’s exotic set and in a flash whipped
aside the veil that had hidden the golden lady from view.
In all her gilded splendour she rose towards the star-lit skies,
drawing fond smiles and looks of frank amazement from the stars
gathered below. Fifty years old and still serenely unaffected by
the competition around...Still holding fast to her prime and principles..
Still around to share in the industry’s problems and find joy
in its celebrations... A reel of film spun busily behind her symbolising
her bond with this dream spinners if the wonder world who had gathered
to join in her golden jubilee celebrations.
It is just a coincidence that Screen was born on the same day as
the evergreen Dev Anand ...September 26. It is just a coincidence
that Dev Anand’s banner Navketan is also celebrating its golden
jubilee this year. It’s just a coincidence that another living
legend, BR Chopra has just completed 50 glorious years in the industry
that wooed him away from journalism in 1951. However, it was no
coincidence that we decided to share our golden run with these two
stalwarts who have been so much a part of our growing up years.
It was Dev Anand who taught us to dare to dream and it was the erudite
BR Chopra who with his strongly-worded columns in our weekly, sparked
off growing awareness for the industry’s oft-untold and unheard
grievances. Dev saab was as sprightly as ever as he bounded up on
stage, accepted his special award from old friend, Yash Chopra and
thanked everyone with his customary zest insisting that this special
award was like a tonic with all the vitamins thrown in and would
inspire him to explore new worlds and seek out new challenges. The
never-say-never Dev saab is all set to release his new film, Censor
next month.
And has already got started on a fresh project. Sharing a birthday
with this evergreen star is an ever-invigorating experience for
Screen. Maybe we should get started on platinum jubilee plans too.
Our other honoured guest, BR Chopra couldn’t make it to the
show despite his buzzing excitement. The entire Chopra family had
been living on edge for weeks since the day they were informed about
our grandiose plans for the patriarch. The physicians who had been
attending to 86-year-old stalwart had initially been sceptical about
his attending the function because ever since he had suddenly lost
the use of his legs, Chopra saab had been unable to walk or even
stand. “How’s he going to make it to the stage?”
was the concerned query posed to us time and again. After many consultations
with the Moranis who organised the show for us, we had arranged
for a ramp to be built from the car park to the stage along which
his wheelchair could be rolled all the way to the spotlight. It
was a plan that had met with everyone’s approval and had Chopra
saab’s adrenaline pumping as he set down to penning the speech
he was going to read that evening. But hours before he was to set
out Chopra saab suddenly felt faint and this time none of the doctors
were ready to give him the go-ahead. With great regret National
Award winning actress, activist and Rajya Sabha member, Shabana
Azmi who had squeezed time out from her busy schedule to felicitate
Screen and the two veterans, announced that Chopra saab who was
unwell wouldn’t be able to accept his award in person. We missed
Chopra saab but we didn’t miss his speech. It arrived on Monday
evening and has been reproduced for our readers.
The other Chopra, brother Yash however stayed through the evening
wearing a smile that didn’t slip even once. Yash Chopra associates
Screen with the beginning of his career. “The weekly was launched
when I had just begun as a apprentice, I can still remember the
fresh fragrance of newsprint.” Yashji arrived just as son Uday
went on stage live for the first time in his young life. Uday along
with his “Guru Kul” cronies, Jimmy (Shergil) and Jugal
(Hansraj) and their lovely lassies, Shamita, Preeti and Kim, had
many sighing and smiling over their memories of pehla pehla pyar
as they waltzed to the Mohabbatein chart-toppers, Chalte chalte
and Soni soni aankhiyon wali.
Love was in the air but it was a different kind of love that stopped
papa Yash and mama Pam in their tracks as they were escorted into
the stadium to find all eyes on their son, Uday and his band of
merry mates. As chairs were pulled up for him, Yash Chopra oblivious
to everyone and everything, couldn’t take his eyes off the
stage and at one point even began humming the lyrics under his breath.
This was one of those moments that made our 50 years celebrations
so special.
We missed Raj Kapoor. This old friend always insisted that the weekly
always reminded him of his son, Chintu. “He’s as old as
Screen,” he would smile fondly. Rajji was no longer around
but his son Rishi was,looking dapper even at 50 with his graceful
wife, Neetu besides him.
It was a proud moment for another father when son Hrithik went on
stage to accept his life’s first award for Best Debutant (Male)
from Shah Rukh Khan. Shah Rukh who walked on stage to the ringing
notes of Badshah o badshah drew a roar of approval from the crowds
which he acknowledged with the adaab of a true Shah. The roar became
even louder when he announced the name of the winner and the Kaho
Naa...Pyar Hai heart-throb strode up to be greeted by Shah Rukh
with a warm hug and a heart-felt, “I wish I could be like Hrithik.”
His eyes sparkled with genuine warmth and his smile spoke volumes
as he talked about this humble boy whom he had known and loved since
he was a production assistant to his father.The vibes between the
two superstars who have been shooting together these last few weeks
for Karan Johar’s Kabhie Kushi Kabhie Gham in which they’ve
been cast as brothers, were as warm as ever. And it was with a bashful
blush and a smile of pure pleasure that Hrithik accepted the golden
lady from Shah Rukh and admitted, “It’s an honour to receive
this award from Shah Rukh.” As Hrithik reeled off his thank
you speech you could see that it wasn’t only a glowing Suzanne
who was enchanted with this oh-so-nice hero but just about everyone
who was there.
Even Latadidi who was honoured with a special award instituted in
memory of the Mallika-e-Tarranum, Noorjehan, was ready to stay on
for a few more minutes if she could present an award to Hrithik
even though it was almost 11 p.m. and way past her bedtime. Eventually
though the melody queen who a had heavy schedule lined up for the
morrow and had to drive back all the way to town, decided it was
too late to linger on and drove off. Shah Rukh gave Hrithik his
first award of the night and the gorgeous Rekha made the night even
more unforgettable when she announced the winner of the Best Actor
Award, saying in that husky voice that sent shivers up many spines,
“It’s Duggu, my baby!” The “baby” and the
kiss that followed for him came spontaneously, straight from the
heart. Rekha has seen the shy and ever smiling Hrithik grow up into
a still shy, still smiling superstar and once confided to a friend
that if ever she had a son she’d like him to be just like the
ever-lovable Duggu. That’s the magic of this young Roshan!
Shah Rukh felt the magic too... And not just from this Roshan but
from all of them. We didn’t have to try very hard to coax him
to read out a citation and felicitate the Roshans who as a family
were also completing a half century in show business and had survived
the trials and triumphs of the year 2000 with admirable grit and
unruffled calm. “Sure I’ll felicitate them but the citation
will be my own,” Shah Rukh asserted. On the Big Nite he almost
gave us a heart-attack by timing his arrival at the venue to the
last minute. Shah Rukh who had been generously let off from the
shoot of Kabhie Kushi Kabhie Gham by buddy Karan was on his cell
phone almost all the way to the stadium. As the hours skipped along
and there was no sign of Shah Rukh, our anxiety mounted and so did
the number of calls to him. “Where are you?” we asked
him for the hundredth time. “I’ve just passed Amitabh’s
bungalow, I’ll be there,” he reassured us with unfailing
good humour and as Aishwarya sashayed on stage to perform a medley
of last year’s chart-toppers, Que sara sara, Prem jaal mein
phas gayi mein to, Bhumroo Bhumroo and Maria, Shah Rukh’s car
swung in through the gates. Our escorts moved into action and swept
him backstage while wife Gauri and Salman’s sister Alvira were
escorted to the front. As heartbeats finally settled down to their
regular rhythm, Shah Rukh strode on stage to present Hrithik with
his Best Newcomer award and then invite Rakesh and Rajesh Roshan
to join him on stage. They did and the rest of the family that included
Hritik’s mother Pinky, sister Sunaina, wife Suzanne, her sister
Farah (who was wondering if she’d get the right clipping of
this recorded moment for her documentary on Hrithik), looked on
smilingly at the men who have done them proud. It was a trip down
memory lane for not just the Roshans but Shah Rukh too. He has worked
with Rakesh Roshan in one of his first films, King Uncle following
it up with Karan Arjun and Koyla, and has grown to love the family
with whom he has laughed a lot and cried too when one of these films
didn’t live up to  expectations.
Speaking impromptu and with a lot of feeling Shah Rukh touched many
hearts in the audience including Shabana and Javed’s who called
him up later to congratulate him on his fluency with both Hindi
and English. “You speak so well,” complimented Javed who’s
known for his own talent with words.Shah Rukh concluded his speech
with his characteristic wry humour.”Everytime I see a Roshan
I remember a particular song.” he smiled and turning to Rakesh
crooned, “Yeh chand sa Roshan chehra (To the ladies) yeh zulfon
ka rang sunhera, (Turning to Hrithik) yeh jheel se neeli aankhen
(To Rajesh Roshan) koi raaz hai inme gehra, (Then looking up) tareef
karoon ka uski jisne (With a look that embraced all three) Roshan
banaya.” It was one of the best efforts of creative improvisations
that we’ve come across and opened the floodgates for a flood
of memories from all three Roshans who have done their father, the
late music director, Roshan and his wife, Ira proud with not just
this special award that evening but half-a-dozen more that included
the award for Best Debutant (Hrithik), Best Actor (Hrithik), Best
Music Director (Rajesh Roshan), Best Film (Kaho Naa...Pyar Hai)
and Best Director (Rajesh Roshan).
Sanjay Varma was adjudged Best Editor for his snipping in Kaho Naa...Pyar
Hai. Lucky who was away in New Zealand also got lucky with the Best
Singer (Male) Award for Ek pal ka jeena number from Kaho Naa...Pyar
Hai. Farah Khan was also adjudged the Best Choreographer for the
year 2000 for the same number from Kaho Naa...Pyar Hai, an award
that was accepted on her behalf by Sajid Khan who informed everyone
that Farah was busy shooting and hopefully choreographing next year’s
winner. Cont....
Roshmila Bhattacharya
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Also see>>>
A HERO WITH A HEAR and more....
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