THE IMPOSTER IN BLACK

It’s a set which will surely take your breath away, not just because it is lavish, but because of the precision with which it has been erected. The interior of a swanky hotel has been duplicated by art director R Varman at Filmalaya Studios, Mumbai, for the second schedule of Inderjit Films Combines’ Prod. No. 2. The true-to-life ambience comes alive with beautiful stained glasses and larger-than-life Kathakali masks. At one end is the bar, and at the other end are seated sitarists, tabalchis and harmonium players. There’s also a dance floor which is lighted from beneath. One can’t help marvelling at the art director’s craftsmanship. But if you have been a regular visitor to producer-director Raj Kanwar’s shootings, you shouldn’t be surprised because his sets are always awesome. “We had artists from Madras flown down here to make those Kathakali masks and crafstmen from Delhi to make the stained glass,” Kanwar points out, while talking about the sets.

Just then, the lights come on and you see Mohan Joshi, Chandrachur Singh and Harish Patel standing in front of the bar. Right opposite them, on the dance floor is Mahima, looking stunning in a black sari and choli, her face half covered with a black veil. Choreographer BH Tharun Kumar explains the movements to her, while the director details the situation. Mahima quickly grasps the requirement and gets down to rehearsing the scene.

While she memorises the lyrics, Kanwar explains the scene being shot. Mahima has to express her confused state of mind and her feelings for Chandrachur. “This is a critical moment in the film,” informs Kanwar, “A party is in progress and Mahima is asked to sing. Through this song, she gives vent to her true feelings for Chandrachur, who thinks she is his wife. But all the people gathered at the party know that she is not. She has been hired to play-act as his wife. What nobody knows is that Mahima has actually fallen in love with Chandrachur and is completely devoted to him.”

It’s time for action. Cinematographer Harmeet Singh focusses his camera on Mahima, who has to lip sync to the soulful Anuradha Paudwal melody Mere har saans pe naam tera likha... as Chandrachur and others look on. Kanwar is not satisfied with the first take and urges Mahima to show pain on her face. In the next shot Mahima’s at her expressive best, but she had veered a bit from the camera so another take is ordered. This one is okayed and the shot is canned. “That was a tricky shot because Harmeetji wanted to capture both Chandrachur and my emotions in a long shot and a close-up without losing focus on either of us. So I had to stand in one particular position. If I moved an inch away I would be out of focus,” Mahima informed knowledgeably.

They are shooting the pre-climax which Kanwar promises will be one of a kind. “I have done a lot of experimenting in this song,” he says, “I have always wanted to have a musical climax for one of my films, and luckily, this film warrants such a climax. This 12-minute song which we are picturising is a rare combination of action and song-dance. Action director Bhiku Verma and choreographer BH Tharun Kumar are working in tandem. We are shooting with a Steadycam so that we can follow every emotion on the artistes’ face because this action is emotion based, it’s not the maar dhad kind of action you’ve seen in countless films.”

Kanwar would like to keep the story of his home production under wraps. But he does reveal that Mahima’s playing a challenging double role in the film, that of Kajal and Kajri. “I find her the most promising of all the newcomers. She is very good in emotional scenes,” he insists, “I chose her because I wanted a heroine who can play a nubile young girl and also look like the mother of a child.”

In the male leads, you have Sanjay Dutt and Chandrachur Singh, while Raj Babbar has a “grey shade to his character.” Kanwar insists that Sanjay Dutt is sure to create a havoc with this role, while Chandrachur fits in perfectly as the romantic lead. “He has lovely, expressive eyes and there’s a touching vulnerability about him which makes you want to listen to him,” Kanwar maintains.

Needless to say, like all his past films Deewana, Laadla, Judaai, Jeet and Itihaas, this film of Kanwar too centres around the woman character. “My aim has always been to elevate the status of woman because I love women. And that’s exactly what I have been striving to do through my films. I want to put the woman on a pedestal because I feel that’s her right place. This film has emotion and romance, and is targetted at the youth and family audiences. I am sure it will strike an instant chord with the women audiences, because every girl, every woman will identify with the feelings of the heroine in the film. So convincing is her character,” asserts Kanwar, “I wouldn’t call it a love triangle but the film focuses on the intensity of emotions between the three characters.”

The producer-director who works on only a couple of films at a time, has two more films on hand - Farz starring Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta, and another film with Bobby Deol and his “favourite” Karisma Kapoor.

After this schedule, another set of the interior of a Rajasthani palace will be put up, which, Kanwar promises, will be a visual treat for its grandeur and splendour.