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The Many Faces of Tom Alter

The Many Faces of Tom Alter

Interviews, People

“I’ve acted in over 250 India films in the last 33 years and it still amazes me that people ask if I knew Hindi.”, he muses. “Although 50% of the roles I have done are for the money, I have only acted in 10 films as the quintessential Angrez but been bracketed as one for years. Nobody wonders about the balance 240 films in which I don’t play an angrez speaking bad Hindi.” Says the actor perhaps best remembered for his role as the sensitive Captain Weston in Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977).

Perhaps the best known face of the angrez (Englishman) in the hindi film industry, Tom was born in India at Mussoorie and went on to ultimately do a course at Pune’s FTII (Film and Television Institute of India).

His first role in a feature film was in Charas (1976) and his latest, is in Alag (2006). Tom looks for a certain something in the characters he plays for the sake of the role. “If the role is meaty, I like to see some change, some colours in the personality. I like to see growth and change in the character. If I see that in the script, then I get very excited about the role, whether it has negative shade or positive ones.”he says.

Tom has not only done Hindi movies, but also many regional films, including three Malayalam Movies ( I.V.Sasi’s 1921, Priyadarshan’s Kaala Pani and a film called Oru Thooval Pakshikal). Besides these, he has done two Bengali and one Kannada Movie, the latter was M.S. Sathyu’s Kanneshwara Rama where he co-starred with Anant Nag, Shabana Azmi and Amol Palekar.

More recently, Tom has been part of two exciting theatre projects, an Urdu solo on Maulana Azad and the other, ‘Mahatma and the Poetess’ on the letters between Mahatma Gandhi and Sarojini Naidu.

Not many people know that Tom has also written three books. The first, a book on cricket called The Best In the World, was co-authored by Ayaz Memon. His other two books are novels, Rerun at Rialto and The Longest Race, both set in his hometown, Mussoorie. “I want people to read with the same passion with which I write. I wrote ‘The Longest Race’ in a particular way, it is very critical of the athletic system.” He says

Which brings us to his passion for sports, especially cricket that he also plays. He has also written extensively for Sportsweek. As a sports enthusiast, he has been credited with organising the first national triathlon in the 1990s with swimmer Anita Sood and swimming coach, the late Sandeep Divgikar.

“While my publisher has asked me to write another novel, what I really want to write about is change.”, he says, “It’s a strong thread that runs through my books. More importantly, I’m questioning if so much change is really necessary. Things are changing, but are they improving? The more the changes, the faster the spiral. ” he says.

(an edited version published in the November 2006 issue of At A Glance. Photograph by author.)
The Relationship Doctor – Dr. Vijay Nagaswami

The Relationship Doctor – Dr. Vijay Nagaswami

People

Have your scotch on the rocks, not your marriage.

– Dr. Vijay Nagaswami,
‘Courtship and Marriage: a guide for Indian couples’

As arguably THE most sought after marital therapist in Chennai, Dr. Vijay Nagaswami packs in quite a schedule in an average week. For starters, there are 45 sessions a week, of which about 20 are with new clients and the balance, existing clients. That’s an average of 7.5 sessions a day, not to mention workshops on personal relationships management across India and work on his next book. I wonder how this theatre-lover still manages to catch a play or two and spend time with his wife of 18 years!

Meeting Dr. Vijay Nagaswami at his Alwarpet office/consulting room in Chennai (the other consulting room is in Kilpauk), I am struck by the tranquility of the space – nothing too bright, nothing too distracting and every little object placed in the room, exuding an understated elegance. The man himself, is every bit the gracious host, and dispels some myths while answering my volley of questions rather deftly.

So, who is Dr. Vijay Nagaswami?

His experience ranges from having been a Deputy Director of Schizophrenia Research Foundation (India) to heading the HR function in the corporate world across a range of industries to ultimately shifting focus entirely to individual therapy.

“Eight years ago, I began to notice a trend among my clients – they were increasingly approaching me to help resolve conflicts in their marriage. Having worked hard on my own marriage and learnt from it, I began the transition to becoming a relationships consultant.”he says.

Today, Vijay’s clients come from places as far flung as Guwahati, and also include a few NRIs, who consult him during their annual vacation to India, not to mention many clients from Chennai itself.

So, is there a socio-economic skew in his profile of clients? ”There’s an impression that only the well-heeled urbane westernized ‘types’ would approach a relationships consultant. That’s not true. There’s a sizeable middle-class population that is willing to invest in couples therapy and see it through.”, he shares.

How has the Indian woman changed? “The Indian Woman is more expressive than the man in articulating her needs and expectations today. As expectations have changed, tolerance levels have come down. Independence is a strong value for her.”

And the man? “The expression of machismo has changed. With globalization, there are new role models for the Indian Husband. The erstwhile role model of the father has also become less rigid. The man is more willing to engage in emotional processes than before and is also more supportive of his partner.”

“As for these two in a relationship, while women have made a successful crossover into the man’s domain in terms of workplace, the man is yet to make forays into making it a mutual crossover. They do share domestic responsibilities – this has come about out of necessity in a double income household with time at a premium. Earlier, 9 out of 10 times, the woman in a relationship used to seek help and the man used to be dragged to the therapist kicking and screaming. That has changed. Now, in 4 out of 10 instances, the man takes the initiative.”

Which brings us to homosexual couples – has he worked with any? “Sure I have. Homosexual couples have fundamentally the same issues and concerns, although social stigma to a great 
extent, impinges on the relationship.”

What about the dreaded ‘D’ word? “The oft-touted increase in divorce rate is no benchmark of the state of the institution of marriage, as the marriage rate itself is stable. Case in point – the number of divorced people in matrimonial listings!”

As an extension of his work, Vijay wrote a book for couples in 2002, Courtship and Marriage: a guide for Indian couples, published by Penguin India. The book is touted as a best seller, having gone into reprint thrice, with close to 5000 copies being sold. Vijay is more than elated by the response and not just in terms of the sales of the book. He has anecdotes aplenty on how the book, considered a must-read for Indian couples, seems to have changed some readers’ lives.

“There was this person who was on the brink of splitting up with the girl he was dating. He was travelling from Varanasi to Calcutta, and happened to read my book on the train. By the time he reached Calcutta, he literally caught the next train back as he had decided to propose marriage to her after reading the book. I was glad to hear, they had their first child recently.”, he says.

Although Vijay’s professional interest lies firmly in the institution of marriage, in January 2004 his second book, also published by Penguin India, The Splintered Mind: Understanding Schizophrenia, was launched to commemorate the 20th anniversary of SCARF.

And his next book? “Well, it was actually the first book I wrote, a novel, which is yet to be published!”

No prizes for guessing what it’s about – marital relationships, of course!

Some interesting trends that Vijay has noticed over the years:
– 9 out of 10 times, the woman in a relationship used to seek help and the man used to be dragged to the psychotherapist kicking and screaming. That has changed. Now, in 4 out of 10 instances, the man takes the initiative.
– There’s an impression that only the well-heeled urbane westernized ‘types’ would approach a marital therapist. That’s not true. There’s a sizeable middle-class population that is willing to invest in couples therapy and see it through.
– The Indian Husband has changed quite a bit. He is less macho or rather, the expression of machismo has changed. He is more willing to engage in emotional processes than before as well as more supportive of his partner. With globalization, there are new role models for the Indian Husband and the erstwhile role model of the father, has also become less rigid.
– The Indian Wife is more expressive than the man in articulating her needs and expectations. As expectations have changed, tolerance levels have come down. Independence is a strong value.
– Indian couples: They share domestic responsibilities – this has come about out of necessity in a double income household with time at a premium. While women have made a successful crossover into the man’s domain in terms of workplace, the man is yet to make forays into making it a mutual crossover.
The Girl – Meeting Sonia Faleiro

The Girl – Meeting Sonia Faleiro

People Archive

Sonia Faleiro’s debut novel, The Girl, begins with a funeral. Through shifting narratives and timelines, it goes on to explore the life, despair and death of the Girl, in a fictional Goan village, Azul, aptly referred to as “the Village of the Dead”. The Girl remains unnamed through the book, giving free rein to the reader’s imagination, while other characters like Simon or Mama Lola are painted in vivid word pictures.

Sonia and I got freewheeling on how the book came to be. ‘I was in Edinburgh and, as a respite from hours of research for my thesis, I opened a Word document and began writing the story. The sense of isolation at being away from home, also wound its way in.’ she says.

It’s this overwhelming loneliness and sense of loss that sets the novel apart from stereotypical representations of Goa and its people. The melancholic side to Goa that the author has portrayed is something that the Goans identify with, as evidenced by responses on the message board of her website. And the non-Goan readers believe that they’re finally seeing a different facet to Goa in this book.

In early February 2006, at the launch of the book, Gregory David Roberts, the author of Shantaram, said, “With the first book of an author, we, as readers, have been given the privilege to be part of something that’s flowering and growing in the garden of our literary appreciation. The Girl is a marvelously well-written first book, and it’s by a young writer at the beginning of her career. Her talent is only going to get more refined and every book after this, bigger and better.”

It took two years for Sonia to write The Girl, and the only part of the story, that posed a minor challenge, was the character of Luke. ‘It wasn’t a challenge as such, but it did take some effort to get into the skin of a twenty-something American backpacker.’ However, after the book, she feels her writing has evolved and has since come closer in form to her journalism.

Sonia is now writing full-time on her second work of fiction and a non-fiction title. She has an American agent who will represent her and The Girl will soon see an international edition and translation. Sonia continues with her journalism, focusing on the numerous issues that she believes need to be written about and addressed.

Among her favourite authors, Sonia loves the work of Anita Desai and Vikram Seth and among books, Shop Girl by Steve Martin.

Sonia Faleiro is being hailed as a fresh new voice in the world of Indian fiction and handles the accolades with grace, saying simply, ‘It’s been good.’ 

(an edited version published in the May 3, 2006 issue of Deccan Herald, Bangalore. Pics courtesy soniafaleiro.com)
Dream Merchant – An Interview with Nagesh Kukunoor

Dream Merchant – An Interview with Nagesh Kukunoor

People Archive

Introductions are passe when it comes to Nagesh Kukunoor. It’s well-known that this NRI returned to India to make his first feature film with a meager budget, even playing the lead role himself. Hyderabad Blues touched a chord and everyone was talking about this hilarious film about an NRI and his family’s attempts to get him married.

Then came a string of films as varied from each other as they could possibly get (see filmography), but all having those little nuances that define a Kukunoor film. And the nuances are aplenty in Nagesh’s latest film, Iqbal.

Sitting cross-legged on a sofa, in the midst of much post-release activity at the producer’s office, Nagesh Kukunoor says, “Iqbal is the classic underdog tale. If you look at the poster, you already know what the ending of the movie is. But it’s the way that the tale is told, that makes the difference.”

Iqbal, is the story of a hearing and speech impaired person (Shreyas Talpade) from Kolipad village, who aspires to bowl for the Indian cricket team. He has the support of his mother and his sister (Shweta Prasad), and later, an alcoholic ex-cricketer (Nasseeruddin Shah), who coaches him. But the mainstay of this film is not Iqbal’s disability, it’s his unwavering focus and determination.

Speaking of the challenges of making this film, Nagesh says, “The longest time I’ve spent on casting was possibly for the character of Rajesh Naidu in Rockford. After that, it’s been Iqbal. I wanted the right Iqbal – not just someone who could act, but also fast-bowl and barefoot at that. To top it all, I wanted someone who could put in the dedication required to learn sign language and make it look effortless on screen. Which is where Shreyas Talpade came into the picture. I looked at about 200 cricketers for the role, and found they just couldn’t act. Then, I looked at actors who could look like fast bowlers, and that was even worse in some respects. Then, Yateen Karyekar, who plays Iqbal’s dad in the movie mentioned that there were a lot of Marathi actors who are also good at cricket. One of them was Shreyas and we zeroed in on him after separate screen tests for acting and bowling. If you look at the sign-language interactions between Shreyas and Shweta, it’s so effortless and natural. This was what I wanted and got.”

One question that often arises when it comes to Nagesh’s films, is the obvious lack of song sequences. It’s a marked departure from the Indian film format. Nagesh has this to say about it, “While I’ve grown up with Bollywood, I’ve developed my sensibilities as an adult, by watching movies from the West. As a result, I’m unfamiliar with how to handle a format with songs, like it’s done in Bollywood.”

“If you see my movies, you’ll notice that I’ve grown as a person. While Hyderabad Blues was an outsider’s perspective (albeit an NRI’s), Iqbal can’t get more Indian. I have scripts where the protagonist is white, and that’s the prerogative I take as a writer. But as a director, I can adapt the story any which way I want to.”

Coming back to Iqbal, it is not very different from his other movies, yet, there seems to be a conscious need to make a completely feel-good film. “There’s a great deal of cynicism that has crept into our lives. I’ve noticed this of myself too. Somewhere along the way, our optimistic side gets buried. Which is where we need a film like Iqbal that can energise us to go chase our dreams.” replies Nagesh.

KUKUNOOR SPEAK:
– If you want something badly enough, you’ll figure out a way to get it. The key thing is to ‘want badly enough’.
– If you dream of making a movie, it’s entirely up to you how to go about it. You could either get trained under a good director for a few years or like me, just go ahead and make that movie by using your savings.
– I believe that there are some basic rules that one follows in genres of film-making. If one breaks the rules, it has to be conscious. Like in Teen Deewarein, it starts out being a drama and then becomes a thriller. That was deliberate.

FILMOGRAPHY
– Hyderabad Blues – 1998
– Rockford – 2000
– Bollywood Calling – 2001
– Teen Deewarein – 2003
– Hyderabad Blues 2 – 2004
– Iqbal – 2005

(edited version published in September 2005 in Java Connect, newsletter of Java Green Chain of cafes)

Rev’erberate! – An Inteview with Revathi Sankkaran

Rev’erberate! – An Inteview with Revathi Sankkaran

Interviews, People

Seeing the multifaceted Revathy Sankkaran on TV is one thing. But nothing prepares you for her warmth and exuberance when you actually meet her. Ever popped the cork on champagne? That’s her. So how does one begin to define Revathy? She has modeled for TV commercials including one where she played a nun totally engrossed in munching a chocolate bar! She scripted and produced many radio dramas and short films, has done voice-overs and also sung the title track for a TV serial! She says, “Director K. Balachander calls me his ‘find’ – he brought out all facets of my personality in his TV serials. I’ve acted in four of them – Anni, Kasalavu Nesam, Kadhal Vangi Vandhen and Adutha Veettu Kavidhai.” With her two sons away in the US, and a very supportive Mr. Sankkaran, Revathy packs in quite a schedule in an average week. Despite this, she does stop to smell the flowers often enough. She says, “I guess I’ve retained the little girl in me – even a kite can make me happy! Glass bangles are my indulgence. And people who know me, are aware that I won’t balk at shaking a leg!” Has she always been this way? “I celebrate the clown side of my personality and have always been an entertainer. At the age of three, a typical scenario at home was that we would return from a movie, and I would perform the dances for the family. I used to insist that the cook also join the audience, as I didn’t intend putting on the show again separately for her benefit! My two favourite pastimes were climbing trees and riding a bicycle!” she recounts.For sure, this is one lady who doesn’t live her life based on stereotypes! Post her 60th birthday, Revathy has been anchoring Mangayar Choice, a TV program for women that stands apart for its conversational style and focused content. She is also editor of Mangayar Malar, a womens’ magazine, with her key focus now being to increase circulation without compromising on content. She has also played sutradhar (narrator) in Anitha Rathnam’s programs. For harikathas, she transforms herself into a character, Sakku Bai, innovatively weaving concepts with song. She says, “As Sakku Bai, I can combine my love for music, dance and story-telling! I love wearing the costume and the jewellery and going on stage!” she says and adds, “The highpoint in life for me was when I performed a harikatha on the life of M.S. Subbulakshmi, in her presence on her 83rd birthday. Imagine my audacity – singing her songs in front of her! When she applauded me and said Sabash, I felt like I had won the Bharat Ratna!” “Every phase of my life – the translations, the editorship, the TV serials and programs – all these came to me. I believe that if something good comes your way, you must respect it, take it up and give it your best shot. In fact, more than my belief in my ability to so something, if another person shows confidence in me, I go the extra mile.”, she says. On a more serious note, she says, “After the age of 50, one tends to take things to heart. But what happens is, one’s wise side also becomes stronger. When one is hurt, there’s also a voice telling you that you’ve been through so much earlier, this too shall pass.” So how does she define life? “Life is like a walk on the beach – there will be some pretty shells, pebbles and also crabs. We have to accept the entire package and be amazed by its wonders every day.” REVATHY SANKKARAN’S ADVICE TO SENIOR CITIZENS – After the age of 60, every day is a bonus. Those who think their lifetime is over, and that there is nothing to look forward to, are missing out on so much! – At this age, we must ensure that we have (a) enough money to live so that we needn’t borrow, (b) a roof above one’s head so that there are no debts, and (c) the ability to live within one’s means. In short, be independent. – Think like a 40-year old. Meditate and do yoga to maintain yourself. – Stop living for others – especially your children. They are merely arrows shot through you into this world. Rise above the mindset and go beyond caring only for your family. – Be like an umbrella. But remember that those who seek your shade, are not yours. – Think good thoughts for the world. Think of people who are sick – if you can’t spend time with them, at least send up a prayer. Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavantu (May all have happiness) is not only a motto, it’s a way of life. – Consider pledging your body to research. This is the ultimate sacrifice. An ego-less life is a life of happiness.
(edited version published on May 26, 2005 in Madras Plus, the city features supplement of The Economic Times, Chennai)
In-House Doctor – An Interview with Geeta Rajagopal

In-House Doctor – An Interview with Geeta Rajagopal

People Archive

“Feng Shui is really about making your surroundings work for you.”, says Geeta Rajagopalan, Feng Shui consultant, who prefers to call herself, a ‘House Doctor’. She adds, “I prescribe remedies for the problem, as well as some ‘multivitamins’ to boost the overall health of the house. However, a Feng Shui consultant is only required when a house is ‘unwell’.”

“I have made the spaces I have worked on, very ‘un-Feng Shui’, in the sense, the changes are very discreet.” says Geeta, and this reflects in her home too. I expected to see an excess of the customary red-tasselled ‘Feng Shui-ware’ but was pleasantly surprised to find a harmonious living space that has, among many things, a collection of Ganeshas, a console with family photos aplenty, and many paintings by the lady herself! It’s easy to see, that she puts her clients at ease within minutes, as does her home. They say, a person’s home provides an insight into the person. I found it true in Geeta’s case.

So, how did she get started? An incident at Prague converted Geeta into a believer and then a practitioner of Feng Shui. “A bolt of lightning struck the beautiful house we lived in. As the house owner was carrying out extensive repairs on the house, we shifted to a different house. From the time we began to live in the new place, things started going wrong. One of my friends who practised Feng Shui offered to look around the house and finally told us that this house was bad for us. It had been hardly 3 months since we moved to this place but she insisted we move again, also accompanying me for house-hunting trips. We finally shifted to yet another place (approved by her) and found that everything in our life was back to normal again. This got me started on Feng Shui. Also, in Prague, one cannot just practice, there are courses to be done, and one has to work for a while on mock projects before finally getting an opportunity to practice.”

Geeta has been practising ever since she came to India, five years ago. She speaks of her experiences where her clients have benefited from her advice. She has BPOs who won’t move a chair until she approves the move! But there are also some rare occasions, when she has had to request a client to move out of a house. She adds, “I also get calls from time to time saying I’m the last resort to a terminally ill person. I’ve had to tell them, that I am sadly helpless in this regard as I cannot heal people.”

So, how does a Feng Shui consultant work? “The client sets an appointment with me, I go across to their house and after interacting with them for a while, I assess the space. I then suggest changes in position of certain objects and also the addition or removal of certain objects. Some clients call me with a feedback and some give me a feedback in their own way, by recommending me to their friends.”

One final word of advice from Geeta on the Feng Shui merchandise available in the market today, “Everything has its purpose, but it is imperative, that you must be fully aware of what it’s for. If one of these items is placed in the wrong place, it can do more harm than good. It’s like taking a medicine without knowing if it will help you or not.”

Finally, what sets Geeta apart is her innate interest in people and spaces, as well as the interplay between the two.

(edited version published on May 7, 2005 in Madras Plus, the city features supplement of The Economic Times, Chennai. Pic by Seven Shots for Madras Plus)

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