Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | April 18, 2017

You should not Raabta Rajput the wrong way!

At the Raabta promotional event, mingling with the media, Sushant Singh Rajput stood his ground (rather sat firm on his stool) and spoke what he had to, not willing to be bullied by the continuous terming “of national interest” (a question asked by a journalist), by another journalist!

If the above reads a little convoluted, that’s exactly what the proceedings were. Watching the video several times after an issue was created in the media (good for the film though), I realised that the first journalist who asked the question about Kulbhushan Jadhav asked it to no one in particular. She ended by saying, “Aap log comment karna chayege?” There was a choice given.

When they were told by a gentleman on the panel that it would be right to talk only about the film, another pounced on Rajput saying, “You shouldn’t have dumped that question on national interest.”

Rajput was on the dot when he replied: “Somebody should not give his or her opinion if he or she is not very well informed about the topic because it’s a very sensitive thing. So you have to be very very…” (interrupted). “All you had to say was ‘condemn’ or ‘not condemn’,” was the opinion of the journalist who had not asked the question in the first place.

“To be able to say ‘Yes’ condemn or ‘No’ condemn, you need to be responsible enough and know the facts,” replied Rajput.

“So you don’t know?” Bellowed the journo! “Why is it so wrong to not know?”, asked Rajput in all sincerity. “You are a public figure,” she replied! “Do you know everything?” he retorted.

Absolutely! Why is it so wrong to not know?

Well done Rajput. Salute to your sincerity in stating the fact of the matter. It’s best not to pretend to know everything.

The media needs to know where to draw the line and where to ask what questions.

It was a mistake, says Nawazuddin!

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has worked diligently to achieve his current success. His fans are now reminiscing about the small roles he played in Sarfarosh (1999), Shool and Munnabhai MBBS. Those minor roles launched Nawazuddin Siddiqui onto a bigger platform, and he is currently in a league of his own, even overshadowing the Khans whenever he appears in the same scene.

Lion, by Garth Davis, which had a host of Oscar nominations, saw Nawazuddin Siddiqui in yet another bit role, 18 years after John Matthew Matthan’s Sarfarosh. He had a role which lasted a little over a minute. What was the motivation, or deciding factor, for you to say yes to a bit role? I asked him. “It was a mistake,” replied Nawazuddin. “After reading the emotional email sent by the director, I decided to do the role.”

Aarti Chhabria turns director

A short film that is catching the internet by storm is Mumbai Varanasi Express, produced and directed by actor Aarti Chhabria. The film has soul and more, and is much more than what Mukti Bhawan should have been. Chhabria has been working on her project for the past two years, and raising funds as a first-time filmmaker has been a challenge. Ultimately, she managed to persuade herself, her brother, and her father to support her vision, drawing on their resources to bring her dream to life on screen.

Here’s hoping to see Chhabria wield the director’s baton yet again!

Also Read: The real Badshah of Bollywood