Review: Viewfinder – A Memoir by Amol Palekar

Hindustan Times

4 hours ago

Amol Palekar and I live within a two kilometre radius of each other in Pune. I have often seen him at the walking track that he helped to build (incident mentioned in the book) accompanied by spouse and creative force behind this book, Sandhya Gokhale. He certainly doesn't know me. In my case and for many others, he has been the quintessential common man's actor who looked different and was more relatable than the usual Hindi film leading man. That's all thanks to the Basu Chatterjee films that bolstered that image and gave us an endearing middle-class hero. Those were confidence-boosting films for a whole generation of fairly ordinary looking men with ambitions of being a movie star. Amongst other things, Viewfinder unravels the construction of this screen persona, which Palekar essayed with such effortless ease. The book also affirms his strong ideological proclivities especially reflected in the films that he directed. Needless to say, the memoir is dedicated to 'those who believe in the power of resistance.' PREMIUM Smita Patil and Amol Palekar in Tarang (1984). (Film still/HT Photo) 332pp, Rs999; Westland Books
I have often wondered about the purpose of a Hindi film actor's memoir, which is now a peculiar category unto itself often given to exaggerated self-praise or attempts to sanitize a life by presenting a narrative counter to existing popular gossip. Every attempt is made to hide the star's vulnerability; as if being vulnerable is a crime and actors are beyond the pitfalls of human life. Amol Palekar is not that sort of Hindi film actor; not if his body of work and public stances are anything to go by. His account is expectedly candid, reflective, and filled with introspection about the life he has lived both on and off screen. His films also found commercial success. Slotting him as a parallel film actor therefore would be historically incorrect. At the same time, he wasn't a mainstream Hindi masala film actor either. This is a very interesting quandary for film viewers and readers of the book to think about. But why are we so obsessed with categories? Let us just treat this as a delightful Hindi film moment which cannot be repeated in current times. The appearance of this book, however, presents a good opportunity to think about why mainstream Hindi cinema has completely abandoned this sensibility or genre of films.
There's a lot in the book and perhaps in the public domain too about films such as Chitchor, Rajnigandha, Baaton Baaton Mein, Gol Maal and many more. But my favourite Amol Palekar performances are in Shyam Benegal's Bhumika and Kumar Shahani's Tarang. In both films, he plays characters with shades of grey. Not the usual boy next door. The facet of his life that many beyond Maharashtra may be unaware of is his extensive theatre work, which is discussed in considerable detail in the book. He mentions that the money he made from films would often be used for making plays. Theatre, perhaps, gave him the creative satisfaction that he craved for in films but didn't really find.
Viewfinder also eschews a chronological rendition of his life. Really, can human life and especially a life like Palekar's conform to a linear narrative? The book begins with his extensive work in theatre and discussions on creative freedom and includes his fond memories of working and learning from two stalwarts of Indian theatre, Badal Sircar and Satyadev Dubey. These are not mere adulatory accounts. His appreciation for their genius is on full display. The reader learns that there were fierce debates and disagreements too that eventually led to a complete falling out with Satyadev Dubey. At every juncture, Palekar exercised his creative autonomy. This is an important takeaway for any aspiring art practitioner: don't give up without a fight whether you are pursuing creative work or social justice. The book makes no attempt to hide the actor's politics, which especially stands out in an era when divergent viewpoints are barely tolerated. The book also includes much material about Palekar's association with Hindustani classical exponent Kishori Amonkar and the music composer Jaidev. Asha Bhosale makes fleeting appearances too. Amol Palekar, Ranjit Chowdhry, Tina Munim and Pearl Padamsee in a scene from Baton Baton Mein (1979). (HT Photo)
There is a constant tussle with stardom. Palekar says, at various points in the book, that he didn't want to be a star. He remained a misfit in the star-dominated Hindi film industry and never made a special attempt to blend in. He just wanted to be an actor. A good one. Was he successful? I think the mandate has been delivered.
Kunal Ray is a critic and cultural commentator. He teaches at FLAME University, Pune.