Tuesday 10 July 2012

Because Art Is What You'll Make Of It...!


Marking 6 months of Na Bole Tum. And 6 months of following a performer who lends soul to his performance. 

Kunal Karan Kapoor - you're truly the coming of an artist! 

ps: Also (belated) Happy Birthday to a friend who's made many days of my life over the last one year feel brighter just like that! 

---
July 9th


The episode was, as I think has been sufficiently - and unless I entirely missed some drastic forum drama - unanimously established, as Kunal Kapoor's arena! Ever since I got done watching, I've been torn between two conflicting mindsets. How exactly does one react after an episode like this one? No team of show makers can really use an actor's genius, unless he himself will live it out and give it all - and I have never known moral, ethical or professional compunctions to become the motivation for an actor to truly deliver. If Kunal still managed to give Mohan and the Monday space what he did give - he's an artist in more ways than I have personally appreciated him for! Because working on correcting and perfecting a minor quarter of a castle of cards while the rest of it sways and falls to a heap is not something everyone can do - much less an artist who is genuinely a performer of his art... The Kunal fan in me was rooting with an admiration that had no way to be subdued, no matter what my sensibilities had to contend. 

And that is brilliant. As is it ironic. It's not just about a commitment he has towards this team and the show - "Mohan" has to be dear to him in more ways obviously than any reasons that he may find to detach himself from the character! I was saying this elsewhere, and for making my case I shall say again. Indian television is perhaps one of the worst cases of typecasting at the moment. An authentic platform that seems to "honour" mediocrity as a virtue that should trump difference and thought. It doesn't mean there aren't people who are different - it only means that survival for this minority is obviously more than just an artist's struggle to exceed quality "competition". 

For some like Kunal whose lisp I assume has landed him more often than not in roles of stumbling, fumbling, goofy, stammering sidekicks - "Mohan" has obviously been a life altering opportunity. And frankly - "Mohan" is the chance he is, because Kunal himself makes it out to be so! What he had in hand was merely a case of not being typecast the way he had been previously. I remember this Rangmunch interview where Rinku Karmarkar mentioned how at the start of the show some from the team had apprehended the makers' decision to bring on a hero who lisps. And then she'd trailed into what in commonly accepted parlance is Mohan-Kunal-jaap! Something the audience is far too privy with, and as it turned out, so is the cast and crew! 

Anyway. What Kunal's made out of this opportunity is an indisputable case for himself, as an actor who can no longer be recognized for or upheld on account of a speech fault and the consequential typecasting he may have faced in the past. It's not just while "Mohan" lasts either - even if yes, it's fresh and of greatest impact while that's there - fact is, Kunal has successfully managed to free himself of being "stereotyped". Whenever the tomorrow comes for "Mohan" to wrap up, he will not - or at least should not - have to apprehend going back to the sidekick roles which were casually put together to "accommodate" him to "fill up" screen and script space with more than just the protagonists. He is no longer part of the "baggage" and it is not unlikely a tediously earned spot - which obviously runs much prior to "Mohan" happening, even if for me like many others, knowing the gem he is has started with Mohan. 

Anyway. When NBT started off, and safely upto its 100 episode mark, and some weeks into it too - what Kunal had in hand was an asset. An asset he had struck gold with and turned into the chance of a lifetime. What he currently has in hand however, is at least in part an albatross. Mohan himself may not be the distorted character of the series even yet; but Mohan does not exist in mutually exclusive space. If he was the epicenter of a brilliant slice of life plot earlier - the SuperM(oh)an whose interactions with just about any other made the other stand out too; Mohan has now become the hold it together super-glue. He seems like a blackhole of authenticity at some level - because while words like authentic, vintage and logical fall flat over most of remaining charades, Mohan holds out like he's absorbed it all in himself! There is the possible bias of Mohan being a favorite, for everyone from the makers to the audience turning to Kunal to salvage the situation from dire straits. But honestly, like I said above, I doubt any artist can deliver as Kunal has consistently been (through much low and little high of recent times) out of the sheer pressure of "expectation". Curiously enough, expectations evoke a sense of obligation in most people even with respect to vocations that have been entirely of their own choice and interest. I find it very humbling to believe as a mere fan of this artist, that he may have succumbed to neither the "expectation", not the "obligation" it brings in the wake. Somehow, even as I find myself increasingly losing out on my front as a viewer - he holds on not in faith or optimism but with a sensibility that seems like a myth to me when I look at the big picture otherwise. I want to say for myself here - and perhaps most will disagree-  that if "faith" or "optimism" was all he progressed with, the conviction would not come through to me, ever. 

But what Kunal is managing to do here - something that puts me in another level of awe for him as just an artist and no strings attached - is delving so deep in the psyche of his character that he can essay sense even when there is an immense lacking of it. If you can lie like you believe it, sometimes it will not just seem like the truth - but actually become a truth in some alter universe. Sometimes, when a lie matters that much, somehow you make it real in some realm. And Kunal does that. Contrary to what most in his place would have done, he wasn't parading around with Mohan when the latter was in a soaring place, because he figured didn't have to. He was giving it all no less back then - but it was easier, because Mohan was in a place Kunal could easily slip into. He only had to slip in and out of shoes that nearly fit him anyway - and the onus was more about handling the center stage spotlight upon himself. At this point, the center stage focus is a heavier task. If Kunal was another kind of artist, a more usual kind in Indian telly industry, I would likely in all my judgment assume he's losing little sleep over disconnect or distortion. I'd probably go as far as assuming it either didn't matter so much to him, or perhaps even eluded him partly! 

But if Kunal was any percentage superficial or shallow in his understanding of the show, of Mohan in it and where and how he stands with respect to all else and others - he could never bring conviction to this point of the "story" (or lack thereof, if I may!). At a point where I in the viewing audience find the gap to be such a gaping hole - there is no way for him to not fathom its gravity. And yet, for an actor who consistently tried to establish himself as distinct from the "Mohan" on screen, in his real life bytes - Kunal has currently stepped right into the core of the caricature that is Mohan, and is what breathes life into it like a heartbeat. 

For all my saying all along of how Mohan and Kunal are intriguingly inseparable cases - at this dire stage I take back part of my opinion. A lesser actor could have possibly carried Mohan forth in the good times, and still connected with us - we may think not, accept not, being spoiled by what Kunal has made of Mohan - but fact is so. But what a lesser actor could not have done is what Kunal does now. When a lesser artist would have found it easiest, even inevitable, to "disconnect" with the character he was portraying, Kunal has only lodged himself more firmly in place. He has reinforced - not contrived - sensibility and conviction into Mohan! He has literally submerged himself into a place where he is only Mohan, where Kunal ceases to exist. The phenomenal part of it has been not just sustaining Mohan - who has constantly seemed like the least altered on account of I can no longer say the "story" or Kunal - but he's done so in complete awareness and understanding of the inconsistencies around Mohan. At more points than not, in his scenes, Mohan somehow lends sense to those who're sharing the screen with him. Somehow, you feel a little more sympathy for Megha. Somehow, you manage to connect with what Ved and Mohan have at another level beyond contentions. Somehow, you feel empathy for Indu. Somehow (in my case) even a sheer unwanted extra like Ridhima too feels ... tolerable. 

And that I believe has been his greatest feat yet. Carrying Mohan through times of reign was more a journey of ruling. Carrying Mohan through ruins is the tricky part. One that can automatically transition into seeming like an obligation, often irrespective of the host of an albatross wanting for it to seem so or not. But somehow, Kunal has done what Mohan does best. Strike a balance. He seems to understand the discrepancy of the script in a complete manner, and not just with regard to Mohan. And he puts his understanding to root himself deeper in the character of Mohan - the key to all the tangled webs which make lesser sense each day by themselves. 

I've always been one to believe no actor however good can carry on himself the weight of a failing story. And while logically I can still not challenge that fact - Kunal seems to manifest the contrary through his art day after day. I don't feel any more kindly for what NBT has been made into. I can't put aside all the contentions that rise for me as a viewer with respect to just about every character (mostly excluding Mohan). But on days like Monday's episode, when Kunal just takes over the stage and does his thing - I find myself in such a sublime place of content (even if "sensibly rueful" of it in bits and flashes of awarness, lol!) where somehow, for a while, I can just go back to being the NBT viewer who could for some 20 odd minutes everyday descend into another world that isn't my own, but still find myself "fitting in". 

I'm not sure how long Kunal can do this. I'm not sure where and in what he finds it in himself to balance the act of understanding fallacy and infusing sensibility in it. I don't know how many days I can come back to this place feeling like I do now - in such a conflict with my own domain between contention and conviction yet compelled to be here - but everytime that I do, I will always want to come back and say what it means to me. To know there is someone on this team who is capable of the very enviable feat of striving for change in a system, by being a part of its center. To have followed an artist who will truly, like an underdog that he is, exist with it, against it, without it, for it! Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap 

---
I'd really hoped to write something for the occasion of 6 months. And I'm glad the muse to still feel the coming of an ode for this show and my love of it remains the one piece of the jigsaw that fits right in the middle of all the groves and cuts like it's no ones place or business but his - Mohan Bhatnagar

ps: I think the one reason Mohan somehow manages to retain himself characteristically - apart from Kunal's part to play in that - is what Sonal Ganatra once said about being quite like Mohan. Maybe, just like for Kunal, Mohan comes so naturally to her, that she can lend him sensibility even in the middle of a lot of lesser reason. So even if this is only an acknowledgement in the postscript, I want to say what's been her part of grooming and nurturing her baby - has been the making of a wonderful journey! Here's hoping that as she continues to spin stories for her followers, her pen will emerge as the mightier force to reckon with! 

Dear 6 month old NBT - Here's toasting to a way back home...! 

25 comments:

  1. Already replied on IF
    you are definitely one of the best writers I have ever known.
    Gonna share this brilliant piece of writing on my fb wall
    shamil

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shamil, like I said on Twitter, you're ever so generous and warm - it's more humbling than I can sufficiently say! You're always free to tag and share anything from here because you're you =))) I actually end up mailing most of your BT segments to my Mommy and she thinks your stuff is HOWL-arious!!! :D On which note, I also finally read and commented on the latest - another bull's eye!!!

      xx

      Delete
  2. woah lady! this is exhilarating, specially reading this immediately after such an intense episode. i still am speechless of wht kunal has achieved in y'day's episode. as usual u r d voice for many of us who cannot put it all so well :)
    i do hav my own disagreements with a point or 2 but it aint a discussion n i am sure this will provide with enuf fodder for his talent. keep up the good work :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much!!! Do I know you from the forums? Pardon me, but can't seem to place your ID, and just curious!

      And if it's not trouble for you, I'd love to know about your points of dissent! Nothing like a good debate to make a fruitful day! =)) I would absolutely never be offended, if that is any part of your reserve, and always welcome a difference of opinion because it's the only way to see things that I can't or don't by myself! =)

      Thanks again! xx

      Delete
  3. well, u dont know me et al. i 1s saw ur tweet on kunal's wall n started following u. well, the way u write is kinda different n ur views stand out.
    My disagreement has ntg to do wit ur perception. frankly i never watch any dailies, bt thanx to Mr.Bhatnagar, iam hooked onto this 1. n yea i totally accept if not for him, the serial has lost its hold long back.
    1."I would likely in all my judgment assume he's losing little sleep over disconnect or distortion"
    - this sentence is so unlikely him. sure he lives mohan now, but through the interviews i feel he is so v.clear of what he is as a person n what mohan is onscreen.
    n I am hopeful he manages both the roles well

    2."For some like Kunal whose lisp I assume has landed him more often than not in roles of stumbling, fumbling, goofy, stammering sidekick"
    - this particular sentence u must be right cos as i said I am not much of a TV person. i don't agree with it cos i just started watching LRL,(thanx to my obsession to know this actor) n i still see him standing out in the group. This view can be cos I only have eyes for him these days. He seems immature but his acting still holds good. he has come a long way, but i feel even then he was awesome compared to others frankly.

    well, ur views might b unbiased n mine otherwise. . . i dont know but this is it :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, I'm glad you got back here and made those points Spandy, cause it seems we just have a communication gap here! So,

      1. I actually preceded that first statement you quote after an "if he was another actor" - which implies that in Kunal's case, I assume he's not like the others and WOULD be bothered by distortions! And so what you and I are saying, is the same - that his regard for Mohan is too great for him to "overlook" inconsistency!

      2. And here, my reference was entirely in terms of the "roles" he had been offered, NOT what HE made of them! For one, like I said in my most, my discovery of Kunal has started with Mohan so I've not really gone back to watch his older shows, i think my bias from now would always be too great. But for another, while I'm sure he did justice in his place to any and every role that came his way, or he wouldn't have grown into the Kunal he is today - it IS sad that he was offered primarily substandard and compensating roles! And that's all I meant to say - Mohan changes that. He gets a role - not just as a protagonist - but as a character where he's NOT being typecast, but being taken on because HE would make that character come to life! =)

      I hope I made better sense clarifying the points - thanks again for your comments and input! xx

      Delete
    2. oh well! my bad :)
      nw i get u :)
      as i said, ur way of writing is so different, sometimes its all bouncers, n i end up reading it twice or thrice b4 i get to the gist of it. dont mind.

      Delete
  4. Just commented on the IF thread and as I had said last night immediately after the episode ended, it was Kunal all the way!!!!!! Just sheer brilliance :) .. God Bless you KKK.

    Meenakshi/Zaphy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I saw that Zapho, and that you linked the thread on Twitter too - thank you for always being such an encouraging support!

      xx

      Delete
  5. Aww Jazz...this friend returns the sentiment completely for you've brightened up many days for her this past year too...including making her b'day special *squishy hugs*

    -------------------

    This has to be one of your best written pieces yet and I do hope Kunal reads it for he deserves all the accolades possible for yesterday's epi.....he totally outdid himself.

    NBT completed 6 months and its been quite a journey probably more so for this actor than anyone else as you've described so beautifully...and echoing your last line....I would love it if NBT found its way back home somehow *tying a knot in a hanky* for otherwise it would be a sad waste of this brilliant actor who pours SO much honesty and earnest emotion into his acting no matter what the part, no matter what the premise...there are sincere actors and then there is Kunal who just seems to pour EVERYTHING he's got into his role...he seems to take sincere, honest acting to a whole another level.

    Anyways, that's enough of my ramble...thank you for a lovely writeup once again, Jazzay...we're all BIG FANS like Kunal is :P ...hope to see more from you *hugs*


    -Anu

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I smiled really wide reading your sign off as "Anu"! I guess solemn notes somehow reflexively warrant that - even between us - don't they?! In my own odd-fangled ways I totally LOVE how you're always Nur, except when it "really matters" - which is when Anu just slips in! Just adds to the weight of the real name for me - like something only preciously used! =)) Man, I'm such a hugely random person, it doesn't even make sense to me half the times!

      And word to what you said about Kunal puring everything into his art, taking sincere and honest to JUST ANOTHER LEVEL. When was the last time, right? It's hard to let go of a winning project like LTL as MR did because his art is not being satisfied - but it's also another level of hard sticking around and making sense where it is so spaz! If it was just about "bread n butter" it would not come off at another level of sincere as you say. The obligation would become apparent, inevitably! But I do believe what makes Kunal stick around is his own singular will to make this work. And contrary to whatever logic and contentions, I can't wish but for it to happen - whatever miracles are about and however dim their scope!

      On a personal level, I would be MR any day! I don't have the Kunal in me to stay I guess - but there is a part of me which would honestly and candidly want to learn to be Kunal sometimes... Just 2 different ways of "striking" a difference, right? *tying hanky knot with you* that NBT may somehow, sometime strive to become worthy of such an artist again!

      And Anu ji, I have only you to credit for "big fans" - given how my being on IF is synonymous with meeting you and the rest becoming history...! *hugs*

      Delete
  6. Jeez, lady. Dare I say your art is as refined as Kunal's? Thanks for penning this on the occasion of 6 months. Kunal's impeccable performance yesterday has left the masses speechless and gawk-eyed. I have long been in awe of his his ability to wear Mohan like a second skin. Yesterday was simply an affirmation. I'm glad others feel as I do about the character metamorphoses we've seen across the board in the previous weeks. For now, I'm relieved that Sonal Gantara is back in the driver's seat, so to say. Mohan IS the glue that holds it all together, and I believe he will be charged with this task time and again. KKK's conviction will only make Mohan's task that much easier. As for the man behind the 'mask', he seems to rise higher with each day, each performance. To think - this is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether it be the remainder of NBT, or a new conquest in the future, KKK promises to deliver so much more. Extra innings? Indeed!

    Hats off, Jazz.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Word to what you said about Mohan being the glue who will be charged with this task time and again - he's their ace and saving grace at once... I've just ended up with n number of hanky knots all over my wardrobe now hoping he can hold fort - it's no easy coming or going!

      And thank you so much Payal - genuinely humbled, coming as it is from someone who is superlative enough in voicing expressions! =))

      Delete
  7. JZeee! You put it up on blog as well..superbly written as always!..seriously this guy has made following this show worth it..worth it on times like this where we find the story at large not the way we hoped..marvelous performance indeed.

    Maz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aah, yeh, I did Maz! Wanted to link it direct up to Kunal - as i was telling Nur yesterday, what keeps an artist striving to be an artist before a breadwinner - in my opinion - is a muse, and the response. And with what he's pulling off consistently, Kunal deserves to know exactly what's being perceived on the other side. With so much critique rounding up the show for all the legit reasons - he's the one factor still holding fort from strength to strength - and it's only fair that he know we can see that and appreciate it so much... right?! =)) Like I was telling Nur, I just wanted him to read this - for his record and keeps. And hold onto it, because one part of the audience is, even in the middle of losing much faith!

      Delete
  8. JZ!! i just came across this on twitter. I have yet to catch up on last week's NBT and haven't seen that 9th of July episode obviously but WORD WORD WORD at everything you say about Kunal. I have lost complete interest in NBT but I still get pulled in to watch it at times for Kunal's Mohan. In fact, Mohan is the only reason I sit through the 20 minute show these days.
    Alrighty, I'm off to catch up on last week's Mohanisms and of course this 9th July episode.

    ~ Amy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amy, saw your quick comment on Nur's latest thread and so you already know why 9th was Kunal/Mohan's show all the way! Like you said, he is the reason now - but that he proves to be not just a reason we have extra inclines for, but someone who continues to outdo himself in the middle of testing circumstances shows he's WORTH all the hopes we pin on him! =)

      Delete
  9. Jazz !!! U r one amazing writer (Of course, I need to read with a dictionary in hand .. lol )..
    Kunal... and his Mohan are the only reason i sat through the melodrama of last 2 days !!! This guy never stops amazing me - he made mohan part of my life .. with his expressive eyes and brilliant acting !! Cheers to my fav actor in telly world !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Swapna and a big hug!!! Mohan has been a part of our routines for half a year now, and Kunal truly does never cease to raise his own bar - all accolades fall short! =)

      Delete
  10. Jazz !! I came across this post after twitter visit..though I had already shared my view on this on IF.There my id is passionalive. But I must say you are truly an amazing writer I have come across. Word to this lady- i mean it exactly..
    At more points than not, in his scenes, Mohan somehow lends sense to those who're sharing the screen with him.

    The scenes where he is with any random or prominent character make sense to me and provides sense to the other character and story too..I feel this quality is inherent in Kunal and Mohan Bhatnagar.

    I am fortunate and proud enough to notice Kunal on the very first promo and there is no looking back afterwards. I had noticed him in his previous show Pratigya and once his role got over,I stopped watching the show.It was not consciously done..just could not connect to the story later..all mundane dramas which is not so mundane in my opinion..that was the time when I did not even know his name. but could see him randomly in TV circuit at some or the other place.

    I am not a phangurl who will keep cheering even if the act or story does not make sense.But I do get peace and smile when I watch Kunal on screen. I can always connect to him as an artist.

    I had just forgotten that I have been watching Mohan Bhatnagar since last 6 months and can not remember when he became a life of NBT.When Mohan and Kunal merged, its little difficult for me to differentiate.You are right what you said about maintaining a balance.the dedication, the understanding towards this character in Kunal shows..But he is little different from Mohan and this appears in his interviews to me. The kind of little aloofness, little lightheartedness and no-nonsense makes me really connect to him as a person..Kudos to Kunal for bringing life to Mohan Bhatnagar..wish him all the best for raising his own bar and growing leaps and bounds as an actor..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Pals!
      And yes, despite the stark stand outs that make Mohan and kunal overlap in dominant manners, Kunal has his own individuality of course - and ditto to what you say about how the one thing which even a ridiculously chopped and distorted script doesn't change is connecting with him as an artist!

      Never watched him in any of his earlier shows, and won't go watching now because I'd have my obvious bias - but Mohan is enough to go by on marking him as potential that is rarer than rare these days! So power to him and his art to have a long ride yet!

      xx

      Delete
  11. Hiii,i'm Jassie..This is the first time i'm reading your post,thanks to Kunal's twitter post...Seriously i had the slight clue that it'z been 6 months since the start of the NBT journey...I truly loved every aspect of the way you've concocted the emotions of Mohan's and dissected his character..As a writer,i believe Mohan is such a gutzy and powerful character which i've been drawn to since Day 1...And to display it perfectly is no piece of cake and kudos to Kunal,especially for stealing this week's episodes,which literally made me CRY for him...When i watch him,i watch the depth of his character,which is an unforgetttable and challenging character=>>Juz shows the level of commitment and breath effused by Kunal himself!!

    Indeed,he has raised the bar of acting for his career and insha Allah may he get lots of diverse yet challenging roles and carve an unimaginable and fantabulous career for himself!!!

    Cheers,
    Jassie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hallelujah to your wish for him Jassie - and thank you so much for coming by with your kind words! Glad you enjoyed the write up, words don't do justice to Kunal and his art altogether!

      Delete
  12. hey jazz! Really love ur words...! I just came across it through twitter. Ur description about kunal was amazing..! U r such an amazing writer, i think u can write a complete book on mohan... :)) i wish this ode to the fine actor never ended.. Thank u so much for writing such a fine piece, plz do write more.. (ps just read ur 'about me' down thr, u're really cool! Guess u've gained a fan today :) ) cheers, -Manpreet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, thank you - although I wish writing a book could be half as easy as writing a brief blog! Mohan Bhatnagar however could be a lasting muse any day!!!

      And hugs for the last lines - hope to see more of you around here then =)

      xx

      Delete