Critics may have panned it and
the producers may have come back with an announcement of raking in INR 100
crore at the box office in the first week but the truth is, Rustom is still a
film that has earned mixed reviews from the audience. Among the various factors
that have disappointed the public is the claim that the dapper Punjabi Akshay
Kumar does not get the Parsi lingo and mannerisms right to the point that he
ends up doing a superficial impersonation of Rustom Pavri in this period drama.
Whether Akshay has taken this criticism with a pinch of salt we know not, but
the argument is that he is hardly the first superstar to be guilty as charged.
There are superstars aplenty in tinsel town who may enjoy the clout to pull the
audiences to the theatres but have managed to leave a lot of expectations
unfulfilled when it comes to pouring themselves in to a certain mould- whether
that is catching a whiff of an accent here or mouthing an odd line or two in
the regional language of the community they pretend to belong to for their
respective roles.
Think Shahrukh Khan as Devdas playing the quintessential
Bengali son of a well-placed zamindar in 20th century Calcutta.
Everytime he uttered a word of Bengali, every Indian who knows a bit of the
language cringed. I mean, how much effort does it take to get a few words right
when you are basing the character in a certain region? And while you may nod
your head in defiance and say how much does that really affect the performance,
I have examples to cite that will hold a light to this thought. Remember
Leonardo Di Caprio in Blood Diamond and his Rhodesian street-smart, uncouth
accent that he got right and stuck to throughout the film? Well, I believe how
well you enact a role includes not only your dialogue delivery and emotional
range but how you manage to convincingly depict the character in his/her
cultural milieu as well. Still not convinced, let these brilliant actors come
to your aid.
Mahmood in Padosan: As a Madrasi complete with a pigtail and bhasm on
his forehead, in this film Mahmood plays a music teacher Master Pillai who is
besotted with his pupil Saira Banu aka Bindu. He sings songs to serenade her,
vows to get rid of the pesky neighbour in her saamne waali khidki and can make
any one who challenges him to a contest of better vocal talent eat dust.
Mahmood who looked like he was born to play this character charmed the
audiences as hero Sunil Dutt’s adversary. He won himself more fans than the
lead stars of this film by getting nuances of playing a Tamilian Pandit right,
down to singing a rendition of his love-lorn condition to prove his superiority
against the protagonist in ‘Ek Chatur naar badi hoshiyaar.’ Not to forget, he
was in reel and real life, matching notes with the legendary stalwart Kishore
Kumar himself!
Naseeruddin Shah in Pestonjee: From sporting a permanent slouch to give emphasis
to the underdog character he plays, to blinking his eyes occasionally to convey
anxiety and belting out dialogues in an accent that completes his mien as the
eponymous character in Pestonjee, Naseer’s acting is a textbook for freshers in
how to dissolve yourself in to the character you play.
Paresh Rawal in the Hera Pheri
series: From his intonation of ‘Ae Raju’
to ‘Arre Deva re Deva’ to convey exasperation, it looks like Paresh Rawal ate
thaleepeeth for dinner everyday to get in to the character of Baburao Ganpatrao
Apte. The films may be 16 and 10 years old respectively, but this is a
much-loved weekend watch everytime it comes on television for my entire family.
Quote Unquote: Kutriya saala,
dekh ke number dial kar!
Aamir Khan in PK: No matter what film he takes on, this man makes
sure he undergoes a complete transformation to essay the character. For
Rajkumar Hirani’s film on an alien who comes to earth and unravels the
mysteries behind religious beliefs held by human beings, he made sure he got
the lilt and flow of the Bhojpuri accent right as well as synced it with his
comic timing to perfection.
Quote
Unquote: Aise tukur tukur ka dekhat pehchane nahi ka hum ka, hum pk hoon pk.
Kangana Ranaut in Tanu Weds
Manu Returns as Kusum: And just in case
this list begins to look too male-centric, here’s another one. She might be
sentimental but don’t mistake this petite, pale-skinned girl for a vulnerable
girl next door. Kangana as Kusum or Datto in the second installment of this hit
franchise managed to lift the film to new heights by her sheer screen presence
and electric performance. Playing a Haryanvi athlete who falls for a very much
married but confused doctor, she managed to win hearts carrying the film right
on her shoulders to the very last scene. What stood out, was her completely
different avatar with cropped hair and buck teeth and yes, the perfect hold on
the dialect.
Quote Unquote: Mhara naam
Kusum Sanghvani, Yo Mhari saheli Pinky, Main Ramjas college Delhi University me
padhu su, sports quote te admission leya, National level ki athlete su, jila
Jhajjar, aur phone number main daunko naa!
So next time our highly venerated
and larger-than-life superstars of Bollywood take on a role with an unfamiliar
accent, they know whom to take inspiration from!
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