Sriparna Bandyopadhyay

 

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Sriparna Bandyopadhyay

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” The stunt director’s voice was cool and reluctant.

“No sir; not like that. Okay I take the risk… I mean accept the challenge.” The youth chuckled.

 

The heroine was absent. The hero was furious while the group dancers were crestfallen and confounded. The dancers who were supposed to perform with the heroine had arrived well ahead of time as per stipulated call time. They were to move and shake around the hero alone and the couple too in a few shots; but that could have been done later. The entire unit was there to shoot a dance sequence centering the heroine in the soft morning sunlight. The day’s plan went for a toss. Raju Master, the choreographer, was scratching his bald head. The director encircled himself by his team for discussion.

            Anjan, the hero of this film had to appear in a different floor of the same studio after the lunch. He reached the studio in the first half only for a few shots. If he knew, Manisha wasn’t coming, he could attend the ad shoot by this time. He postponed that lucrative shoot, which could have consumed at most an hour or so, just for the sake of these bloody dance sequences. Heroes are after all mostly overrated than heroines. Some members of the unit got engaged in cooling him down.

In this remote location near Joka, a production unit has to bring everything they might need. It would be a problem if one requires even an antacid. Except a few old establishments near Tollyguange and nearby, most of the studios these days are located in outskirts of the city.  

            The mounting dismay among the group dancers were reflected in their buzzing – mere wastage of time, toil and money. Some of them had come even from Barasat, Naihati, Duttapukur covering distances as long as 70 kilometers or more. They had to start in the darkness of dawn to land up in an even darker morning. Could they at least hope for the conveyance if not compensation? Only a few among them were members of Artist Forum who could talk to the production directly. A team has come from a dance academy. They are also negotiating for transport fare through their academy. The scenario was worst for those who came via coordinators. Completely at the mercy of coordinators they would receive meager payments after repeated solicitation. If they try to correspond with the production directly, they would not only block their future opportunity but also the payment due for the works already done. Otherwise, group dancers are in better position than junior artists. They can appear in the same frame with heroes or heroines, can touch them; luckiest and rarest few had even been promoted to item-dancers. Yet the fact remains that they aren’t acknowledged as regular character artists.

Coordinator class usually supplies junior artists and seldom small character artists. Artists in major cast never talk to them; even director doesn’t communicate with them directly, but via his assistant or via some assistant of the assistant. Producers and directors are obliged to offer unsolicited additional parks to those who are paid in millions; and complementary misbehavior awaits those who struggle for a few hundreds. In desperation artists coming through middlemen often try to build direct channels with the production houses. Some succeed, while those caught by the touts, so called coordinator, have to pay dearly with his/her dignity as well as remuneration.    

            It was decided to capture the hero with the dancers. The Director would later makeup the patch-work watching the monitor. Anjan Mazumdar while sipping cold drink studied the dance steps from Raju. A light stand was about to fall due to a sudden movement. A youth from the dance team hopped cross the thermocol reflector and saved the costly gadget. Snob director Amaresh Ojha threw a flying thank.

Stunt director Prabodh Ghosh, who came in the spot for a while from a different floor, with his experienced eyes measured the multigym developed well built body. What a beautiful movement and reflex! The face resembled that of Anjan, especially from the side; height is also comparable. Anjan’s previous stuntman died in an action shoot. The substitute resembled Anjan less and demanded more. In this movie the hero has only one real action; the rest can be managed by Anjan himself. Prabodh himself won’t talk to this fellow. He sent some direction assistant. The guy got puzzled at the proposal.

            “I am Jayanta-da’s candidate – if he is offended? He discourages me to join the forum also.” Arindam, the youth, replied.

            “You don’t need to worry. Jayanta has given us a group dancer and we want a stuntman. Your earning from a single stunt will be tripled or more from a single stunt than what you earn as a group dancer. What kind of stunt can you perform – bike jump, jumping from second story – yah; there will be cushion or sand for support, Tarzan swing? Speak out.” As if the guy had no option for discord.

            “Sir, I can do many things like jumping or so except circus with bike since I don’t have one and the cop may not spare in road. It was our childhood game to cross broken-glass-studded fence to steal fruits from others’ garden. But, I’m basically a dancer having no experience in stunt. I dare not taking risk.”

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” Prabodh said reluctantly.

“No sir; not like that. Okay I take the risk… I mean accept the challenge.”

            “Come on. Rather we are taking risk, dear, by trying a novice like you. Doing stunt for Anjan is a big deal. You’ll have a permanent foothold in the industry. The risk you are talking about will become your passion once you start earning from it. Manisha-di’s absence won’t allow us to do much with choreography, but is giving you a great opportunity. Grab it, dude. Prabodh-da, should he be sent for the makeup?”

            “Certainly; but for the dance sequence for now. Raju-da won’t spare him. He has two somersaults with Anjan’s steps. Amaresh-da wants it too. At most two sequences are possible in Manisha’s absence. Then bring him to me. Now ready him up for Raju-da.”

            “My payment -?” Arindam murmured.

            “Production can tell,” the direction assistant snapped before disappearing.

            Whoever Arindam approached anticipating as production personnel shrugged to name some other dada or didi. A youth with a horse-tail appeared yelling to make Arindam drop his tea for attending the dance floor. According to him all were ready and waiting for Arindam. He had to stand in the second row. The camera required to fix the frame. Arindam reached the spot to discover that many were absent including the central character. Hero was speaking in his mobile leaning in a coach with his makeup artist in action. Half an hour elapsed. Couldn’t they allow Arindam to finish his tea from a micro-mini plastic cup? 

            Arindam was transferred to a corner of the last row upon knowing that he was the dummy for the hero. He was yet to decide if he was at all doing the stunt and had to sacriofice the second focus in dance sequence. Would the somersault also evade him? His restlessness led to minor mistakes and invited a lot of admonishment. Yes, thickening of the skin is the primary lesson to be taken beforehand.

            Dance for the day was over. Some shots were to be taken in different location too. Lunch break. The junior artists and group dancers helped themselves with packets of crude rice, lentil, unidentifiable vegetables and egg-curry. Hero along with the direction team was having multi-course lunch in an ac room. Arindam didn’t finish his meal when he was urgently summoned. One of his teammate teased, “So busy from today? Hey, remember us when you become a star -”

            Arindam left his lunch to rush to the floor and found that pony-tailed guy. “Dada, I have come from Duttapukur spending a lot. Stunt – I mean I am not confident. But shall I be paid after the shoot?”

            “O God! Simply disgusting! How can we make you work without payment? You have to collect payment for your dance from Jayanta-da and for the stunt right here in cash after your pack-up. And the amount is not going to be small.”

            “How much, any idea –?”

            “Production determines it. Talk to Subodh-da. Now go for makeup and stand at that corner. Come on fast. Probodh-da will guide you.”

            “What do I need to do?”

            “Yah, I’m coming Bithi-di -”

            The boy disappeared without giving any hint about the amount. But he talked reasonable. Collecting money for dance from the coordinator and that for the stunt directly from the production manager seemed quite convincing. But he didn’t clear what sort of stunt.

             Anjan Mazumder had gone to different floor. Was hero’s face not necessary for the action? In fact, shooting the stunt was not in the day’s schedule. That had been introduced after discovering Arindam so as to appease the Hero as well as to utilize the studio rent. And luckily enough, Stunt director Prabodh Ghosh was present in the studio with a different unit.

            Prabodh watched Arindam as if he saw the boy for the first time, also interrogated for the bio-data; but didn’t mention anything about the action. The questions implicated it’s going to be some sort of jump or acrobat. The studio was pretty big with security guards in attention. Still there was noise of barking. O hell, street dogs make their avenues everywhere.

            Arindam had to replace his T-shirt with a dirty blue denim shirt. The pony-tailed assistant director, Rana, remarked “pe-rfect”. The dirty shirt was farther stained with red and black patches and Arindam was asked to run along an alley in a particular direction. O no! Not street dogs, they were six Dobermans! None had given the slightest hint, nor had Arindam been asked for his consent. How they were going to behave once they were freed by the trainer? Rana and some others inspired terrified Arindam. It was no shooting floor, but a battle field. A gladiator combating six hungry wolves in the amphitheater!

 

            “Don’t worry. You’ll just run. Before they catch you – cut. The rest is jugglery of camera, game of animation,” the youth who first approached Arindam with this proposal said softly. “If you can impress you might be regular dummy for Anjan-da. Anjan-da is our action hero and you’ll have steady flow of work. Hey Rana-da. Our hero is ready. Get your frame. Amaresh-da, is it ok? Ready? Today’s cancellation of schedule and resulting delay – God, Amaresh-da is fire you see?” Rana called him Bony. If Amaresh-da was angry shooting would be in trouble; what if those Dobermans were angry?!

            The hero, means his dummy had to run along a narrow corridor up to a mark and look back for the chasing dogs time to time. Arindam got okayed only after sixteen takes. The red stains on the shirt increased after each run. He had to deliberately fall on the ground for many times. The shirt was getting dirtier. His made-up wounds weres made more prominent. Not in makeup room, but on the spot itself. Mark of oozing blood from forehead, elbows and hands kept on increasing and new marks of nail-scratch were drawn. If one had to just fall on the ground to escape chasing dogs, scratch-marks were not required. But makeup went on indicating something more than that.

            Anjan peeped for a few times in between his break from the other shoot to understand his action and continuity. He remarked with annoyance, “Dirty shirt worn by, God knows, whom. Prepare an identical one with similar makeover. Dirty shirt, that’s right. Arindam Bhaduri, a Brahmin, didn’t have chance to question while wearing this. Horrible stench of sweat kept his breathes choked. The camera was being rearranged.

            He brought out the mobile from his pocket to watch the time. Four missed calls from Jayanta Naskar. Arindam called him back frantically, “hello, Jayanta-da-” his voice choked.

            “So, you are doing stunt?”

            “I’m being forced to. Before that I performed dance too.” Who had spied?

            “Listen man, none can force one in action. You are not a kid. Did you inform me before doing stunt? If you bypass your coordinator to proceed, I have to discontinue with you. You are no more my responsibility.”

            “But, I have to collect my payment for the dance from you, fight director Prabodh-da’s guy and an assistant director told me that way.”

            “Great! So you are negotiating directly. What’s my use then? Fine, have your payment from Subodh.”

            “But I came for the dance on your call. Payment for that –”

            Jayanta hanged up. Prabodh’s representative came to chase – next shot.

            The shooting was over at 8 pm. Arindam’s wounds all over the body was a witness that the trained dogs were yet to be trained in acting. None could answer clearly whether they had been vaccinated with anti-rabies. The minimum first aid was denied. A spot boy rubbed an antiseptic liquid with a cotton ball and many others showered advices – tedvac, anti-rabies, bitadine, boroline etc, etc. Who was going bare the expenses?

            “Okay. It’s your pack-up now. Go home.” Rana announced.

            “Sir, what about the treatment of my injury?” Arindam asked humbly swallowing stinging anguish and anger.        

            “Let’s see.” Rana dialed someone and went on conversing. Fifteen minutes past. Disconnecting the line he told, “Go home. Medicate properly. By the way, the dogs are trained. I don’t think there’s anything to worry.”

            “Treatment, medication nothing is possible unless I receive my payment. At least my treatment –”

            “O hell! Where’s a shop over here? Talk to the production. The pony-tail disappeared.

            None could recognize after the shoot. Not even sweet-spoken Bony. Subodh was out, might reappear. No one cleared the picture although many were waiting for him. Arindam mistaking a man belonging to another company as Subodh proceeded to talk and receded thereafter.

            Finally the gentleman arrived in his Santro. Arindam went near and flocked around him with others. The fat bellied man attended other credotors and then kept on gossiping with some others completely ignoring Arindam’s presence. Junior artists after pack-up are least noticed. These people behave rudely with ladies as well if not they are noticeable. Please Subodh-da! It’s a long way from Joka to Sealdah. He is going to miss even the last train.  

            “My payment?”

Arindam was finally noticed. “Subodh-da, I have to travel a long distance to Duttapukur. The last train will leave Sealdah soon. Where shall I spend the night? Please release me.”

“Who’s holding you back? Just leave.”

“I’m to receive my payment for the stunt.”

            “You are Jayanta’s candidate, right? We’ll pay him. Collect it from him.”

            “But I’m told by Rana-da that I’ll receive payment for my stunt just after the shoot.”

            “What rubbish! They can’t commit on that. Payment is in our hand. And we have to maintain an ethics. Coordinators supply us artists throughout the year. If you try to surpass, you are nowhere. And new-comers don’t nag for payment, got it? Perform dance or stunt whatever, who brought you here? We cannot betray him. Get your payment from Jayanta. Now move fast. Else lie on the platform missing the last train.”