Amol Palekar, while exclusively talking to ABP News, opened up about Basu’s film-making method and his immense talent. Here are excerpts from the interview.
Q: Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Bhattacharya and Basu Chatterjee made films, which were considered out of the league. They paved way for middle cinema/middle-of-the-road cinema. What would you like to say about Basu Da’s involvement in films and your association with him through films?
Basu Chatterjee came from a background of parallel cinema and he retained his identity till the end. When it comes to mainstream cinema, there are several elements like- larger than life characters, dramatic plot, hero-heroine and a villain pitted against them; however, Basu Da made films which didn’t have any such element. The best thing he incorporated from mainstream cinema in his films was music. Music is the pillar of Indian cinema. Music in his films was very sweet and pleasing to the ears.
If you listen to the songs of my films like Chichor, Apne Paraye, you will feel that Basu Chatterjee gave me some memorable songs of my career. I will always remain grateful for the same. He was always searching for new things. He was the one, who chose Yeshudas to sing songs for me in Hindi. Yeshudas played a big contribution in my career. The hit number ‘Jaaneman Jaaneman’ from the film ‘Choti Si Baat’ was Yeshu’s first Hindi song. Our collaboration paved way for our friendship. Basu Da made a huge contribution in giving a different identity to my career.
Q: During your era, all heroes used to have a different image on the silver screen. Basu Chatterjee presented you as hero with the image of ‘middle-class everyman’ in his films. Tell us about the specialty of the hero, which you played in his film.
All the heroes of my era had their own larger than life image. Be it Amitabh Bachchan (angry young man), Rajesh Khanna (romantic hero), Dharmendra’s (He-Man), or Jeetendra (Jumping Jack), the actors had their own larger than life on-screen image. Basu Da went beyong everything conventional and gave me the identity of a common man. If you see at these films again, you will be surprised to know that before Basu Chatterjee’s films, the hero never used to travel in a bus or train. The hero didn’t work in an office either; all he did was fall in love with the heroine. The common man related to my image and Basu Da presented a realistic portrayal of the characters, which I played in his films. The audience loved such characters and films.
Q: You have worked with Basu Chatterjee in several films. Tell us about your favourite film which was directed by the veteran director.
It will be very difficult for me to choose any film. Basu Chatterjee’s films had several layers and shades and I got an opportunity to perform something new and different in every character. Hence, it is not possible for me to choose one film. I got to discover something new in every film in which we worked together.
Q: Have you ever disagreed with Basu Chatterjee when it came to delivering a scene? Did you ever say, ‘I would like to act in a scene in a particular way ‘ or something like that.
Basu Da spoke very less; he used to say everything through his script. He used to write the screenplay and dialogues of his film and give it to us. He never told any actor how to perform a scene. Just in case, he didn’t like something, he would immediately say ‘cut’ and scold the actor and say ‘What are you doing?’ I am glad I never got scolded from him in my entire career.