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February 11, 2007 | 06:10 PM
Masoom and Naseeruddin Shah
I have so may questions from people that remember Masoom. It was my first film and get surprised that people remember it so much. I must start blogging about my experiences from it. I picked up though, the following extract from a recent interview with Naseeruddin Shah which evoked old memories of old times, old friends ....
The following extract is from 'Times Now' :
AG: I remember ‘Masoom’. I was a child when I was taken for the film. I still don't know why I was taken to see ‘Masoom’ but....
NS: But for some reason everybody showed their children ‘Masoom’... to prepare the ground I guess.
AG: Maybe it was because of Jugal Hansraj?
NS: He was angelic. ‘Masoom’ in fact was after ‘Sparsh’. It was wonderful. I went into it with an attitude of great patronage because Shekhar Kapur at that time was nothing but a failed actor and boy friend of Shabana, you know... and I thought "oh poor Shekhar... he wants to make a movie and let’s help him out".
But with the very first shot that was taken in that movie, I revised my opinion of Shekhar Kapur as a film maker and realised that I was in very safe hands and that this was going to be a very wonderful movie. I felt that from the very first shot that he did. There's a shot of an envelope that's the letter I received, and then there is a tracking shot of my hand with the envelope as I am walking down the office corridor and from that moment onwards ‘Masoom’ was a total joy. And there are very few movies which have been like that,
Thank you Naseer for those kind words.
Shekhar
shekhar
30 Comments Posted. Post your comment
Dear Shekhar,
Masoom is genuinely one of the best movies ever made in Indian cinema and I've seen it so many times. One thing that strikes you right away is how genuine the emotions are, and the love with which it has been made. Some scenes that have been etched in my memory are: Jugal Hansraj showing the crayon pictures he has made to Shabana in the car and her reactions, Naseer breaking down in front of Saeed after the cricket picnic, Jugal asking for his father from the 'tootta tara', Jugal hurting his hand while making the box and calling Shabana Mummy - just fabulous).
Q1. I would like to know how the film became so emotionally authentic - How did you empathize with the characters of Jugal/Naseer/Shabana and how did you make the small boy act?
Q2. Some of the scenes look so spontaneous e.g. when Nasser is driving Jugal home from the station he says "Yeh Purana Qila hai..(then laughs)... bahut purana Qila hai." Were some scenes like these just created magically in the moment?
I would just keep the questions to 2 for now and I'm really waiting for your reply.
Thank you,
Himanshu - New York
Masoom is one of my favorite movies. I grew up listening to Lakdi ki kathi. I have seen the movie 275 times (this is not an exaggeration!). In fact I have downloaded the movie onto my laptop so I can watch it whenever time permits. Similar is the case with Mr. India. The best thing about Masoom is that the emotions are so real, and have been so beautifully portrayed. Nothing in the film comes across as put on. I would like to say that Bollywood has lost one of its greatest talents in Shekhar Kapr. No one can make films like you do.
dude...
what was your mind set at that point of time? what made you think of direction? what difficulties you faced being a first time director?
kedar
Hi Shekhar,
'Tujh se naaraaz nahi zindagi' was (and is) just brilliant... and so is Masoom... I happened to watch it as a kid, and as a teenager (both on TV)...and the movie was...hmm...lets leave the words here...
Dear Shekhar,
As I live right near Times Square a few weeks back I picked up the DVD for Elizabeth from the Virgin megastore(just for the commentary - I had seen it before). I was so surprized by the commentary and loved your passion during the commentary. It seemed so real to me that I felt like Dudley, Norfolk, Cecil and Walsingham were you friends. I think you should do a similar commentary for Masoom and release that DVD. Yesterday when I was thinking about Masoom, I thought that besides loving it I didn't exactly know what to ask you (a commentary makes it quite interactive and I have lots of questions about Elizabeth). Love your explanations about working with a western score, convincing actors to work, shooting in the wind when the camera just won't stabilize on the crane. Most importantly when you talk about the big stone pillars in the palaces, and how small humans and their destiny is compared to it.
And, for my friends here who do not have the Elizabeth DVD yet - do get it, Shekhar's commentary itself is enough for the price.
Thank you,
Himanshu - New York
Masoom is about beauty in simplicity - thats the way I see it even today. The raw emotions and innocent charm has a rare quality of freshness which is seldom seen now-a-days. Every lyric had been thought out,well-placed and of course melodious..
After long, a movie like Dor seems to fit that genre of movie-making ...
hey,
Finally, you started your blog on this movie. Jugal Hansraj was indeed angelic! In fact, the kids were really cute. I tried to find the identity of the girl who played Urmila's kid sister but in vain. She was damm cute. All in all, I guess it was a perfect movie with a beautiful blend of maturity for adults and innocence for kids, hence putting it in the genre of quality family cinema.
All though, with this article, the thirst to know more about the movie has increased. Hope to read more such blogs... :)
Regards,
Nikita
NS' comments on why parents took kids to watch Masoom - "to prepare the ground" is funny....yet life has brought many a families to similar situations...do extra-marital relationships make a marriage weaker or stronger, even..hard to say..
Masoom was great, thank you making such good movies.
Rashmi
Masoom was just great. But what you made out of Mr. India was phenomenal.
With limited special effects at that time you had created wonders with your imagination.
You are master to get the act from childrens which were proved from both masoom and Mr. India.
With the increasing Re makes of movies, I wonder people would really like to have these movies to be remade with todays special effects.
Can anybody please e-mail (sprakash365@yahoo.com) me the link where I can download or purchase the Lakdi ki Kati song (in Video format) . I stay in Mumbai and can be reached at 9820229710 and I require this for my daughter as she dances ad smiles when she hears the song.
I had watched the Masoom movie when I was 10 years in the theatre and I enjoyed it...
Thanks...
Prakash
Dear Mr. Kapur
I would like to say that i really loved the movie Masoom, and really liked the boy 'Jugal Hansraj' I think it was a great movie and nice to know that it was your directrial debut.
I just wanna say that the whole thing of Masoom is just tooooo goooood. Thank you for giving us a films like Masoom and Mr. India and one of the cutest actor of Bollywood 'Jugal Hansraj' Moreover, i didnt like when you signed vevek of your next film 'paani' I think you should work with JUGAL HANSRAJ once again because i just love the actor very much, and you're one of my fav director as well. In the near future I would like to see more of your movies, but please dont forget JUGAL HANSRAJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Its obvious that you’d have more comments from women than men for masoom. For me that film was a first away from the usual masala films.I was nine when I realised hey that’s a real film! They do real films!
As much as it was you drawing out performances from the actors I think it was the universe conspiring to make sure a film that tugged at the strings of maternal love was being made. A film that would make every human question if they had it in them to love unconditionally.
So apart from thanking you for this film..i want to say well done to your entire team..
Your most sincere work to date…now try connecting back to that “you” who made it..
God bless,
:0)
sir
I want to start with that i hav not seen many of your movies except Mr India ,Masoom and few sceens of the hollywood flick "elizabeth".
i was myself surprised to know that u don't know that how much viewers like ur movie "Masoom" and for ur astonishment i cannot stop myself crying from the IInd half of the movie.The magic of the movie still works with such good script and such impeccable performances of Mr shah and legendary shabana azmi.
But its a pity that u hav not worked on hindi film for a long long time now nor do u makin any hollywood movie as such.please tell me r u intersted in makin sum movie in future and what ur views on how bollwood is heading towords(witout you).
sir
I want to start with that i hav not seen many of your movies except Mr India ,Masoom and few sceens of the hollywood flick "elizabeth".
i was myself surprised to know that u don't know that how much viewers like ur movie "Masoom" and for ur astonishment i cannot stop myself crying from the IInd half of the movie.The magic of the movie still works with such good script and such impeccable performances of Mr shah and legendary shabana azmi.
But its a pity that u hav not worked on hindi film for a long long time now nor do u makin any hollywood movie as such.please tell me r u intersted in makin sum movie in future and what ur views on how bollwood is heading towords(witout you).
Dear Shekhar,
I never knew earlier that you made the movie "Masoom", the movie of all the times and an everlasting one.
What a masterpiece it is, no words to explain, "a little star" in the history of cinema.
Binaya Joshi
Kathmandu
Nepal.
a masterpiece and i think ur best work...in no other movie were u able to play with human emotions with such artistry...but i dont think the actors had 2 much to do to give them the credit...i beleive it was just ur raw & hungry directorial genius.. It is the only movie i cried after watching....may be bcos it released when i was 13...
masoom - a tender touch
masoom - a silence that sings the song of life ...
Shekhar ji
no matter what i say about this film it is less.
The beauty of this film taught me a lot of lessons... as a person i understood life much better... thanks to such a wonderful person like you..
fantastic film, love it
masoom was a great movie.so touchy i just cant forget many scenes.the song tujse naraaz nahin zindagi hairan hoo main.....
Hi Shekhar
I have been wanting to watch an old, forgotten movie of yours, " Libaas" for the past ten uears. Not available anywhere?
Any idea how to get it?? Please...
Hi Shekharji,
I was 10 years old when I saw your movie Masoom. It was the greatest movie ever made on children. I have a Question? Who is the second girl child which play the role of younger sister of Urmila Matondkar? Please tell me about her if possible send me the latest picture of her.
Rakesh
Chandigarh.
I have seen Masoom about 5 times. First as a child, then as a teen, then on the verge of adulthood. The beauty of the movie is that its like an onion. Pardon the analogy, but it has layers and layers of meaning. Each time you watch the movie, yet another layer opens. For me, the most touching moment in the entire movie is the last scene. Simple, yet so deep.
Thank you sir for such a wonderful movie.
I read in your blog that you are a child of the partition, just as I am a child of the Emergency. Could I be so forward as to ask why is that you directed a movie on Elizabeth, but none on partition?
its my Favourate song
Hi. Masoom is a film very close to my heart. Enjoyed this post immensely. It'd be wonderful if you shared more about the film and your experiences during and after.
Hi,
Masoom is my favourite movie, but can anyone post something about Aardhana ( Minni), as per imd she acted in Khoobsurat and Satte pe Satta, but how can she be so old in those movies, if they released around the same time as Masoom ( as per the imd release dates)or is it that Masoom took many years in the making?
Also it would be gr8 if Shekhar shares his experience during Masoom.
Hai,
I saw the movie masoom again today and could not stop myself from getting involved in it.It is a good movie.Why dont u try something of this sort in bollywood these days.
jimmy
An Excellent movie - I have watched Elizabeth and Mr. India - and liked this one much more. It was my father's favorite, and I saw him get teary eyed while watching it. I think my mother did not like Naseerudin Shah's character in the movie, but my father was more forgiving. :-)
I remember him when I watch the movie. Interesting story which was very well directed and acted.
Naseer Bhai!!!!
The dignity he brings to his acting leaves me in awe of his acting really!
When Naseer bhai agreed to do Masoom, he would have casually come in and then realized that Shekhar Kapur is not actor anymore...maybe his education , his individual approach is good, a kind of spark that he thought would be potential talent...latent...
Yesterday, I watch "Khudakeyliye" in last half an hour I see Naseer bhai...his introduction scene where the heroine speaks and he reacts...and I tell myself...see this Koizen, see his reactions too are so timed and come with effortless ease...
and then I see court room scene...the man uses all the 5 senses god has gifted to him...he does not pause but gathers his breath with loud nose noise...his eyes open up...glaring and he goes on to tell his dialouges with a kind of belief that he is speaking to god!
Naseer bhai...sometimes I find him cakewalking with his acting talent and then many a time I am awestruck...mersemerized by sheer dignity he gives to his work!
My respect for actors is because there are actors like Naseer Bhai who keep the dignity of profession alive and kicking!
Who can forget Masoom!?
It had great actors but you extracted wonderful performances from the kids as well.
Same with Mr. India. A wonderful tale that caught the imagination of parents and kids alike.
I'm a lame fan though, not having watched all your movies. To be honest I'm still trying to reconcile the blogger and the film-maker :)