What has a Ninjutsu Master got to say about His Holiness The Dalai Lama?

The Dalai Lama: War And Peace

A lot more than you know, for Stephen K Hayes was security advisor to His Holiness for the better part of the 1990s, and continues to be a spiritual friend'

What was your first impression of the Dalai Lama and how real was he compared to your perception of a Godman?
I first met the Dalai Lama in India in 1986. I was very much moved by the energy of his very presence and by his bearing. I later learned the Tibetans sometimes call him Kundun, which means "the presence". I was impressed by the intense way he paid attention to each question I asked, and the way he answered honestly and directly. I was no statesman or business figure or celebrity, but he nonetheless gave me his entire attention for the hours I spent with him at our first meeting.

As a Ninja you are a man of war while The Dalai Lama is the ultimate symbol of peace. How did the two meet and what was your common ground for conversations and camaraderie?
My martial art is a way to make peace when others might choose violence or conflict. As a ninja I am trained to be a protector. Training to fight wars or fight as a competitor in a cage is very different, not what my martial art is about. I first met the Dalai Lama in 1986, when I came to India following a one-month visit to Tibet. I believe he agreed to meet me as a way of asking for my insights as to how things were in Tibet. I met him again in 1987 in Indiana in the USA when he was there to visit his brother. I happened to be at a small conference in California with the Dalai Lama in 1989 when he received news that he had won the Nobel Peace prize, and I helped his staff with some of the unexpected security concerns when all the reporters arrived. After that, throughout the 1990s I travelled with the Dalai Lama as a security escort when he was in the USA.

Did His Holiness ever suggest a path away from the martial arts?
No. He always accepted that martial arts were the path of discovery of my youth. It was how I came to be the man I am today. I teach others how to be so strong that they can chose compassion and patience out of strength instead of from fear. At the same time, he always displayed the speech and actions of one committed to peace. That of course had an effect on me. Today I still teach martial arts around the world, but I also spend a part of every year in India or Nepal studying with Tibetan Buddhist teachers that the Dalai Lama introduced me to.

What is His Holiness like, away from the concerns of an exiled head of state or faith?
I always tell my friends that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is one of the few human beings I have ever met who totally lives up to his billing. He is so reassuring in his sincerity and compassion for all, and that is surprising for one who was born to be the spiritual king of his country. One might expect a more autocratic or impatient or haughty demeanour of a king, but none of that is there.

His Holiness has this amazing affinity and connection with the West, perhaps more so than any other Eastern Leader. What is the secret?
I think the key to the Dalai Lama's popularity in the West is his ability to speak from the heart in words that truly address the spiritual distress that people in the West feel today. He speaks in the common person’s common sense language, and his suggestions for spiritual peace do not come across as rigid religious commands. In that way he includes all people. Perhaps some other religious leaders present a strongly one-way view of how spiritual life must be, and that alienates all but the member believers..? The Dalai Lama does not do that.

His earnest speech allows many Westerners to be drawn to him, but at the same time I must mention that when he addresses higher level audiences of religious scholars, he exhibits an awe-inspiring knowledge of the depths of Buddhist teachings. He has the wonderful capacity to command both popular and scholastic presentations.

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That the Assam govt was caught unawares by the Bodo extremists exposes a lack of political will

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Bodo Impasse: Ball is in Dispur's court

November 8, 2010. It was the day US President Barack Obama addressed Indian parliamentarians in New Delhi. That very night, the NDFB (National Democratic Front of Bodoland) a banned rebel outfit, carried out a vendetta carnage in Assam killing many innocent people in cold blood. The casualties were mostly Hindi-speaking people residing in Bodo-dominated areas of the state.

The government should have seen it coming. That it did not reflects rather poorly on its ability to take prompt action when it is needed. On November 1, the NDFB had issued a press statement warning both the Central and state governments to stop the killing of the outfit’s cadre and innocent Bodo people. The militants warned that they would kill at least 20 Indians, be they from the Indian Army or the civilian population, for every innocent Bodo gunned down by the security forces.

Chillingly, they did just that. On November 7, a Bodo, supposedly an NDFB militant, was killed allegedly in an encounter with security forces. Exactly 24 hours later, the militant outfit struck in six districts, killing 24 people in the span of a day. Among the dead were innocent bus passengers, petty businessmen and even aged women. Despite a unified command system, the governments in Delhi and Dispur could do nothing to stop the designs of the extremists.

It is true that Dispur had some limitations. Army presence in Assam was reduced – securitymen were diverted to Jharkhand to comabt Maoists and to Bihar for the Assembly elections. Assam had 149 companies of the Army last year. At present, less than 100 companies are deployed in the northeastern state. To make matters worse, the state faces a paucity of policemen as there are more than 8,000 vacancies that are yet to filled. Dispur had initiated some steps in this regard including setting up of the elite Cobra battalion of CRPF. But the process of selecting state policemen as well as their training are going far too slow for comfort. That has allowed an extremist outfit like NDFB to run what could be described as almost a parallel government, as alleged by the opposition, in border areas, particularly on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river bordering Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan.

The state government has pitifully taken shelter behind these limitations to cover up for its failure to tackle the terrorists. However, it is still unable to explain its total inaction in the face of a prior warning of violence that ahd been issued by the NDFB. The bellicosity and brutal nature of the NDFB cadre became evident when it unleashed serial bombings, killing almost hundred innocent people two years back. Yet the Tarun Gogoi-led government in the state did not take any precautionary measures to thwart the NDFB rebels who had threatened to wreak vengeance on Indian people.

Union home minister P. Chidambaram, who had hurriedly arrived in Assam on November 12, while addressing a top-level security meeting in a CRPF guesthouse, ordered an all-out operation by the security forces against the NDFB faction that is on a killing spree in the state. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, along with top police officials from the state, was present in the meeting. Chidambaram did not buy Gogoi’s suggestion that that Assam needed more security personnel. The Union home minister’s argument was that there were only about 150 NDFB militants in hiding in the state and it would not be difficult for the forces available in Assam to apprehend them.

NDFB is an offshoot of the long-drawn agitation by the Bodos for a separate Bodoland state. The Union government tried to assuage the feelings of the Bodo people by first granting them an autonomous area and thereafter putting the area under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The NDFB was totally sidelined in the entire process. A section of the NDFB is in government-designated camps after surrendering.

A few NDFB leaders, including its chairman Ranjan Daimary, are in jail. The group lost nearly 75 of its hardcore cadre in operations conducted by the security forces from January to November. Only those few who have remained outside are still clamouring for a separate and sovereign Bodoland and creating problems by resorting to terrorism.

What Assam needs today, besides additional Central forces, is the political will and acumen to take on the militant faction of the NDFB. The Bodo impasse will continue to be a thorn in the flesh unless the government in Dispur can muster up a coherent strategy to neutralise the extremists. In its latest fatwa, the belligerent faction of the NDFB has warned both Bodos and non-Bodos living in the Bodoland area not to conspire or hobnob with the security forces otherwise all would meet the same fate as on November 8. The government must take that warning seriously and act before it is too late.

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Several finance institutions exploit poor farmers

Orissa Agricultural loans: Micro Finance, mega bucks

A debt-ridden tenant farmer Ratnakar Jena of Andara village in Kendrapara district of Orissa committed suicide by consuming insecticide last month. The victim was landless and had taken loan from a local Micro Finance Institution (MFI) to cultivate the land he had taken on agreement. But a poor crop rendered him unable to pay back the loan in the stipulated time. A high rate of interest made the situation worse. And then there was pressure on the poor fellow from the MFI to repay the amount. In these circumstances, Jena had little choice and he chose the easiest way out— he quit! This is just one of the many cases of farmer suicide in the state. Although micro credit system is considered to be a tool for poverty alleviation, but the increasing number of farmer suicides under debt burden tells a different story. It shows that instead of providing relief to farmers, the MFIs are extorting money from them! It has often been complained that many fraud co-operative banks and micro finance institutions are operating in the rural areas of the state, and as expected, they do not go by the RBI guidelines and instead charge huge interest on the money they lend.

Although MFI operations in Orissa are widespread, there are no guidelines regarding the interest rate. In this context, noted economist Santosh Mahapatra opines, “While the banks provide loans to MFIs at 13 per cent (base rate 8 per cent and charge rate 5 per cent) but these MFIs charge 28 per cent to 36 per cent from their clients, which is obviously very high.” Kailash Mishra, chief of Awareness (India) Finance Limited, a micro credit organisation, says, “When MFIs take loans from the nationalised banks at 13 to 16 per cent, they will naturally claim more than 20 per cent from their clients.”

State Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadei says that the government is taking steps to minimise the exploitation of farmers at the hands of unscrupulous financial institutions by entrusting NABARD with a larger role in agriculture sector. NABARD will be the monitoring authority for the MFIs.

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Police nab a Maoist living in the guise of a teacher

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Andhra Pradesh Maoists: Story of a 'red' herring

It came as a shock to many. Some refused to believe it when they saw her picture in newspapers. For those who knew her as Sirisha, a playschool teacher in Hyderabad, it was hard to swallow that the woman was actually a Maoist and her real name was Padmakka.

Padmakka, also called Nirmala and Sharada, is the wife of top Maoist leader Ramakrishna alias Akkiraju Haragopal, better known as RK. She was arrested by Orissa Police at Koraput where she was to meet her husband. She had a reward of Rs. two lakh on her head.

For the last few years she had been working as manager cum teacher at Rainbow Home-Aman Vedika, a playschool for orphans run by the NGO Aman Biradari at Seethaphalmandi in Chilkalaguda. “It is really hard to believe that one of my colleagues was an activist of an outlawed outfit,” a worker at the orphan home told The Sunday Indian.

Another important aspect in the episode is her strategic silence. The present times, particularly the last three years, are considered to be the period of “recession” (some analysts say it's extinction) in the 40- year history of Naxalism in Andhra Pradesh. Besides the leaders of Janasakthi, like Riyaz, almost all the top guns of CPI Maoists, including Azad, Sudharsan, Ravi Kumar, Madhav, Rajamouli, Patel Sudhakar, Sakhamuri Apparao were gunned down during this period. With the counter-revolutionary action of the state government, the organisational structure of the Maoists in North Telangana, Dandakaranya and Andhra-Orissa border suffered a body blow. During this period Padmakka probably thought it prudent to remain away from direct action and in disguise to dodge the police.

Padmakka had approached Aman Vedika through a lawyer in 2008. She introduced herself as Kandula Sirisha, a destitute woman with modest education up to plus two level.

“Though she was appointed a play teacher to the kids, she was later elevated to the managerial post considering her dedication towards the kids,” an executive at the Rainbow Home told TSI on condition of anonymity. Sirisha treated the kids with the same affection as a mother would her own children. While working almost round the clock she seldom availed leave. It seemed like she had no other interests in life.

However, Sirisha took leave for 10 days against some ‘exigencies’ at her native place, on November 9— a day before the north zone Deputy Commissioner of police, Nagi Reddy, and the local Inspector of police were to visit the place for distributing clothes and fruits to the children.

Later, the staff and the children of Rainbow Home were shell shocked to see her photo in the newspapers and on the television screens, with reports stating that Sirisha was a Maoist and was caught at the Andhra-Orissa border.

But the small kids, to whom she was a beloved amma (mother), can't understand all this. Blissfully away from the politics-ridden, complex world of the adults, the children of the orphanage only know that the woman— whatever be her name— loved them and cared for them. And so they loved her and cared for her. The rest they don't want to know. So the children, about a hundred of them, are yearning to see her back amidst them. As they also came to know that she was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days, the unyielding kids are reluctant to have food till their amma comes back. But as her return does not look possible, the people at the Rainbow Home are in a fix.

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WBPCB's arbitrary decisions hurt fireworks traders

Deafened by noise?

The West Bengal State Pollution Control Board’s dictum on noise pollution is not in accordance with the standard set by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The national standard at 125 decibels was fixed by the National Committee on Noise Pollution Control (NCNPC) after considering a detailed study done by National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Services (DIPAS). It also considered the permissible decibel standards in several other countries.

The WBPCB first set the permissible noise level at 65 decibel (dB) in 1996. But its decision was challenged in the Court where the counsel for the Board could not explain the logic behind fixing the noise level at 65 dB. Justice Bhagabati Prasad Banerjee of Calcutta high Court said in his order, “The Pollution Control Board in our view has acted in a manner which is illegal.” The court directed the Board to take a decision by October 3, 1997. The meeting with the fireworks dealers was held once, as had been directed by the High Court, but ended without any conclusion. Then, the PCB came out with new standard of 90 dB, again without any scientific data or study to support its decision. But it took shelter under Rule 3(2) of WBPCB Act, which empowers it to adopt more stringent standards. But can that right be exercised without any scientific logic?

Those who are directly affected by this decision include the manufacturers, workers and the traders who deal in fireworks. The fireworks industry is incurring losses in crores due to the PCB's arbitrary decisions.

West Bengal is the gateway to the markets for firecrackers— majority of which come from Tamilnadu’s Sivakasi-based industries— in eastern and northeast India. The Court has allowed importing fireworks of more than 90 dB (but less than 125 dB) for re-export out of the state. But the traders find it difficult as the police seize goods on way to export. A petition signed by 8000 traders and dealers, on behalf of the Pradesh Atasbaji Byabsaee Samity to WBPCB to adhere to the nationally accepted standard has been rejected. The Samity also approached the Standing Committee of the concerned department but it too went in vain.

The police, who seldom carry proper equipment to measure the decibels, harass the common people using firecrackers, and arrest indiscriminately even on festival days each year. They even do not care for the Supreme Court’s order dated March 26, 2007 that says, “…for the festivals and ceremonies, the restrictions can be relaxed… subject to directions given by the appropriate authorities of Department of Explosive”.

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Sanjay Leela Bhansali opens up for the first time on his pain, Including Aamir Khan's 'creative differences' with the director

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All my films are a process of self-annihilation

Why are you more exhausted this time after completing "Guzaarish" than you’ve ever been before?
You noticed that? I am completely drained of all energy. I didn’t realise how tired I was until the film was over. Then my body just gave up. To get myself out of the house to promote the film is an ordeal for me. All my films are a process of self-annihilation for me. With every film of mine a part of me gets left behind. With "Guzaarish" I’ve left more than just a portion of myself behind. In it I’ve lived the pain of facing the isolation of failure after "Saawariya".

Was that a tough time for you?
Yes, it was the toughest time of my life. Suddenly everyone disappeared, and that included the people who had worked with me on "Saawariya" for two years... Because of the suffering I began to get seriously interested in the subject of mercy killing. After studying the super-sensitive subject for almost a year I concluded that every human being should have the right to die with dignity.

That’s how "Guzaarish" was born?
Yes, the pain and suffering and the dignity with which I bore them prompted me to make a film on mercy killing. I was shocked to read newspaper reports of people pleading to let the life of a critically ailing child/parent/spouse go. While researching on the subject I fobbed off all temptation to watch films on the subject of mercy killing. I didn’t want to get even remotely influenced in my thought and vision by what other filmmakers have done on the subject. Having said that, I confess I enjoy the pain underlining my creations. I love cinema so much that I want to give it more and more. I had to work ten times harder on "Guzaarish" than my first film "Khamoshi: The Musical".

Curiously "Guzaarish" is your third film on physically-psychologically challenged characters.
I want to ask you one thing: Aren’t the fighters who face and overcome all physical and psychological and social odds our real heroes? When I made films on the hearing and speech impaired, "Khamoshi", and "Black" and now about a quadriplegic, people asked, why films on such peripheral people? Because I want such special people to enter our mainstream society through mainstream cinema. My hero may not be able to walk but his spirit soars. He has a story to tell, jokes to crack, a life to live. Although so much has been taken away from him, Hrithik in "Guzaarish" understands the value of life better than you or me. A hero doesn’t have to beat up ten people and put his hands up in the air in slow-motion and sing love songs.

So are your films supposed to be for a social good?
No no! I make them for selfish reasons. My survival instinct has sharpened after "Black" and "Guzaarish". I met quadriplegics who have lost the use of their limbs but not their spirit. They are not dark, defeated people. Our specialist on the sets, Dr Indu Tandon introduced me to bright people paralysed in body, and yet they are so buoyant. One of these kids John Julius became the hero of "Guzaarish". Hrithik plays this caustic undefeated hero in a wheelchair. John and Hrithik became great friends. They started exchanging emails. Hrithik changed John’s life completely. If my cinema can change one life, I’ve achieved what I had to achieve. We had to get the details right. It’s about a quadriplegic. But it isn’t about quadriplegia. Hrithik plays a magician who after an accident brings magic into people’s life on the radio, and his interaction with the two people in his life, played by Aishwarya and Aditya Roy Kapoor.

Aamir Khan thinks the little girl in "Black" (Ayesha Kapoor) was treated brutally.
Yes, I keep hearing the girl was traumatised. But Behroze Vachha, who has spent all her life working with the deaf and the blind thought otherwise; whom should I believe? I don’t worry about what others have to say. My proudest moment was when the principal of the Helen Keller Institute told me after "Black" that what she couldn’t achieve in 60 years, I did with that one film. I rest my case.

Aamir had a lot of problems with your "Devdas" and "Black"?
He did. But that’s because he cares about my cinema. If he didn’t he wouldn’t spend so much passion talking about it. He may not agree with what I do in my films. But finally I make what I have to make. I appreciate it when an actor of his caliber brings out a certain perspective on my cinema. As long as the intentions are not to run my cinema down I am open to all criticism. He has problems with my cinema just as I may have problems with a lot of his performances.

Would you like Aamir to see your new film?
I would certainly like him to see "Guzaarish". He genuinely cares for cinema. I was upset when he brought up issues regarding "Black" when his "Taare Zameen Par" was on release. The timing seemed unfortunate.

Why are your films so often set in the Anglo-Indian community?
That’s the influence of my school and teachers. The passion with which they taught, the homes in which they lived and where I was invited on rare occasions… I was enamoured of their lives, their eating habits, their red wine in crystal glasses… It was so different from the Gujarati life that I led in my chawl in Bhuleshwar. It provided me an alternate reality.

Hrithik actually learnt magic tricks and got flabby to play the quadriplegic in "Guzaarish"?
I don’t believe in method acting. I don’t instruct my actors too closely. I just tell them what I want. I wanted Hrithik to know his character’s state of mind. If he played a magician, he knew he had to learn magic tricks. A person who is in bed for 14 years had to be flabby. I am glad Hrithik has reached a stage in his career where he’s ready to surrender to a part and not be concerned only with looking good. Audiences want to see stars become part of the drama.

How has Aishwarya Rai Bachchan grown as an actor since "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" and "Devdas"?
Because I know her so well I knew what to tap out of her in our third film together. Her character Sophia is very different from what she did in my earlier films. She is so strong and so resilient. She’s intelligent and hungry for good work because she lives in a family of great actors. She has nothing more to prove. She just enjoys the process of acting.

You’ve also composed the songs in "Guzaarish". How different is it composing your music from getting music from other composers?
You can never get the exact music you want from others. Since you know your characters you know exactly what kind of songs they would feel. The songs came from deep within me. I had a great time working with R.D Burman, Jatin-Lalit, Ismail Darbar and Monty. But the music in "Guzaarish" is my own and very important. My reward was when Amitabh Bachchan said he loved the music; it meant so much to me. Also, the fact that my songs have connected with the young people makes me want to go deeper into music.

People are commenting on the self-contained no-man’s land in which your cinema unfolds…
My films are my world. It’s a world different from the real world and different from the word you see in other people’s films. My "Devdas" was not set in 1939. It was timeless. This doesn’t mean I’d show Devdas talking on a cellphone. I want that moment that bonds two lovers to be relevant even a hundred years from now. For me the joy of crossing boundaries within mainstream cinema is what making films is about. I want to know how my quadriplegic hero Hrithik Roshan in "Guzaarish" is any less heroic than Salman Khan in "Dabangg". I firmly believe the common man has uncommon sense of aesthetics and drama. Wasn’t there a time when Bimal Roy’s films were mainstream hits? "Iqbal" and "Black" were hits in recent times. If Daniel-Day Lewish can be much appreciated as a quadriplegic in "My Left Foot", so can Hrithik Roshan. I’ve great faith in the audience.

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Why Mamta Banerjee is fit to be India's Prime Minister too?

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DR. MALAY CHAUDHURI, CHIEF CONSULTING EDITOR, THE SUNDAY INDIAN

While reflecting on a Star Ananda programme that featured Mamata Banerjee amongst creative artists and intellectuals from different fields on the occasion of 'Vijaya Sammelani', it struck me to note that there is no other known politician in the whole country who finds pleasure in meeting creative artists and intellectuals, and discussing with them the current problems of policy issues and the ways to find solutions to them. It's incredible that despite her busy schedule, she meets intellectuals and creative artists almost regularly, and not just for a one-off photo opportunity. It is clear that she sincerely enjoys meeting them and discussing with them the problems of West Bengal.

This is something really worth thinking and pondering upon. Is there any other known politician in India who meets intellectuals and creative artists – the most sensitised of people – to discuss the direction of the socioeconomic change needed? In contrast, our dynastic democrats enjoy meeting dreaded criminals secretly, even openly, and are not ashamed to nominate them as candidates for electoral posts and induct them as ministers. Intellectuals around Mamata Banerjee are not only top experts in their respective fields, but they are excellent human beings. They are around her not because of the possibility to share power in the post election scenario – indeed, many of them have openly and publicly declared that they will not accept any political position in the government – but because they are committed to the people of West Bengal who suffered during the misrule of the corrupt Congress government for 30 years and then for another 33 years under the regional rural variety of Stalinist regimes.

Mamta Banerjee

Out here, it's worth mentioning that Jyoti Basu created history of sorts by demonstrating how a state level administration under an otherwise democratic Constitution at the Central level can be transformed into a dictatorial party rule by systematically rigging elections held every five years with the held of a unionised and most corrupt police force. Thus, dictatorship and party rule prevailed in West Bengal without the help of the army as well! In fact, Jyoti Basu is also famous for ushering in a state administration without any financial accountability! He openly denied the right of the Centre to ask for proper accounts for the money handed over to the state for implementing Centrally sponsored projects! He propounded the theory that since people of West Bengal contributed to the central kitty, which was the source of the fund handed over to the West Bengal government, the state government did not need to submit reports to the Centre on utilisation of the fund supplied by the Centre. In the process, state
budgets as well as Central funds were mismanaged and literally looted by the Left front parties to enrich themselves. The dynastic democrats of the Centre, of course, collaborated with the regional CPM Stalinists because they required numbers in the Parliament to continue their own loot, to promote crony capitalism and to share wealth cornered by the newly created billionaires by the dozens!

Most probably, people of West Bengal were the first to bring communists to power by the ballot way back in 1977. Although Kerala's communists were in power twenty years before in 1957, that was through a sort of caste and communal coalitions under the leadership of communists like Namboodripad and others including non-communists. In West Bengal, people in general were pro-poor under the influence of progressive writers and poets; and they voted consciously to bring into power a regime that they hoped will help the poor masses. And now, after being thoroughly betrayed by the Left front during the last so many years under Jyoti Basu and others, the masses are finding Mamata Banerjee a sincere and proper mass leader, who enjoys the image of being a non-corrupt politician. Her lifestyle – which is almost Gandhian – as a simple warmhearted person has contributed to her popularity immensely.

To electorally fight the self-styled Marxists of the most ferocious and unscrupulous variety who have immense money power (collected throughout the last 33 years) promoting corruption through a nexus of Ps (Promoters-Police-Politicians), Mamata Banerjee is likely to need coloured money and musclemen. But it is also clear, absolutely clear, that her involvement with questionable characters and coloured currency is minimal compared to the dynastic democrats in other states and the Centre. Therefore, the good-hearted and absolutely brilliant intellectuals and creative artists have reasons to be quite optimistic about the "change" she may usher in after coming to political power, when the compulsion to use colourful money and shady musclemen will no longer be there.

I would not deter from stating that she is absolutely superior quality material when seen against all political scamsters, patrons of criminals and corrupt crony entities of all varieties – despite their so-called "inner conscience" and commitment to "aam aadmi" (as per them, to those having income of up to Rs.5 to 10 lakhs) – as per definitions applicable to different states and their place in the corruption and political criminalisation index of parties.

Therefore, my support is not just for Mamata's Chief Ministerial candidature for West Bengal, but in the future even for the Prime Minister's post in the Centre, provided she really builds up a truly democratic party and implements a socio-political-economic programme with clear respect and perspective for the majority at the bottom of the pyramid; and provided she shows the way to reach out to the "suffering India" instead of standing only for the "shining India".

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Hollywood's finest leading ladies Milla Jovovich

IIPM Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Profile

A quick look at Milla Jovovich's filmography will tell you that she's not one to be messed with. Among Hollywood's finest leading ladies when it comes to kickass action, she talks about acting, stunts and motherhood with Neha Sarin

Tell us what you love about this character of Alice in the “Resident Evil” franchise that you keep coming back to her?
Well, I was always a real fan of strong female characters while growing up and watching Frederick Cats and watching Shira, and reading comic books and was really into Sci-fi, fantasy novels, and reading Dragon Land. I was a real fantasy geek growing up, watching Kung Fu theatre with my dad every Sunday, so for me I always had this dream of being one of those ninjas, it was always something I wanted to be and when I grew up, it was the same as well. Being physical was always a part of my life in a way, so when I got the opportunity to sort of be a past of this video games, it just seemed really fun, it was my brothers favourite game and he was like "Oh my God, you will play my favourite” so I pretty much did it for him and we never expected this kind of small film to snowball into what its become at this point. I met my husband through it and it's almost 10 years of my life dedicated to it and of course, I have such a love for it because it gives me an opportunity to do some that I love so much which is fly and do really crazy stunts.

What do you think it says about female empowerment?
Well, apart from Angelina Jolie's movies or the underworld stuff, it's one of the only films where girls really get to take control and they are not the ones saying, “look out, duck” which is normally the girls role in an action film which is either damsel in distress or a high powered corporate evil woman or something. But you seldom have a woman taking control physically and being able to take on these challenges physically…it's a very Asian thing; you see that a lot in Asian movies. You see really incredible action female theses, it is wonderful that it's been able to cross over and come over here.

What's interesting too is that the whole “Resident Evil” game franchise is based on female characters - Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, Veronica - these are all really strong females. My brother played Jill Valentine, he was not playing like the dude in the game, he was playing the girl…so even the boys were playing the girl characters, which says a lot about how much these women kind of hit a nerve in a lot of young boys. I think it's amazing that we were able to take that and translate into the film world because “Resident Evil” was always that kind of underground game.

Do you think 3-D has made a difference?
Definitely! It's a very immersive experience, as immersive as it is for the audiences; it was just like that for us as actors. You really can't cheat, so when someone throws a punch, a lot of times you are going to get hit by it because you have to be so close, so definitely as actors, we felt like one with our characters, because when those action scenes had happened, you cant lie, you got to get right in there so that the camera doesn't see you cheating and a lot of time there was no cheating.

You are a tough girl on the big screen but you are also a fashion and beauty icon. How's is that combination working out for you?

Well this year, I have been doing a lot of movies, so I haven't been able to do fashion week. I love fashion week but modelling has built my career along with acting, and I have been so lucky to make such amazing friends in the industry and it's made me who I am. That's for sure…being around artists, amazing writers and photographers and art directors, its made my style what it is, inspired by people, by different photographers and different images, the books that I read and people going, “Oh! You have to read this photography book” and just being able to educate myself aesthetically. It's definitely made me who I am, as a person, stylistically what I like.

This may sound weird, but as an actor, I live in a bit of an insulated world. I work on sets, or modelling jobs on a airplane, I have my family so when I come home, I stay home a lot because LA has become a zoo when it comes to paparazzi and stuff and things that I was never used to. Six years ago, you didn't have this kind of madness, so I have become very insulated in my world. So, its fun fore me to inspire myself, I don't like to be boring.

You are the star of the movie, you are in the franchise. How is it at home, as your husband is the director? Do you whack him?
(Laughs) What kind of an interview is this? What part of my life are we going into?

In “Resident Evil: Afterlife”, Alice becomes a human. What does that add to everything?
Oh, there is a joy to it, there is a bit of a sense of humour that she has that she has never really had before. There is a more relaxed quality to her, now that she is part of a team again, throughout all the movies, she was always the outsider, in the first film, she had no memory and then when she did get her memory, it was like, “Oh! You are responsible for this disaster” and then she went to being on her own and now is the first time that she's being able to interact with people on a level that's equal.

Does your daughter accompany you while shooting?
Oh! She goes with me everywhere. You know that's one of the biggest blessings, now that I am a mom I realise that this career allows me to bring my child to work with me which is so rare for working moms. I am so lucky that she can be a part of it, especially now that I am doing “The Three Musketeers”, she is having a great time, she has got all these inexpensive princess dresses, the bigger the better, the more cheesy and rhinestones, she loves it. When me and the other girls are wearing out costumes, she is wearing her dresses, pink and gold.

So you won't be surprised if she wants to be an actress like her mother?
I don't know but it's hilarious she is such an actress and it's really fun to see her perform.


Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

• Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website
• Prof. Prasoon S Majumdar's Articles
• Prashanto Banerji's Articles
• Rajita Chaudhuri's Articles
• Monojit Lahiri's Articles
• K K Srivastava's Articles
  

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