IFFLA 08′: Interview with Actor Rahul Bose (Before the Rains)

A couple of weeks ago, Yama Rahimi attended the Indian Film Festival in
Los Angeles (from April 22nd to the 27th). Now in its 6th edition, the
festival works at promoting a greater appreciation of Indian
cinema by showcasing films about India and the diverse perspectives of
the Indian Diaspora. Here is his coverage.

Bollywood A-list cinematographer and art house director Santosh Sivan is one of the few directors who has the double duty of lensing as well as directing his own films. He returns with another stunning film after The Terrorist left us craving for more of his talent.

This film based on a short Israeli film called “Yellow Asphalt: Red Roofs” is about the conflict an Indian man who’s torn between his loyalty to the British and his native villagers after he witnesses his boss having an illicit affair with a married maid that threatens his existence in the volatile colonial India of 1930s. A great story with a sumptuous setting along with a superb cast including Linus Roache, Rahul Bose, Nandita Das and Jennifer Ehle makes this film a noteworthy period film. Sivan brings his magic behind and in front of the camera and makes him one of the best directors in India.

Yama Rahimi: How did this project came to you?
Rahul Bose: My manager in LA told me about this project that was making the rounds here and also the director Santosh Sivan contacted me that he wanted me for the film but the producers were not convinced since they wanted a younger actor. So they wanted me to audition and I refused to audition. Couple months later, I was shooting a film in Houston when I got a call from my manager asked me to put myself on tape and I did so reluctantly but then didn’t think of it since they were looking at 20 or 30 other actors. Then I heard that I got the role, so it almost didn’t happen.

YR: Wow, that must be daunting that the director wants you but the producers are not convinced. What I thought was fascinating about this film was and that we haven’t seen before that most films are done from the view point of the anti British but never of those who helped or collaborated with them. So the British must  have lost their closest allies first.
RB: It might have happened a lot where Indian with divided loyalties that hasn’t been explored in cinema. A lot of Indians thought that British were good and our film is set  ten years before the independence of India, so there must have been a lot of Indians like my character who came of age at that time.

YR: How challenging was the role for you?
RB: The challenge wasn’t being a villager or South Indian which I’m not but the silences because my character  observes more  and doesn’t say much which I loved. I wanted to make sure that the whole dilemma of my character were clear in those silences which was in the script in between the lines.

YR: How was working with Santosh Sivan who’s one of the few directors who also do the cinematography?
RB: Santosh is not a very verbal director. He’s great with non-professionals. He expects you to do your homework and doesn’t say much unless you make something wrong. He directs with his camera. We got  along perfectly since besides being a great director he’s also a great human being.

YR: What do you think of the Hollywood and Bollywood connection where the studios are investing in Bollywood films and Bollywood films are well received in Hollywood markets in the UK and Germany?
RB: I think Bollywood films will be always formulaic and genre specific but I hope that films like ours show the world that there’s quality films that are not Bollywood. There are films in Bengoli, Hindi and other languages that you can’t call Bollywood. Not that I have anything against them. In fact I have done few Bollywood films but they give me a chance to exercise my acting muscles.