|| Worshipping Success : Dev's Interview ||
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
, Posted by D i p at Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Dev is perhaps the first he-man Bengali cinema
has produced. He is tall, dark, handsome and though his Bengali diction needs to be worked upon, the minute he appears on screen, the hall spills over with whistles, cat-calls and oohs and aahs from the damsels ..
They say you arrived from nowhere to find yourself in Tollywood. Is this true?
I did not arrive from ‘nowhere’ but from Mumbai, the country capital that represents Indian cinema. Instead of making it in Bollywood, I came to Tollygunge. My father owns a restaurant at Bandra and my mother is a housewife. I was studying to become a computer engineer. Unfortunately, there was a paper leak in the final exams. and there had to be a re-examination. We were told to wait for two months, which stretched on endlessly as I kept waiting in Pune. I felt frustrated and went into depression. I felt going on a holiday would be a relief. My father introduced me to Abbas-Mustan, whom he knew through his catering business. I was fascinated and wanted to continue as an observer. They said, “You are already a part of our team”. Ironically, the paper-leak case went to court and the court decided that there will be no re-exam. I passed out with 83 per cent. But by then, it was too late. I feel very sad when I look back to realise that my father’s entire savings had gone into educating me, but it came to naught.
Did you go through any training stint?
I approached Kishore Namit Kapoor who was then conducting a workshop for the actors of Tarzaan (2004) and would drop in on the sets. But I could not afford his fees. He said he would not ask me for money. Thanks to his generosity, he trained me for a diploma.
There were problems at home.
Yes. I had a big fight with my father because he was terribly scared about my venturing into the very risky world of films. I argued with him that one year had already been wasted. I asked him to give me another year to try and prove myself and finally, he agreed very reluctantly. A Bengali film unit came to the sets of a Vikram Bhatt film where I was an observer. Sujit Guha’s cameraman Babul Roy spotted me and asked me if I would want to be a hero in a Bengali film. I asked Abbas
. He said - “Films are not big or small. This is a good chance for you. With us, you can only be an assistant at the most. Go for it.” But the film I was chosen for ultimately did not have me. But I had already boarded the train. This was at the end of 2004. By then, I was determined to make it in films. My first film Agni Sapath directed by Probir Nandy was a flop. But then came Shri Venkatesh Films’ I Love You and changed everything.
has produced. He is tall, dark, handsome and though his Bengali diction needs to be worked upon, the minute he appears on screen, the hall spills over with whistles, cat-calls and oohs and aahs from the damsels ..
They say you arrived from nowhere to find yourself in Tollywood. Is this true?
I did not arrive from ‘nowhere’ but from Mumbai, the country capital that represents Indian cinema. Instead of making it in Bollywood, I came to Tollygunge. My father owns a restaurant at Bandra and my mother is a housewife. I was studying to become a computer engineer. Unfortunately, there was a paper leak in the final exams. and there had to be a re-examination. We were told to wait for two months, which stretched on endlessly as I kept waiting in Pune. I felt frustrated and went into depression. I felt going on a holiday would be a relief. My father introduced me to Abbas-Mustan, whom he knew through his catering business. I was fascinated and wanted to continue as an observer. They said, “You are already a part of our team”. Ironically, the paper-leak case went to court and the court decided that there will be no re-exam. I passed out with 83 per cent. But by then, it was too late. I feel very sad when I look back to realise that my father’s entire savings had gone into educating me, but it came to naught.
Did you go through any training stint?
I approached Kishore Namit Kapoor who was then conducting a workshop for the actors of Tarzaan (2004) and would drop in on the sets. But I could not afford his fees. He said he would not ask me for money. Thanks to his generosity, he trained me for a diploma.
There were problems at home.
Yes. I had a big fight with my father because he was terribly scared about my venturing into the very risky world of films. I argued with him that one year had already been wasted. I asked him to give me another year to try and prove myself and finally, he agreed very reluctantly. A Bengali film unit came to the sets of a Vikram Bhatt film where I was an observer. Sujit Guha’s cameraman Babul Roy spotted me and asked me if I would want to be a hero in a Bengali film. I asked Abbas
. He said - “Films are not big or small. This is a good chance for you. With us, you can only be an assistant at the most. Go for it.” But the film I was chosen for ultimately did not have me. But I had already boarded the train. This was at the end of 2004. By then, I was determined to make it in films. My first film Agni Sapath directed by Probir Nandy was a flop. But then came Shri Venkatesh Films’ I Love You and changed everything.
What happened when I Love You turned out to be a big box-office hit?
Honestly, I was scared. I still am. There is a lot of tension when you are a complete fresher and attached to a film that turns out to be a box-office success. But I am deeply grateful to the two brothers Moni and Srikant of Shree Venkatesh Films who have made what you see of Dev today. It is wrong of the media to think that they run my professional and personal life - they don’t. But I do consult them before I sign on with other producers. I am not contract-bound to them. I am scared because I have put everything at stake to make it here. All my films from I Love You to Bolo Na Tumi Aamaar have been hits. But this is worrisome. I constantly question myself about being able to get the reward of having sacrificed everything else for this career.
Honestly, I was scared. I still am. There is a lot of tension when you are a complete fresher and attached to a film that turns out to be a box-office success. But I am deeply grateful to the two brothers Moni and Srikant of Shree Venkatesh Films who have made what you see of Dev today. It is wrong of the media to think that they run my professional and personal life - they don’t. But I do consult them before I sign on with other producers. I am not contract-bound to them. I am scared because I have put everything at stake to make it here. All my films from I Love You to Bolo Na Tumi Aamaar have been hits. But this is worrisome. I constantly question myself about being able to get the reward of having sacrificed everything else for this career.
To what would you attribute your success?
If owning a Honda City, a 29th floor apartment at South City, good remuneration and millions of fans is success, I do not agree. I am yet to cope with a flop. I will consider myself a real star only when I learn to handle failure. I happen to be a very negative person. When a director scolds me for a bad shot, I go into a corner and weep like a child. On the eve of every release, I feel that this film will surely flop. I never wanted to be a hero. I wanted to become a director. But fate had other plans. I had a vacant and long wait of 14 months between I Love You and Premer Kahini. This was the most difficult period of my career. I attribute my success mainly to the neglect, the humiliation and feelings of rejection I experienced before Dev became a saleable name. The memories motivate me and inspire me to get ahead.
Are you a very hard worker?
Yes, I work very hard. Critics had only negative comments about my Bengali diction. I hired a good tutor and now I can also read Bengali. I spend my time in the gym, or work on my lines, or do homework on my role and go through scripts thoroughly. I also watch films, mainly those that feature Uttam Kumar. He is my idol. I spend time with Moni-da, Srikant-da and Arijit Dutta of Piyali Films who have become great friends and are also like my elder brothers. I do not party, I do not go to night-clubs, and am an extremely focussed person.
If owning a Honda City, a 29th floor apartment at South City, good remuneration and millions of fans is success, I do not agree. I am yet to cope with a flop. I will consider myself a real star only when I learn to handle failure. I happen to be a very negative person. When a director scolds me for a bad shot, I go into a corner and weep like a child. On the eve of every release, I feel that this film will surely flop. I never wanted to be a hero. I wanted to become a director. But fate had other plans. I had a vacant and long wait of 14 months between I Love You and Premer Kahini. This was the most difficult period of my career. I attribute my success mainly to the neglect, the humiliation and feelings of rejection I experienced before Dev became a saleable name. The memories motivate me and inspire me to get ahead.
Are you a very hard worker?
Yes, I work very hard. Critics had only negative comments about my Bengali diction. I hired a good tutor and now I can also read Bengali. I spend my time in the gym, or work on my lines, or do homework on my role and go through scripts thoroughly. I also watch films, mainly those that feature Uttam Kumar. He is my idol. I spend time with Moni-da, Srikant-da and Arijit Dutta of Piyali Films who have become great friends and are also like my elder brothers. I do not party, I do not go to night-clubs, and am an extremely focussed person.
Are there any Bollywood dreams?
None. I have been very lucky so far. I have achieved within two years what it would take other actors 10 years to achieve. The money I have earned from three films is equal to what others would make over 100 films. Thousands would be ready to die for the place I have in the industry. All I have going for me is good height, a good body and some good looks. I am not a very talented person. I am a director’s actor. But can only good looks take you this far? Good-looking guys are all around you. Few of them can make it to the top. So, why would I want to give all this up to begin afresh in Bollywood? My only regret is of being misunderstood by my near and dear ones. They are prone to misread every line I speak as an example of my fame. What I need now is the power to sustain the box office rating I have achieved with the blessings of everyone around me.
Courtesy : Screenindia
Thanks : Suman
Dev Fans Club © - #1 Dev Site Around The Web . Dev Rocks ....
None. I have been very lucky so far. I have achieved within two years what it would take other actors 10 years to achieve. The money I have earned from three films is equal to what others would make over 100 films. Thousands would be ready to die for the place I have in the industry. All I have going for me is good height, a good body and some good looks. I am not a very talented person. I am a director’s actor. But can only good looks take you this far? Good-looking guys are all around you. Few of them can make it to the top. So, why would I want to give all this up to begin afresh in Bollywood? My only regret is of being misunderstood by my near and dear ones. They are prone to misread every line I speak as an example of my fame. What I need now is the power to sustain the box office rating I have achieved with the blessings of everyone around me.
Courtesy : Screenindia
Thanks : Suman
Dev Fans Club © - #1 Dev Site Around The Web . Dev Rocks ....
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