The next morning, I am ashamed to say that I overslept and was ready only when Selva was leaving the hotel. I apologized and told him it wouldn’t happen again, but he didn’t take it very well. He gave me a stern warning and was quite scary as he did so. When we reached the shoot, he became an entirely different man, a taskmaster in every way, and by the end of the day, I realized this wasn’t going to be a cakewalk for me. The next couple of weeks were going to be tough. Marriage had made me pretty laid-back and everything happened around me according to my convenience, but this was a different ballgame. I was working for one of the most demanding directors in the field, who treated me exactly as he would any other newcomer on the set. I even got yelled at like the others. But there was one advantage. In the evening, after the shoot, I could pick his brains and try and get him to explain why he was being so difficult. It was simple, really. He wanted me to toughen up.
‘The movie industry isn’t an easy place to work in. It’s a man’s world and if you want to get work done, you need to behave like a bitch.’
He wasn’t being derogatory, just using the word that the industry uses for women who are go-getters.
‘People have to take you seriously and in order for that to happen, you have to toughen up. I will yell if you are slow or make mistakes. There is no place for ego or hurt feelings when you are learning. You are in a school that shows no mercy. I am not going to be soft on you because of who your father is, or because you are family. You are my assistant on the set and that’s it. If you can’t handle it, you are still welcome on the set as my sister-in-law, but you will learn nothing. But if you want to pursue this as a career, this is how you will be treated. You did not leave your child at home and come here to fool around. You have dreams and they can only come true if you are willing to put in the effort. If you move on to directing a film, it should be due to merit, not because of your family. If I have a daughter, this is what I would wish for her and this is how I would treat her.’
Every word he said hit home. I understood what he was doing and why. It was because he really cared for me and respected me. I took him seriously then, and that was when my real learning began. I extended my stay.
A couple of weeks later, I was late again. The previous day’s shoot had been incredibly taxing and I had got only a couple of hours of sleep. I texted Selva saying I just couldn’t get out of bed and would love to have an extra hour to rest. I asked whether I could leave with him, just for that one day. I didn’t get any reply. I dozed off and the car left without me. The shooting spot was about two kilometres from the hotel. When I got ready and asked for the car, the manager told me that the director had instructed that no car should be sent back to the hotel to pick me up. I was very upset. It was only the second time in the entire schedule that I was late.
I walked to the shooting spot and it was half past eight by the time I reached. Selva had already arrived. The shoot was to begin at 9 a.m. and I hurried to my tasks for the day, but another AD stopped me. He said he had been instructed by the director not to let me on to the set that day. I was shocked. Everyone was getting on with their work as I stood at the periphery of the shoot. After an hour Selva walked out of the vanity van and onto the set. He saw me but did not say a word. I ran after him and requested him to let me in. He turned to one of the assistants and said, ‘If I get to know that anyone of you has given her something to do or even spoken to her, you will be sent back home right away.’
I was aghast, but my ego did not let me give up. I stood there from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The production boy kept bringing me food and coffee, but I refused to eat or drink. I was extremely angry and upset. Selva had taken things too far. He was being unnecessarily mean and rude and it was just too much. I refused to budge from the spot and nobody dared approach me, they knew they would get fired. When the shoot wrapped up, I got into the team car and was dropped at the hotel. I didn’t even want to see Selva’s face. I called Dhanush, hoping he would sympathize, but he told me that his brother had called and told him not to interfere in the matter. I hung up on him angrily.
A while later there was a knock on my door. I opened it to find Selva standing outside. I was so angry, I wanted to slap him. He asked if he could come in. I let him in silently and he sat down without saying a word. The humiliation came rising up and I wanted to shout and rant at him, but before I could say anything, he asked me if I had eaten. I said no and he got up to order room service.
‘Never take your anger out on your stomach; nothing is going to change if you starve yourself. It’s a very silly way of expressing anger.’
He sat me down then and told me that the incident had hurt him too, but he had big dreams for me.
‘I was disappointed that you were making excuses and still wanting things to be flexible. That is not what I would expect of my own child. That is not what is expected of Rajinikanth’s daughter. You should be an example. If anyone says that this girl takes things easy because of her family and wonders why you are doing all this if you aren’t serious about it, it would hurt me and I know it would hurt you. I have scared you and taught you a lesson. I know you will never be late again.’
After that day, I continued to work with the team until the film was completed.
Who would have thought that I would become so close to Selva and eventually consider him my mentor? Nobody could have predicted that my usually reserved brother-in-law would take me under his wing and prepare me for the hard realities of life in the movie industry. They say relationships evolve every day. What better example than Selva and I?
A Few Hours at the Shooting Spot
It is my husband’s directorial debut. It has been his dream to direct a movie someday and now it’s coming true. We are all very excited. I have read the script, seen its inception, and I love it. The story is endearing and different from what’s happening at the moment in south Indian cinema. The first look has released to a lot of interest, both from the industry and the public. I go to the shooting spots as often as I can to observe how he functions as a director. I love watching the action and have learned something new every time I visit. Today the shoot is taking place at my in-laws’ house. I rush over after work. It’s two birds with one stone: I can watch the shoot and spend some time with my mother-in-law. She doesn’t seem very perturbed by the intrusion. After all, her husband and eldest son are already in the ranks of Tamil cinema’s renowned directors. Now her youngest son is continuing the legacy.
I walk in and the energy is amazing. Imagine a wedding hall a few minutes before the ceremony is to take place. The entire day at a shooting spot runs on a similar energy. All these characters before you, amusing, irritating, interesting, brilliant, all working in a frenzy towards a single goal of transforming an idea into a movie. Since I’ve come straight from work, I have my laptop with me. I sit on the sidelines of the chaos and jot down what I see.
Long iron beams are mounted on the ceiling, all over the house. They support the lights and other equipment. All the fans and hanging lights have been dismantled. The scene is being shot in the living room, which looks totally different. The furniture has changed; a four-seater has replaced the eight-seater dining table. The drapes have been changed too. The sofas are different, and all this has happened overnight. Sprawling lengths of black cloth are all over the place. They are used to cut the glare from the overhead lights or to cover light coloured items. They are also at times used on the floor, a carpet of black cotton. I see cameras, light stands, cutters (also used to cut the glare) and around them, a sea of people that includes the cast, the crew, the assistants, members of the unit and various hangers-on.
Two children catch my attention. A boy of around nine and a girl of about six. The boy seems like a professional, mature beyond his years. He is very comfortable on set and knows why he is here and what he needs to do. The confidence is apparent on his face and he behaves like a veteran with numerous movies under his belt. He talks very little, comes to the shot when called, does his part
and then retires to his seat and concentrates on his PlayStation. The girl is a handful. The assistant directors are having a hard time with her. She talks nineteen to the dozen and is running all over the place. Exactly at the moment that she is needed for a shot, she disappears, although they find her pretty quickly thanks to her non-stop chatter. It’s apparent that it is her first time on set, but her face is full of mischief that could translate very well onscreen. The mother is trying to get her to follow instructions but the kid doesn’t care. When she needs to be serious in front of the camera, she bursts out in giggles. She just wants to have fun. Nobody minds too much because she is cute. Most of the time, the mothers of both children stand in a corner, immersed in their phones. They take calls now and then and appear to be at ease with their surroundings.
The senior actors’ assistants hover around their bosses. They tend to their every need, from carrying the touch-up kit, mirror, water, to getting beverages and meals to suit the actor’s taste. If the shoot is outdoors, they are often seen holding an umbrella over the actor’s head. They all carry a similar kind of bag—a black one, the length of a laptop bag but much wider, with a long strap—and they carry it till the end of the shoot. It is like a symbol of their profession. None of them will part with it even for a second.
Some assistants stand next to the actors and hold their phones while the scene is being shot and hand them back once the director yells cut. The actors trust only their assistants to hold on to these. The other option is to leave the phone or iPad in the vanity van, which, of course, is unthinkable. People do not want to be parted from their digital devices for a second longer than is absolutely necessary. Though I must say, I have also seen some actors who prefer books to gadgets.
While the shooting is in progress, the assistants form a gang in a corner, murmuring to each other, eyes constantly on their bosses. As soon as the shot is done, they rush towards the actors. Phone, makeup kit, water, mirror, anything the actor needs is a glance away. I have also seen them act as gatekeepers when the actor is inside the vanity van. No one is allowed to enter without permission. The only outsider allowed is the assistant director sent to call the actor for the shot. The assistants usually travel everywhere with their bosses and are often the first ones to take and post a selfie from the location. I have seen a few ask the set photographer to take shots of them posing diligently with the phone or another assistant.
Successful actors’ assistants are the most spoilt of the lot. They usually have their own assistants, who do all the running around. Their main job is to interpret the star’s wants and dislikes and dispatch the junior assistants to take care of them. The hero or heroine wants a cup of green tea, the main assistant will ask the junior to get it with enough drama to alert the entire set. The junior will scamper away and come back with a cup, then hand it over to the main assistant, who hands it to the star with a bow and a flourish. It’s extremely entertaining to watch. The higher the actor is on the popularity scale, the more dramatic the assistant’s performance is. The actors themselves do not create much of a fuss. In fact, the assistants get even more pompous when the actors are not around and sometimes create unnecessary distractions. Of course, this is not true of all stars or their assistants.
Then there are the production assistants, who are just the opposite. Discreet and constantly moving around with something useful in their hands. On a commercial movie set there are usually six to ten production assistants. The most wanted one is the guy in charge of refreshments. It is his job to keep the set well fed, alert and on their toes. He usually has flasks of tea or coffee, jugs of buttermilk and lemonade, paper cups and bottles of water on him, depending on the time of the day. He is constantly serving food or drink to the crew. One comes up to me and asks if I need anything. He knows my choices by now. He served me green tea half an hour back and I know he will be back in another half hour to check on me again. I often judge the efficiency of the production unit by how well the production assistant keeps the unit fed and caffeinated!
The other production assistants handle the rest of the crew. The more experienced ones are usually with the cinematographer and the director. The rest are distributed throughout the unit, some with the cast and some with the crew.
Another busy job is that of the cameraman’s assistant. He has to be on his toes all the time. The AD can take a break while the cameraman is working. The actors’ assistants get a break while the shoot is taking place. But a cameraman’s assistant has to adjust the lighting after every scene and prepare for the next scene. It’s not an easy job. Moving the heavy lights, snaking the cables around the spot and finding which cable connects to what, and then connecting everything to the electrical board without frying us all. The angle and intensity of each light sometimes require to be adjusted eight to ten times in each scene and they have to do all the shifting by hand. But these are hardy men who scoff at electric shocks and work with immensely hot and heavy lights. I have even seen them work during meal breaks, gulping down their food before setting up the scene so that it is ready by the time the cast and the rest of the crew finish their lunch or dinner. I am sure they don’t even know what’s going on in the film, the story, or even the scene they are setting up. The lights, stands, skimmers, cutters, cables, boards and black cloth are what their jobs revolve around.
I spot a new AD. It’s easy; he looks like he is just out of school—and rather lost. He has absolutely no clue what is going on and nobody is taking the time to explain anything to him. Time is money and he will have to learn the ropes himself. He cannot sit down, or people will think he is not interested. He can’t just stand around because he’ll get in the way of the crew who are actually working. He walks around, trying to look busy, trying to be helpful, but he is either rebuffed or ignored. He runs along with the rest of the ADs when the director gives instructions, but then his footsteps slow down as he realizes he doesn’t know how to carry out the instructions and someone else is doing it anyway. In a few days, the other assistants will be using him for work he cannot possibly mess up, like calling the actors from their vanity vans, holding the script pad, or just as a stand-in for a prop or a person. He will have that puzzled look on his face for a few more weeks. He will be bored and maybe text his friends, and the director or a senior AD will spot him exactly at that moment and shout at him for wasting time on the phone. From then on, he will have a serious expression on his face as though he is getting a lot done. A few more days and he will be posting pictures on Facebook. One of him concentrating on the script pad with the director (taken when the director asked him to hold it for a second), one of him with his eye in the camera viewfinder or sitting in front of the monitor (taken when everyone else is on a break). He will be ragged a bit, shouted at and ignored. A couple of movies down the line, he will be doing the same to another young boy or girl.
The experienced ADs are making notes, running behind the director, jotting down edit reports, revising dialogues with the actors. They get shouted at for any glitch, they get compliments when they do it right, they are the strings with which the director holds the set together.
The set assistants are making some last-minute changes. The capable ones can transform a place in a few hours. A kitchen turns into a bedroom; a bedroom turns into an office. The audio guy is in one corner with his small recording device. The boom rod guy is his constant companion. After live sound was introduced, these guys have become indispensable. The audio person needs to give the cue that the audio is rolling once the camera starts to roll and only then can the shoot commence. The cue is usually shouted across because he sits about ten feet away from the camera. The boom rod guy with his long rod and mike needs to hold it in such a way that the dialogues and sounds are captured but the mike and he are never in the frame. I have seen these poor fellows in all sorts of positions to accomplish this feat. Hanging on to pillars, lying on the floor, under tables, behind chairs, clinging to posts or walls, hanging from the roof. I am sure they would not feel out o
f place in an advanced yoga class. Right now the boom guy is hanging from a half-open door to record the actor speaking right below him. He could fall into the middle of the scene at any moment, but he hangs on with tenacity and I am fascinated by his balancing skills on a swinging door.
Now I come to the most amusing character—the friend. They come along with an artist and stay the entire day doing nothing. Most sit around and chat with anyone who is free. They eat with the artist they have come with, take numerous photos, text or play games on their phone and leave when their friend does. This happens the following day and the day after that too. I cannot imagine why anybody would voluntarily sit around doing nothing. I guess they are company for the actor friend, but I still find this culture of a useless entourage weird.
One junior actor is having trouble with his lines. He just doesn’t seem to be able to get it right. Numerous retakes later, everyone is irritated with him. There is no one around who can take his place and hiring a replacement could take days. He is not inexperienced and this shouldn’t be happening. The senior actors are all waiting for him to get it right before they can do their part. I can see the man is getting on my husband’s nerves, but he is not showing it. I am impressed. He realizes it is a difficult situation that calls for patience and maybe prayers that the guy will get it right soon. He has already pushed the schedule back and it looks like it’s going to be one long night.
Standing on an Apple Box Page 13