Saurabh Shukla, a celebrated figure in Indian cinema as an actor, writer, and filmmaker, recently reminisced about his early days working with director Shekhar Kapur on the impactful 1994 film ‘Bandit Queen.’ The experience, he revealed, was instrumental in teaching him a vital creative principle: the necessity of finding humor, regardless of how dark the subject matter.
The film, which dramatized the life of the infamous Phoolan Devi, was directed by Kapur and featured Seema Biswas in the titular role. Shukla, who was relatively new to directorial collaborations at the time, found Kapur to be an immense influence. “Shekhar was the first film director I worked with, and I was an avid fan of his films,” Shukla mentioned.
Recalling the intense atmosphere on the sets of ‘Bandit Queen,’ Shukla highlighted Kapur’s distinct ability to inject humor into the proceedings. “It was a gruesome, gory film, but Shekhar used to search for humour in that,” he explained. He shared an anecdote about a robbery scene where, amidst the panic, a villager’s request for a discarded liquor bottle provided a moment of dark wit, a testament to Kapur’s keen eye for human absurdity.
This lesson profoundly shaped Shukla’s approach to storytelling. “Without humour, it’s half, not a complete picture. That’s something I still follow,” he emphasized. Shukla also commended Kapur’s authentic grasp of regional nuances, noting his ability to capture the rhythm and essence of local dialects, even without personal familiarity. Kapur’s method involved listening intently to dialogue, seeking an innate, almost musical, flow.
‘Bandit Queen’ was widely recognized, securing the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and several Filmfare accolades. Saurabh Shukla, whose career spans acclaimed performances in ‘Nayak: The Real Hero,’ ‘Barfi!,’ and ‘Jolly LLB,’ continues to integrate this crucial element of humor into his work, a lasting legacy from his time on ‘Bandit Queen’.