The inside story

Emraan Hashmi

Movies about movies are a sub-genre unto themselves, each telling a distinct story. While Farah Khan gave a comedic touch to her directorial venture Om Shanti Om (2007), Heroine (2012) highlighted the ups and downs of stardom in a cut-throat industry; while Luck by Chance (2009) showcased the struggle of an outsider making it in showbiz, the series Call My Agent: Bollywood talked about the life of PR agents. Disney+ Hotstar's upcoming series, Showtime - featuring Emraan Hashmi, Rajeev Khandelwal, Naseeruddin Shah, Mouni Roy, and Mahima Makwana - is set to expose the inner workings of an industry that has often made people curious.

Sumit Roy

So, what does it take to tell an insider story about the industry? Access, one would say. However, to show all that goes on behind the tint of glamour, it takes much more - guts, the willingness to risk being in people's bad books, the ability to get people to support your idea and a compelling narrative to get the audience hooked. The challenges of crafting such stories are as diverse as the films themselves.

Balancing authenticity with sensitivity

When Rajkumar Hirani tried to capture Sanjay Dutt's life with Sanju (2018), it was created after months of long conversations with the superstar and the people around him. While the biopic, with Dutt at its centre, had the advantage of first-hand view, it also had the disadvantage of having a filtered perspective. The insider knowledge comes with the responsibility to portray the industry authentically while treading carefully to avoid stepping on toes. Striking that balance is paramount. Showtime writer-creator Sumit Roy says that a huge part of the writing process involved writers ruminating about their experiences in the film industry.

Milan Luthria claimed that there were a lot of challenges in making The Dirty Picture, including when he wanted to cast Vidya Balan as Reshma, as her image in the industry did not match the character

"A few years ago, there was a huge amount of misinformation about Bollywood, and I was aghast, as a member of the industry, at how people were saying and believing anything about it. When Showtime came to me, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to address the misconception that everything in the industry is bad. Bollywood is an artistic business and artistes tend to have huge egos. So much so that I feel there are some people in Bollywood whose body weight is like 90 per cent hot air and pompousness. They can be extremely sensitive sometimes about how they're portrayed, how they're spoken about. So, when we were about to start writing our show, which is going behind the scenes in Bollywood and spilling the beans, there were definitely concerns about how it will be received. But at the same time, I was clear that, the material has to come from a place of observation, a place of truth, [and must reflect] things that I have seen in the industry. Because in the last three-four years, Bollywood has been over-scrutinised," says Roy.

Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan were sued for making a parody on veteran actor Manoj Kumar in Om Shanti Om

He was certain that he didn't want to get called out for giving an inauthentic take. "The intent of the show is to talk about larger themes within Bollywood - what it means to be an insider versus an outsider, or to be a woman in Bollywood, and also to talk about the tyranny of the superstar." He gives example of a scene in the series where Hashmi's producer character is shown yelling at a superstar [played by Khandelwal], outside his house, for refusing a project. Roy says that this had actually happened between a superstar and a producer.

Fear of whitewashing

While authenticity is paramount, many times, filmmakers choose to avoid telling the whole truth so as to not aggravate the person involved. For instance, Hirani was criticised for whitewashing Dutt and going soft on the allegations of his connection with the criminal world. In sharp contrast, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar depicted the harsh side of showbiz with Heroine.

Madhur Bhandarkar

"When I made Chandni Bar [2001] or Traffic Signal [2007] or Corporate [2006], all the film industry people applauded me and were happy for my films' success. However, when I decided to make Heroine, people were not thrilled. My movies are 70 per cent true and 30 per cent fiction, so people start drawing parallels and that can get tough sometimes. When the trailer of Heroine released, a lot of people got upset with me. This is the same film fraternity that appreciated my National Awards; they were all happy till the time it was not about them. People wondered how I'd expose my own fraternity. But I didn't want to lose my integrity by sugarcoating things. My honesty is with the audience, not with the fraternity," he says.

Industry politics

Behind the glitzy façade of Bollywood lies a complex mesh of power dynamics, rivalries, and groupism. Gaining access to insider information can be both a blessing and a curse. While it provides invaluable insights, it also means treading cautiously to avoid getting embroiled in industry politics or running the risk of offending many with the truth. Bhandarkar shares, "That's why I am an independent filmmaker. I am not part of any group, gang or circle. There is a pressure when it comes to the film fraternity because people think it's uncomfortable because you are showing [the truth]."

Heroine and Page 3

While Roy is eagerly waiting for his March 8 release, there is also tension in the air. The creator-writer says, "The stars and filmmakers in the series are based on real-life stars and filmmakers. A lot of the plot points are anecdotes from our lives that we witnessed or knew of. After writing, one of the concerns was what would happen when we took it to Karan [Johar, producer]? I was a bit skeptical. But to his absolute credit, he was a complete champion. He immediately saw the intent of what we were going for. [I am not making this] because I have some axe to grind with someone. Lots of characters are amalgamations of different people, so they [audience] can have fun decoding. There are some worries about what will happen when the show eventually drops. Will people be offended? Maybe we should go underground for a couple of days."