Fond Memories of A Sheikh
He might not have been a royal elder in Arabian tribes and cultures, but Farooq Sheikh in the sense of his world was definitely veteran acting royalty.
A face and champion of Indian Independent Cinema.
Sheikh recently passed away, due to a heart attack in Dubai at the age of 65 on the 28th of December 2013.
A man who truly alongside countless others of course, too Hindi cinema by storm during its mainstream lull (the 80's) and gave meaning to the 'act' in actor.
Most people wont know him, he wasn't your run of the mill superstar rather he was that coal among fake shining gems, who worked himself hard and turned into a bright Diamond. Shining, flawless and unbeatable in whatever it is he did.
Farroq Sheikh will be really missed on my side. So lets take a trip through (my) memory lane to celebrate...
The Actor, The Legend and The Sheikh
A Khan Debut, A Sheikh Show
The first time I ever saw Farooq Sheikh on screen would be in the typical mediocre 80's film; Biwi Ho To Aisi. Full of stock characters and by the numbers melodramatic plot
The film revolves around Village belle Shalu (Rekha) marrying the well off Suraj (Sheikh), Suraj is an obedient son whose dominating Mother wishes him to marry someone of their status. When he returns home he expects to tell his mother Kamla (Bindu) about Shalu, but is evidently shut up and instead pretends that nothing is changed. Shalu comes to the big city in hopes that she can challenge Kamla and have Suraj righteously declare her as his better half. In truth though Shalu isn't who she says she is, and through this charade she teaches the elitist snob Kamla a lesson worth learning.
The film not only starred Sheikh and Rekha but also comedic genius Kader Khan but more importantly (the reason why I watched it) it was the cinematic debut of Salman Khan.
When fleeting through TV channels, I saw Khan on screen in his very early not so muscular look. Thinking it would be fun to watch his early film, I went on to realize that this possibly was in his first year and would late go on to know it as his debut feature.
The film itself is mediocre. Sheikh while talented and giving a stellar showing did not catch my eye as much as Rekha did, but he was definitely superb.
It was my first taste of the thespian. Indeed I came to watch a Khan, I left a Rekha fan but remembered a certain Sheikh.
This is Your Life
The next time Farooq Sheikh would make a statement for me would be in a Bollywood version of The is Your Life (an American reality series peaking into the lives of Hollywood stars) called Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai.
Here Sheikh was the host. My father would infrequently watch this show whenever it popped up on
TV. Of course with his age, it took me longer to realize this was that same guy in that one weird
movie I had watched a few years back (Biwi Ho to Aisi, before I knew what it was called).
Considering that my memory is really good when it comes to keeping information that isn't vital to my life, I remembered the face and name of Farooq Sheikh from their onwards. On the show he left a lasting impression as an articulate man with a nifty sense of humor.
A Cult Classic and An Indie Star
My fascination with Indian comedy shows ran for quite a while. Back in my early teens, Indian comedy shows as I remember were actually funny, had a stellar amount of slapstick but some real heart.
Bedi was such a star of two of my favorites, the at that time running Yes Boss and re-runs for the under-appreciated Shriman Shrimati. The latter gave an insightful comedic look into a topic that can be easily pushed towards being bold (not sure if that's the right word).
Bedi's comedic chops were a gem. Inside me somewhere there has always that movie buff trying his best to be a knowledgeable critic, it was easy to look at Bedi and say that he was unparalleled on Indian TV in comic timing and delivery.
The fact that Bedi was a co-lead in both shows meant that (at least that's the way I see it), the movies he starred in were also constantly airing on the channel. As such, in 2007 at the age of 14 I got to witness a classic in every sense.
Yes.
I'm talking about none other than Sai Paranjpye's Chashme Buddoor. And lo and behold I was witness to a fresh and young Farooq Sheikh. Another road that had led me to witness the straight man performance of this dynamic actor.
While Rakesh Bedi alongside the sensational Ravi Baswani were that comedic zing for the film, Sheikh alongside Deepti Naval were the heart and soul of this sweet and mind you subtle vibrant romantic comedy.
Sheikh as a leading man littered every scene with an aura of restrained perfection. He let his two co-stars weave their magic on screen, he played of leading lady Naval with utter efficiency and crafted a till date unbeatable chemistry.
My eyes might have been glued to the escapades of Omi (Bedi) and Jai (Baswani) but my mind was also etched with the sensational turn by Sheikh as Siddharth.
Obviously the movie is a classic for a reason. The lightheartedness and nuanced comedic elements with a hint of classic romantic elements and a modern innocence, makes this one of the best films that I have been lucky to watch in my life.
I will speak more about Buddoor in my 100 Favorite Hindi Films articles.
Opening the Gates to Festival Brilliance
I feel I mentioned this before somewhere, but in 2008 I became enamored with what people would call meaningful cinema. I ventured into watching bot Indie cinema from Hollywood to the meaningful cinema I could find in Mainstream Bollywood.
A slow roll to 2009 and I was eventually introduced to HIndie (Hindi Independent) films through the works of Anurag Kashyap post his biggest release in Dev D ( A modern recreation of the classic Devdas).
HIndie cinema then eventually made me pick up knowledgeable insight into films that had been a rage in something called Film Festivals, like the one in Cannes.
So by 2011 one such film was Lahore after having made noise in festivals it was available for me to watch (through what I shamelessly must say nefarious means, you know what I'm talking about), a controversial take on India Pakistan politics through the visage of a boxing film. The films aesthetic and plot were genius, but more importantly its all round performances were brilliant.
Of course, since I knew who Farooq Sheikh was my eyes would follow him. His command over the language is impeccable, it would be a hard task to find better actors with the delivery that Sheikh has in cinema and that accent is pitch perfect.
With my mind becoming aware of stellar pieces of art in film during this time, Sheikh's performance was one such that illuminated me to the idea that their is great acting and there are truly talented actors.
Next there would be a return to some stellar comedy.
Revisiting Chashme and Witnessing a Rabid Rabbit
With 2013 looming in the horizon and new prospects coming my way, I had time to relax and understand what I had accomplished and where I was going. As such during that time I began this blog, that doesn't mean I didn't spend my time enjoying many a movie.
Due to my gained knowledge on films and film making (through the net, however amateur that might be), I decided to revisit Chashme Buddoor.
I felt that maybe through the years especially after 2008...I might have started acting to fondly like Buddoor because I knew it was a classic. In my mind I might have cherished these memories because I had read them being recited by a thousand fans of the cult classic.
As such I re-watched the film. Once again it was hard not to be enamored by this simplistic love story. More so I understood a lot of the jokes, including the constant under the surface loving satire on mainstream Hindi films of that era.
I had a riot at Ravi Baswani and Rakesh Bedi's antics but more so I liked the sheer honesty and simplicity of the love between Siddharth and Neha AKA Miss Chamko. There's no words that can actually explain the sensational chemistry between all the actors or the mesmerizing film itself, except that I suggest you go watch it (but do try avoid the atrocious 2013 remake).
I had truly reached a point where I could say I had become a fan of Sheikh.
Due to Buddoor, I decided to look into Sai Paranjpye's filmography as a director. I came across the immensely appealing Katha starring both Sheikh and Naval as well as the always dependable Naseeruddin Shah
Based around the folktale of the race between the Hare and the Tortoise. Sheikh did a complete u-turn from Siddharth and played Basudhev (in this case the Hare, hence the sub title of the post). Basudhev is arrogant and bossy yet he's also fast talking and charming just like a certain Tony Stark.
Dhev arrives at his friend Rajaram's (Shah, the tortoise) housing complex and turns on the charm to max. He wins over the heart of sweet and shy Sandhya (Naval) whom Rajaram has had his heart set on.
Not only this, but Dhev is quickly able to charm the pants literally of Raja's boss and figuratively off the boss's wife and daughter.
While the film is simply perfect. My eyes were constantly glued to the escapades of Sheikh's character. He like his character quickly steals the show, and considering the actors involved that is no mean feat.
Mr. Farooq Sheikh once again had me gushing at his talent and style. Indeed he was truly a gem of an actor that the industry unfortunately lost.
Shanghai and Work in the 100th Year
During the same time I also got to witness what I consider possibly one of the best modern Hindi films; Shanghai. The film is rich with depth but also performances.
While you're obviously stuck to looking at the leads, they are bolstered by a talented supporting cast among which is Farooq Sheikh.
He plays the Principal Secretary Kaul to the Chief Minister. Every scene of his is underlined by menace and double meaning. Whenever he asks Krishnan (Deol) to solve the controversial case quickly, you know there is an ulterior motive behind this. He also presses his Krishnan's buttons with odd ease.
Sheikh portrays this with intricate precision. Once the climax arrives, the actor unveils more layers to his character through just expression, delivery and body language. Thanks to Sheikh, we witness that this is a man whose been hiding political dirt not out of loyalty or fear but rather a sense of making the best out of a bad situation.
In truth Kaul is a character that realizes that by bringing down one bad person doesn't mean that a better more honest one will take his/her place. Instead his theorizing is the most sound yet also damaging and misguided.
Sheikh brings all this out with simple pure acting.
Post this, Sheikh's last year took place during the 100th year of Hindi Cinema.
His first major appearance would be in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Here he worked in a very natural portrayal of a worried yet immensely proud father to Ranbir Kapoor's Bunny. In their scene together he showed a stellar undertone of fatherly pride over a surface of emotionally loving man. His performance and chemistry with Kapoor also showed how far Kapoor had come as an actor and how far he still had to channel the level that Sheikh has.
The same year Sheikh has done work in Club 60 and Listen...Amaya.
I was so desperate to watch Club 60, but unfortunately didn't get time and missed it due to its limited release.
On the other hand its sheer irony and fate that I had watched Listen Amaya just a night before the actors untimely demise. Its definitely one of his best performances to date. Not to forget that it was also the reunion of his pairing with Deepti Naval since Katha.
So to end this post I would like to say, Farooq Sir you were a damn good actor and from what I've read and seen of your interviews; a humble affectionate man. That presence could easily be felt in any role you portrayed.
May you rest in peace. And also enjoy your eternal camaraderie with good friend Ravi Baswani up there in Heaven.
'Nuff Said
Aneesh Raikundalia
The cast and crew of Biwi Ho To Aisi including a young Salman Khan
The first time I ever saw Farooq Sheikh on screen would be in the typical mediocre 80's film; Biwi Ho To Aisi. Full of stock characters and by the numbers melodramatic plot
The film revolves around Village belle Shalu (Rekha) marrying the well off Suraj (Sheikh), Suraj is an obedient son whose dominating Mother wishes him to marry someone of their status. When he returns home he expects to tell his mother Kamla (Bindu) about Shalu, but is evidently shut up and instead pretends that nothing is changed. Shalu comes to the big city in hopes that she can challenge Kamla and have Suraj righteously declare her as his better half. In truth though Shalu isn't who she says she is, and through this charade she teaches the elitist snob Kamla a lesson worth learning.
The film not only starred Sheikh and Rekha but also comedic genius Kader Khan but more importantly (the reason why I watched it) it was the cinematic debut of Salman Khan.
When fleeting through TV channels, I saw Khan on screen in his very early not so muscular look. Thinking it would be fun to watch his early film, I went on to realize that this possibly was in his first year and would late go on to know it as his debut feature.
The film itself is mediocre. Sheikh while talented and giving a stellar showing did not catch my eye as much as Rekha did, but he was definitely superb.
It was my first taste of the thespian. Indeed I came to watch a Khan, I left a Rekha fan but remembered a certain Sheikh.
This is Your Life
Farooq Sheikh sharing a heartfelt memory of Sharukh Khan's on Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai
The next time Farooq Sheikh would make a statement for me would be in a Bollywood version of The is Your Life (an American reality series peaking into the lives of Hollywood stars) called Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai.
Here Sheikh was the host. My father would infrequently watch this show whenever it popped up on
TV. Of course with his age, it took me longer to realize this was that same guy in that one weird
movie I had watched a few years back (Biwi Ho to Aisi, before I knew what it was called).
Considering that my memory is really good when it comes to keeping information that isn't vital to my life, I remembered the face and name of Farooq Sheikh from their onwards. On the show he left a lasting impression as an articulate man with a nifty sense of humor.
A Cult Classic and An Indie Star
My fascination with Indian comedy shows ran for quite a while. Back in my early teens, Indian comedy shows as I remember were actually funny, had a stellar amount of slapstick but some real heart.
Bedi was such a star of two of my favorites, the at that time running Yes Boss and re-runs for the under-appreciated Shriman Shrimati. The latter gave an insightful comedic look into a topic that can be easily pushed towards being bold (not sure if that's the right word).
Bedi's comedic chops were a gem. Inside me somewhere there has always that movie buff trying his best to be a knowledgeable critic, it was easy to look at Bedi and say that he was unparalleled on Indian TV in comic timing and delivery.
The fact that Bedi was a co-lead in both shows meant that (at least that's the way I see it), the movies he starred in were also constantly airing on the channel. As such, in 2007 at the age of 14 I got to witness a classic in every sense.
The painted poster for 1981 classic Chashme Buddoor
Yes.
I'm talking about none other than Sai Paranjpye's Chashme Buddoor. And lo and behold I was witness to a fresh and young Farooq Sheikh. Another road that had led me to witness the straight man performance of this dynamic actor.
While Rakesh Bedi alongside the sensational Ravi Baswani were that comedic zing for the film, Sheikh alongside Deepti Naval were the heart and soul of this sweet and mind you subtle vibrant romantic comedy.
Sheikh as a leading man littered every scene with an aura of restrained perfection. He let his two co-stars weave their magic on screen, he played of leading lady Naval with utter efficiency and crafted a till date unbeatable chemistry.
The iconic Chamko scene between Naval and Sheikh that established their brilliant chemistry
My eyes might have been glued to the escapades of Omi (Bedi) and Jai (Baswani) but my mind was also etched with the sensational turn by Sheikh as Siddharth.
Obviously the movie is a classic for a reason. The lightheartedness and nuanced comedic elements with a hint of classic romantic elements and a modern innocence, makes this one of the best films that I have been lucky to watch in my life.
I will speak more about Buddoor in my 100 Favorite Hindi Films articles.
Opening the Gates to Festival Brilliance
Lahore co-stars Farooq Sheikh and Saurabh Shukla
I feel I mentioned this before somewhere, but in 2008 I became enamored with what people would call meaningful cinema. I ventured into watching bot Indie cinema from Hollywood to the meaningful cinema I could find in Mainstream Bollywood.
A slow roll to 2009 and I was eventually introduced to HIndie (Hindi Independent) films through the works of Anurag Kashyap post his biggest release in Dev D ( A modern recreation of the classic Devdas).
HIndie cinema then eventually made me pick up knowledgeable insight into films that had been a rage in something called Film Festivals, like the one in Cannes.
So by 2011 one such film was Lahore after having made noise in festivals it was available for me to watch (through what I shamelessly must say nefarious means, you know what I'm talking about), a controversial take on India Pakistan politics through the visage of a boxing film. The films aesthetic and plot were genius, but more importantly its all round performances were brilliant.
Of course, since I knew who Farooq Sheikh was my eyes would follow him. His command over the language is impeccable, it would be a hard task to find better actors with the delivery that Sheikh has in cinema and that accent is pitch perfect.
With my mind becoming aware of stellar pieces of art in film during this time, Sheikh's performance was one such that illuminated me to the idea that their is great acting and there are truly talented actors.
Next there would be a return to some stellar comedy.
Revisiting Chashme and Witnessing a Rabid Rabbit
Behind the scenes fun with Sheikh and Naval
With 2013 looming in the horizon and new prospects coming my way, I had time to relax and understand what I had accomplished and where I was going. As such during that time I began this blog, that doesn't mean I didn't spend my time enjoying many a movie.
Due to my gained knowledge on films and film making (through the net, however amateur that might be), I decided to revisit Chashme Buddoor.
I felt that maybe through the years especially after 2008...I might have started acting to fondly like Buddoor because I knew it was a classic. In my mind I might have cherished these memories because I had read them being recited by a thousand fans of the cult classic.
As such I re-watched the film. Once again it was hard not to be enamored by this simplistic love story. More so I understood a lot of the jokes, including the constant under the surface loving satire on mainstream Hindi films of that era.
I think this is from the song sequence 'Pyar Lagavat' between the three friends
I had a riot at Ravi Baswani and Rakesh Bedi's antics but more so I liked the sheer honesty and simplicity of the love between Siddharth and Neha AKA Miss Chamko. There's no words that can actually explain the sensational chemistry between all the actors or the mesmerizing film itself, except that I suggest you go watch it (but do try avoid the atrocious 2013 remake).
I had truly reached a point where I could say I had become a fan of Sheikh.
Due to Buddoor, I decided to look into Sai Paranjpye's filmography as a director. I came across the immensely appealing Katha starring both Sheikh and Naval as well as the always dependable Naseeruddin Shah
The Sheikh and Naval chemistry through the films. Upper left is Listen Amaya, upper right is Katha and below is Chashme Buddoor
Based around the folktale of the race between the Hare and the Tortoise. Sheikh did a complete u-turn from Siddharth and played Basudhev (in this case the Hare, hence the sub title of the post). Basudhev is arrogant and bossy yet he's also fast talking and charming just like a certain Tony Stark.
Dhev arrives at his friend Rajaram's (Shah, the tortoise) housing complex and turns on the charm to max. He wins over the heart of sweet and shy Sandhya (Naval) whom Rajaram has had his heart set on.
Not only this, but Dhev is quickly able to charm the pants literally of Raja's boss and figuratively off the boss's wife and daughter.
While the film is simply perfect. My eyes were constantly glued to the escapades of Sheikh's character. He like his character quickly steals the show, and considering the actors involved that is no mean feat.
Mr. Farooq Sheikh once again had me gushing at his talent and style. Indeed he was truly a gem of an actor that the industry unfortunately lost.
Shanghai and Work in the 100th Year
Sheikh an acting pioneer of classic Hindi Parallel cinema sharing a scene with Abhay Deol an acting pioneer of Modern Hindi Independent Cinema
During the same time I also got to witness what I consider possibly one of the best modern Hindi films; Shanghai. The film is rich with depth but also performances.
While you're obviously stuck to looking at the leads, they are bolstered by a talented supporting cast among which is Farooq Sheikh.
He plays the Principal Secretary Kaul to the Chief Minister. Every scene of his is underlined by menace and double meaning. Whenever he asks Krishnan (Deol) to solve the controversial case quickly, you know there is an ulterior motive behind this. He also presses his Krishnan's buttons with odd ease.
Sheikh portrays this with intricate precision. Once the climax arrives, the actor unveils more layers to his character through just expression, delivery and body language. Thanks to Sheikh, we witness that this is a man whose been hiding political dirt not out of loyalty or fear but rather a sense of making the best out of a bad situation.
In truth Kaul is a character that realizes that by bringing down one bad person doesn't mean that a better more honest one will take his/her place. Instead his theorizing is the most sound yet also damaging and misguided.
Sheikh brings all this out with simple pure acting.
Post this, Sheikh's last year took place during the 100th year of Hindi Cinema.
His first major appearance would be in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Here he worked in a very natural portrayal of a worried yet immensely proud father to Ranbir Kapoor's Bunny. In their scene together he showed a stellar undertone of fatherly pride over a surface of emotionally loving man. His performance and chemistry with Kapoor also showed how far Kapoor had come as an actor and how far he still had to channel the level that Sheikh has.
The same year Sheikh has done work in Club 60 and Listen...Amaya.
I was so desperate to watch Club 60, but unfortunately didn't get time and missed it due to its limited release.
On the other hand its sheer irony and fate that I had watched Listen Amaya just a night before the actors untimely demise. Its definitely one of his best performances to date. Not to forget that it was also the reunion of his pairing with Deepti Naval since Katha.
So to end this post I would like to say, Farooq Sir you were a damn good actor and from what I've read and seen of your interviews; a humble affectionate man. That presence could easily be felt in any role you portrayed.
May you rest in peace. And also enjoy your eternal camaraderie with good friend Ravi Baswani up there in Heaven.
'Nuff Said
Aneesh Raikundalia
No comments:
Post a Comment