There aren’t many who would stay away from the Hindi film industry, especially after they’ve had a taste of it. But R Anandh, a popular music composer in the ad film industry, after his debut in Sangeeth Sivan’s Zor, unimpressed by the industry’s workings, chose to return to what he terms as his “core competency”.
But a year ago, it was the chance cancellation of a music composing session for filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar’s ad film that brought R Anandh on board for Lafangey Parindey as the music director. “Dada (Sarkar) and I have been working together for long. He had been telling me that he wants me to compose for a film, but we had not come around to discussing it. When our session got cancelled, he asked me to compose a scratch for his next film, which finally Aditya Chopra heard and liked.”
The music of Lafangey Parindey, released recently, stands out. Anandh brings together a melange of genres and instruments—including the Irish tin whistle and the cello in the song Rang Daalein, though the guitar, both acoustic and electric remains prominent through the album. If the title track is an upbeat rock-ish number, Man Lafanga, sung by Mohit Chauhan, has Eric Clapton-ish guitar riffs. Nain Parindey, with Shilpa Rao on vocals, asserts the composer’s hold on Indian classical music. Despite repetitive use of the words ‘lafangey’ and ‘parindey’ across the tracks, Anandh manages to give each song a distinct flavour.
The 42-year-old, originally from Chennai, admits that his knowledge of classical music takes root in his 12-year training in playing the veena. “But when I joined Roorkee College of Engineering, I took to the guitar and became a part of an on-campus band. By the time I graduated, I was sure I wanted to pursue a career in music,” he laughs. Back in those days, Illayaraja dominated the film music scene and Anandh didn’t want to work under anyone — ads were the only option.
Around the same time, Anandh, along with a colleague, formed a band, Aagosh. They successfully composed music for a few Tamil and Malayalam films, followed by Zor and an album, both of which failed to create a buzz. A few years later, the band members parted. That is also the time when Anandh shifted base to Mumbai. “A client invited me to Mumbai for a project. I was supposed to be here for two days, but couple of more projects came my way. I extended my trip and on the fifth day, I called my wife to join me here,” recounts the composer, who is behind the Limca ad currently on air.
The music also steers clear of the clichés that films based on Mumbai’s underbelly fall for — it retains the local flavour despite the use of Western instruments. “It’s my take on the city,” he says. Anandh’s take has worked for the film as the music spells out the attitude of the protagonists, a bunch of ruffians.
Though Lafangey Parindey associates Anandh with the Yash Raj Films brand, the composer is not looking at a career in Bollywood. “I might consider, but as of now I’m happy to return to ads.”
Love makes the world go round, goes the cliche. But looks like Neil Nitin Mukesh is a firm believer of the same. “All the characters I’ve played have behaved in the way they have because of love, whether it was in Johnny Gaddar or Jail,” he says. And even in his next film Lafangey Parindey, Neil’s romance with the lovely Deepika Padukone forms the focal point of the story.
Don’t be taken in by the rough promos of the film, Neil would rather describe it as a gritty love story instead. “My character One Shot Nandu is a regular boy — rebellious and ambitious and likes making his own decisions,” he says.
What we’re more interested in is knowing about Neil’s real life love story. The actor, who broke off some time back with his girlfriend, is back on the single track. “But I believe whole-heartedly in love and relationships,” he smiles.
And the new relationship in his life seems to have been formed with his leading lady. But before you get any ideas, Neil and Deepika really are just good friends. And while the actress has been going around town telling everyone how great the light-eyed actor is, Neil too can’t stop raving about his gorgeous co-star. “But I’d like to talk about her as a person rather than as an actor,” he says, “I keep telling her that her smile is one curved line that makes everything straight.” Neil describes Deepika as an easy-going and simple girl.
“I’m rather possessive and protective about her. She’s a part of my family now,” he adds. Well now that Deepika has earned the distinction of being the first actress to be kissed on-screen by Neil, utna toh banta hai we guess!
Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, who has done some daredevil stunts in his forthcoming film "Lafangey Parindey", says he never speaks to his singer father Nitin Mukesh about these dangerous scenes.
"I don’t tell my father what stunts I am doing. Instead of me, he will try and do them. He knows I am not going to tell him about what stunts I am doing. During 'Aa Dekhen Zara', I had jumped from nine-storied building. After jumping, I had called dad and said that I am all right," Neil told IANS in an interview.
Even when he did stunts in director Pradeep Sarkar's "Lafangey Parindey", Neil didn’t inform his dad.
"This time when I finished my stunts, I called him and said all went well. It’s okay with him now. It’s a part of our life. We have to do these things," he said.
"Must give a lot of credit to action director Shyam Kaushal. He had choreographed the stunts very well and trained me properly before the shoot," said Neil.
But Neil refuses to promote such stunts.
"I won’t promote these stunts. I don’t want anyone to try them. We did it only and purely for entertainment. There were many people, enough security and roads were blocked before we performed the stunts. One should never try them," said Neil.
Set in the mean streets of Mumbai, "Lafangey Parindey" is a love story where Neil plays Nandu, a boxer who pummels his opponents blindfolded. Deepika Padukone features as Pinky Palkar, an ambitious blind girl who dances with roller skates on her feet.
In the film, Neil teaches Deepika to see and she teaches him how to love.
This is funny. Neil Nitin Mukesh had to kiss Deepika Padukone on screen for their forthcoming film Lafangey Parindey and the actor reportedly got cold feet. Not because he’s a virgin screen kisser and, well, Deepika has the experience of kissing Saif Ali Khan before camera for Love Aaj Kal... but, apparently, because Neil’s had a no-kiss policy in all his films so far.
His first director Sriram Raghavan had thrown a fit when Neil refused to kiss Rimi Sen. In his second film, Tera Kya Hoga Johnny, director Sudhir Mishra insisted Neil kiss Shahana Goswami. But the actor refused.
Even in Jail where there was a love-making scene with Mughda Godse, Neil refused to kiss the sultry actress. But Lafange Parindey director Pradeep Sarkar pulled the plug on Neil’s chastity vow. A source from the set said it was a long, torrid smooch comparable in intensity and duration to the Aamir Khan-Karisma Kapoor kiss in Raja Hindustani. And Neil was nervous! To be kissing the lovely Deepika! Makes us wonder...
Pradeep Sarkar’s debut film, Parineeta, was set in the 1960s. The next one, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, flash backed to the ’80s. Lafangey Parindey, that opens on August 20, is about today’s biker boys who you see zipping through the city streets with dreams in their eyes.
“Earlier, films viewed them through our eyes. My film is from their eyes,” says the director, who having grown close to these cool dudes closely, describes them as “soft, shy, intelligent boys who want to fly like the birds”. He points out that he is a forever young 50 year old who became one of them: “My son’s the same age and being around them, I became 18 too. I sang with them, danced with them, only I didn’t ride a bike.”
How does a chikna (suave) SoBo boy, Neil Nitin Mukesh, fit into this world? “Neil is a No 1 lafanga (rogue) who can teach you a thing or two,” laughs Dada, as he is fondly known. “After a couple of rehearsals, I was learning about One-Shot Nandu from him. He’s a biker too.”
Like Neil, he insists, Deepika Padukone too is a perfect Pinky because she is a born winner. “Nothing will ever stop her. I’d done a few ads with her before and saw her as a glam girl. But when we started work on this movie, I was delighted to discover a new, carefree side to her. She’s one of the boys,” he says.
But isn’t Pinky blind? “She is,” he nods. “But as I discovered after meeting some blind people, the loss of sight sharpens their other senses. And half the time, you can’t tell that they don’t see you. Deepika internalised the blindness and before a take would often ask, ‘Dada, is the look right?’”
He recalls a scene in the film where the actress is required to hit Neil and his friends with a broom and then throw a pail of water on them. Deepika was doing the shot too politely despite Sarkar’s urgings, “Pinky, unhe maar ke bhagao (Pinky, beat them up and turn them out).”
Finally, exasperated, Sarkar picked up the broom himself and soundly whacked the boys.
As they stood, holding their bruised butts, the actress burst out laughing and in the next shot, she got the beating just right.
The boys are like wild birds in flight, Sarkar pronounces, and says that the title came to him in the third line of the first set of lyrics Swanand Kirke wrote for him.
And did Aditya Chopra allow him enough creative freedom? Buzz is that he reshot major parts of Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, resulting in the release being pushed forward.
“The film took its time because we had to shoot in different places, from Varanasi to Switzerland. Lafagey Parindey was filmed on sets and we kept to our schedule. As far as interference goes, I’m from the ad world and I like to have sounding boards around me. So whether it was Vinod Chopra or Adi, I welcome suggestions.” Touché!
Here's your chance to be One on One with the wild and fierce 'One-shot Nandu' 
There aren’t many who would stay away from the Hindi film industry, especially after they’ve had a taste of it. But R Anandh, a popular music composer in the ad film industry, after his debut in Sangeeth Sivan’s Zor, unimpressed by the industry’s workings, chose to return to what he terms as his “core competency”.
Love makes the world go round, goes the cliche. But looks like Neil Nitin Mukesh is a firm believer of the same. “All the characters I’ve played have behaved in the way they have because of love, whether it was in Johnny Gaddar or Jail,” he says. And even in his next film Lafangey Parindey, Neil’s romance with the lovely Deepika Padukone forms the focal point of the story.
This is funny. Neil Nitin Mukesh had to kiss Deepika Padukone on screen for their forthcoming film Lafangey Parindey and the actor reportedly got cold feet. Not because he’s a virgin screen kisser and, well, Deepika has the experience of kissing Saif Ali Khan before camera for Love Aaj Kal... but, apparently, because Neil’s had a no-kiss policy in all his films so far.
Pradeep Sarkar’s debut film, Parineeta, was set in the 1960s. The next one, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, flash backed to the ’80s. Lafangey Parindey, that opens on August 20, is about today’s biker boys who you see zipping through the city streets with dreams in their eyes.
