123India Movies: "Bandit queen turns tough cop
If you thought Seema Biswas, who played Phoolan Devi in Shekhar Kapur’s gritty Bandit Queen, had disappeared into oblivion, think again. The earthy actress last seen as a tough cop in Ek Hasina Thi, is busy working on a few films in which she plays characters she has always wanted to play. The list of her forthcoming films includes Deepa Mehta’s Water, Avinash’s Maa Where Are You?, Sashi Kumar’s Kaya Taran and Deepak Balraj Vij’s Mumbai Godfather.
In Mumbai Godfather, Seema plays a tough, honest and top cop who believes in fighting crime with the gun. “I play top cop Anjali who contrary to popular perception is not a character inspired by Kiran Bedi, but real life Maharashtra Police Force cop Mridula. After playing a dreaded dacoit queen like Phoolan Devi, it was indeed a challenge to play a ‘loud’ top cop,” she explains.
About the difference between her roles in Bandit Queen and Mumbai Godfather, Seema says, “Bandit Queen was an autobiographical venture and the character had emotional depth, whereas Mumbai Godfather is an out-and-out action-packed, commercial film which people from Mumbai will be able to relate to instantly. Though I was apprehensive about playing to the gallery, director Deepak Balraj’s honesty and sincerity convinced me of Anjali’s authenticity. Deepak gave me the script well in advance.”
The actress has already prepared herself for any brickbats she might receive from the audience. “People might feel that I am uncouth in the film, but I am of the opinion that an actor has to be flexible in spite of her conviction in subtlety. I enjoyed doing the fight sequences in the film, but made it a point not to develop any clichéd mannerisms. I am happy the director gave me a wide scope to perform.”
Deepak Balraj says that the idea behind the story of Mumbai Godfather originated after he read a newspaper report about top cop Mridula who shot down some criminals six years ago. “This is the first time after Bandit Queen, that Seema has taken to the gun in a big way. She is an amazing actress who has been wasted in insignificant roles in most Bollywood films. I think people will appreciate her as a hard hitting, assertive cop in my film.”
Unlike most commercial potboilers, the director has shown cops in a positive light in the film. “In Mumbai Godfather, the common man looks at cops with a reassurance, while the criminals deem them fatal. I want to drive home the message that if you get involved in the vortex of crime, it will be very difficult to come out of it. A criminal’s reputation follows him wherever he goes,” explains Balraj.
Seema confesses that the title of Deepa Mehta’s Rivermoon has now been changed to Water. “I am playing the same role which Shabana Azmi was slated to essay. Lisa Ray plays the young widow while I play the senior Shakuntala. Unlike Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das, Lisa and I did not shave our heads. We sport short hair instead. Deepaji is a fine director.” What remains to be seen is how effective this “Bandit Queen” will be as a “loud” cop in Mumbai Godfather."
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