In between receiving accolades for his road trip film, Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, Anshuman Jha spared some time for a quick chat with Christy Varghese
How often have you seen a film that places a person with a different sexual orientation at its centre without making a caricature out of him or her? Or if not that, doesn’t the character remain helmed in within the confines of this particular aspect of his/her personality where it becomes his/her sole defining trait. We all know the answers when it comes to mainstream Indian cinema.
It is against this backdrop that Harish Vyas' heart wrenching human drama, Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele needs to be viewed. Of course it helps that it has had an astounding journey across several prominent film festivals. It won awards including the ‘Best Film’ Audience Choice Award at the HBO South Asian Film Festival in New York, the jury prize ‘Best Actor’(Anshuman Jha) at Rajasthan International Film Festival. The film, screened at the closing night of India’s biggest LGBTQ film festival Kashish, premiered on Disney+ Hotstar yesterday.
At its heart lies a love story, with Anshuman Jha and Zareen Khan in lead roles, which captures the individual journeys of a gay man and a lesbian woman who embark on a road trip to discover the many elements of “love” and how they form a unique relationship which explores the notion of a soulmate beyond sexuality and gender. The film has been touted as a conversation starter about the LGBTQ community and the many definitions of love and friendship.
Anshuman Jha took some time off to discuss the film and more...
According to Wikipedia you are a film and theatre actor. While both mediums have their own pros and cons, which one are you more effortlessly drawn to and why?
My love for cinema began when I was five, which is when I first thought of becoming an actor. As a middle-class boy in Allahabad (now officially known as Prayagraj) I remember falling in love with Naseeruddin Shah as he grooved to Tirchi Topiwaale in Tridev; we had VHS cassettes at that time.. Over the years I have been lucky to train with some of the best theatre gurus around, whether it be Barry John in Delhi or Sanjana Kapoor at Prithvi and Atul Kumar in Mumbai. Each medium has its own charm and appeal, each playing a significant role in my life. Theatre for me is meditation; Cinema is euphoria. Theatre grounds me as an actor and keeps me rooted while cinema gives me the wings to fly, that’s how I would look at it.
If you had to choose, would you like your movie to receive more awards or would you prefer it to be popular amongst the masses?
I just want it to touch as many people as possible. So, if by popularity you mean it makes an impact among more people, that would be awesome. And if receiving accolades translates into more people tuning in and getting touched by it, even better. Honestly, both options sound good. I would want you to understand that I don’t make films with an eye on the commercial aspect. I make films from an emotional point of view. There was this gentleman in New York from the LGBTQ community, who saw the film and approached me at the premiere to tell me, with tears in his eyes, that I had depicted his relationship with his father. That memory would probably last a lifetime for me. I make films seeking more of such moments, everything else that comes along with it is just a byproduct.
What would life be like, if it was centered around friendship and not matrimony?
It would be very peaceful.. (laughs before continuing) According to me, jokes apart, the foundation for every marriage should be friendship. I say that because the essence of ‘love’ in friendship is very pure and has an unconditional nature. It is the human mind which starts expecting and plays games with others as well as its own self. And that is where the troubles begin because the moment there is any sort of selfish expectation, you are weighed down by the baggage of your own thoughts.. So I think friendship should be the base of any healthy equation between people, irrespective of whether it be sexual or non sexual. This film also talks about discovering love in friendship because there is a certain purity to that. It can be platonic and still be just as beautiful as anything. While the basis of your question might boil down to how society has conditioned us, it is not impossible to break free from it and adopt another thought process altogether. Ultimately, I believe, we can choose our conditioning and start a chain reaction which would eventually impact someone else’s conditioning.
This might sound clichéd but what would be your definition of a soulmate?
Definition of a soul mate... hmm (seems to be ruminating over the answer and almost drifts off). Very good question and... a somewhat difficult question. I don’t have a definition of a soulmate set in stone, to be honest. I think it is somebody you can be yourself with, without thinking too much about it. Someone with whom you share a bubble of intimacy without forcing it. There has to be a certain sense of connection which transcends mere words and elevates the human experience (laughs a little as he emerges from his thoughts) That is the best way I can define it, at this point in my life.
Over the years there have been many instances of cinema which were conversation starters for the LGBTQ community. However, the members of the community are still frowned upon in the mainstream Indian set up. What will it take to change this scenario?
I know it is legalised in India but it is still taboo amongst certain sections of society and I think the only way to get around it is through more conversations, and hopefully more films, which will in turn lead to more acceptance. One can’t really force people to do something they do not agree with but if it becomes a point of conversation more frequently, people would have to engage with it. Cinema can play a huge role with respect to that. Like I said earlier, we all are the sum total of our conditioning. The more we normalise talking about, the more we accept it, and little by little the taboo associated with it will wear off. A 360° impact is what is required to change this scenario. Eventually, it will take time, but as we have seen in this past decade it will only keep on getting better as times roll by.
Are conversations alone enough?
I think it is a starting point. Let me tell you something. When I started this film, there were a lot many people close to me who wanted me to give this project a good thought, they would ask me to consider whether this would be a smart move for an actor like me.. And the same people, after seeing the movie, shared some incredibly positive feedback. The fact that I had those conversations strengthened my belief in making this feature film. Every process, simple or complex, begins with a thought, right? A conversation can be equated with the process of sowing a seed, with a thought being planted in someone’s mind. Given enough time, that thought will bear fruit and produce some more seeds. Believe what you may, your words and actions (or the lack of) do make a difference.
