Book Reviews: The Front Row

Who reviews books written by cinema critics? Remember that puzzle, "Suppose the barber shaves everybody in town, except for all of those who shave themselves. Who shaves the barber?" That's a bit like what I felt like while reviewing The Front Row by Anupama Chopra.Anupama Chopra (@AnupamaChopra) has been discussing films and interviewing actors, directors, rap artists, dialog writers and villains (what am I missing?) for almost two decades. She is surrounded by people who have been making films or writing about them. Her mother Kamna Chandra was a scriptwriter; she wrote dialogue for Prem Rog and Chandni. Her sister Tanuja Chandra is a Bollywood director and screenwriter; and husband is Vidhu Vinod Chopra. That must be like a double edged sword.She carries the knowledge, insights and connections that only an insider can have. Yet her work demands that she adopts a rather objective and unbiased view when she presents her review of films. In that sense every interview and every article must throw up possibilities of a conflict.I wonder if it is hard for her to not flinch when she trashes the lead actor of a film, someone she might meet for dinner that evening. Or someone who may be a close friend of the family and whose film is in desperate need of the critic’s approval. Does she hesitate before passing judgement on someone whose bank balance now needs a friendly nudge to stabilize? That’s where The Front Row scores. The book is chatty in its tone and seems like a non-judgmental conversation with the best and worst.https://youtu.be/YZmq5_oRuqoWhile interviewing stars it is hard to not ask them what they have been asked a zillion times before. After all these days thanks to social media everyone knows what their favorite star is having for dinner and the next movie they have signed. Their interviews are on television, in magazines and everywhere that you care to look. The interview runs the risk of being either too scripted and hence lacks authenticity. Or the interviewer is gushing like a giddy star struck teenager and asking what is truly inane. Of course we must not forget the third possibility that the interviewer may ask something which exposes the interviewee’s ignorance.The Front Row has interviews of various actors. Don’t miss the interview with Kangna Ranaut. This was shot just before her film Queen got released.https://youtu.be/n7nYY1_3LFEThe interviews with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg were lovely explorations that give you a view of why Hollywood is “same-same but different”.Sometimes even a clichéd question about choosing between commercial success and art can produce a gem. Spielberg talks of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films as art films because they are very successful, well told stories but also with a beautiful visual art. He goes on to say:“I always used to hear that if a picture makes a lot of money, it’s no longer art. It is a blockbuster. A blockbuster kills the idea that anything that can be artistic can also make a lot of money. I don’t believe that’s true at all. I’ve never believed that.”The interviews done with supporting actors Boman Irani, Saurabh Shukla, Sanjay Mishra and Ram Kapoor has sense of poignancy. These are all wonderful actors who never made it big. They have remained also-rans. Are they bitter about others? Do they feel that they will make it big some day?https://youtu.be/7GVDlJO-ym0If you are a student of cinema, The Front Row is a book that must make it to your bookshelf.-------------Join me on Twitter @AbhijitBhaduri