Thread by @p1j

My father's departure in Dec 2020 for Covid, took a lot away from within me. I developed a certain kind of detachment from watching Cinema. It stopped exciting me ever since & Have rarely seen Cinema & OTT stuff in last 2 yrs & even gave long break to our Podcast @ChaalHaal #MOMD

@ChaalHaal I did see 5-6 much awaited & recc'ed films like TheDisciple, MinnalMurali & Sherni & some segments from Anthology films of @ghaywan @Vasan_Bala, @AratiRaval & @ashutoshc06, still wasn't as excited abt new stuff as ever. But VasanB & @varungrover's new work is reviving interest

Finally am excited about a film after long as dear @Vasan_Bala's Monica O My Darling has arrived last night on @netflix. Tonight started watching & m surprised by a Kick-Ass opening sequence that it delivers. But stopped on the Titles when his name popped up, just for this thread

Vasan Bala : Is Mard ko Dard Nahi Hota, Bilkul Nahi Hota!!

A man who lives for Cinema and will probably die for it, ofc after 100s of years

I got to know of Vasan in late 2007 when I started writing for PFC & was soon added as editor. @somenmishra0 @nagrathnam & @Vasan_Bala were the core task force as d famous PFCMumbai TriCone. Of all the guys Vasan was most modest & sorted out in temperament but was mad on Films

Our Love for ARR of 90s/Mani saar/Gulzar/ARR/Anurag became the common bonding factor apart from Passion for Cinema, especially the PFC Fight Club. I first met Vasan & PFCTricone a month later in Jan 2008 when I went to Mumbai for a book launch. Admiration & Bond grew stronger

VasanBala was the first PFC activator from ground in Mumbai. He joined as AD in Rajk Gupta's Aamir & Anurag 's resumed Gulaal & reported from the sets of Aamir & enabled Bollywood access to many PFCians. But as PFC was, we discussed Cavite more than Aamir leaving makers uneasy😀

Soon he was the man in @anuragkashyap72 team as AD in Gulaal, Mumbai Cutting & DevD

His first assisted 2b released with Anurag, was an interesting short called "Chaand Bhai" in multi-dir anthology Mumbai Cutting which unfortunately couldn't made it to theatres for public viewing

Around the same time he made his 1st Indie short film with @nagrathnam in lead as a Supari killer getting late for his job.

This was titled AUTO-MADAR#%^#% made for Competitive section of PFCOne - a one minute film festival. This was a One minute film directed by @Vasan_Bala

But I first realized Is Mard ko Dard Nahi Hota when he came to Jaipur for the shoot of #Gulaal as AD to Anurag. Neil was the other AD and @rajsinghc was in the lead - This was 3AM shot at Chomu palace I took

#Gulaal after a break was being renewed & was shot again with new energy. First they shot prominently at Chomu Palace about 40kms from Jaipur. I went there past midnight on the last day of Shoot. Mahi was shooting Ranaji for hours & then they were to shoot the pre-climax. #040708

On the sets, Vasan as passionate he was for cinema & this project, was everywhere involved in all aspects of film making, working as clapper boy to production guy managing stuff on the sets, to handling the junior artists, or reviewing the shots on the monitor #Gulaal #Jaipur

After finishing the Chomu palace shoot at 4am, the unit moved to Jaipur city & took procession shots on the university road and then moved to Subodh college for student elections shots, victory celebrations and shot the song Aarambh hai prachand. #Gulaal

The college shoot ran into problem as the local student union violently protested against the shoot & even broke a shooting camera, but Anurag handled the boys pretty well after a long talks with them & local admins and soon shoot got resumed. and as expected Vasan was everywhere

After the college shoot was over I realized Vasan wasn't well & his body was burning like hell. I asked Anurag, if I take him to my doctor and despite his Ok, Vasan told me he had a lot of pending work for next location. But his condition was really getting worse. So I forced

I took him to my doc who told him to strictly take rest as Vasan had not slept for many days on the shoot. He was running 102c temp and my doc strictly told him "ऐसी हालत में इतना काम मत कर, मर जायेगा", He gave some medicines for treatment & told him to have a full sleep first.

Vasan requested he is needed at the sets, but Doctor had a strict NO, so VB reluctantly agreed to take rest (or was forced to). So rather than dropping him to next shooting location, I took him to the hotel away from location & told him to close the door & take some serious sleep

I left the hotel, talked to my Doc & he reiterated the seriousness of his condition. After an hour realized that I forgot to tell him of a medicine so called his cell and it was not responding.. I thought he might be sleeping.. Called again in 15 mins, this time Neil picked up..

Neil told me Vasan can not be reached as he is up there on 40 feet high set (or crane) for setting up a shot [on d location] & the phone is with Neil on d ground.

This is @Vasan_Bala for you, Is Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota. Mad Mad Mad about Making Cinema. Living for making Cinema

This was the beginning of Vasan Bala, but there is more. He completed Gulal & DevD but didnt get much expected Launch for long & continued with whatever he got. Once he showed us a lot of his pitches that couldn't be made & then came #Peddlers

Unfortunately despite completion #Peddlers couldn't make it to theaters [as yet] & deprived of the audience it deserved just like Anurag's Paanch. But as Vasan is [soft outside, very very hard inside] - Is Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota, continued with whatever came to his way

He persisted with Cinema, despite all odds against him, no big work at hand & his big project as writer #BombayVelvet didn't work probably for the burden of ambition of Film Makers. But he continued... Despite being from Engineering background, He had to do just one thing. CINEMA

Vasan's first big success was #Peddlers going to Cannes in 2012 & won a few nominations for the film. Later his sharpened edge in writing in Raman Raghav was also recognized

and next @Vasan_Bala lived to his words, "Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota"

@Vasan_Bala Mard ko Dard Nahi Hota introduced the real promise @Vasan_Bala was carrying for years to the masses. What a mad fun ride it was, like him playing an unabashed Kapil Dev knock of 175*.. Madness with Awareness is truly a great side of an artist.

and Now we have "Monica O My Darling", the film I am going to see after this thread.. And I am sure it would break the shackles, and make me interested in new Cinema again, another exciting one I am waiting for is @varungrover's #AIR

I started this thread with ref of my Father's departure & have difficulties in sharing [without permission] that Vasan lost his father recently just a few months before release of Monica O My Darling

Am sure his father must be smiling with pride today, up there in the sky for VB

Before I move on to d film, the brilliant opening scene has a terrific promise for the future @sukantg20 with his comical menace. Not sure how lengthy his role is but I always look forward to his appearances even in cameos.

@sukantg20 I am sure Sukant is one of d next big thing for his talent & passion. All the very best to @Vasan_Bala & @sukantg20 These guys are made for Cinema, will live for cinema for life & I have a decade back personal story of Sukant too, but that is for some other day! Now off to Monica