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Bada Mangal festivities wow Ila Arun - I’m going to tell people how good UPites are, says she
“This bonhomie between Hindus and Muslims is not known to people in Mumbai or in the South where most have a different view about UPites. Now, I am going to tell them how good Upites are,” said the versatile artiste.
That broad, friendly smile is unmistakable. Whether it is the screen, the stage, a music video...one can even imagine the smile when one hears the voice over the radio!
Ila Arun was all praise for the culture of Lucknow while on a visit to the city. She singled out Bada Mangal in which thousands of Bhandaras are organised in Lucknow so that no one sleeps hungry.
When Hindustan Times caught up with the versatile artiste at a city hotel, she appeared as resplendent as always, attired in an airy, blue ensemble.
She is putting up at the hotel as she shoots her film ‘Gul Gul-e-Baqawali’, at a Haveli in Itaunja, on the outskirts of Lucknow.
She said, “I am amazed to see Bhandaras at every nook and corner of Lucknow. I was even surprised to see Muslims organising a Bhandara for a festival of Hindus. This is a true reflection of the culture of Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh. That’s why I love this city and want to come back again and again. This time, three units were here to shoot the film and all of them enjoyed the spirit of Bada Mangal.”
Most know Ila Arun as a professional film artiste, radio artiste, theatre artiste, television artiste, singer, composer, music broadcaster-actor-playwright-writer-singer, etc.
“This bonhomie between Hindus and Muslims is not known to people in Mumbai or in the South where most have a different view about UPites. Now, I am going to tell them how good Upites are,” said the versatile artiste.
She said, “Though I am considered as a brand ambassador of Rajasthan, I am emotionally attached to Uttar Pradesh because my paternal and maternal ancestors belong to this state. My mother belongs to Fatehpur Chaurasi while my father hails from Kakapur near Kannauj. My mother always kept me connected to this land of Ganga, Jamuna and Gomti. I still remember my Ikka ride to Sangam in Prayagraj.”
She credited her mother for introducing her to Kajri, Dadra, Keherwa, classical and semi-classical music of the Varanasi Gharana. “It was because of my mother that I shot a serial ‘Main Khayal hoon Kisi aur ka’ here, which was released on Doordarshan Lucknow.
Talking about the recent controversy over The Kerala Story she said, “I loved the statement of Shabana Azmi in which she said that if the Censor Board has passed the film, then there should be no controversy over it. There should be freedom of expression because films are also part of culture. If directors don’t raise these matters, then who will do it? If the film is passed by the censor board and it doesn’t have any communal overtones, then no one should have problems with it.”
She said, “I am known more as a singer and an actor, but my soul is involved in theatre. That’s why I established my theatre group in June 1982 inspired by the late Jennifer Kapoor, wife of Shashi Kapoor.
“Over the years, Surnai has staged many original and adapted plays with more than 400 shows of Hindi plays. We have been holding the Ibsen Festival for the last seven years. Besides, I have written four original plays and eight adaptations.
“I can say that today I have a fantastic life. Whenever the opportunity came my way, I made the most of it. But now my aim is to give back something to the land of my ancestors: Uttar Pradesh. I have a script ready and I want to shoot the film here, but I don’t know the officials here whom to contact as I have learnt that the government of UP is promoting shooting of films in the state in a big way. Let me see how things go from here,” said Arun.
