Three actors from three different cities of Uttar Pradesh, spanning three generations of Indian cinema, came together in Lucknow to reflect on what the state has meant to their lives and careers. The panel featured Dalip Tahil, Faisal Malik and Anupria Goenka, and was moderated by Meghna Deka.Introducing the session, Ms. Deka described the panel as “three generations of excellence,” drawn from “three different cities of Uttar Pradesh.” She remarked that the state has “spun out, born talent,” and that the panel was “the classic example of what can happen when this talent comes together with the powerhouses that we have today.” She also paid tribute to the “fortitude” and “hard work” behind each success story.
Dalip Tahil : A Journey from Agra to Bombay
Mr. Tahil, whose filmography includes global blockbuster movies like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Baazigar, was asked what Uttar Pradesh means to him. Born in Agra to a family that had migrated from Sindh, he opened with a light remark about being named a youth icon and said “I thought it’s a good thing to make me a youth icon. But then I was told that it’s not only for you, it’s for the youth.”He explained that his father served in the Indian Air Force and was posted in Agra when he was born. “This is my birthplace,” he said, though he did not stay long, given the frequent postings of armed forces families. His parents’ families, he said, were all from Sindh, and after Partition in 1947 his mother’s family came from Hyderabad, Sindh, to Lucknow. “In this very city, in Lucknow, inside Hazratganj. It was their house. My five uncles, my aunt, my mother, we all grew up here.”He recalled that one uncle ran a chemist’s shop at Mayfair Cinema, with a compounder who frightened the children. “Whenever we did something naughty, my uncle used to tell me that the compounder will give you an injection,” he said. “So, this is our relationship.”Mr. Tahil later studied in Nainital, which was then the sub-capital of Uttar Pradesh and is now part of Uttarakhand. He spent eight years at Sherwood boarding school, a stay he attributed either to his fear of the compounder or to his father’s wish to curb his mischief. “This has been my basic relationship in Uttar Pradesh,” he said. “And from Lucknow, I went to Bombay.”
Faisal Malik : The gift of being from Uttar Pradesh
Ms. Deka observed that a distinct Uttar Pradesh flavour appears in all of Mr. Malik’s roles, and that he has portrayed so many characters that he has become “everyone’s uncle.” Originally from Prayagraj, he left the state at the age of 22.Mr. Malik said the place of one’s birth carries a special significance. “If there is some magic in the lives of humans, that is where we are born,” he said. He described carrying both Allahabad and Lucknow within him, and said the upbringing instills good habits by default, saying “Your language is correct, your friends are good.” He called this “a blessing in disguise if you are from our place,” adding that people from the state talk nicely and possess “a little bit of decency.” With that foundation, he said, “the rest keeps getting set.”Asked later about the changes he has seen in Prayagraj, he said the transformation has been positive. The city has gained 20 to 25 lakh more people, and where he once remembered peace, there are now many bikes on the roads. More significantly, he noted a livelier social atmosphere. “Now, wherever you go, there are 5-7 girls sitting in a coffee shop,” he said. “They have their own gang, who comes, sits, drinks coffee, and laughs.” He added that he feels “very good seeing them,” calling it “a world of happiness.”Ms. Deka responded that the discussion on jobs should not overshadow leisure as, “It’s a time for friends. It’s a time for taking time out for yourself.”
Anupria Goenka : Between Kanpur, Delhi and Telugu cinema
Ms. Goenka, who was born in Kanpur, raised in Delhi and made her debut in Telugu films, said her background carries another dimension. “I am from Rajasthan,” she explained, noting that her family’s roots lie in Nawalgarh, but that her forefathers came to Uttar Pradesh long ago. “Our way of living, our way of talking is in our home.” Her extended family still lives in Kanpur, and “when we talk about home, then Kanpur comes to mind.“She recalled that moving to Delhi was “a cultural shock.” Her school in Kanpur, she said, enforced a strict English-speaking rule under a principal who was “very keen on creating that atmosphere,” and so her English was better than that of many Delhi children. Her Kanpur manner of speech, however, drew attention. “I used to say hum,” she said, and her friends would ask, “Who is hum?” She also recalled being startled when her mother began addressing her with the informal “you.” “I miss that,” she said, adding that she enjoys speaking with people from Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh because of its “beauty and lyrical flow.”She was careful to dispel any notion of complacency. “Not that people are not smart. And people are not hustling. Everybody is hustling in life,” she said, identifying the state’s defining quality as “a sense of community.”On whether she would return to the state permanently, Ms. Goenka said, “I never really left completely,” citing her extended family and sense of belonging. She expressed particular fondness for Lucknow. “I have a very close feeling to it for some reason. I think because of the heritage it has.” While uncertain about settling there, she said, “Every time I come back to, I feel at home,” even when she is not meeting relatives. Referring to the day she had spent in a hotel room, she said, “It just felt like there’s a different sense of belonging.”
Portrayals on screen
Ms. Deka also raised the question of how Uttar Pradesh is depicted in Hindi cinema, noting that it is often shown as “the badlands,” a “backwater”, often polluted by gangsters and goons.” She asked whether such portrayals are honest or romanticised.Concluding the session, Ms. Deka said, “We could have talked all day long,” thanking the panellists for the memories their words evoked. She described the trio as “three generations of talent of Uttar Pradesh,” and called their journeys “a success story.”