“Find purpose. The means will follow.”
Trials and Tribulations are a constant feature of life and have to be dealt with in the right spirit. Only then can one emerge an enriched person. Like actors in the movie business the world over, I too have encountered a fair share of trials in my journey so far. A couple of years ago I had found myself on an enforced sabbatical from the silver screen due to lack of quality work coming my way. During this phase the artist in me felt totally stagnated and frustrated. The entire ordeal made me realise that in the bigger scheme of things, an actor ends up not just playing the part of a puppet but also becomes one literally... dancing to the strings held by others. Instead of getting demoralised by this harsh reality I decided to confront it head-on by becoming the puppeteer as well, in control of my own destiny. Thus started the search for a platform that would let me hone my craft and lend an opportunity to the artist in me to express without any constraints. This search finally culminated with me finding a way in the form of a photographic book.
No sooner had I zeroed in on this, I set out on another search along with my photographer friend and collaborator, Ronny Sequeira, to develop the concept which would challenge us and expand our horizons. After a lot of thought, I finally hit upon a perfect idea of bringing this endeavour to life by adapting, interpreting and recreating in an Indian milieu, a film that has inspired and fascinated the actor in me... a film that has stood the test of time... a film that gets better with each viewing... Martin Scorsese’s ‘Raging Bull’. To accomplish this mammoth task, I decided to interpret it from the point of view of the character of Jake La Motta which was brilliantly portrayed by Robert De Niro. This way I would not only pay tribute to the iconic actor, director and the film but also interpret ‘cinema onto a page’ through the medium of still photography.
With my purpose finally found and the path clear before me... all I had to do was walk.
Bikramjeet Singh Saluja
