Bollywoods Rainmakers

The most visible rain scene this year was that of Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor romancing under a coat in the film,Aashiqui 2. This latest splash of rain did not,however,create as many ripples as the Raj Kapoor-Nargis song. Bollywood,after all,has been drenched in such wet sequences for many years. From the fun-filled Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi,1958 and the sweet Rimjhim gire saawan Manzil,1979 to the boisterous Na jaane kahan se aayi hai Chaalbaaz,1989 and the naughty Kabhi neem neem Yuva,2004,filmmakers have used rains to add a dash or splash of passion and fun to a filmi romance.

In a country where movies have historically shown bobbing flowers as a metaphor for passionate love,filmmakers saw in the rain song a braver,bolder option for suggestiveness. These fabricated rains had another effect too; they led to a new occupation in Bollywood: the artificial rainmakers.

During the early years,art directors,who designed the film sets,also orchestrated the rain sequences. They would hire tankers,and with the help of sprinklers and pipes,create rain. It was only in the 90s,when rain scenes became quite frequent and jobs in Bollywood became more specialised,that many assistants of art directors took up independent charge of the scenes. Since then,they have been known as artificial rainmakers. Dinesh Yadav,who would assist an art director in setting up rains in small-budget films,branched out on his own in 1994. He started a firm called Tiranga Enterprises in Goregaon West,Mumbai,which provides equipment to film producers to create rain on a set.

Dinesh,along with his brother,JP Yadav,created his first rain sequence independently in the Govinda-starrer Khuddar 1994. Over the years,they have done several rain sequences in movies such as Mohra 1994,Dil To Pagal Hai 1997,Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam 1999,Taal 1999,Devdas 2002,Chameli 2003,and Omkara 2006 to name a few. They are currently working on rain sequences for Abbas Tyrewalas upcoming film in Goa.

There are other artificial rainmakers such as Hasmukh Solanki and Shiva,whose clientèle goes beyond filmmakers. There is so much demand for rain these days in films,advertisements and television shows,that it has become a career in itself, says Solanki,who most recently did a rain sequence in Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai Dobara 2013 and many Balaji Telefilms shows such as,Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada,Bade Achhe Lagte Hain and Parichay.

Even as they create glamorous rain sequences,artificial rainmakers,much like other technicians,have a rather unglamorous role to play. The rain that spells romance and passion on screen is just a mechanical job for them. We go to the set,do our job and come back. Some movies like Devdas which have elaborate sets take many days,while the rest finish in a day or two, says Yadav without a hint of pride. The length of rain sequences also depends on the budget of the film. When the budget is big,filmmakers can afford to shoot the sequence with different lightings and hence they order more tankers, says Yadav.

Rainmakers charge a fee of Rs 1,000 for a tanker with six nozzles for a scene; the price increases as the number of nozzles go up. For a scene with a heavy downpour,a tanker with more nozzles is used,and the price can go up to Rs 20,000. The money is fixed across rainmakers; it doesnt vary with experience or reputation. As the number of takes increases,the amount of water used also goes up. So,we try to finish the rain sequence within the given time. There has been,surprisingly,no change in the technique of producing rains.

The rainmakers have non-flashy workspaces. They work out of godowns where they store their equipment tankers,nozzles and sprinklers. They don8217;t handle the equipment on the sets,though. For this,they hire temporary staff from Junior Artists Association and send them to the sets,with instructions. As their work depends on the availability of rain sequences,there are days with too much work,and days with no work. We sometimes work all 30 days,and sometimes barely five days,in a month, says Shiva.

Rainmakers work may be more mechanical than creative,but that doesnt make them underestimate their job. Only when we sprinkle rain on a lead couple in a romantic song does it strike a better note with the audiences, says Solanki. He cites examples of Rhimjhim rhimjhim from 1942: A Love Story 1994 and Tip tip barsa paani from Mohra both songs are still remembered more for the rain than the lyrics or the music. Bijon Das Gupta,an art director,says,There was a time when the conservative audience didnt like to be served with in-your-face sensuality. In order to create an illusion and give the audience a whiff of western culture,the directors made the actresses sing and dance in the rains. Dasgupta designed the memorable rain song Kaate nahin kat te Mr India,1987,which added sensuality to a film otherwise high on fun,villainy and action. Raj Kapoor,however,was the one who pioneered the trend,making actresses such as Nargis,Mandakini,Zeenat Aman and Dimple Kapadia dance in the rain.

While the rain song was born out of cinema,it is now having a rainier day on television. Each show on air has a rain sequence every two weeks and more so during the monsoon season. We get more business from TV shows than films, says Solanki. Gautam Hegde,writer of popular romantic shows on TV like Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon,Madhubala: Ek Ishq Ek Junoon and Miley Jab Hum Tum,believes that rain may not be essential to a story,but it does add to it a different mood. Rain is mostly associated with physical attraction. It adds passion to a moment.

Rain maybe synonymous with romance,but Yadav reminds us that it has been used for other purposes too. Chase-and fight sequences have happened in the rain. Also,rain has been used as a metaphor for changes in a relationship or a transition through time, he says. In Guide 1965,rain was used to portray faith and spirituality as well as the changing dimensions in the relationship between Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman. In Lagaan 2001,rain acts as a catalyst which takes the story to the second level. In Ek thi Daayan 2013,the climactic scene is set in the rain.

Hegde feels in TV shows,confrontation scenes work best when done with the effect of rain. In Madhubala,two main characters,Sultan and RK,confront each other in the rain. The thunder and lightning effects add to the intensity of the moment.

But why not shoot with real rain? It is very difficult to shoot in the monsoon. One cannot be sure of rain throughout the day,and there is also a problem with lighting and other electrical equipment. Monsoons also increase the chances of freak accidents on sets, says Kumar. On the other hand,artificial rains give more control. We can prepare well. When we place 10 nozzles for rain,the director gets a fair idea of where the lighting should be from. Also,the frequency of rain can be maintained to suit the requirement of the film, says Yadav.