Seventh chapter! Often, the men who work behind the scenes of an affluent company neither proclaim their laborious work nor do the owners owe their allegiance to them. But Sandeep Marwah stands supreme with his due diligence to Vinay Kumar for the irrefutable reputation of Marwah Studio as the best resort for filmmakers, without the apprehension about requisite paraphernalia. His meticulous plan and elan besides entrepreneurial experience have made him carve a niche. “I call him Vinay Saab as a mark of respect for his age. He made an entry when the land had just been allotted and plans sanction for studio construction. He had a fascination for cinema and creativity and joined as a part-time manager in 1988. Initially, his work began with daily visits to the site for just 15 minutes for a small payment. And when we had the bhumi puja, he made all the arrangements for the puja samagri. The Noida Chairman, OSD Rita Sinha, and my brother besides my family attended the rituals. One could see acres of empty, barren land without a single building in sight. We were the first ones to initiate construction in that area under the able supervision of Vinay who would unfurl the doors early morning and wind up late evening or night, based on the shoots. He had no knowledge about the media or the entertainment industry, but stood distinct with his sincerity, dedication, and punctuality and has now completed 34 years.” In the first stages of his career, Vinay Kumar used to begin his arduous journey early in the morning from Gurgaon and commute to Noida. “He had to undergo a hectic journey and spend two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening, just to travel. He had to leave early as he had to change three buses to reach our studio. Conveyance, a rarity in those days led to lesser traffic, but the journey became quite tiresome. So, I persuaded him to shift from Gurgaon to Noida and he did likewise and sold his house and bought another one in Noida. Gradually, he became part and parcel of day-to-day activities and became all in all wherein the entire studio revolved around him. Whoever knew me would know him. One could attribute politeness to him. People would walk into the studio without an appointment as they were confident of his goodwill gesture. A wonderful host, who becomes a facilitator, arbitrator, organizer, and manager based on the situation. He had contacts of the entire film industry.” Within a short duration, Vinay Kumar excelled in his managerial capacity to give all the probable equipment required for a shoot and not hamper the shoot. “Shoots could go on till the wee hours of the morning and so we set up a canteen to satiate the hunger pangs of the crew members. We gave strict instructions to the canteen staff that they had to be very alert and be ready to face any sort of eventualities be it the crew’s arrival at odd hours or demand more food than ordered or ask for food never ordered. Slowly, we realized that the crew members were never satisfied with a particular cuisine and we did not want this to come as an impediment in-between the shoots. So, we arranged caterers to appease their taste buds in sync with their choice of cuisine.” Transport became another challenge for those who came to explore the Film City. “There were no cars, autos, scooters on the road except empty roads and the ones seen were either from Delhi or private ones. I decided to arrange some means of transport and approached the Noida Chairman along with Vinay. I requested him to operate a bus for the convenience of passengers who visited the Film City. He said he would run it on an experimental basis initially and only continue if he gets the requisite footfall. Two minibuses were introduced and our studio became the terminus from where buses emanated and ended. These buses would take a tour of the entire Noida within two hours. The buses operated five times a week and lasted for three months as there were not many takers as students used their conveyance. Noida Authority realized that it incurred losses and stopped the bus services, even though it had become convenient for a few. But we decided to overcome this shortcoming and introduced buses in 91 with Vinay in charge.” Meanwhile, with a reduction in the workload, life became less of a challenge for Sandeep Marwah after Vinay Kumar moved bag and baggage to Noida. “For the first five years, I used to leave early in the morning and had to travel from Greater Kailash to Noida. Neither were there Nizamuddin nor Kalindi Kunj or toll bridges then. But after Vinay arrived in Noida, he used to walk in early to unfurl the doors of the studio and wind up late in the night and offer the best service. After 20 years, I moved out of Greater Kailash to Sainik Farms after the launch of the 28th batch.” Challenges have never been a hassle for Vinay Kumar, who faced all sorts of hardships with caution and preparation. He could easily adapt to different situations and work per the need of the hour. At times, he would become an arbitrator to sort out the differences during an altercation. “During a shoot, the atmosphere is usually very tense and expectations are very high. One actor would bring the requisite emotions and ready for the shot when another would not be able to perform. This leads to the pent-up emotions to turn into anger and ends up in an emotional outburst. Vinay and I had witnessed many tamasha’s like a director slap a lady actor who could not come to the present moment or altercations between a director and producer, actor and director, or between the caterer and production controller. These are all candid shots for us. I usually stay away from such situations and direct those warring factions to contact Vinay, an expert to sort out differences. It is usually foolish fights, and nothing controversial. Vinay used to come in between such personal wars to console and, settle them amicably.” Over time, Vinay Sharma became a master craftsman who could cater to all the tools desired by a filmmaker and even offer a substitute for a light man. “He used to address each concern of theirs and send mails in advance to know their requirements. He could easily line up 20 people besides 5 sound recordists, 5 make- up artists, crane operators at short notice at a time when there were no mobiles or computers. He made my job easier and comfortable and built a good image of the studio amidst filmmakers that anything and everything required for a film crew offered on a platter. He even used to take up the responsibilities of the production controller and manager.” With consistent exposure to the intricacies of film shoots, Vinay Kumar got immensely influenced by actors that he enacted in small roles in a few TV serials. “Initially, he obliged to make a few appearances in a few episodes out of courtesy when they wanted a person in the backdrop of a particular scene. He fits in perfectly and even got complimentary credit along with our studio’s name. He had learned the tricks of the trade and could not resist the temptation, to appear before the camera. These short appearances enable him to get some spiritual satisfaction in-between work. Very soon, he got typecast as an elderly person in serials without any dialogue delivery. He has done silent roles in many TV productions besides featured in the diploma films of students. He enjoyed his roles in serials, movies, and diploma films.” Outdoor shots were also a regular feature in the studio organized by Vinay Kumar. “A truckload of equipment along with four professionally trained light boys and four students gives immense scope for the latter to learn and get trained when they assist such outdoor shoots. Vinay built a good rapport with them and became very popular. Everything started and ended with him. He would organize inaugural functions, convocations, workshops while I would take care of the speakers and program. He would take responsibility for the management, auditorium, catering, and decoration. He knew exactly as to how to conduct events and very soon became an event manager. He used to carry a master list and do a check.” Sandeep Marwah used to spend his valuable time in different events. “Whenever, there were no scheduled shoots, Vinay and I wind up at around 7 p.m. and head towards different musical, artistic, or theatrical events. Earlier, there were many programs held in Mandi House, which we attended regularly and Vinay used to go home straight from there. This had become more of a routine for us.” As the studio progressed swiftly, Sandeep Marwah’s popularity reached enviable heights. “I began to get a number of invitations to become the Chief Guest for a variety of events such as cultural programs, discussions, panel meets, etc. It is good to have company when you go as a Chief Guest and Vinay used to accompany me. But at times, I have faced unprofessional behaviour from the organizers but I took it in my stride and attribute it to their lack of education. At times, one is not sure if the program is on schedule or not as no intimation would have been received to confirm the program. At 5.45 p.m. I receive a call to find out if I would make it for the 6 p.m. program. Whenever I arrange a program in my studio, I send a letter followed by an email to confirm the program. I would have posters set up on the walls around the studio and outside the gate. I would call the Chief Guest and fix the time and get ready. In sheer contrast, is the organizer here who would have met a small-time actor like Raja Bundela on his way and welcome him to the program. He would even introduce him as the Chief Guest when I would have been called to do the honors. I would sit in front row as Chief Guest and suddenly would be elevated as the Guest of Honor. Vinay and I had been witnesses to many such incidents. You cannot change the world so you change yourself.” He narrated another instance that sounded all the more ridiculous. “I had once reached the venue ten minutes in advance and waited patiently to light the lamp as the Chief Guest. After about ten minutes, actor Raza Murad walks in and the crowd gets all excited. He has been taken to the stage while I am seated in the front row. He sees me from the stage and asks for a mike and tells the organizer that I should light the lamp. And the organizer swiftly comes to pick me up and leads me to the stage. Instances like these have taught Vinay and me lessons that we never do such misakes in our programs when the Chief Guest is either the Governor or the Minister or an MP when he is on the dais. We try to conduct our programs without any flaws.” The end
