101 Exclusive: How An American Photographer Became “Bollywood’s Favorite Gora”
After being an actor for 10 years in New York and Los Angeles, doing everything from theatre with Sir Ian McKellen to TV shows like NYPD Blue, V.I.P. and Star Trek: Voyager, Mark Bennington’s love for India and it’s culture brought him to Mumbai in 2010. Then a fortuitous meeting with Shanoo Sharma, the casting director of Yash Raj Films changed his life. His forthcoming book Living the Dream: The Life of the Bollywood Actor emerged from a two-year project to capture the essence of the Bollywood acting community in it’s entirety- from student to mega-star and everyone in between.
With Shatrughan “Shotgun” Sinha at his house.
The same year he met an Indian girl, Taapsi Ramchandani, a TV presenter at the time through a common friend at a house in Bandra. Consequently they began seeing each other a year later and tied the knot at the end of 2013. Their first wedding party was held in L.A followed by a traditional Indian wedding in Pune with him playing the part of the “Dulha”. He even waxed his Rajput moustache to get into character.
At his wedding ceremony in Pune with that tikka and ‘tache
I met Mark around the same time through Taapsi at Vagator beach, Goa in the summer of 2012. Mark pulled out his camera and began creating magic through his lens leaving us click happy. A bunch of us spent the day at the water’s edge swimming, molding sandcastles and talking buttered crab recipes. We met again in Mumbai a few times and grew fond of each other. I remember asking him what it felt like playing somebody else in front of a rolling camera and he gave me an analogy he knew I’d get, “The camera is like that girl in the corner of the bar who you know is staring at you but you do your thing”. I got it. Next year at Mark’s wedding I was the official photographer for the wedding ceremony and a beautiful ceremony it was.
At the launch of Villa 69 (From left: Sunny, Me, Mark, Shanoo & Aisling)
As he explored the film fraternity, it was safe to say Bollywood welcomed him with open arms; meeting every type of actor connected with the industry. Whether it was an A – lister’s birthday party or clicking the last seen pictures of Dev Anand and Shammi Kapoor. Salman Khan once gave him a ride to a blues concert, Dharmendra and he cried together, Ritesh Deshmukh taught him to eat with his hands, Ranveer Singh & Arjun Kapoor and he danced the night away to Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya at a private party. He was even in the room when Parineeti Chopra got her first gig in Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl.
Catching up with Arjun Kapoor at Versova market
His skills as an actor and a photographer, caught Bollywood’s attention in 2014. He returned to India to act in Dibakar Banerjee’s film - Detective Byomkesh Bakshi (Set in the 40’s), where he played Wilkie - one of the sharpest Police Commissioners this country has ever witnessed.
Mark Bennington plays deputy commissioner Wilkie in Detective Byomkesh Bakshi
Sitting in his Bermuda shorts and a floral Hawaiian bush shirt, Mark sips his Corona and looks at his basic phone replying to messages from leading film industry stars graciously accepting compliments on his recent foray into Bollywood. Mid way he looks at the sky to smile and ponder on the fresh trajectory his life has stumbled upon.
“Man, Bollywood is nuts. It’s like Hollywood on steroids.“
Chatting with Deepika Padukone at a hotel in South Bombay
Q - You recently finished your book "Living the Bollywood dream” set for release by Harper Collins. After having been part of Hollywood and Bollywood, what is the most striking difference between the two?
A - I think they basically function in the same way, yet there are some infrastructural and cultural differences that (in some cases) make the two like night and day. For instance, the lack of unions in Hindi Cinema has a profound effect on work conditions.
Q - Is the casting couch in Bollywood as prevalent as it’s made out to be? What’s the casting couch like in Hollywood?
A - Where there is smoke, there is usually fire… yet in both places nobody dares to talk about it while wanting to stay employed. In Hollywood and Bollywood the “casting couch” is not in the casting office.
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Q - Is it true that Bollywood is incestuous and everybody has slept with everybody?
A - Hahaha… I don’t know? But, the entertainment industry be it Hollywood or Bollywood is a place where a lot of people want to be - yet very few people actually get to work- meaning it is a small circle, so everyone in that circle has a certain amount of intimacy. And people love to gossip.
Q - I remember you told me that you and Dharmendra cried together? How did that happen?
A - I had gone over to his house to show him the image that I wanted to use in the book along with the written interview I had edited from our first meeting. I gave it to him to read, but he didn’t have his glasses and he asked me to read it to him. The interview, the story he told, the words he used were so touching, so beautiful that as I was reading it to him I started crying and of course being the beautiful sensitive soul that he is, he had tears in his eyes and gently touched my knee. It was such a sweet moment. He has such a kind and generous spirit. I am blessed to have met him and have him in the book.
Q – Who, in your opinion, is the most beautiful Bollywood actress in person? And who the most overbearing?
A - Kareena Kapoor hands down, but I was most smitten with Vidya Balan - what a lovely woman.
Selfie with Alia Bhatt at Yashraj studios
Q - Based on your interactions, which Bollywood star would you say is the most down to earth?
A - Most of the celebrities I met were down to earth but I think Dharmendra and Salman would top the list.
Q - It is said that Shanoo Sharma is the gateway to Bollywood and she had a lot to do with connecting you to all the stars. There were also rumours that two of you were dating. Is that why she helped you?
A - Shanoo is completely instrumental in getting great actors a break - She has an amazing eye for talent and the ‘it factor’. She is also quite an avid amateur photographer and so when Guneet Monga introduced us she was interested in the project because she had never seen anything like it and when I showed her my “Foot Book” that sealed the deal, as she also takes foot images. In terms of our relationship? Again, people love gossip. We have a very close and mutual bond that comes from working so intensely together. Plus she loves my wife!
Selfie With Shanoo Sharma
Q - Is there severe rivalry between A - lister actresses or is it PR hype?
A - Good question! I have no ideea. So much of this business is hype - it’s really hard to tell. And actors have huge egos, so maybe it’s a bit of both?
Bubble eyes with the all yellow Sonakshi Sinha at the Marriott, Pune
Q - At these film parties, do you have Indian girls hitting on you since you’re this Bollywood gora star now?
A - Hahahaha…. yes and no. It’s definitely not from the film (DBB), but I’d like to think I still “have it going on!” :)
Q - How does it feel to have had smashing foray into Bollywood ? Was it a stroke of luck? How did you, being this gora photographer, land a role in Bollywood which is known to have a small inner circle?
A - I wasn’t cast through the regular casting director channels. In fact it was my thanks to friend Vikas Chandra who was associate producer/creative director for DBB. He knew that I used to act in New York and LA years ago and had convinced me to work on a global short film collaboration from LA. Anyway, he asked if I would be interested in reading for a role in DBB and if I was going to be in India around Jan 2014. My wife and I were getting married at the end of 2013 in India, so after some hesitation, I said “sure.” I video taped the audition with the help of my wife in our kitchen here in New York: They were really interested and that was it!
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Q - Do you actually speak Hindi? In your latest movie DBB, your Hindi is really good. How did you manage your lines?
A - Surprisingly, it is really all me speaking! I thought they would dub me out with another actor, but Dibakar was insistent that they keep it and use my voice. So, yes I do speak some Hindi but not as fluently as I’d like to - this made the shooting of the scenes very stressful for me, but it came out looking quite good. And I did all my own ADR here in New York with the help of my amazing wife, Taapsi.
All colored up playing holi with wifey Taapsi in Pune
Q - Do you have people recognizing you on the streets yet?
A - Not one!! I’m so bummed! Next film, I hope.
Q - Is your wife, who happens to be Indian, stoked about becoming a star wife overnight?
A - She and her side of the family love it! We all went to see DBB in a packed theater in Delhi right after the premiere here in Mumbai. All my cousins were saying, “Jiju, let me have an autograph!” It was total fun! And next will be the launch of my photography book: 'Living the Dream -The Life of the Bollywood Actor’. It will be a huge star-studded event!
Words: Roshmin Mehandru
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