HVK Archives: Tibet is India's younger brother, says Gere, actor with a cause
Tibet is India's younger brother, says Gere, actor with a cause - The Times of India
Khalid Mohamed
()
9 January 1997
Title : Tibet is India's younger brother, says Gere, actor with a cause
Author : Khalid Mohamed
Publication : The Times of India
Date : January 9, 1997
He bas worked with some of the most accomplished directors of
International cinema: Akira Kurosawa (Rhapsody in August), Francis Ford
Coppola (Cotton Club), Mike Figgis (Internal Affairs), Paul Schrader
(American Gigolo) and Bruce Beresford (King David).
The world over, audiences adored Richard Gere as the genial millionaire
in Pretty Woman and the romantic naval cadet in An Officer and a
Gentleman, incidentally two of the most successful American movies at
the Indian box office,
But perhaps the most challenging role yet for this loyal admirer of the
Dalai Lama bas been that of an activist for Tibet.
In the course of a one-hour interface at a suburban hotel during his
stopover in Mumbai on Tuesday en route to Hong Kong, the actor with a
cause disclosed a friendly and unfussy personality - shaped over the
decades perhaps by his practice of Buddbism. He was received in the city
by Tibetan political personality Gyari Bhutuk. Excerpts from the
interview:
Wasn't it around 1981 that you fist started moving towards Buddhism?
I was a practising Buddhist with Japanese teachers even before that.
When I was in my early 20s, like most young men, I was very confused and
unfocused. in an attempt to make some sense of my confusion, I looked at
several different philosophies and religions. Since I was a philosophy
major in college, I was well aware of different approaches to
existential questions.
At this stage, I particularly liked the 18th century British philosopher
Bishop Berkeley. He wasn't actually thought to be a heretic because his
theory had nothing to do with religion. Instead it was concerned with
the logic and exploration of the mind itself. Similarly, according to
Buddhism there is no reality other than what is projected by the mind.
There is a constant revolution then, a constant challenge of the
accepted order.
I came upon Zen Buddhism which has very little dogma and ritual; it is
very clean and clear. It started to coalesce a kind of Buddha-mind in
me. I believe in more Zen, more meditation. I was 24 when I started,
I'm 47 today, so it has been 23 years of practising every day.
How different do you feel after the two decades of practice?
The field of study is so vast that I'll be an infant, a beginner all my
life. I feel as if I'm crawling in the right direction. I think more
responsibly, I'm more confident. Anger has lessened. Patience,
tolerance and energy have increased. Of wisdom I cannot make any
claims.
What would you like to say about the Tibet cause to India at this point?
I cannot claim to know India that well though I have been coming here
ever since 1978. My film, Days of Heaven was showing at the Cannes
festival. I flew cast after that, starting out in Delhi, moving further
into North India, the hills and Nepal. I still don't know South India
very well though my brother, David, lived in India for several years
during the 1970s. On an exchange programme, he had a wonderful time
teaching music and dance.
I think the important thing for Indians to remember is that in many ways
Tibet is their younger brother. Tibet has a much younger culture and
could well use the protection of the older, stronger brother. In fact,
Tibet could serve as a zone of ahimsa between India and China.
I know the Dalai Lama being in India is a sore point for China,
certainly making the Indo-China relationship difficult. But if the
situation is resolved inside of Tibet, all the refugees can go back, His
Holiness the Dalai Lama can go back.
Compared to Kashmir, Tibet is a clear-cut issue. There's no question
that Tibet is a country which was invaded.
What would you say about Sino-American relations in the context of the
Tibet issue?
They have been improving a bit since last year. U.S. politicians aren't
happy about having to he as friendly with China as they have to be. it-s
a business matter. At the same time, senators weep when the Dalai Lama
speaks in Congress. The resolution, stating that Tibet is an occupier
country, was universally signed and is bound to have a far-reaching
effect.
Your comments on Martin Scorsese's Kundun which is on the Dalai Lama.
I'm for it, absolutely. It was a pity that it wasn't allowed to be shot
in India. They weren't allowed to shoot in Mongolia and Nepal either
because they're so terrified of China. I don't know if China went to
these governments and told them not to allow Kundun as well as Seven
Years in Tibet by Jean-Jacques Annaud.
I do know that the Indian government tabled the applications but did not
give any response. And I also know that the Chinese authorities did
contact the Chinese community in Morocco where Kundun was being shot and
told them not to participate in the film. If they did, the fair milies
back home would be dealt with very severely. So those who played the
Chinese roles had to he flown in from elsewhere.
What do you have to say about China's threat to boycott Walt Disney's
business interests?
The Chinese were very foolish in the way they dealt with the situation.
The outrage throughout the world was uniform. The bullying tactics of
China have led to wonderful cartoons, like Mickey Mouse taking on the
Chinese tanks in Tiananmen square. It's been a great learning experience
for China on how to dealt with the rest of the world, both in corporate
and moral terms.
Are you for autonomy or absolute freedom for Tibet?
As for most things, there are two views on this. The absolute view is
that Tibetans, like the Americans and Indians, should be free. We should
all be totally liberated creatures. on the other hand, the practical
view is that if there is authentic, bona fide autonomy, that would
suffice for the moment.
Do you think your voice is heard on the issue simply because you're a
celebrity?
That's sad really. Leaders of America, Europe and India should be doing
this, not me. Obviously, the Tibetan issue should be important to India
and shouldn't be avoided. But I would couch this by saying that Indians
have always been the Tibetans' best friends.
Lastly, there is talk that you are interested In doing film projects
concerning pan-Asian issues
I'm just going to start a picture called Red Corner on the Chinese
judicial process. Since I am not allowed to go to China or Tibet, we
will shoot it in Hong Kong and the stardios of Los Angeles. Obviously,
it won't be very flattering to China. Jon Avnet will direct.
And you know something? After seeing Bandit Queen, which I was amazed
by, I've been begging Shekhar Kapur to do a movie with me. I've gone
down on my hands and knees, saying, 'Please Shekharji, let me do a film
with you.' And he has been casting me off as if I was a common
mendicant, a beggar on the street. We met in London, found that we have
a lot of things in common, we are just beginning our friendship.
What did you find In common?
Challenge. The challenge of minds, hearts ... and film-making.
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