Anurag Basu Recollects Moments & Experiences While Making Films Kucch Toh Hai, Murder & Metro

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Anurag Basu, renowned for bold Hindi Cinema themes, marks his 54th birthday. In a candid Lehren chat, he reflects on his career, Mahesh Bhatt bond, and 'Kucch To Hai' controversy with Ekta Kapoor. Check out the podcast.

Transcript

00:00I thought my career was over, no one would give me a film again.

00:03I got it once, I won't get it again.

00:05Usually, when a director is a producer, he interferes a lot.

00:09And in a lot of things, because he has his own thoughts, he wants to push those thoughts.

00:14The kind of end product I was seeing, Ekta wasn't seeing that kind of end product.

00:18When you started, you didn't have to do much assist, you did it for 6-7 months.

00:29After that, you get a big serial, Sitara.

00:32So, how challenging was it for you?

00:34Or did you feel some nervousness or something, because you get a full serial in your hands.

00:40No, I was never nervous on any occasion.

00:43Because I was always ready for my first opportunity.

00:47That's why I kept getting second chances.

00:49I think you should be ready for your first chance.

00:51And when you get your first chance, you definitely get your first chance in Mumbai.

00:56If you encash that first chance, you get a second chance.

00:59And I was ready for every first chance, whether it was a film or my first day of shooting.

01:04I was always ready.

01:07Murder, how did murder happen to you?

01:11There were a lot of stories.

01:14I was fed up of television.

01:17And television had changed a lot.

01:20In the last stage of television, I did Sitara, Saturday Suspense, X Zone, Bestseller, Koshish Ek Asha.

01:31Then all these shows started.

01:33I was very closely involved with almost all the shows.

01:38But I was fed up of it.

01:40Very repetitive, very regressive.

01:43And I didn't understand why this show was so popular despite being so bad.

01:50And I wanted to leave the shows.

01:52I told Ekta that I want to try in some films.

01:55So Ekta said, we are also making a film, you do a film with us.

01:59So the first film that Ekta Kapoor considered for me.

02:05Ekta signed me for the film Kuch To Hai.

02:09It was my first film.

02:11It was a film of 10-12 crores.

02:13And a good star cast.

02:16But somewhere, things were not in my control.

02:20The kind of end product I was seeing, Ekta was not seeing that kind of end product.

02:24Gradually the differences increased.

02:27We fought a lot.

02:32And there were differences in Ekta and my friendship.

02:38And gradually, I was not proud of the film that I was making.

02:42It was the first time in my life that I was making something and I was not proud of it.

02:47So I left it.

02:50After talking to Ekta, I said I don't want to make a film.

02:54It was a very difficult decision.

02:56Because I had come to Mumbai to make a film.

02:58And I got a film and I had to leave that film.

03:00So I thought my career was over.

03:03Now no one will give me a film again.

03:05I got it once, I won't get it back.

03:07But what to say about fate.

03:11One day I get a call from Mahesh Bhatt.

03:14Then he gives me a shadow to direct.

03:16And this is very strange.

03:20Because many years ago, seeing my work in this serial, Bhatt said that Anurag you should make a film.

03:26You are made for a film.

03:28Then he took me seriously.

03:30Because Bhatt sir often praises people.

03:33Bhatt sir doesn't hesitate to praise.

03:35So I thought he was praising me.

03:37But after 4-5 years, he will call me and give me a film.

03:41I had no idea about this.

03:43Then he gave me a shadow.

03:45Then I made a shadow.

03:47After making the shadow,

03:53I remember the trial shows on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

03:56For the first time, I was nervous to show my film to people.

04:00Many big people from the industry came.

04:03And they made me believe that I have made a good film.

04:06And it is a super hit film.

04:08And we have arrived.

04:10So I was nervous that I might not have made a good film.

04:13But people made me believe that I have made a good film.

04:16The film was released on Friday.

04:19I went to watch the film in the theater at 12.

04:21And I realized that people are not liking my film.

04:26And then I thought that I should make a film.

04:30I wanted to make a hit film.

04:34Then I thought of murder.

04:36Within 2 months, I made a murder script.

04:40I told it to Bhatt sir.

04:42And then I made murder.

04:44You were with Bhatt sir for so many years.

04:47What did you learn from him?

04:49My relationship with Bhatt sir is very different from that of other directors.

04:54The reason is that all the directors who worked with him were associated with Bhatt sir.

04:59Tanuja Chandra, Vikram Bhatt, Mohit Shree.

05:02All of them have assisted Bhatt sir.

05:04I was fresh with him.

05:06So I had a one-to-one relationship with him.

05:09Because I was a freelance director coming from outside, working for him.

05:12Bhatt sir gives so much freedom and freedom.

05:18And maybe that's why people make such good films for him.

05:28I would say that a man with that stature, like Mr. Mahesh Bhatt,

05:35often interferes a lot when he is a director and producer.

05:39And in many things, because he has his own thoughts, he wants to express his thoughts.

05:46But it's not like that with Bhatt sir.

05:48Bhatt sir gives complete freedom.

05:50And I write a story.

05:55First I tell Bhatt sir the idea that we are writing something on Bhatt sir's idea.

05:59And then we get it.

06:02Then we write the whole screenplay.

06:04Bhatt sir writes the whole screenplay.

06:05Bhatt sir is a very good bounce board.

06:07There are many things in the screenplay that he points out that maybe no one has seen.

06:13After the film shoot, Bhatt sir got one scene added to the murder.

06:18It was a very insignificant scene.

06:21It was between Mallika Sherawat and Mallika's friend Shiva.

06:25They talk about the Asha Mattel affair.

06:28And she says that I have also gone through it.

06:30I have attempted suicide.

06:31So adding one scene made a lot of difference.

06:35And that was not in the screenplay.

06:36So Bhatt sir has such small contributions that are not visible.

06:40But it's there.

06:42There are two talented actors in the Hindi film industry.

06:45One is Waheeda ji and the other is Dilip sir.

06:48As a director, how do you judge their acting?

06:52And how much have you learned from their films?

06:55I will tell you about Waheeda ji.

06:58When Waheeda ji made her debut,

07:02there was a style of penultimate acting in the Hindi film industry.

07:10But Waheeda ji's acting was very natural.

07:13When she used to act, it didn't look like she was acting.

07:17This was her specialty.

07:20She was very natural.

07:22Her acting abilities were ahead of time.

07:25Even today when I tell actresses not to act, but feel,

07:30don't try to act, don't try to fool the camera.

07:32Waheeda ji never did this.

07:34She never cheated herself or the camera.

07:36She felt every character and played that character.

07:43Everyone knows Dilip sir and Vishnu sir.

07:46The whole world knows about their acting.

07:53But I am a very small man.

07:59It would be rude to say anything about a person of his stature.

08:03But the things that I said about Waheeda ji,

08:06the same things are opposite.

08:08Dilip sir was not that easy.

08:10Dilip sir used to act, he used to watch, he used to act.

08:14He knew that if I look like this, people will whistle.

08:17Many times he used to come out of the character.

08:20Rest, he is a great actor.

08:22What is the meaning of direction for you?

08:25The meaning of direction for me is to understand human relationships

08:31and to bring it on screen in the easiest way.

08:34So when you take a project, what do you look for?

08:38What factors do you look for?

08:41You should touch it.

08:43You should do something about the project.

08:45Either it should make you laugh or make you angry or make you cry.

08:49It should move you emotionally.

08:51And I see this only.

08:53If there is any subject, whether it moves me emotionally or not.

08:56And I am such a subject.

08:58And what happens to me?

09:00Because I write all the stories of my films myself.

09:03So when I choose a story, the film comes to my mind.

09:07So when you plan to write a story, how do you plan it?

09:13See, one thing is what to make.

09:15First of all, a person thinks about what to make next.

09:19After the murder, when I made the murder,

09:22after the murder, the whole world wanted me to make a similar film.

09:26Unfortunately, people started watching the murder as a sex flick.

09:30I was offered many similar films.

09:32I stopped myself, didn't take the films.

09:34Then I made Gangster, which was different from Murder.

09:37After Gangster, the same thing happened.

09:39The whole industry fixed me in the romantic thriller genre.

09:45They were offering me that kind of film.

09:47If I wanted, I would have signed a lot of films and made other films.

09:52But then it was challenging for me to make a film different from Gangster.

09:55So I made Metro.

09:56After Metro, it was difficult to make a film different from Metro.

10:00So you keep competing with yourself and keep looking for new subjects.

10:05And that's how it works.

10:06Now just one question.

10:08What is the motto of your life?

10:12Just live life to the fullest. Enjoy every day.

10:16One thing that you never forget to carry with you?

10:20Anything of Sai Baba.

10:21Either a ring or some photograph or something.

10:23Something that you can't live without?

10:28A person or a thing?

10:30Anything.

10:32I cannot live without my family.

10:36Your hobbies?

10:38Cooking, listening to music, painting sometimes, watching movies.

10:44Favourite holiday spot?

10:46Many actually.

10:47Right now, my in-laws live in West Bengal.

10:52There is a place called Auli in Garhwal.

10:56Chamba.

10:58Kothiala.

11:00Backwaters.

11:03List just goes on.

11:05You are afraid of?

11:07Snake.

11:10Your first crush?

11:12My teacher, professor.

11:13When I was in first year.

11:16Your first date?

11:18Same teacher.

11:21Passion in life?

11:23Passion in life? Filmmaking.

11:26Three wishes?

11:28Three wishes?

11:30Make me thinner.

11:32Give me more brain.

11:36And...

11:38Give me more brain.

11:41And...

11:44Give me the strength to always keep everyone happy.

11:47If you weren't a director, what would you be?

11:50Chef.

11:52So, for chef, your favourite dish?

11:55My favourite dish?

11:57My favourite dish, it changes from time to time.

12:01Bengali cuisine, it's Ashukto.

12:04Ashukto.

12:06And just in general...

12:10I like Thai food, a lot.

12:13And favourite drink?

12:15My favourite drink...

12:18Just a chhaas.

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