Mumbai: During an interesting conversation with the filmmaker Anant Mahadevan, he discusses changes in his approach to creating resonating movies, shares thoughts on Bollywood remakes, responds to allegations of copying his TV serial, and highlights challenges faced as a filmmaker. His responses offer insights into his creative vision, industry observations, and personal experiences.
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00:00I would like to tell you that I started this effort in 2009-2010
00:12I had to make some films to enter the film industry
00:17Which we call mainstream
00:20My first film was Dil Wil Pyaar Pyaar
00:23As a director, I made a film called Ghungad Ke Pat Khol
00:28Which premiered in Doordarshan
00:31It was a television film but it was for an Australian company
00:34But my first film for big screen was Dil Wil Pyaar Pyaar
00:38In which we used RD Burman's songs
00:41It was my first experiment
00:43Even there I didn't do mainstream
00:45It was an experiment
00:47Or Dil Mange More which was Shahid Kapoor's second film
00:51Or Aksar which was a suspense film
00:53But later I felt that this is not my mojo
00:58This is not my space
01:01The works of international masters like Truffaut, Vaida, Bergman
01:09Tarkovsky, Kurosawa, Satyajit Ray, Arvind, Narod, Bhopal Krishna
01:18After seeing their works, I gave myself cinema education
01:23So I felt that I am not using this education
01:26I am going somewhere else
01:28So in 2009-10 I made a film Staying Alive
01:33Which was made in 30 lakhs
01:35With two characters
01:37Saurabh Shukla who played a gangster
01:40And I played a writer
01:42And a very interesting story was made
01:45The writer has had his third heart attack
01:48And is in the ICCU hospital
01:50And this gangster has had his first heart attack
01:53And he is on the second bed
01:55Now this gangster is scared of death
01:58And this man is laughing at death
02:00Because even after dying three times he didn't die
02:03So this exchange of life and death
02:07I started with that film
02:09After that I made Red Alert
02:11Which was on Naxals
02:13It was a true story about Sunil Shetty
02:16And there was a very important article in Hindustan Times
02:21An Andhra farmer who was trapped between Naxals
02:26And he was trapped between the police and Naxals
02:28He didn't know where to go
02:30That was a story
02:31After that I made Mee Sandhu Tai Sab Kaal
02:34Which won four national awards for that film
02:36That was also a true story
02:38Gaur Haridas was a freedom fighter
02:42He spent his entire childhood in freedom fighting
02:47With Gandhi ji
02:49And his entire life he fought for a freedom fighter certificate
02:53The same freedom fighter certificate
02:56Which helped him make the country free
03:00Then I made My Ghat
03:02Bittersweet
03:04Rough Book
03:06And Dr. Rakhma Bhai
03:09Who was India's first practicing doctor
03:11I made those films
03:13Then I made Story Teller
03:16And now Phule
03:18A story about Savitri Bhai and Jyoti Bhai Phule
03:20The film is ready
03:22Which will be released on 11th April
03:24On Jyoti Bhai Phule's birthday
03:26So if you see
03:28I made 14-15 films
03:30Which I can say
03:32That I am trying to change the film scape
03:37And I didn't get any help
03:41For every film I approached at least 10 producers
03:45Everyone liked it
03:47But no one made it
03:49No one dared to make it
03:52Because everyone was scared
03:54About the returns
03:57He makes films worth 2 crore, 3 crore, 5 crore, 8 crore
04:01We need a film worth 100 crore
04:03On which we make returns of 200 crore
04:05They don't see that
04:07If a film worth 100 crore has a loss of 50 crore
04:10And if a film worth 2 crore or 3 crore
04:13Has a loss of 3 crore
04:15Then it is a profit, a percentage
04:17That is a loss
04:19But when all my films were made
04:21All the money was recovered
04:23No one lost anything
04:25But
04:27But no one came to me saying yes
04:31So I always try to make such films
04:34Story teller must have gone to 10 producers
04:38The day Paresh ji heard the story
04:43He said yes
04:45But the funny thing was
04:47When I introduced producer no.1
04:51He said you are supporting this film
04:54It is a good thing
04:56Then producer no.2 came
04:58He took him
05:00Paresh ji said you are supporting this film
05:02It is a good thing
05:04If I bring 10 producers to you
05:06You will trust me
05:08You will think he is just faking it
05:10But he was standing with me
05:12He had the faith in the subject
05:14Actors have faith
05:16But producers don't
05:18So this is the scenario
05:20So I will always try to make such films
05:24Which will take Indian cinema to a world level
05:26Because the masters who did it
05:28They are no more
05:30Neither Ray nor Mrinal Singh
05:32Nor Ritwik Ghatak nor Tapan Sinha
05:34Adoor Gopal Krishnan
05:36Shahji Karun
05:38Harvindan
05:40Girish Kasrawali
05:42Shyam Benegal
05:44Govind Nailani
05:46Who are the masters left?
05:48No one
05:50So
05:52It is our responsibility
05:54To learn from those masters
05:56To be inspired
05:58To make such films
06:00Which gave world recognition
06:02To India
06:04We are making such films
06:06And taking it to international festivals
06:08And premiering it
06:10Saying this is Bollywood
06:12This is our song and dance culture
06:14This is our culture
06:16We are trying to brainwash the world
06:18That this is a very innovative
06:20Thing
06:22But
06:24That is not cinema
06:26You are selling circus
06:28In the name of cinema
06:30So where is the culture
06:32Where is the tradition
06:34Where is the literature
06:36You are not making that
06:38So I will try to make such films
06:40No matter what happens
06:42I am jobless
06:44I sit at home
06:46But I will not make formula films
06:48I will not make films
06:50I am not mainstream
06:52I want every film to be mainstream
06:54People should come and watch
06:56Because the success of a storyteller
06:58Has taught me a big lesson
07:06You have asked two questions
07:08The first question was
07:10Remakes
07:12People run towards south
07:14What is it
07:16At home
07:18We never do our work independently
07:20We want someone
07:22To come to the kitchen
07:24And make our food
07:26Someone to come and sweep
07:28We don't want to do anything
07:30That is the psychology
07:32Of our filmmakers
07:34If it is successful, take it
07:36Remake it
07:38Whatever is ready made
07:40You want everything ready made
07:42The mind here
07:44If you have the mind
07:46Then you don't want to use it
07:48Because when you use the mind
07:50There is a lot of pain
07:52Severe pain
07:54And you feel it is not happening
07:56And when you feel it is not happening
07:58That is the time
08:00When you have to let it happen
08:02So you don't want to try
08:04Or
08:06You don't have that ability
08:08Which is mostly the same
08:10You are not capable of
08:12You are not capable of
08:14As simple as that
08:16So, remakes
08:18Earlier we used to do
08:20Hollywood films remakes
08:22Because no one knew
08:24When Hollywood came and sat here
08:26And said
08:28Give us the license fees
08:30Then we started announcing
08:32Original remake
08:34Authorized remake
08:36Like you are making a very original film
08:38Like you have done a very big job
08:40Like you have done a very big job
08:42That this is an authorized remake
08:44Second
08:46Second question
08:48When you did it on biopics
08:50Biopics is a gimmick
08:54Because I
08:56Will make a biopic on a sports person
08:58I will make it on a runner
09:00I will make it on a boxer
09:02I will make it on a cricketer
09:04These are famous names
09:06Or I will make it on historical characters
09:08I will make it on this
09:10I will make it on that
09:12And people
09:14Will try to do this
09:16People used to say
09:18When we were kids
09:20Our parents used to say
09:22This has come
09:24Ramcharitramanasya
09:26Ramayan has come
09:28Let's go and see
09:30Because they wanted to show kids
09:32This is Ramayan, this is Mahabharat
09:34In the same way
09:36They think people will come and see
09:38Whatever it is
09:40They will accept and go
09:42But this is a complete con game
09:44Which is going on
09:46With a famous person
09:48You
09:50This Bollywood formula
09:52Or
09:54Bollywood is a word which I don't like
09:58Which is a
10:00Formula
10:02Which is a
10:04Masala
10:06Which is a
10:08You put it in it
10:10And
10:12You call it a biopic
10:14And you serve it to people
10:16This is like
10:18Chinese Dosa
10:20This Dosa
10:22That Dosa
10:24The pure Dosa
10:26Which is made with batter
10:28That is the original Dosa
10:30Now you put masala in it
10:32You put that in it
10:34So many Dosa's have come
10:36This is adulterated cinema
10:38Exaggerated
10:40Adulterated cinema
10:42It is not an honest
10:44Biopic
10:46For me this is
10:48A line of stone
10:50That if I
10:52Make a film on you
10:54I have to be honest to you
10:56To the subject
10:58By distorting you
11:00By exaggerating you
11:02By over the toping you
11:04I can't show you
11:06I am not making a documentary
11:08Which most people think
11:10When I made Mir Sindhu Tai Sabkaal
11:12Or Dr.Rakhmabai or Gaur Haridas
11:14This will be a documentary
11:16No
11:18There is so much drama in their life
11:20That if you
11:22Faithfully bring it on screen
11:24There can't be anything more dramatic
11:26On the contrary
11:28Mir Sindhu Tai Sabkaal's life
11:30Is so dramatic
11:32That I had to tone down a lot of things
11:34Which we are exaggerating here
11:36In some films
11:38That
11:40On the train
11:42Dupatta is running
11:44Our sprinter
11:46World class sprinter
11:48That
11:50Is not like that
11:52I had to tone down
11:54Otherwise people thought
11:56I am fooling people
11:58So
12:00They say fact is stranger than fiction
12:02Look at the facts
12:04It is dramatic enough
12:06And you should have the courage
12:08And honesty to depict it
12:10Yes
12:12You should have the ability
12:14To dramatize it
12:16Into a film
12:18How you visualize it into a film
12:20How do you write a screenplay out of it
12:22That is the trick
12:26I
12:28Won't call it a remake
12:30But it has an inspiration
12:32When you are making a film on Bhagat Singh
12:34And someone else
12:36Announced it
12:38I understand
12:40Because Bhagat Singh was a famous
12:42Patriot
12:44And many people
12:46Thought they will make it too
12:48When the story is
12:50That
12:52Two people get married
12:54In a village
12:56And they come to the station
12:58With their wives
13:00And there is a crowd
13:02And when the train comes
13:04They get on it
13:06And the wives exchange
13:08You don't know about it
13:10When you come to the city
13:12You get to know
13:14What happened
13:16Then you try to find your husband
13:18And wife
13:20Then
13:22You look at the photograph
13:24Of the marriage
13:26And how will you recognize her
13:28If you have
13:30Thought of all this
13:32Like I have
13:34Then you
13:36Are my mirror
13:38Or my duplicate
13:40Or
13:42You know
13:44Similar
13:46Creations
13:48It's too much of a coincidence
13:50And
13:52If you don't reach out
13:54And say
13:56We have actually thought of this
13:58And it has happened
14:00And it's a very interesting thing
14:02I would have accepted it
14:04But no one
14:06Was so courteous
14:08Why is Anand Mahadevan
14:10Saying that this film is a copy
14:12Come here
14:14Talk to me
14:16Either they think
14:18He is not an important person
14:20Why give him importance
14:22Or they think we will be proved wrong
14:24Half of the film is the same
14:26The rest
14:28Whatever we have done
14:30Anyone can do it
14:32Like a film was made
14:34My Sassy Girl
14:36My Sassy Girl
14:38I won't tell you
14:40Which film was made
14:42Length was so much
14:44If a Hindi film was made
14:46It can be made till interval
14:48So till interval
14:50It was My Sassy Girl
14:52After interval it was made
14:54In Punjab
14:56On lovers
14:58So it is a copy
15:00It is an inspiration
15:02So
15:04This is what we are doing
15:06I am not the type
15:08To raise the point
15:10I laugh it off
15:12Very good
15:14A very big producer
15:16And a very big director
15:18Thought that my film
15:20Is worth remaking
15:22Thank you very much
15:28I am making a documentary film
15:30And I had a co-producer
15:32In a Marathi film
15:34It's time to go
15:36Atta Bail Zali
15:38Dilip Prabhavalkar
15:40Rohini Hatangadi
15:42She is on a very unusual subject
15:44A couple
15:46Lives in Bombay
15:48They were very healthy
15:50And they told
15:52President
15:54Allow us to go
15:56We are a burden on the society
15:58We
16:00Don't want to take hospital beds
16:02So someone else
16:04Needs it
16:06So make a law
16:08Active euthanasia
16:10Mercy killing
16:12You are on a ventilator
16:14You have tubes
16:16Let it go
16:18But when I am healthy
16:20Why should I reach that level
16:22Where I have to take a bed
16:24And suffer
16:26So
16:28Make active euthanasia legal
16:30Although it can't be
16:32So that is the story
16:34Of this couple
16:36Now this type of story
16:38When I
16:40Showed it to a lot of people
16:42A test audience
16:44Some young people
16:46Said yes
16:48I didn't think
16:50I was forced to think
16:52And the distributors
16:54Were afraid
16:56This is a film on death
16:58This won't work
17:00So this is the reading
17:02Of the audience
17:04Those who claim
17:06They don't know anything
17:08Because
17:10I have
17:12Absolutely on hand experience
17:14By asking people
17:16And how they react
17:18But they don't listen
17:20So this is the difficulty
17:22We have as a filmmaker
17:24There are a lot of challenges
17:26Like I said
17:28There will be a lot of challenges
17:30Because people don't understand
17:32What type of film I am making
17:34How to make it
17:36And the people who came
17:38To the 15th film
17:40The people who came
17:42They don't know
17:44How to distribute
17:46I did support
17:48Monitoring
17:50But the film doesn't distribute
17:52So that is that
17:54And of course
17:56I think that
17:58If the subject is that good
18:00Like I went to Paresh ji
18:02And told him
18:04No one can say no
18:06If in the future
18:08If I take something
18:10Worthy of Shah Rukh
18:12If I take something
18:14That I know he can't say no
18:16I will take something
18:18Of that level
18:20I won't just go
18:22To work with him
18:24To sign him
18:26I will go and tell him
18:28That this is it
18:30He should say no
18:32And it should be such a good story
18:34Such a good concept
18:36That he won't say no
18:38So that is a challenge for me
18:40I am not worried about whether an actor will do my film
18:42Or not do my film
18:44I am worried about whether I am good enough
18:46For that actor