From Maqbool to Ruskin Bond

The Blue Umbrella is a beautiful story and has a genuine universal appeal

When he was editing his now critically- acclaimed film Maqbool, film-maker Vishal Bharadwaj was reading Ruskin Bond's The Blue Umbrella. That was sometime in May 2003. He immediately called up Ruskin Bond to request the rights to the story for a film script.

The author promptly directed him to the publisher Rupa & Co. "When Rupa said that someone else has been inquiring about the story, I wasted no time and sent the cheque to obtain the rights," recalls Bharadwaj.

Today director-producer Bharadwaj says that 85 per cent of the shooting for the film is complete and "the first print is expected in March".

The film has been produced by UTV Motion Pictures-Production in association with Bharadwaj. Without divulging its cost, UTV-Motion Pictures' chief operating officer, Aditya Shastri, says that "it is a mid-budget film".

Shastri, who quit Twentieth Century Fox to join the Ronnie Screwvala company about a month ago, says the film will be released during the school summer holidays.

However, Bharadwaj and Shastri are quick to add that the film is not targeted solely at children. "It has a deep message with a universal appeal," says Bharadwaj. "I would say the film is for an intelligent audience and children are our most intelligent audiences," he adds.

Shastri, meanwhile, is drawing up strategies to target film-goers across the globe.

"We are not eyeing the Indian diaspora. We plan to take the film to markets such as Spain, France, Germany, which do not necessarily watch Hindi films. It will appeal to viewers across the world," says Shastri.

But why did UTV agree to produce a mid-budget film without super-stars, especially after Shah Rukh Khan's Swades? For many reasons, explains Shastri.

First, Makdi and Maqbool reflect Bharadwaj's ability to tell a great story. Two, the Ruskin Bond story is beautiful and has a genuine universal appeal, offering UTV the opportunity to market it abroad.

Lastly, UTV Motion Pictures was set up with the integrated studio model in mind that works with filmmakers of all hues and produces an array of high, low and mid-budget films.

The company expects to release between four and six films this year. Two projects in collaboration with Star India are already being processed.

The music for The Blue Umbrella, shot mostly in Dalhousie, has been scored by Bharadwaj.

However, even before it is ready for release, Bharadwaj is already working on two scripts. He is currently talking to stars to cast them in his next film Timbaktu which is based on a story by an Australian writer.

But what if The Blue Umbrella does not match up to the benchmarks set by Maqbool and disappoints Bharadwaj's fans? "I don't know. I've never claimed to be a great filmmaker anyway," he replies.