 "Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra: It's personal")
He was a student of Delhi University when Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra first saw Mirza-Sahiban being enacted on stage. One of the four most popular tales of tragic romances from Punjab, the others being Heer-Ranjha, Sohni-Mahiwal and Sassi-Punnu, it haunted him for years to come. He was particularly impacted by the character of Sahiban. The tragic climax where Sahiban breaks Mirza's arrows in the hope that her brothers, who are chasing the couple, would not be killed by them, left a question in his head: "Why did Sahiban break the arrows?" Her "betrayal" cost Mirza his life.
Then one day Mehra went to Gulzar, who lives in his neighbourhood, and asked the lyricist if he had the answer to the question. In response, Gulzar held his hand and said: "Let's find out."
Mirzya, Mehra's forthcoming film that releases on October 7, is as much a tribute to this layered love story as it is a personal quest for the director. But then Mehra, 53, has always been known to put to screen subjects that are personal to him.
Rang De Basanti (2006) before that borrowed from his days in Delhi University. "It was post-Emergency and a great time to be a student," he says. "Everyone had this belief that we would change the world, but nothing quite worked out." The five friends are modelled on Mehra and his four best friends in real life, Sharman Joshi's character being close to what Mehra was in his college days. The more serious aspect of Rang De Basanti, which inspired the film's second half, was drawn from a documentary Mehra saw about a MiG crash.
With Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), he revived the legend of one of our finest athletes, but then Mehra was himself a sportsman in college. He captained the Delhi University and North Zone swimming teams, but narrowly missed selection for the 1982 Asian Games.
An alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce, Mehra in 2011 hit out at the rising cut-offs, some of which touch 100 per cent, including at his former college. He said, "Imagine if Shakespeare goes to DU and he's told, 'We can't take you based on stories you've written as your marksheet'. Isn't that cool'."
Mehra is among the few directors who have managed to breach the divide between critical acclaim and commercial success.
He moved to Mumbai - he prefers to call it Bombay - about 30 years ago from Delhi and started off as an ad film maker. His first feature film, Aks (2001) starring Amitabh Bachchan, did not do well. Unperturbed, he moved on to his next venture - Rang De Basanti (2006). A roaring box-office hit, it was hailed as iconic by many and problematic by some for the vigilantism, though futile, it portrayed.
Though Delhi-6, which followed, was a disappointment, it was clearly outweighed by the tremendous success of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. While proud of the massive impact Rang De Basanti and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag made, Mehra seems to be quietly conscious of how things can change overnight in the film industry. As the saying goes, "One is only as good as their last film."
What does he feel about the industry's perception towards him? "I do sometimes feel like a misfit," he says. "When I came to Mumbai, I was an outsider but have gradually settled in. That said, I have always received tremendous support from the talent here." He considers Amitabh Bachchan his mentor and counts Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar as good friends.
Atul Kulkarni, who played a powerful role in Rang De Basanti and was also seen in Delhi-6, says, "Mehra has a unique visualisation capacity; he has seen the world, gone through so many experiences. He has a unique style, which is visible in every film of his."
The inspiration for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag partially came from Mehra's experience after he moved from Old Delhi to Lajpat Nagar (his father worked at The Claridges hotel), once a refugee colony. The 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which he witnessed, left a profound impact and made him want to make a film based on Partition. "The worst affected," says Mehra, "were the children who stayed in refugee camps. That's what happened to Milkha Singh as well. The film was not just on how great an athlete he was, but also about the terrible effects of Partition on him."
Though different subjects, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Rang De Basanti seem to carry the same punch. Milkha Singh's son, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh, was instrumental in handing Mehra the reins for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag - he had really liked Rang De Basanti and felt Mehra would be the perfect choice.
Film critic Anupama Chopra says, "Mehra arouses your curiosity because he doesn't walk the beaten path. I like his films because they aren't formula. Sometimes they don't work, like Delhi-6, but a lot of times they do."
Mirzya, a contemporary re-telling of the legend of Mirza-Sahiban, also marks Gulzar's return to screenplay writing - his last screenplay was for his directorial venture, Hu Tu Tu (1999). It is also the launch pad for Anil Kapoor's son, Harshvardhan Kapoor, and Nashik-based actor Saiyami Kher.
"Mirzya," says Mehra, "is somewhat a reflection of the kind of person I am. I have a certain romantic idea of love, the unhappy relationship of love, a convoluted idea of love. The way romance is portrayed nowadays in Hindi cinema doesn't quite satisfy me."
At the music launch last week, Gulzar discussed why romantic tragedies have greater appeal as compared to happy endings. "The impact of a tragedy lasts much longer, happiness is shorter," he said. He equated the difference between the two to that of a firecracker and an agarbatti. "The former douses as fast as it lights up, while the latter ends up leaving an aroma that stays long after it (agarbatti) fades away."
Having grown up when radio was more prominent than it is today, Mehra has a strong ear for music. Thus, he has made Mirzya as a musical, which is narrated by the nomads of Rajasthan. It is a story that travels through centuries and lands in today's times. While most of Mirzya is set in contemporary times, with Rajasthan as the backdrop, "the folklore part of the movie is shot in the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Ladakh," he says.
About Mehra, Gulzar said at the music launch, "I really enjoyed collaborating with Rakeysh. He asks questions that are outside the textbook. Finding answers to those is difficult, but I like it that way."
Mehra, who is inspired by the movies of Chetan Anand, Mehboob Khan, Bimal Roy and Guru Dutt and counts V Shantaram's Do Aankhen Barah Haath as his all-time favourite film, has built a reputation as a risk-taker.
With Mirzya, a complex and much-loved love story, riding on the shoulders of two new-comers, he has only set the bar higher for himself.
Then one day Mehra went to Gulzar, who lives in his neighbourhood, and asked the lyricist if he had the answer to the question. In response, Gulzar held his hand and said: "Let's find out."
Mirzya, Mehra's forthcoming film that releases on October 7, is as much a tribute to this layered love story as it is a personal quest for the director. But then Mehra, 53, has always been known to put to screen subjects that are personal to him.
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Mehra's previous three movies have all borrowed some aspects of his life experiences. Delhi-6 (2009) was inspired by his early years growing up in Old Delhi. It was his take on the religious intolerance that had gripped the country. This was very different from his growing up days in Old Delhi, a place that is a celebration of the country's diversity - with mosques, temples, churches and gurudwaras, all being in close proximity.
Rang De Basanti (2006) before that borrowed from his days in Delhi University. "It was post-Emergency and a great time to be a student," he says. "Everyone had this belief that we would change the world, but nothing quite worked out." The five friends are modelled on Mehra and his four best friends in real life, Sharman Joshi's character being close to what Mehra was in his college days. The more serious aspect of Rang De Basanti, which inspired the film's second half, was drawn from a documentary Mehra saw about a MiG crash.
With Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), he revived the legend of one of our finest athletes, but then Mehra was himself a sportsman in college. He captained the Delhi University and North Zone swimming teams, but narrowly missed selection for the 1982 Asian Games.
An alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce, Mehra in 2011 hit out at the rising cut-offs, some of which touch 100 per cent, including at his former college. He said, "Imagine if Shakespeare goes to DU and he's told, 'We can't take you based on stories you've written as your marksheet'. Isn't that cool'."
Mehra is among the few directors who have managed to breach the divide between critical acclaim and commercial success.
He moved to Mumbai - he prefers to call it Bombay - about 30 years ago from Delhi and started off as an ad film maker. His first feature film, Aks (2001) starring Amitabh Bachchan, did not do well. Unperturbed, he moved on to his next venture - Rang De Basanti (2006). A roaring box-office hit, it was hailed as iconic by many and problematic by some for the vigilantism, though futile, it portrayed.
Though Delhi-6, which followed, was a disappointment, it was clearly outweighed by the tremendous success of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. While proud of the massive impact Rang De Basanti and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag made, Mehra seems to be quietly conscious of how things can change overnight in the film industry. As the saying goes, "One is only as good as their last film."
What does he feel about the industry's perception towards him? "I do sometimes feel like a misfit," he says. "When I came to Mumbai, I was an outsider but have gradually settled in. That said, I have always received tremendous support from the talent here." He considers Amitabh Bachchan his mentor and counts Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar as good friends.
Atul Kulkarni, who played a powerful role in Rang De Basanti and was also seen in Delhi-6, says, "Mehra has a unique visualisation capacity; he has seen the world, gone through so many experiences. He has a unique style, which is visible in every film of his."
The inspiration for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag partially came from Mehra's experience after he moved from Old Delhi to Lajpat Nagar (his father worked at The Claridges hotel), once a refugee colony. The 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which he witnessed, left a profound impact and made him want to make a film based on Partition. "The worst affected," says Mehra, "were the children who stayed in refugee camps. That's what happened to Milkha Singh as well. The film was not just on how great an athlete he was, but also about the terrible effects of Partition on him."
Though different subjects, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Rang De Basanti seem to carry the same punch. Milkha Singh's son, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh, was instrumental in handing Mehra the reins for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag - he had really liked Rang De Basanti and felt Mehra would be the perfect choice.
Film critic Anupama Chopra says, "Mehra arouses your curiosity because he doesn't walk the beaten path. I like his films because they aren't formula. Sometimes they don't work, like Delhi-6, but a lot of times they do."
Mirzya, a contemporary re-telling of the legend of Mirza-Sahiban, also marks Gulzar's return to screenplay writing - his last screenplay was for his directorial venture, Hu Tu Tu (1999). It is also the launch pad for Anil Kapoor's son, Harshvardhan Kapoor, and Nashik-based actor Saiyami Kher.
"Mirzya," says Mehra, "is somewhat a reflection of the kind of person I am. I have a certain romantic idea of love, the unhappy relationship of love, a convoluted idea of love. The way romance is portrayed nowadays in Hindi cinema doesn't quite satisfy me."
At the music launch last week, Gulzar discussed why romantic tragedies have greater appeal as compared to happy endings. "The impact of a tragedy lasts much longer, happiness is shorter," he said. He equated the difference between the two to that of a firecracker and an agarbatti. "The former douses as fast as it lights up, while the latter ends up leaving an aroma that stays long after it (agarbatti) fades away."
Having grown up when radio was more prominent than it is today, Mehra has a strong ear for music. Thus, he has made Mirzya as a musical, which is narrated by the nomads of Rajasthan. It is a story that travels through centuries and lands in today's times. While most of Mirzya is set in contemporary times, with Rajasthan as the backdrop, "the folklore part of the movie is shot in the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Ladakh," he says.
About Mehra, Gulzar said at the music launch, "I really enjoyed collaborating with Rakeysh. He asks questions that are outside the textbook. Finding answers to those is difficult, but I like it that way."
Mehra, who is inspired by the movies of Chetan Anand, Mehboob Khan, Bimal Roy and Guru Dutt and counts V Shantaram's Do Aankhen Barah Haath as his all-time favourite film, has built a reputation as a risk-taker.
With Mirzya, a complex and much-loved love story, riding on the shoulders of two new-comers, he has only set the bar higher for himself.