Renowned filmmaker Mira Nair today said her debut feature film 'Salaam Bombay' was her most valued piece of work for the impact it made to the lives of street children.
"If I were to choose one movie which makes me proud, it has to be 'Salaam Bombay'...It was a movie directly impacting government policy towards the street kids," she said, at the annual media and entertainment industry's 'Ficci Frames' event here.
Recounting how she went about scripting the movie, Nair said the Oscar nominated 'Salaam Bombay' was also one of those rare instances wherein a film directly led her to launch an NGO 'Salaam Baalak Trust', which has changed the lives of thousands of street kids.
Both Mira and Sooni Taraporewala, who wrote the screenplay for the film, spent over four months witnessing the activities of street kids in the financial capital before proceeding on to scripting. This was followed by a workshop for 130 kids and the final selection of 24, who made it to the screen.
The film, set and shot on location in Kamathipura, the red light district in Mumbai, chronicled the day-to-day life of street children, drug-pushers, pimps and prostitutes.
It depicted the life of a young kid Krishna, who had come to the big city to earn Rs 500 and nurtured the dream of going back to his mother someday.
Starring Shafiq Syed as young Krishna, the film launched the career of Irrfan Khan. Raghuvir Yadav and Nana Patekar played the roles of a drug addict and a pimp.
The movie is set to be released nationally by a multiplex chain to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release.
"It is absolutely thrilling to bring 'Salaam Bombay' back. I am proud of this film and quite happy that it is re-releasing again. The film changed the lives of people," Nair said.
