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.
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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.