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on 2006/6/19 9:13:39
Director Ketan Mehta and producer Bobby Bedi had serious differences during the making of Mangal Pandey — The Rising.
The two men swore never to work with each other again. The lukewarm box-office response made their film stronger.
But now the two men are making a film on the same subject. Both are working on a period film based on the painter Ravi Verma.
Next one’s on Ravi
When contacted, Mehta confirmed that his next priority was a film on Ravi Verma.
Says Mehta, “Ravi Verma, being the father of modern Indian aesthetics, has always been a key figure for me. In the late 90s, I read a Marathi novel Raja Ravi Verma written by Ranjeet Desai and I acquired the film rights for it. Thereafter, I started penning the screenplay myself.”
Why a film on a painter? Mehta explains, “I first saw Ravi Verma’s prints as a young film school student and was struck by their colourful exuberance and expressive quality.
It became evident that this was the starting point of the modern sensibility in Indian art and the beginning of popular culture, which had deeply influenced early Indian cinema.”
Metaphor for freedom
“As I heard and read about his life, the mesmerising story of his struggle to express his art, became an inspiring tale, for me. Once I started making films and suffered various self-righteous censor boards, I found my mind being drawn to Ravi’s life. Today Raja Ravi Verma seems relevant to me, not just as an artist, but as a metaphor for creative freedom itself,” he adds.
Will the book be reproduced on screen in toto? “Ranjeet Desai has based his book on extensive research. However, there is an element of fictionalisation in adapting it to the novel format.
My film is based on the book as well as my own research,” says the director. Star cast? “The cast has not yet been finalised. The film is an Indo-European co-production and will have an international cast. Some Indian actors will also be included.”
Two tributes
Is he aware that Bobby is working on the same subject? Mehta remains unruffled, “When I heard that Bobby is making a film on the same subject, I immediately informed him that I had been working on the subject since 1997 and intend to go ahead. These things are not decided overnight, at least in my case. But I am sure a great artist like Ravi Verma can absorb more than one tribute to him.”
Bedi, too, is not bothered about Mehta’s film, “I have heard it from some people that Mehta is working on the same subject as I am. But honestly I am not worried.”
Faith in Shaji
So far Bollywood has had several examples of films having the same story cutting into each other’s business — Zameen Aasman (Sanjay Dutt) and Sunny ( Sunny Deol) in the 80s or The Legend of Bhagat Singh (Ajay Devgan) and Shaheed: 23 March, 1931 (Bobby Deol) in 2002.
Bedi replies, “I don’t have a pessimistic kind of a mindset. I don’t think negatively. I have given my project to Shaji Karun — a very well known South director. I don’t know if he is following any documented evidence, but I have full faith in his ability to make a great film.”
A source informs, “Bedi has been in talks with Madhuri Dixit and Ajay Devgan for the cast.”
source:Mid-day
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