Anushree Mehta, who had made her directorial debut with Radhika Apte starrer ‘Mrs Undercover’, was announced as the director for the remake of the old classic film ‘Bawarchi’. She spent more than six months writing the film and she is now working on the third draft. This year, the movie is scheduled to begin production after the cast is locked down, a task she is aware would not be easy.As she talks with Indianexpress.com about the Bawarchi remake, she states, “I am at a stage where I want to talk to actors now and take it forward.” The film is produced by Jaadugar Films and Sameer Raj Sippy Productions.
Originally helmed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, ‘Bawarchi’ is now gearing up for a remake, done by Anushree, who has also written the film. Released in 1972, ‘Bawarchi’ featured an ensemble star cast, which included Rajesh Khanna, Jaya Bachchan and Asrani among others. The film was one of the most loved family comedy-dramas to date. It was a remake of Tapan Sinha’s Bengali film ‘Galpo Holeo Satti’ starring Rabi Ghosh in 1966.
During the interview, she was asked about when was the last time she saw ‘Bawarchi’. To which, she replied, “I saw it in 2023. But I have practically grown up watching that film, seen it multiple times. I keep watching old films again and again because filmmakers of that time are so inspiring. I am a fan of Manmohan Desai, Hrishikesh Mukherjee. I live on Amar Akbar Anthony, Mr India, Chupke Chupke and of course Bawarchi. My learning from these films is the suspension of belief, which is done so well, the conviction that these filmmakers had. Today’s audience searches for blueprint and logic in everything, but these films were told with such conviction that one would buy every bit of it and that’s what cinema is about– magic and not logic. Ye dare hue filmmakers nahi the.”
When she was quizzed wasn’t she scared to adapt an iconic film like Bawarchi and if she followed any dos and don’ts. She said, “See I am an aware and responsible filmmaker. I am mindful of the message my film will give, whether I am attempting an original or a remake. That is a bigger thing to deal with than any fear. My first film taught me that I need to make movies unapologetically. While I was writing this adaptation, there were no dos and donts but the conscious effort was to write it in a way that it speaks to the cotemporary audience, the way they understand life, while keeping the soul of the film intact. So the attempt has been to achieve that amalgamation, where it is relatable but at the same time I am able to give the message that I want to give.”
She even praised veteran lyricist Gulzar and said that he wrote the dialogues of the film very beautifully. The filmmaker further added, “Gulzar saab wrote it beautifully in a dialogue that, ‘It is very simple to be happy, but is difficult to be simple.’ I plan to retain this soul and give a full family experience. The way it used to be in my days of watching a film like a family outing, where everyone had something to take back from the movie watching experience. Humour is so fast evolving, what is funny today may not be by the time Bawarchi remake is released.
She even disclosed the details about how she would ensure that all the funny bits in the script remain fresh. She explained, “Comedy is difficult but this film is not your laugh out loud comedy. It has humour. Something that lands on paper, may not land on set so you have to keep evolving. You need to have fun while making a comedy and not think it clinically about lines and if it will make people laugh. If your team is having fun, actors are in sync– it will show on screen.”
When questioned about the qualities she is looking for in the actors that she would be casting for the parts played by Rajesh Khanna and Jaya Bachchan, who were absolutely fantastic in the film. She said, “See they need to have magic. Rajesh Khanna sir is still so iconic, so I would need magic. I can’t reveal though who all I have in mind to approach for the film. It is a big ensemble, and the casting is going to be a time taking process. I am also producing alongside and directing another. We don’t want to rush into this at all, because it is a dream project and we are ok to wait for everything to fall in place.”
Originally helmed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, ‘Bawarchi’ is now gearing up for a remake, done by Anushree, who has also written the film. Released in 1972, ‘Bawarchi’ featured an ensemble star cast, which included Rajesh Khanna, Jaya Bachchan and Asrani among others. The film was one of the most loved family comedy-dramas to date. It was a remake of Tapan Sinha’s Bengali film ‘Galpo Holeo Satti’ starring Rabi Ghosh in 1966.
During the interview, she was asked about when was the last time she saw ‘Bawarchi’. To which, she replied, “I saw it in 2023. But I have practically grown up watching that film, seen it multiple times. I keep watching old films again and again because filmmakers of that time are so inspiring. I am a fan of Manmohan Desai, Hrishikesh Mukherjee. I live on Amar Akbar Anthony, Mr India, Chupke Chupke and of course Bawarchi. My learning from these films is the suspension of belief, which is done so well, the conviction that these filmmakers had. Today’s audience searches for blueprint and logic in everything, but these films were told with such conviction that one would buy every bit of it and that’s what cinema is about– magic and not logic. Ye dare hue filmmakers nahi the.”
When she was quizzed wasn’t she scared to adapt an iconic film like Bawarchi and if she followed any dos and don’ts. She said, “See I am an aware and responsible filmmaker. I am mindful of the message my film will give, whether I am attempting an original or a remake. That is a bigger thing to deal with than any fear. My first film taught me that I need to make movies unapologetically. While I was writing this adaptation, there were no dos and donts but the conscious effort was to write it in a way that it speaks to the cotemporary audience, the way they understand life, while keeping the soul of the film intact. So the attempt has been to achieve that amalgamation, where it is relatable but at the same time I am able to give the message that I want to give.”
She even praised veteran lyricist Gulzar and said that he wrote the dialogues of the film very beautifully. The filmmaker further added, “Gulzar saab wrote it beautifully in a dialogue that, ‘It is very simple to be happy, but is difficult to be simple.’ I plan to retain this soul and give a full family experience. The way it used to be in my days of watching a film like a family outing, where everyone had something to take back from the movie watching experience. Humour is so fast evolving, what is funny today may not be by the time Bawarchi remake is released.
She even disclosed the details about how she would ensure that all the funny bits in the script remain fresh. She explained, “Comedy is difficult but this film is not your laugh out loud comedy. It has humour. Something that lands on paper, may not land on set so you have to keep evolving. You need to have fun while making a comedy and not think it clinically about lines and if it will make people laugh. If your team is having fun, actors are in sync– it will show on screen.”
When questioned about the qualities she is looking for in the actors that she would be casting for the parts played by Rajesh Khanna and Jaya Bachchan, who were absolutely fantastic in the film. She said, “See they need to have magic. Rajesh Khanna sir is still so iconic, so I would need magic. I can’t reveal though who all I have in mind to approach for the film. It is a big ensemble, and the casting is going to be a time taking process. I am also producing alongside and directing another. We don’t want to rush into this at all, because it is a dream project and we are ok to wait for everything to fall in place.”
‘Mrs Undercover’ Trailer: Radhika Apte and Sumeet Vyas starrer ‘Mrs Undercover’ Official Trailer
Denial of responsibility! Pioneer Newz is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials, please contact us by email – [email protected]. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.
