D for Dibakar
No one had it easier than me. This is the blog to break all myths – I didn’t sleep on the platforms in Bombay, didn’t cart around my dog eared script to various stars fresh out of make up in Juhu. I didn’t even call a producer. All I had were some silly ideas and a lot of arrogance and a cushy life in Delhi as a successful ad film maker. My long time friend Jaideep Sahni – the writer of classics like Company and Chak De India! called me and introduced me to Savita Raj of Tandav Films. She wanted to make a film about Delhi with Delhi people and in Delhi. My condition was that we’d not have a single shot of India or Red Fort. She jumped at it. Jaideep was to write it – that immediately put a jumpstart to the project. Savita wanted it to be a story about the generation gap. I just wanted it. I went and camped in Jaideep’s house for months and months, alienated my wife, learned about ten year’s worth of scriptwriting, characterization and story development in those weeks and came back with a corking script.
Mujhe laga film to ban gayi.
Then Savita started hunting for financers. We started searching for actors. I still don’t know what made established actors like Anupam Kher and Boman listen to a crazy, songless, starless story with an unknown director in thick glasses. But they did. Actors jumped at it. We had a terrific ensemble at the end of it. After months of exxxxtra polite meetings with various producers, Savita suddenly found backers who saw merit enough in the script to give it its measly budget.
Mujhe laga ab to film ban hi gayi.
Suddenly we were shooting! The actors were there in Delhi and contrary to popular belief they were doing exactly what I was telling them to do. We were shooting roughly fourteen to sixteen hours a day in 42 degrees in the shade. Forty five days went past like a gunshot. No one had an affair or a heatstroke. The producer hocked her car and house to finish the film but what’s that between friends? We had the film canned.
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