http://www.musicindiaonline.com/ar/i/movie_name/10512/3/director/31/
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is back to recreate celluloid magic with his ‘Delhi-6’,
an enterprise said to be close to his heart. We caught up with the director at
his Bandra office for a casual chitchat and found out the inside story behind
the making of the film and a lot’s more.
Here are the excerpts:
So what’s been your easiest film so far?
It would be Rang De Basanti since the film came instinctively to me.
How different was the experience of making Delhi 6 from RDB?
Well, I have matured as a director with Delhi 6. I was very nervous before
starting Delhi-6 as it’s a much more difficult subject than RDB. In fact once I
thought of stalling the idea. It was a film that was with me even before I had
conceived RDB. I had even narrated the script to Abhishek Bachchan. But as luck
would have it I went ahead with RDB and then contemplated to make Paanch
Kaurav. I felt I wasn’t mature enough to make a film like Delhi 6. But RDB
helped me get over my apprehensions and indulge in Delhi 6.
After dabbling with serious and mature stuff with RDB and Delhi 6, do you
intend to dabble with comedy sometime?
Delhi 6 is a black comedy. But I haven’t overdone the comedy here. Next I
intend to make an out and out romantic film and Delhi 6 definitely gave me the
confidence to try it.
Your Masakali track is gradually picking up with the music buffs. Is it true
that you had no idea where to include this song earlier?
No, the song was forever a part of the screenplay. This is a song reflecting
the spirit of a small-town girl, a character played by Sonam Kapoor in then
film. She wants freedom, to get out from old Delhi. She wants to break free for
reasons better known to her. The dove we see in the film reflects this idea of
liberty.
What’s the role of the dove in the film?
Its importance in the film is purely symbolic. A dove symbolizes peace which is
the very essence of Delhi 6. In this time of chaos and war, the dove stands out
as a harbinger of love and peace.
We also hear that there is a goat in this film?
Yes. The name of the goat is Heena bhabhi!
The music of Delhi 6 is fast becoming favorite with everybody. How much do you
count on the music when it comes to the success of a film?
I’m glad that it’s doing well. All the nine songs in this film have a special
significance. The track ‘Maula Maula’ had been with Rahman since the last nine
years. After hearing the script, he gave out this number that had been dear to
him. In the song ‘Bhor Bhaye’, we have actually used the original recording of
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Shreya has rendered the latest version and we brought
both recording, recorded in separate time. ‘Tumre Bhavan Mein’ is an aarti
song, something which my father used to sing every morning. We didn’t redo the
song. In stead I took my sound engineers and recorded the song live in a temple
where this song is still sung.
What’s Delhi 6 all about?
Delhi 6 begins with Abhishek fulfilling his ailing grandma’s (Waheeda Rehman)
last wish to get her back to her ancestral home where she wants to breathe her
last. But no sooner he enters the city, he falls in love with it. It’s the way
he starts feeling for the place that makes him stay back. It’s like discovering
the people of India, not the Karva Chauth, Diwali style, but dealing with the
journey of the people of India.
What made you decide on Sonam Kapoor for the role?
It has to be my experience as a filmmaker and my eye for casting. You see, I
tested many girls for this role but met with disappointment. At one point I
considered casting a new face for the film. But then the commercial viability
of the film became a concern. When someone suggested Sonam Kapoor to me, I
almost yelled at him. But then when I narrated her the script, I was pleased
with her reaction to the story. That fetched her the role.
