I'm not doing a Guru Dutt biopic: Rakeysh Mehra

I'm not doing a Guru Dutt biopic: Rakeysh Mehra

Mumbai (IANS): There was much buzz in Bollywood about Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra making a biopic on legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt and his having zeroed in on Aamir Khan to play the lead role, but the director says he is not yet ready to make such a film.

"I never talked about doing a Guru Dutt biopic. People kept talking about it," Mehra told IANS.

"Nasreen Munni Kabeer had come to me with an idea on the life of Guru Dutt. I told her anyone would like to make a film on the life of Guru Dutt, specially someone with my sensibilities. Then she came up with a screenplay. I told her I'd make it when I'm ready. This is something that crossed my mind 18 months ago. Since then I haven't even thought about it. As of now I'm not ready to take on Guru Dutt," he said.

Mehra feels only one film on the life of Guru Dutt should be made.

"And that too with the right intention, aesthetics and the right amount of sincerity. Only one person should do it, and all the others who want to honour him with a film should just move back and support that one project. Guru Dutt means too much to all of us," the filmmaker said.

And what about the talk of Aamir playing Guru Dutt?

"I never thought of who'd play Guru Dutt. It never went that far. The script always chooses the actors. It's the script which chooses me, so who am I to choose anything else?"

After "Delhi-6", Mehra now wants to direct a light subject. "Let's see what it is. It will be a light film. And by that I mean a less demanding subject, not necessarily a comedy," he quipped.

Mehra is at the moment enjoying the run of "Delhi-6", which starred Abhishek Bachchan, Waheeda Rahman and Sonam Kapoor.

"The feedback and fan following are tremendous... An Indian film got so widely reviewed in the international press."

The director admits that the initial response to the film made him really low.

"So much so that I started doubting myself. How could I go this wrong? It was a whole campaign against 'Delhi-6'. I don't know who sponsored it. I was initially agitated by the response. Then I realised it was a new narrative and the audience would take some time getting used to it.

" 'Delhi-6' was being perceived as a summer blockbuster. But it wasn't a 'Singh Is Kinng'. People came to watch 'Rang De Basanti 2'. They've finally accepted the film on its own terms. I've just begun to enjoy 'Delhi-6'," Mehra said.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200903110931.htm