'CityLights' box office numbers will help me back my ideas: Hansal Mehta

Director Hansal Mehta is not someone who has had an easy journey in films. He had a better start in Television when he made the hit cooking show ‘Khaana Khazaana’ with renowned chef Sanjeev Kapoor. But it was only years later, with films like ‘Shahid’ and ‘CityLights’, that he got people’s attention, but even so he is still proud of the films he made in the start of his career.

Confident with ‘CityLights’, he started showing it to his industry friend’s months in advance. He hopes the films works at the box office so that he gets the backing to the ideas he wishes to narrate on screen. On a visit to Deccan Chronicle’s office in Mumbai, he narrates his journey so far, how ensuring the safety of producer’s money is important and why Alia Bhatt wanted to be a part of the film.

How did you get into filmmaking?

I am still trying to figure that out. I wasn’t a film buff and was never somebody who saw too many films. Studies were the most important thing for me and films just happened. I studied engineering, started a software company and fortunately the company didn’t run.

I left the country, which I think was a life changing experience. I was working at a video rental store abroad, where they used to pirate Hindi films. By Thursday night, we used to receive the print via a different country. This was during VHS tapes era and one master tape would come in a day before.

We would capitalise it on weekends and for Amitabh Bachchan movies, we would print not less than 15000 copies. I was alone and bored and I saw lot of old films, which I got hooked on to it.

There was also an editing studio and I started playing with it. We used to shoot football matches, weddings, come back and edit it. Then I came back to India and started with a food show, ‘Khaana Khazaana’ with Sanjeev Kapoor. He remains my biggest blockbuster.

After other series of TV shows, Producer of ‘Machis’ gave me my first film. People think you have to work with the Khans or Akshay Kumar to determine the longevity of your career. Now it’s changing. If you believe that it is the alternate route, it will happen. Very talented people have made very few films because of this old perception. Though I haven’t made a 100 crore film but I made 10 films.

Huge films do not attract you, so how do you achieve 100 crore benchmark defined by the industry?

I am attracted to ‘big’ ideas. 100 crore is just a number for me. ‘CityLights’ is a film, which is bigger than 100 crore for me. Many 100 crore films don’t have any idea. If a big idea is going to cost Rs 100 crore why not? I have seen bits of Ranbir Kapoor in Bombay Velvet I think it’s a 100 crore film with a great idea.

Vishesh films banner is known to make certain kind of films. How come they decided to produce an offbeat subject like this?

The truth is that it is the legacy of films that (Mahesh)Bhatt Sahab has directed in the past that has made him a brand. He is known for films like ‘Zakhm’, ‘Daddy’, ‘Naam’ and so many more.

On the other hand there is Mahesh bhatt who threw all that aside and said I am going to sell erotica and make money, unapologetically. He cannot run his house with movies like ‘Zakhm’.

Though he got a national award for it but no one saw it in theaters. Who will risk their homes for the sake of art? Today, they have made enough money to make offbeat movies like this.

He once randomly called me in 2005 years after ‘Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar’ released. He had also acted in that film and at that time I had asked him to watch it but he said he would watch it later but he didn’t. Many years later, he was watching it on TV and at midnight I get a call from him.

He said I am watching the film, it’s a good film, don’t let go of your dream, and he just put the phone down.

“t is because of his films that I am into filmmaking. And this is the first time I spent so much time with him. He keeps telling me that he thought it would be his son or someone from the family who would think like him. But an outsider has come and made movies the way he used to do.

Does Mahesh Bhatt interfere a lot while you are making the film?

No not at all. All he did was protect me. I wouldn’t know what is happening in the office. He calls himself a gardener. He thinks he has beautiful flowers and his job is to water them and watch them blossom. A couple of times I went to change some scenes in the script and he was like it’s your film, go for it.

He also gave his Filmfare trophy he won for ‘Saaransh’ to you… How does that feel?

It was a big moment for me. I got into movies because of ‘Saaransh’. That film inspired the story of my debut film. To get his ‘Saaransh’ trophy is a great thing for me. And somewhere the legacy has been taken forward.

_{Hansal Mehta receiving the Filmfare award which belonged to Mahesh Bhatt.}

Does it now become easy to approach stars if you have to?

I don’t know and I haven’t tried that. There has to be a script, which I can take to them because eventually I have to sell it to the actor. I haven’t been fascinated to do huge films; I am more fascinated by actors who are willing to surrender to me and willing to trust my vision.

But is it a risk to have lesser-known actor like a Rajkummar Rao in a film…

When you work with stars, prices are more than the budgets and there is a lot of burden. With Rajkummar, he fits in the script. I am trying to say something plus the cost gets easy. I think one need to spend only as much as is needed.

‘Shahid’ was made for 85 lakhs. This one is made at thrice that budget. I lost money in ‘Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar’, and I understand that you have to recover your cost. One has to keep a producer very safe.

After 'Shahid', how have things changed for you?

I am just minimising my risk. I will continue to tell you stories that are not the run of the mill formula. I am happy to realise that it’s a cage. I don’t want to imprison my mind. ‘Shahid’ came from a sense of freedom and I don’t want to lose that. Fearless nature took ‘Shahid’ where it had to go, and I don’t want to lose that.

A national award for ‘Shahid’ must have been very encouraging…

Well, it’s a golden goose. It’s a leash and once you become a national award winner people tend to think that he makes these kind of films. Which is also dangerous so I don’t want to be a victim of that trap. I should keep that in my mind when I move on to my next project.

A film like ‘CityLights’ works on word of mouth but is that the only thing you back on?

We are hoping that this strategy works because of late the cost of publicity has gone way too high and it unreasonable. It’s between 40 to 60 percent of the films budget.

With success, actors being larger than life… Do you see that threat coming in way with Rajkummar Rao? After ‘Kai Po Che’ and especially after ‘Shahid,’ you took him to a new level…

With him it’s a different equation all together. He is family now. When we were discussing ‘Shahid’, ‘Kai Po Che’ didn’t even happen. ‘Kai Po Che’ came much later.

Why did he change his last name?

Initially, in the news someone wrote Rajkumar Yadav and it was something that happened by an error. There are reports of Rajkumar in the name of Rajpal yadav. There was confusion between Rajpal Yadav and Raj Kumar. His official surname is Rao and he has now updated it. His mother asked to add ‘m’ to his first name.

_{Hansal Mehta in conversation with the Deccan Chronicle team}

His girlfriend Patralekha has been a great find for the film… Was it difficult to make her act and did that work as an advantage for her knowing Rajkummar?

It doesn’t help, you may know each other very well but that is not your character. I took Rajkummar in confidence and told him that I am going to yell at her and I am going to do it for her own good.

She was in tears when I yelled at her and everybody from my crew was shocked because I never yell on the sets. Once she opened up, there were no problems with her. People, who have seen her performance in the film, are asking me if she is trained from FTII or NSD. She has no training in acting.

With the choices of the subject of your film, would you like to call yourself a crusader?

Actually, I love people who are not looked at. Somewhere, I definitely see my self as someone who has the power of the medium to be able to tell stories which we ignore in the theist for escapism.

Is it ok to release a film during IPL?

It’s fine and there is no problem with that. But one should definitely not release when it Modi is campaigning. Initially we were supposed to come on 1st May.

What’s your take on the sensational Alia Bhatt?

I only met her recently and I think she is really bright. I didn’t have the guts to see ‘Student of the Year’. I saw the promos and didn’t have the guts to see the film. It made money yes and a certain audience embraced it but I didn’t go.

And then I saw ‘Highway’. Firstly, I was surprised by Imtiaz’s choice of cast. I knew it would be something special if Imtiaz is making the film. Her performance blew my mind. I could see her going through a life-changing journey in the film.

She broke down at the screening and hugged Patralekha. 24 hours later she asked Bhatt Sahab, why didn’t you approach me for the role. Her father said, you are a star and I don’t have a say in casting.

What are your expectations from ‘CityLights’?

I hope it convents numbers at box office. That’s what I want. Advance bookings have opened on a encouraging note. And Fox has a superb release strategy. I try not to get pressurised but it’s human. Why I also want ‘CityLights’ to work is that I can make the film I want to make and not what I am asked to make. Box office numbers will help me back my ideas.