Hope to do more films that people in Hyderabad too can enjoy: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's next film Mere Pyare Prime Minister is a commentary on the poor state of sanitation in India.
The students of Government Upper Primary School, Narsingi, couldn’t contain their excitement. Not because they were in the presence of people like former Indian cricketer V.V.S. Laxman and Bollywood filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, but because they had just learnt that someone would be building toilets for them.
Amitabh Shah, founder of YUVA Unstoppable (NGO), and Mahender Reddy, Transport Minister, along with the other guests, spoke to the children about the significance of sanitation.
When a child asked them about their favourite films, Laxman replied 3 Idiots, while Omprakash said Boot Polish and added, “I also love Rang De Basanti. But I guess many of you were not born at that time.” The filmmaker also posed for photos and selfies with the kids, after which they performed Bathukamma on the stage.
We caught up with Omprakash backstage for a short conversation. He recounts, “When I visited Gandhi Ashram in Sabarmati (Ahmedabad), I realised that Mahatma Gandhi, who was a warrior on the sanitation issue, started the freedom movement by building toilets. And I spoke to Yuva Unstoppable; our mission is to build toilets and make drinking water accessible across the country. So it was Mahatma who inspired me to make a film, Mere Pyare Prime Minister, which is on defecation.”
Shedding light on the film’s plot line, he reveals, “The film is about a boy who wants to construct a toilet for his mother (played by Anjali Patil). Since he can’t afford it, he writes to the Prime Minister, requesting him to build one. I decided to make the film after I saw the problem prevailing in urban (Mumbai) slums too. In fact, I have cast many slum kids in my film. What I make a film on and what I do in life are the same. For me, films are not different from life.”
Prod him on his Hyderabad connection, he replies, “I have been here a few times on personal work, but this time I came for social work. Now I have made another good friend (VVS). I know Amala and Nagarjuna well. I also spoke to Rajamouli a couple of times and we have great mutual respect. I cast Siddharth and Madhavan (who are also from the south) in my film Rang De Basanti, but I hope to do more films that people in Hyderabad too can enjoy. We want to conquer the world, but in our own country our cinema hasn’t travelled enough from the north to the south or vice versa. I really wish I am part of blurring that one day. Hyderabad is such a vibrant place. I hope, one day, I get to shoot a full-length film here.”