The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : ‘Bollywood directors are losing track’

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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

‘Bollywood directors are losing track’

You got to make way for youngsters,
avers film director Mahesh Bhatt in
a chat with S. SANDEEP KUMAR

Mahesh Bhatt

He began his journey in Bollywood during the 70’s at a young age of 21. Ever since, he has donned many hats of a film director, writer, producer and civil rights activist.

Meet, Mahesh Bhatt, a film director who made films like Daddy, Saaranash, Arth, Zakhm, a writer who penned books like U.G. Krishnamurti: A Life and A Taste of Life: The last days of U.G. Krishnamurti and a producer. He directed two television serials - A Mouthful of Sky in English and Swabhimaan scripted by writer Shobha De.

A director who made parallel movies like Janam, Kaash etc from his personal experiences and commercial blockbusters like Ashiqui, Dil Hi Ke Manta Nahin and even won a National Film Award (Special Jury) for Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Mahesh Bhatt stopped directing films after Kartoos, almost a decade back. “Cinema is one medium of expressing thoughts and telling stories, now I do it through books and documentaries,” says Mr. Bhatt.

Known for making comedy, thrillers, love stories and action movies, he feels most directors in Bollywood these days are losing track. Films are made out of passion. People like K. Balachander, Raj Kapoor, Satyajit Ray and K. Viswanath made films that reflected different situations in society. Movies like Sankarabaranam and Ek Duje Ke Liye are made once in a lifetime but are remembered for generations, he says.

About his favourite actors, he says Dilip Kumar is the best and rest are his clones but there is Kamal Hasan in South, who stands apart. On thoughts of wielding the megaphone again, he says “That page is turned forever.”

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