When Tarun Dhanrajgir set out to direct a film, he knew one thing for sure. “I wanted to make a film that makes the audience smile and entertains. There’s too much tension in life,” shares the 63-year-old director. Now when Bolo Hau , his ‘happy film’ a love story, hits the theatres pan-India on January 15, he is excited and nervous at the same time.
Romantic tale
Tarun’s daughter Jahnavi, an assistant editor (for Gunday and Kick ) and assistant director (of Sultan ) makes her acting debut as Rukhsar opposite Ankit Rathi (seen in 3 Storeys, Singham 2 and Fukrey ) playing Salman. Set in the Old City of Hyderabad, Rukhsar and Salman’s ‘love’ is a key element and dialogues in Hyderabadi slang create humour. “Love stories follow a formula, but we tried to make it interesting by bringing in the Hyderabad angle. People are conservative in the Old City of Hyderabad and they romance in a slightly different way, which makes for a delightful watch,” he affirms. The movie was shot in Hyderabad before the pandemic set in.
The comedy turns into intense drama with the arrival of an older man on to the scene. “I am inspired by real characters; If you walk around Hyderabad, you will find people like that,” says Tarun, who was born in Hyderabad and went to a boarding school at Ajmer when he was 11. Although he lived in Mumbai for college and to pursue his career as a model, he kept visiting his family in Gosha Mahal in Hyderabad.
Tarun Dhanrajgir with Jahnavi and Ankit Rathi
The model and theatre actor is best remembered for playing a desi Darcy in Trishna , the 1985 Indian television remake of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice . “I have changed a lot since those days 35 years ago. I have a beard and grey hair now,” he laughs. Tarun was pleasantly surprised when he received fan mail when Trishna was retelecast on Doordarshan during the pandemic. Admitting he hasn’t yet seen the complete series, he says, “Television audience love the character and react so positively. I am curious to see what attracted them.”
Tarun made feature-length films Hladini and Kevin (based on true life characters) for television when he was based in South Africa and directed Abhay Charan , a serial on ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada. Two years ago he did a cameo in Yatra , a Telugu film on former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
When we ask him about his Hyderabad memories, the model and theatre actor pauses for a while and says, “You have memories of a place that you visit on a holiday. Hyderabad is a part of my life.”
A still from the film ‘Bolo Hau’
For now, Tarun keeps his fingers crossed for Bolo Hau . “The love story will be a refreshing watch after the tension that we all have gone through in this pandemic year,” he concludes.
