NEW DELHI, July 3: Actress-turned-director Pooja Bhatt says she was very keen on producing the biopic of legendary musician Bhupen Hazarika but had to back out as she felt she would not be able to do justice to the story.
The untitled film chronicles the love story of Hazarika and his wife Kalpana Lajmi. Lajmi, a filmmaker herself, has written the story.
“I was very keen to make a film on Bhupen Hazarika. Kalpana Lajmi said she wants to make a film. I was riveted because their love story was so complex. When I read Kalpana’s first draft, I wept. I wanted to make a film on him because he was a legend, his music and his voice, the man he was, the complexities of him,” Pooja said on the sidelines of Jagran Film Festival.
“But unfortunately there were no takers. I felt I could not do justice to the film. I told Kalpana that I will not be able to do justice to his story with the limited resources that I have. That’s unfortunately how it ended,” she added.
Pooja, 43, expressed desire to make a documentary on her father Mahesh Bhatt as she finds the filmmaker’s life quite interesting.
“I would not make a film on his life. I would rather prefer to make a documentary. I have lived with him and I know the best of him. I am the best person to do that job.
“What is special about Mahesh Bhatt is that he became interesting to people after he stopped directing. People think when you quit films your life becomes boring but that is not the case with Mahesh Bhatt. His life got more interesting since he gave up filmmaking,” she said.
When asked if she would make a movie on her life, Pooja said, “First I would want to make my life more colourful then think of doing a movie on myself.”
Pooja revealed that she was offered the female lead role in romantic musical drama “Aashiqui” but she refused it for her then boyfriend.
“When I was 16, I started dating him. At 17 I did ‘Daddy’ and at 18 I was offered ‘Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin’. So he very patiently went through the phase of my first film and said ‘If you want to marry me, drop movie offers as I’ll never marry an actor. So yes I said no to ‘Aashiqui’ because of love. Though my relationship ended, he is a friend of mine and we laugh about this,” the “Jism” director said.
Pooja, whose last screen outing was 2001 movie “Everybody Says I’m Fine”, said she would love to make a comeback to films but is waiting for the right project, which will challenge her limits as an actress.
“I am ready to star in a film. If I get a script which is very different and something I have not done before in my career, then I may decide to make a comeback but nothing as of now,” she said.
Pooja is currently busy with her latest production venture “Cabaret”, which stars Richa Chaddha and is being directed by Kaustav Narayan Niyogi.
“The film belongs to Kaustav, he has written the film, he also made the music and it is completely his baby.” (PTI)
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