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'It is a fast-paced thriller'
Rajat Mukherjee treads the Road less traveled.
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Rajat Mukherjee
Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, inspired by the Michael Douglas-Glenn Close starrer Fatal Attraction marked the debut of filmmaker Rajat Mukherjee. The Urmila Matondkar-Fardeen Khan psychological drama did average business at the BO.
Mukherjee is back with his new film
Road, which has generated a lot of curiosity in the film circuit.
Road, a Ram Gopal Varma production, features Vivek Oberoi and Antara Mali. The duo made a lasting impression in Varma's last directorial venture, Company. Manoj Bajpai also plays an prominent part in Road.
The enthusiastic director on the making of the film.
My film is different. One does not see road films in India. As a genre, it has been not been tested in Indian cinema.
There are four main characters in the film, Vivek Oberoi, Antara Mali, Manoj Bajpai and the road. I think that if I had shot in different locations, Road would have a different character.
Road is a slick film. That does not imply that the film lacks soul or was made without any passion. It is a fast paced thriller and every scene looks good. A lot of planning has gone into the packaging of this product. Being from the ad world, I think that films, like software, are products that need proper packaging.
Vivek (Oberoi) and Antara (Mali) play a couple in love who elope. On the way, the duo bumps into various characters. Manoj Bajpai, who plays Babu, is the central character. The twist in the plot comes after Babu makes his entry. At that point, the pace of the film picks up.
Though I have heard from the press that Vivek wanted to play Babu, he never mentioned it to me. He may have mentioned it to Ramuji, but in my mind Manoj was always Babu. There was never any ambiguity about that. I never had a problem with casting either the main roles or the cameos. Whoever I approached was quite happy to accept the role irrespective of its length.
I am grateful to all the actors for working so hard on the film. If it wasn't for their co-operation, I would not be able to work on such a tight budget in such a short time. There were no starry tantrums. There may have been a few discussions on the script, but that isn't unusual. All the actors gave the film their best shot.
Songs are an integral part of any Hindi film. Road is no exception. The music companies spend a lot of money on the promotion of music. That practice, in effect, becomes the first line in promotion of the film. I believe that when the music company promotes the songs, it is ultimately my film that is being promoted.
Composer Sandesh Shandiliya has done a fine job. The songs blend beautifully with the script. They do not detract from the film but just flow with the narrative.
I always wanted to direct films. I joined the ad world to understand the cinematic medium better. I was delighted when Ramuji suggested that I should direct Road. Since we don't usually see this genre of films in India, it offered great possibilities. So I wrote the screenplay, and took it from there.
While making ads, I was never satisfied selling something in less than a minute. The medium of cinema gives me time to establish the characters, the story line and to let them unfold gradually.
Road is as much Ramuji's baby as it is mine. When someone gives you money to make a film, he expects accountability from the person. Just because Ramuji walks on to the sets, tongues start wagging. He is the most intelligent person I have ever met. So it is but obvious that I would use his creative inputs. He has been a bouncing board for most of my ideas. But Road is my film.
I am happy with the way that Road has turned out. The characters in Road work in a beautiful rhythm. The intensity of Manoj Bajpai, the effortlessness of Vivek Oberoi and the sensuality of Antara Mali make Road truly memorable.
As told to Shilpa Bharatan-Iyer