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Deepa can shoot anywhere she desires: Basu

Zakia Maryam in Calcutta

Wesr Bengal Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu, has welcomed Deepa Mehta to shoot Water anywhere in the state. The octogenarian CM made this announcement after a half-an-hour closed door meeting with the filmmaker at Writers' Building today.

"The meeting was wonderful and we have assured Deepa that she can shoot her film anywhere she desires," Basu told reporters. Later addressing press conference at a five-star hotel, Deepa Mehta said she was extremely happy to receive a warm response from the Left Front government to shoot Water in West Bengal.

Asked whether she had any apprehensions despite the assurances since the same government had once banned the filming of City of Joy in the late eighties, Mehta said, "Regardless of what happened in the past, the bottomline is that the movie was finally shot here.

"Moreover, why are involving me in your internal politics? How am I concerned with City of Joy? I have full faith in the assurances given by Mr Basu and Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharya," she said, adding that she was looking for suitable spots to shoot.

"It is for this reason that I feel it will take another 3-4 months before I can actually start filming my movie here. Both Mr Basu and his deputy have left the option of choosing the suitable spots to my sole discretion."

She also mentioned the deep and emotional bonds that she had with Calcutta.

" I have always admired Soumitri Chaterjee, Sunil Gangopaddhyay, Aparna Sen and Mrinal Sen. They have been my role models all along. Besides, the Bengali food has always tempted my taste buds. I can't wait to finish this press meet to go out and eat phuchkas."

On a more serious vein, she expressed her unhappiness with the attacks by the Youth Congress on theatres screening Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram.

"I find it extremely disturbing to see people resorting to violence for no reason, whether it is over Hey Ram or Water. True, the constitution has guaranteed you the rights of expression, but it doesn't give you the liberty to take the law in your hands."

Deepa denied media reports that the Indian film industry hadn't rallied behind her at the right time.

" I don't think I was alone in my fight against the Sangh Parivar's hatred campaign to stop the filming of Water in Varanasi. Many eminent film personalities, such as Bombay Motion Pictures Association's president Pahlaj Nihalani, Mr Shah Rukh Khan, Mr Mahesh Bhatt, Mr Shyam Benegal and Mr Kulbhushan Kharbanda have been pretty vocal against the acts of vandalism committed on the sets of Water in Varanasi," she said.

The West Bengal government is expected to issue an official statement allowing Deepa to shoot the film here in next 10 days. And till then the director can scout around for a suitable location and enjoy all the phuchkas she wants to.

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