LAHORE: If there’s a story to tell, not many can add spice to it like veteran director Mahesh Bhatt. So, when he announces plans of penning down experiences from the 40 years he’s spent in Indian cinema, we’re sure of many skeletons tumbling out of the closet.
And this year sure seems to be giving him a lot to tell with Bhatt becoming the first Indian director to host a Pakistani talk show “Straight Talk with Mahesh Bhatt” soon. Equally excited about this project, that will allow Bhatt to have a no-holds-barred conversation with politicians of South Asia, he says, “Talks are on with Nawaz Sharif and two or three other politicians.
And as soon as they give clearance on the show, it will be on air. Not only politicians from Pakistan, but even leaders from countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Afganistan will be guests on the show. There would be no preset questions but just heart to heart conversation”.
As for the probability of an Indian politician being a part of the show, he says, “Undoubtedly we want this to happen. But nothing is finalized. My aim would be to establish the relation of peace and harmony between India and Pakistan through the show.”
So much for lofty visions. When it comes to filmmaking Mahesh Bhatt believes in the tried and tested and says he will continue making films that interest the masses. “I like working on projects that are more popular with the audience, irrespective of criticism and censorship.
If consumers have no problem in seeing them, then why will I have any in making such films? Classic movies could bag national awards but they rarely have a good Box Office response,” he shrugs. Clearly, here’s a man who believes in keeping his personal views separate from the professional.
But the professional in Mahesh Bhatt realizes too how fleeting the interest of the audience has become. When asked to predict what subjects will continue to interest the viewers, Bhatt admits, “It’s difficult to forecast the likes and dislikes of audiences, particularly in this digital age when just about anybody can make his work noticed on an international platform.
The life of movies nowadays is just two or three weeks, and it’s the opening of a movie that decides its fate. So, the opening of a movie is like a parachute – if it didn’t open it could never fly.”
