It was his avid desire to tell stories on a wider canvas that brought Bengali director Srijit Mukherji to Hindi cinema with Begum Jaan,
In the 1987 movie Wall Street, Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko gave an insightful speech where he said, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.” What he meant was that greed for life, for love, for knowledge… marked ‘the upward surge of mankind’. And like Gordon Gekko, acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Srijit Mukherji too motivated by greed, albeit of telling his stories on a bigger canvas, transitioned into Hindi films with the Vidya Balan starrer Begum Jaan. Produced by Vishesh Films, Begum Jaan, an adaptation of Srijit’s National Award winning Bengali film Rajkahini may not have pulled in great numbers but surely has won acclaim. He insists filmmaking is a director’s medium and he’s ultimately responsible for both the bouquets and the brickbats. “You should own your film. If you get awarded and appreciated, it’s yours. If you get slammed or criticised then also it’s yours,” says the director.
The film spotlighted a brothel run by Vidya Balan as Begum Jaan, which finds itself bang in the middle of the Radcliffe Line that divided India and Pakistan post the Partition. Begum Jaan stays put in this haveli with her sex workers refusing to vacate it. The film endorsed feminism as it did sexual freedom. Bringing to life the same story of Rajkahini, albeit in a different language, must have proved cumbersome in some way. Ask him that and he smiles, “Sanjay Leela Bhansali has always been fond of my work. Even he asked me the same question as to why I made the same story again. He said if someone were to ask him to make Bajirao Mastani once more, he’d shoot that person.”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Truth, morality, justice...
Truth shall set you free, it’s said. It took the courage of a few junior artists to expose the deepseated issues within the Malayalam film industry.
Shatrughan Sinha's Rapid fire
Courtroom dramas, are becoming increasingly unpopular. It is that simple.
CELEBRATING THE WINNERS OF SOUTH AWARDS 2023
RACHIT GUPTA PROFILES WINNERS OF THE 68TH FILMFARE AWARDS SOUTH 2023
WINNERS ALL THE WAY
Devesh Sharma offers of bard’s eye view of the 69th SOBHA Filmfare Awards South 2024 with Kamar Film Factory
New beginnings
All that transpired at the press conference held to herald the 69th SOBHA Filmfare Awards South 2024 with Kamar Film Factory
TRAILS of GLORY
THE RECENTLY HELD 69TH SOBHA FILMFARE AWARDS SOUTH 2024 WITH KAMAR FILM FACTORY WERE A BLAST. DEVESH SHARMA CHARTS THEIR TRAJECTORY
A Man Apart
Pankaj Tripathi Has Led A Life Less Ordinary. He Shares Some Home Truths With Tanisha Bhattacharya
SMALL is BIG!
RASIKA DUGAL CONFIDES IN TANISHA BHATTACHARYA THAT SHE HAS NEVER LET THE LENGTH OF HER ROLES DEFINE HER
MARATHON WOMAN
SAIYAMI KHER, WHO LOVES TO RUN AND ACT IN EQUAL MEASURE, TELLS SUMAN SHARMA SHE'S THERE FOR THE WHOLE HOG
Long way home!
TAHIRA KASHYAP TELLS SUMAN SHARMA THAT SHE DOESN'T BELIEVE IN COUNTING THE MILESTONES AS HER JOURNEY IS A DESTINATION IN ITSELF