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Vidhu Vinod Chopra recently spoke about his zero moments (low points) that became turning points in his career. During a conversation with Shantanu Moitra, he said that he was a very angry young man.
VVC described his relationship with stars as ‘not good’. When asked how, as a director, he trusts other directors when he becomes a producer, he explained, “I don’t trust directors. I only trust a human.” He added that he doesn’t see much difference between directing and producing and only takes on projects he truly believes in.
VVC summarized the Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman‘s commandments, saying it is every filmmaker’s duty to entertain – without selling his soul. He said his mantra is to entertain, educate (if you can) and uplift. He said: “If people walk out after seeing the Zero se reboot and say, ‘I’m not giving up,’ then I’ve done my job.”
Excerpts are from a conversation that took place at the IFFI in Goa.
‘Everyone loved Khamosh, but no one bought it. I became a distributor of the film’
VVC said his zero moment was when he knew he wanted to make films. He said: ‘Of course I couldn’t tell my father because when I did he was very angry. His whole idea was: ‘Tu doctor bangea toh Kashmir mein sab tere ko Doctor Chopra bolenge’. But the only dream I had was to help Vijay Anand, to reach him somehow. A relative promised me that he would send me a letter every day after school to run to the small mailbox we had at 35-A Wazir Bagh, waiting for that letter that never came. That was my zero moment – I never got the letter.
He said that everyone loved Khamosh (1986) but no one bought it. He said, “It was never going to be released. NFDC had financed me and given me 8 lakhs. In 8 lakhs we made that film, and the rule at NFDC – which is a fair rule – was that unless you repaid the loan. So for our career as a filmmaker would be dead and gone unless I paid it back.
He said he went all over town, everyone praised it, but no one bought it. He then showed the film to the owner of Regal Cinema, who liked it. He said: “He gave me his theater, Regal, for two weeks with a 50% profit sharing deal. I was the distributor of Khamosh. I showed the film at Regal Cinema for two weeks. We literally painted the billboards.” , everything was done.
I will share one anecdote, going back to zero. On the first day, for the three-hour show, the theater was empty – there was no one there. After the show ended, a man (who turned out to be a black marketer) said to me, “Tension kahe ko leta hai? Tera night show houseful hi’.
They had bought up the entire venue and started selling tickets in the black after setting up a ‘house full board’. The room was empty, but there was a full board. That was the marketing of the time. That’s a zero-restart moment.”
Distributors offered to pay extra money to Vidhu Vinod Chopra so that he would not kill
Talking about another zero moment, he said, “In Parinda (1989), Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit die, and distributors came to me immediately after seeing that. “Sir, aisa mat kijiye. Jackie Shroff ko maar dijiye, hero-heroine ko maarenge toh foto nahi chalegi.’ They offered me Rs 10 lakh at the time to change the ending. But I said, what I’m trying to say in the film is that violence begets violence. Violence destroys you. It was also self-therapy, because I was also a violent man at that time. I didn’t change the ending. The moment Anil and Madhuri died, it was over for the public.”
When Shantanu Moitra pointed out that VVC has always been two steps ahead of the audience throughout his career, he said, “Now, with 12th Fail, they get it.”
During the conversation he not only talked about his own zero moments, but also shared anecdotes from others. He said that when RD Burman was working on 1942: A Love Story, he had a reboot moment. He said, “Normally I say what I feel. So RD Burman asked me – kaisa hai? I didn’t have the heart to tell him it’s nonsense. I was silent. Maine kaha, soch ke batata hoon.”
But RD Burman insisted on hearing his first response. VVC said: “I thought I would break it gently. Dheere dheere maine bola, and then I just let it go. Right behind him was a picture of SD Burman. So I said: ‘Actually he was the best. I ‘I look for him. But I think you’re the closest to him. So I’m looking at you.” He told me something that I will never forget. He said, ‘Vinod, yehi bikta hai aaj kal.’
He said that it took RD Burman a week to then compose the tune for Kuch Na Kaho.
Talking about Jackie Shroff’s zero moment, he said, “Everyone called him a wooden actor. He was always told, and I was told, that you can’t make Jackie Shroff act. Naseeruddin Shah would be in the film (Parinda) play, but we had an argument. He said, ‘I won’t do it.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ He said, ‘If you are a great director, let Jackie Shroff act.’ These were exactly his words. I was very young and very angry, and I said, ‘Watch out, I’ll make him do it.’ Jackie read the script and the first thing he said to me was, ‘Bhidu, tu sambhal lena. Mere ko acting nahi aata hai.’
VVC said that Jackie’s biggest problem was hitting his target (where actors should stand in a scene). That is why VVC decided to remove the marks completely. Jackie got really angry, said a few things and left the set when he discovered there were no stains. He returned 20 minutes later.
VVC shared, “He thinks for a moment and then says to me, ‘Main ye scene window se shuru karega kyunki ye mera dream hai, toh main dream dekh raha hoon bhai ka.’
VVC continued, “This was the beginning of Jackie Shroff, who went on to win the Best Actor award for Parinda.”
‘Awards are people who recognize you for whatever reason’
In response to a question about missing out on national awards, he said: ‘You attach too much importance to national awards. So many people told me that 12th Fail should have represented India at the Oscars, including people in Hollywood. Give rewards too much importance. Awards are people recognizing you, for whatever reason.”
‘I never go on the set of a film I produce because the director is the God of the set’
“This is another zero moment. Another actor was supposed to play Munna Bhai, but he backed out at the last minute, as stars often do. Sanjay Dutt was initially cast for the role of Jimmy Shergill. He was not Munna Bhai. Woh- script nahi padhta. During the shoot jab main gaya aur Raju kehta tha cut, aur ye ko dekhta tha, every time he didn’t look at the director, he looked at me From that day on I never go to the set of a movie I’m producing because the director is the God of the set.”
‘Knowledge of the cinema trade is not important at all for young filmmakers’
Shantanu Moitra asked him, “You are considered the brains of the film world. This is the reputation you have. How important is it for young filmmakers to understand the film world?” VVC replied: “Not important. It is important for them to follow these principles of Ingmar Bergman. He was a great Swedish filmmaker and intellectual. I read this in film school. He had these commandments. It is very simple. First commandment – you will Second: you will entertain without selling your soul And third: you will make every film as your last film, because you can.
We follow three Es – entertainment – unless you are entertained, nothing happens; educate – if you can, while entertaining; and third, uplift. After Zero Se Restart, if people say, ‘I’m not giving up,’ then I’ve done my job.”
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