Karan Johar’s film denied permission to shoot in London.
Shooting a film on terrorism on foreign soil may not be easy anymore. Writerdirector Renzil D’Silva was recently denied permission to shoot in any underground tube station of London for his film on terrorism. The film, produced by Karan Johar, had to be shifted out of London. Since a major chunk of the terrorists’ scenes featuring Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi and Om Puri were situated in a tube station, the unit had no option but to shift base to Philadelphia in the US where permission was not only obtained to shoot in a tube station, but an entire train was hired for shooting during off hours.
Filmmaker Jagmohan Mundhra however, some time ago, was luckier and managed to shoot his film Shoot On Sight based on the London tube-station bombing on actual location. Says Mundhra, “Getting permission was tough. The British authorities were very apprehensive because they had read my script. The UK Film Council had to intervene after we protested about artistic muzzling.”
No shooting please!
‘I object to calling my films soft porn’
In his career of 35 years, Jagmohan Mundhra has made 28 films, the latest being ‘Shoot On Sight’. From making erotic thrillers to socially relevant films, Mundhra, who has shifted his base from the West to Mumbai, talks about his journey with Mastii-Kustii:
From soft porn to hard-hitting drama on domestic violence (‘Provoked’) and Islamic terrorism, you have come a long way. How do you see the journey?
First, i object to calling my earlier films soft porn. I have never made any kind of porn. I’ve done films falling in a very legitimate American genre called erotic thriller. All those films were rated R, had legitimate storylines and reputed actors. I consider myself first and foremost a storyteller. I must tell the story with conviction in a gripping and engaging manner. If the story has shades of blue, you can’t tell it effectively by shying away from sex and nudity. I have always been interested in telling realistic stories (remember ‘Kamla’ as far back as 1986). I am happy to have the opportunity to tell different type of stories. I make what i like to watch as a movie goer.
Did you enjoy the reputation of being a soft-porn filmmaker? Did you turn to socio political themes to fight the erotic image?
Of course, it bothered me and it bothers me even now. I am not apologetic about the type of films i have made. But being branded so takes away the legitimacy of one’s skill and craft and discounts the quality of my work.
You’ve now become a biopic specialist. All your recent films have been based on real characters. Why?
I find these stories inspirational, dramatic and stranger than fiction. I like subjects which cause debate. I like conflicts which impact our daily life. I like drama which makes an emotional connection.
What happened to your film on Sonia Gandhi?
It is on hold. It will be revived at the right time.
Your new film, ‘Shoot On Sight’, addresses the issue of Islamic terrorism and Islamic identity? It became controversial in Britain. Do you foresee the same in India?
I hope not. The film tackles the issue in a very balanced and sensitive manner. The film’s tagline is: Is it a crime to be a Muslim? That says it all.
A majority of moderate Muslims are caught between Islamic extremism on the one hand and Islamophobia of the West on the other. The film’s protagonist speaks for this silent majority. Hopefully, the film will be controversial to spark off a healthy debate.
What are you working on now?
I am making ‘Begunaah’, a Hitchcockian thriller about an innocent man on the run after framed by culprits. I am also doing ‘Naughty@40’ with Govinda, a comedy which only Govinda can deliver.
