How Do You Look Back On This Hit Film Of Yours?
This is the film that is closest to my heart. I mean, I love this film very much. Because when I had planned this film, I didn’t have any money to make this film. After making such big films, Diwana, Ziddi, Elaan, Salaakhen, I don’t know how the industry behaves or what turn comes in your life. This profession is very strange. Here, sometimes there is a lot of money, and sometimes not at all. So, I planned this at a time when I didn’t have any money. The people with whom I was making films, I had separated from them, they had separated from me.
So Where Did The Funds Come From?
My wife gave me a lot of courage at that time, and I said, let’s plan this film. And to start this project, I remember my friend Nana Joshi, who had a very big printing press in Andheri East. He used to print posters of films. At that time, he used to be the number one printer. He had given me money. He asked me, what are you doing? I said, I am not doing anything. Nana, I don’t have money, what should I do? He said, how much money do you need to start a film? Whom do you want to take? I said Bobby Deol. He asked ,how much do you have to sign? I said, 11 lakhs. He said, come tomorrow morning at 11 o’clock and take 11 lakhs. And I went the next day, took 11 lakhs from him, signed Bobby.
Then What Was The Next Step?
I said, I have to sign Rani Mukerji. Joshiji asked, how much do you have to sign? I said, 5 lakhs. Come, take 5 lakhs. And then I signed Rani. That’s how the film started. And it was a great film. It is very close to my heart. Super hit music. And every song, Totte Totte Ho Gaya, that song was super hit. Jeevan Mein Jaane Jaana, that was a big hit. And we had shot this film in Mauritius. Bichhoo had a lot of action. Tinnu Varma did such amazing action and Dilip Shukla wrote wonderful dialogues. And I remember, we had gone to shoot a song.
The Climax Was Quite A Clincher?
The climax was very complicated. Whether to kill Bobby’s character or not. And I think I made a mistake there. I agree with that. I got carried away with the film. I thought people would love it. But people fell in love with Bobby’s character. If I had kept him alive, I think the film would have been a huge hit.
Any Other Memories?
I remember, when we were shooting songs in Mauritius, Mr. Virendra Saxena didn’t know how to drive a car. And he had to drive a car. In another country, where a person doesn’t have a driving license, he was driving a car. The scene was being shot. I was very scared and laughing. I was afraid the car would hit something. But the shoot went well. And I remember, it was Diwali there in Mauritius. We celebrated Diwali on that day. Rani, Bobby and I, the whole unit, we lit the crackers. It was an amazing moment.
So Fond Memories?
I can’t forget Bichhoo. It was the turning film of my life. After Bichhoo I didn’t have to worry about the food on my table. I didn’t have any worries about my life, about my children, my wife. I have never looked back in my life. And we are very thankful to God, that he gave us the wisdom to make Bichhoo, to sign Bobby, to sign Rani. And what work Ashish Vidyarthi did! It was a superb film. And what songs Anand Raj composed! I remember Anand Raj was behind me, to sign him for the film. And I went to Anand Raj, in the sitting. It was our first day sitting; it was our music sitting. And I saw a boy there, setting some wiring, setting some music system. So he said, Bhaiya, sit. Anand bhaiya is also coming, he is about to reach. I am very punctual, I reach on time. If someone is late, I get angry. So I was sitting there, in the sitting room. And that boy told me, Bhaiyya, I also make songs I am Anand’s younger brother Harry. Then he said, then he sang a song for me, Jeevan mein jaane jaana, Ek baar hai hota pyaar. I liked that song so much, I liked it so much, I said, Harry, I will make you sing this song. Because when he sang it for me, he sang it so well. And then Anand came, he reached in the sitting room. And I told him the muhurat song has been finalized. He said, before I came, the muhurat song was finalized? I said, yes, you are late. And then we sang a song for him. Then his inputs were in the song. It was an amazing experience and film.