‘Ajay Devgn Worked Hard To Get Into Bhagat Singh’s Mind And Body’

Why was the making of The Legend Of Bhagat Singh so important to you?

I’ll be very honest with you. When I was a child of 13 or 14, I remember asking my father (the late filmmaker P.L.Santoshi) about Bhagat Singh. As the evening fell in Lonavala my father told me all the details about Bhagat Singh’s life. That evening’s conversation with my father remained in my mind. While working with Govindji (Nihalani) I picked up this fine habit of reading. Any city I’d go to, I’m sure to pick up books. That’s how I familiarized myself with Bhagat Singh’s life. Then during the time I made my early films like Andaz Apna Apna, Ghayal and Damini, I read a book by A.G. Noorani called The Trial Of Bhagat Singh. Then during Pukar, I read another book by K.K. Khullar and also Kuldip Nayyar’s book. I decided I had to make my film on Bhagat Singh after Lajja. I announced the project in 1999 and signed A.R Rahman to do the music and Santosh Sivan for the cinematography. Eventually, Santosh couldn’t do the film. I came to know my screenplay writer Anjum Rajabali through Aamir Khan. We collaborated on China Gate and Pukar. He wrote my Bhagat Singh.

How many years of research went into your film?

Two-and-a-half years of hard research. When I decided to make my film, I came to a stumbling block. No one seemed to know much about Bhagat Singh. It was so shocking and saddening that a man of his importance and talent was a virtual unknown in our times. Even my screenwriter knew only the fact that Bhagat Singh had hurled a bomb in the assembly. But as we pieced together his life we both became increasingly fascinated.

There was this sudden surge of cinematic interest in Bhagat Singh in 2002?

I‘ve heard other filmmakers say it all started after the success of Lagaan and Gadar. Everyone decided to make films on Bhagat Singh when these two-period films clicked. See, they see Bhagat Singh as an Angry Young Man. Making a film on his life is exciting to them. Most of these filmmakers have no inkling of what Bhagat Singh stood for, or what his political ideology was.

Why Ajay Devgn as Bhagat Singh?

Initially, I wanted a newcomer for the role. We undertook a massive hunt for all the actors. We had decided that every character would be played by a culturally correct actor. Our Rajguru had to be played by Maharashtrian, hence D. Santosh and Chandrashekhar Azad, played by Akhilendra Mishra, had to be from UP. Not just that, we also made sure that the actors matched the face, physique, body language and speech patterns of the original. As for Bhagat Singh, we just couldn’t find an actor who could go from a young fiery boy to the man ready to give his life for his country. The actor closest to the way I visualized Bhagat Singh was Ajay Devgan.

Was it the eyes?

Yes, the brooding intensity. Once we decided on him Ajay immediately became involved with our project. He worked hard to get into Bhagat Singh’s mind and body.

And you thought Bobby Deol wouldn’t have achieved the same authenticity?

When Sunny Deol came to me with the proposal to make Bhagat Singh he suggested his brother for the role. I think very highly of Bobby as an actor. I directed his debut film Barsaat for Sunny‘s production house. But I just couldn’t see the same brooding intensity in Bobby that I wanted in my Bhagat Singh. I was looking for the Amitabh Bachchan from Zanjeer. Someone who could smoulder in his silences. I found Bobby a little too flamboyant for the part. Shammi Kapoor is a fine actor. But he couldn’t play Bhagat Singh. Perhaps some other director could visualize Bobby as Bhagat Singh and may have done full justice to both the character and the actor. After all, Bobby is a very competent and sincere actor.

Did you and Sunny Deol fall out over the casting of Bhagat Singh?

When Sunny suggested we pool our two Bhagat Singhs together I frankly told him that if his homework research and spadework matched mine then I was willing to hand over all my material on Bhagat Singh to him and make something else. But when he suggested I make the film with Bobby I demurred. Despite all my admiration for Bobby, I could see Ajay and not Bobby as Bhagat Singh. Sunny got very upset. See, I owe Sunny a lot. He helped me immensely at the beginning of my career. He stood by me when I made Ghayal even though Dharamji wasn’t too sure about the film. Sunny showed full confidence in me and I cannot forget or repay that. There are some mischief makers who are trying to poison Sunny’s mind against me. I get emotional just talking about him. If he calls me in the middle of the night I’d be by his side. But as a director I chose Ajay and I stand by my decision. Even my producer Ramesh Taurani wanted a hero of maturity and stature like Aamir Khan in Lagaan. But that doesn’t mean I rate Bobby as a less competent actor than Ajay. There was nothing personal about this decision. Tomorrow I may decide Bobby is the best person for a role and I’d go to him. When I made my last film Lajja I wanted Sunny for Ajay Devgan’s role and I knocked on his door although my relations with the Deols had already soured. Sunny agreed readily. Unfortunately, we had problems with his remuneration. That’s when Ajay stepped into the picture. Tomorrow if I want Sunny for a film I’d approach him even if he screams at me because I still consider myself his friend. I think our friendship has been cursed. Kissi ki nazar lag gayi hai. I can’t forget the times I spent with him. When I wasn’t shooting I’d spend my time on Sunny’s sets uncaring if people called me his chamcha.

I thought your Lajja deserved a lot more.

You will have to tell me why it didn’t get its due. I don’t analyze my past films. You’ll find the same sincerity in Bhagat Singh. Someone asked me about the Unique Selling Point of Bhagat Singh. I said there’s nothing mercantile about it. I’m not selling the film to the public. It’s an emotional treatise on a personality I admire tremendously. I feel history has been unjust to Bhagat Singh. I wanted to rectify that wrong so that when my child grows up he would be able to show his children the true portrait of Bhagat Singh.

How satisfied were you with your film?

Quite satisfied. Everyone says I made the film very quickly. But that’s how it was planned. We never cut corners to beat a deadline. It took me 138 days to complete the entire film. I agree my other films have taken much longer. The Legend Of Bhagat Singh has taught me a lot. My producer and I knew the other directors who were making films on Bhagat Singh moved ahead confidently thinking I’d never complete my film quickly. They miscalculated. I feel happy this great man has been neglected too long. It’s wonderful if he’s getting recognition in cinema.