‘THE YOUTH NEED TO KNOW OUR HISTORY’

Says filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, who is coming up with a film on the Emergency period in India

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar is working on the post-production of his next film based on Emergency in India — a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across the country. The filmmaker, says that it is a “sensitive and volatile” topic. “It’s important for the youth of the nation to know about our history. I’ve always been fearless when it comes to choosing subjects for my films. The events in my film are based on real incidents with fictionalisation. This is a story that needs to be told,” he says.

Bhandarkar’s films have always had a strong connect with the real world. The fact that he was a school drop-out who worked at a video-cassette library, has given him a deep insight into the middle class society. “The protagonists in my films usually have a middleclass background. This is because I came from that background. My films are commercial hits, criticallyacclaimed and have even won National awards. I feel content with brand of real and topical films that I have created. I’m happy in my zone,” he says.

Bhandarkar is glad that he has been able to make films that the common people can relate to. “Many people tell me how they recall the prayer meet scene in Page 3 (2005), whenever they attend a party, or how they have stopped buying strawberries at the traffic signal, referring to a scene in Traffic Signal (2007). I think every film has its own charm and element,” he says.

There have been talks about a sequel to his film Fashion, but the director isn’t in a hurry to make one. “I do have an idea for the sequel to Fashion but it needs some work,” he says.