Side Profile
Director Hardik Mehta’s first feature, Kaamyaab, is a tribute to Bollywood’s perennial also-rans
Three years after he stormed onto the filmmaking scene with Amdavad Ma
Famous, a delightful short about a young kite enthusiast, National Award-winning filmmaker Hardik Mehta is premiering his first feature, Kaamyaab, at the Busan International Film Festival this week. Mehta spoke about his feature debut.
Q. You’ve said that films about films are a studio’s worst nightmare. Why make your first feature on the life of a veteran side actor?
The idea of Kaamyaab came first, and then it dawned on me that there is a certain aversion towards making films about films. But when I sent the script to producer Manish Mundra, he didn’t need any convincing. He read it in a day and called to ask the cast I had in mind and the budget required. His banner, Drishyam Films, took the script, Eros joined in and they just put everything together. It happened so fast that I had to pinch myself that indeed there is a film being made on the love of my life—the ‘side actor’ of Hindi films!
Q. What kind of research went into the making of this film?
I met Birbal ji who has been acting since Do Badan (1967). He spoke at length about the old days when he used to take a bus to Ranjit Studios in Dadar. He also told me how director Raj Khosla and Manoj Kumar gave him the screen-name ‘Birbal’. His actual name is Satyendra Khosla. He was part of Sholay too, as the prisoner whose moustache is left halfshaved by actor Keshto Mukherjee.
Q. Did you speak to any other actor?
Viju Khote gave me some of the best anecdotes. He is such a warm person, self critical, witty and very knowledgeable. Actor Manmauji’s home is like a museum filled with beautiful photographs and memories of yesteryears. Avtar Gill gave me several stories. While casting for our film, we had elderly actors, who, when they came to the set, told us: “Bade dinon
baad kisi ne yaad kiya hai (After a long time, someone has remembered us).”
Q. How did you cast Sanjay Mishra?
I wanted the audience to feel as if they are watching an actual character actor’s journey, but at the same time they should not miss a ‘hero’ in the film. Sanjay has been a part of a number of good and not-so-good films, he brought so much humour, pathos and energy to the film. He also added elements that elevated the film, so much so it almost turned semiautobiographical.