Issues & eyeballs interest Boney

BONEY KAPOOR gets nostalgic to share memories of his interactions with Raj Kapoor in an informal chat with SHALINI SAKSENA

Just like most children, he too had wanted to be a pilot. He even had an aeroplane on a stand in a take off position that gave flight to his fantasy. But then maturity set in and the atmosphere at home was all about films, films and only films. As he grew older, he found his calling. Meet 62-year-old Boney Kapoor.

“I come from a family whose roots go deep into the entertainment industry. My father assisted director K Asif. We almost had a ringside view of what was happening on the sets during the making of Mughal-e-Azam. My father was with this project for almost six years. He was also close to Shammi Kapoor. There was a time when he didn't have a manager or a secretary. My father did that job gratis. We heard about all the films that Shammi Kapoor did. Someone rightly said back then, ‘this Kapoor that grew up in the backyard of ‘the Kapoor’ family finally came into limelight,” Kapoor recounts.

He recalls how his vacations and parties were strongly connected with the Kapoor’s as his mother was close to Raj Kapoor’s wife Krishna.

“I was a great admirer of Raj Kapoor. I had a good rapport with him. I spent some great times with him, grew up hearing about him, saw him making films. I have spent nights and nights at his house. In fact, Ritu Nanda called me Cinderella. This was because Raj Kapoor would send his car around 9-9:30 pm — around the time I would get back home at Chembur. We would dine together. In those days we had VHS and would watch movies. He would discuss subjects he wanted to make movies on. I would talk about what was happening in my life. Though I never assisted him in any of his projects, my association with him was fantastic. I treasure the time I spent with him,” Kapoor tells you.

Boney Kapoor’s cine journey started when he was just 18. He worked as an assistant editor for two years. He spent hours in the cutting room. He was an assistant director to Shakti Samant in his projects once he decided to take the plunge.

“Today, I am 62 and been in the industry for over four decades. I have learnt the entire gamut of things associated with films” Kapoor tells you. He has a few projects in the pipeline and working on another 5-6 after the success of his latest film Mom.

Interestingly, it was not the script but an idea that came to him back in 2013 that metamorphosed into Mom. “It was in 2013 that Kona Venkat Rao in New York narrated it to me. When I narrated it to my wife (Sri Devi), she reacted strongly and positively to it and said she wanted to do it. She felt it was a strong woman’s part. It has all the emotions. She is a mother of two and felt close to the subject. I came back to Mumbai and started to explore the possibilities. I didn’t want to make a regular movie out of this subject. It had to be made in a realistic manner, involve people and be contemporary,” Kapoor says.

This is because the subject of his movie was screaming headlines. “Reports were being splashed from every nook and corner of Delhi. So we needed a contemporary director. My friend Sunil Manchanda, who partnered with me on this project, suggested Ravi Udyawar’s name who had done some eight-10 commercials and was impressed with his work. I have always been comfortable working with newer and upcoming directors. Things started to fall into place. Then we got in Girish Kohli to go and write the screenplay. It took almost a year to get it right. We went back and forth. We wanted to get everything perfect including the casting. The film has some serious moments and wanted to cast support actors who could bring in some lighter moments — not funny moments. We wanted Nawazuddin Siddiqui but he was busy with another movie but we wanted him so we waited. Sometimes support cast is more difficult to cast than the leads,” Kapoor tells you and says that Sridevi was his only choice to play the role of the mother.

He disagrees that movies like Pink and Mom give ideas to the younger generation. According to him, such films a caution the society, especially the young. “These films are a reflection of today’s time and act as caution for mothers, parents and the younger generation whose minds are very fragile. These movies are also about what the family goes through when something like this happens. The film is a mirror for all to see, even for the media who reports it as a matter of routine,” Kapoor states.

The ace producer, who gets hundreds of scripts and goes with his instinct in choosing a project, says that while the industry has evolved, there are certain aspects which are not what a producer would traditionally go with. There are some studios that don’t get into the nitty-gritties of making a film. As a producer, one has to give opinion and feedback. But there are some who don’t bother. Some just want to invest in a film and are not interested in the many aspects of film-making. These people are working at the top line instead of the bottom. While they may make money, it is the investor who loses it,” Kapoor opines.

When it comes to a project, he makes films of varied subjects — sci-fi— Mr India, emotional — Woh Saat Din, Hum Paanch that was shot in one location and Company on the underworld. “Basically what appeals to me and the audience gets a go-ahead. I want the entire family to watch my films, enjoy them and be involved in them. Most times, I have gone right, though there have been some cases when I have been wrong,” Kapoor says, concluding with a message.

“Mom (the movie that recently premiered on &Pictures) should be seen by all,” he says.