Rakeysh abandons bio-pic on Guru Dutt

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who was supposed to make a bio-pic on the life and times of Guru Dutt has decided to bow out of the race.

Speaking of the aborted project Rakeysh says, “I never talked about doing a Guru Dutt bio-pic. People kept talking about it. Nasreen Munni Kabeer had come to me with an idea on the life of Guru Dutt. I told her anyone would kill to make a film on the life of Guru Dutt specially someone with my sensibilities. Then she came up with a screenplay. I told her I"d make it when I am ready. This is something that crossed my mind 18 months ago. Since then I haven"t even thought about it. As of now I am not ready to take on Guru Dutt."

Rakeysh feels only one film on the life of Guru Dutt should be made. “And that too with the right intention and aesthetics the right amount of sincerity. Only one person should do it, and all the others who want to honour him with a film should just move back and support that one project. Guru Dutt means too much to all of us."

Rakeysh also discounts the possibility of Aamir Khan playing Guru Dutt. “I never thought of who"d play Guru Dutt. It never went that far. The script always chooses the actors. It"s the script which chooses me, so who am I to choose anything else.

Post Delhi-6 Rakeysh wants to direct a light subject. “Let"s see what it is. But will be a light film. And by that I mean a less demanding subject, not necessarily a comedy."

At the moment Rakeysh says he"s enjoying the run of Delhi -6. “The feedback and fan following is tremendous. For the first time an Indian film got so widely reviewed in the international press ."

Rakeysh feels Delhi-6 was badly treated initially. “So much so that I started doubting myself. How could I go this wrong? It was a whole campaign against Delhi-6. I don"t know who sponsored it. I was initially agitated by the response. Then I realized it was a new narrative and the audience would take some getting used to it. Delhi-6 was being perceived as a summer blockbuster. But it wasn"t a Singh Is Kinng. People came to watch Rang De Basanti 2. They"ve finally accepted the film on its own terms. Now I want to watch it with the audience in Delhi. I"ve just begun to enjoy Delhi-6."