J.P. Dutta on film publicity
By:
Subhash
K.
Jha,
IndiaFM
Friday,
September
15,
2006
Responding
sharply
to
the
reports
that
the
Abhishek-Aishwarya
link-up
is
part
of
the
strategy
to
keep
Umrao
Jaan
in
the
news,
the
film's
director
J.P.
Dutta
chortles
dryly.
"When
have
I
ever
bothered
with
marketing
my
films
?
Do
you
know
when
my
first
film
Ghulami
was
released
there
was
just
one
hoarding
in
all
of
Mumbai?
I
don't
think
publicity
itself
helps
a
film.
My
Border
had
opened
half-heartedly.
It
went
on
to
be
the
biggest
hit
of
my
career
so
far.
It's
all
destiny."
Among the unusual locations for Umrao Jaan the movie moghul chose a spot 40 miles away from Lucknow in a place called Mehmoodabad. "I needed a special palace to shoot these crucial scenes between my bachcha (Abhishek) and Ash. I think we've canned scenes that have given me great satisfaction. I don't even know how Umrao Jaan is making itself out. It's gone out of hands. There's some invisible force guiding me. You know, when I started shooting I had neither Abhishek's nor Ash's complete dates. Ash wondered how I'd do it. But look at how the schedules work themselves out. What is it, if not destiny?"
Stopping to ponder JP says, "Abhishek keeps telling me I need to get market savvy with this film. But I wouldn't know where to start. All I've done is made the film exactly the way I wanted. If I wanted I could've livened up LOC with fictional embellishments. But I had to be true to the story of the soldiers. I couldn't lie to their memory. Neither can I fool around with Umrao Jaan's story."
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