Felt like an award: Vinod Kapri on Gulzar writing a song for 'Pyre' without charging fee

Hindustan Times

26-04-2025

New Delhi, Vinod Kapri is elated with the love and recognition that his latest directorial "Pyre" is garnering in the film festival circuit but for the filmmaker, the highest honour came from cinema legend Gulzar, who loved the movie and even wrote a song without charging any fee.
Inspired by the true story of an elderly couple Kapri met in 2017 in Uttarakhand's Munsiyari, a village affected by migration, the Hindi-language film focuses on themes of love, resilience, and human spirit against the backdrop of the Himalayas.
It features non-professional actors Padam Singh, a retired Indian Army soldier, and Hira Devi, a farmer, both from Berinag Tehsil in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district.
Kapri had earlier collaborated with Gulzar for his 2021 documentary "1232 KMS", which featured two songs by the eminent poet-director. And he decided to approach the cinema veteran once again for "Pyre", which won the Audience Award at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in November last year.
Kapri said when he told Gulzar about the film, the lyricist was curious about his two lead protagonists.
"He was like, 'What are you saying? You have made a film with non-actors.' He asked how they performed in the movie and wanted to see it. So I sent him the first cut. After 48 hours, I was in Goa with my family and friends. He called me early in the morning and I missed it," Kapri told PTI in an interview.
Kapri called him back and realised that Gulzar really liked the film.
"Coming from Gulzar sahab, it was like an award itself," the filmmaker said, adding that lyricist agreed to write the song for the movie.
The filmmaker later met Gulzar in Bombay and by then, the veteran had written the track.
"He narrated the song that he had written. He also told me that if I don't like the song, then I should let him know. But I liked it. After the meeting, I realised that I didn't discuss commercial with him.
"I rang up his manager and told him everything. I told him that though we have less budget, we will manage something. Within 10 minutes, I got a call from Gulzar sahab, saying, "Vinod, you have become so big that you will give me money now?' He said, 'You have made such a good film. How can I take money for this?'" he said, recalling his conversation with Gulzar.
"Pyre" was recently screened at the Bengaluru Film Festival.
Besides Gulzar, the film's crew also includes German editor Patricia Rommel and Mychael Danna, the Oscar-winning music composer of Ang Lee's 'Life of Pi'.
Kapri said he decided to approach Rommel as he loved her work on 'The Lives of Others', the 2006 German drama which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
"When I approached her, she said she needs to read the story first and then she asked for the rushes ," he recounted.
After watching the rushes, Kapri said Rommel was enamoured by the performance of both Singh and Devi.
"She told me, 'Vinod, I'm in love with this couple, and I would like to meet them. When can I meet them?' And I realised that Patricia is on board. I asked her, 'Will you do this film?' She said, 'Of course, I'm doing this film... I'm doing this film for this lovely couple.'"
When the movie premiered in Tallinn, Rommel flew down from Berlin, just to meet the old couple.
"She spent three days with them and gave all her love to them... And in fact, she also bought some nice gifts for them. So it was really heartwarming," he said.
For the background score, Kapri had Danna in mind but then he found that the music composer was on a six month sabbatical.
"He asked me to approach him six months later. I wrote to him, saying, 'I completely respect that you have taken a sabbatical but I would like you to watch some rushes of the film... maybe you will change your mind.' And that really worked," Kapri said.
"After watching the first cut, he said, 'This is unbelievable stuff, the way these people have acted and I am doing this film."
"Pyre" is produced by Kapri and his wife, Sakshi Joshi, independently through Bhagirathi Films.