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Time of India
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Richie Mehta: If you care about the subjects as you're conveying their stories, you give them veto power over you to stop it
Filmmaker Richie Mehta stood before an audience recently in Mumbai at and spoke about the intent behind storytelling. He said that with Delhi Crime, 'I wanted to show the world this - you (the world) think India is gangrape and sexual molestation of women when you show up here. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now You do not realise that there are women solving the crime in a manner that you have never seen on Earth. You think India is a poor country. There is poverty here. There is also the best artistic talent on Earth. I'm going to show you both.' That intention - the duality, the dignity, and the truth of the case is what became Delhi Crime. Talking about his approach, Richie added, 'If you care about the subjects as you're conveying their stories, you give them veto power over you to stop it." Excerpts from his masterclass at the recently concluded Waves Summit in Mumbai - 'I told retd. Delhi Police Commissioner that I don't think anyone should be doing the story of this case, ever' Talking about the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young student in Delhi, Richie said 'I was still moved by this, like all of us were." He returned to Delhi to do research and met a family friend - retired Police commissioner who had supervised the investigation. 'I have a concept, I'd like to pursue it,' Mehta told him. 'I just have some questions about protocol in the Delhi Police.' Neeraj Kumar replied, 'I have a better idea for you. I think you should do the story of the case itself.' Richie said, 'I don't think anyone should be doing the story of this case, ever.' but Neeraj Kumar told him, 'I will introduce you to the woman who solved the crime. I will give you case files, the sessions court verdict, read it. Meet her. If you think there's a story here, I'll open this whole world to you.' 'I haven't met a superhero before or after her' Richie read it. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now And he couldn't stop, and said,"I went back to the flat I was staying at in Delhi and thought, 'Oh my God.' I started reading it. I have never read something like this in my life - how 12 officers of an institution that many of us don't have much faith in came together for one week and said, 'Evil has reared its ugly head. We are gonna make sure this never happens again.' And they were led by a woman. I met her (then DCP Chhaya Sharma who investigated the case). I haven't met a superhero before or after that." 'Sitting in police stations in neutral situations, you realise they're just human beings, suffering as much as anybody else' The investigation wasn't just about solving a case - it was, Richie realised, an analysis of why such crimes happen. 'If you look at both, you answer all the questions. It was a life experience.' He began four years of research, splitting time between Canada and India, shadowing Delhi Police officers, sitting in their offices for hours. 'I don't know if any of you have gone to a police station for reasons that aren't terrible. If you just go in a neutral circumstance and watch, it's very interesting. You realise they are just human beings suffering as much as anybody else. Once in a while, there's one or two who are trying to do the right thing. ' He was struck by the working conditions of police - who sometimes had no electricity, officers paying for their own fuel, taking bus to reach crime scenes. 'Simple details like this are the reason I did Delhi Crime. Under the auspices of a much bigger issue - sexual violence, of course.' 'Delhi Crime is about the world that these people inhabit' When at a film festival, an HBO executive who was part of shows like Game of Thrones, Wire in Los Angeles became Richie's mentor, the idea of a web series came up. Richie shared, 'He told me - 'I'd love to see this as a series.' I said, 'I don't know how to write a series.' He said, 'I'll teach you.' Out of the goodness of his heart, once in a while, we meet these people.' The mentor shared research from The Wire and broke down the difference between film and series - 'In a film, plot comes first, then character, then world. In a series, it's the exact opposite.' That idea - that a series is a world you build and your characters inhabit changed Richie's approach. 'I constructed Delhi Crime according to that. It's about the world that these people inhabit. That's why I take digressions - like a five-minute argument about cutting a chicken's throat - which has nothing to do with the plot, but everything to do with the lives of these officers.' No one would fund it. 'Too controversial,' Richie said. 'Nobody wanted to touch sexual violence in a series, understandably.' But he was determined to make it entirely in India. 'All of the talent was Indian. Nobody was from abroad. That was a big goal for me, because I'm convinced India has the best talent on Earth.' There was one rule for him - 'I will never show the crime. Because it is not about the violence. It is about the people fixing the violence. The other side of the coin.' Before proceeding, Richie insisted on meeting Nirbhaya's parents. 'I said, 'Tell me to stop and I'll stop.' That was four and a half years into the process. It was very important for me. To deal with imposter syndrome, you have to give your subject veto power at every stage. The mother told me 'If you do exactly what you say you're gonna do, I support you.' Later, before the series released, he showed it to her. 'I said, 'Tell me to change anything, I'll change it, and she said - No.'' I've made promises to the people these projects are based on. I cannot break those promises The same principle guided Poacher, Richie's follow-up series set in Kerala and based on real-life wildlife crime-fighters. 'After Delhi Crime won Emmy, I thought if I get one chance to leverage with no questions asked. What do I burn it on? I believe in wildlife conservation.' He approached wildlife officers - 'How can I help you?' They said, 'Show how difficult our lives are as we try to save species. There will never be any reward - other than what our heart tells us. ' He built Poacher like Delhi Crime - as a procedural thriller. 'Delhi Crime was a shot in the dark. This time I said, let me do it in a more refined way.' For Richie, storytelling comes with responsibility. 'From the first film onwards, each one gets more difficult. I've made promises to the people these projects are based on. I cannot break those promises. If anyone forces me to, I'll turn on them. Everyone on my projects understands that. The intent is pure.' 'Nobody wants to see an elephant shot in the head' After Poacher premiered, it became a rallying point for wildlife crime fighters globally. Richie shares,'They said, 'We've never seen anything like this. This is our story. Can you tell our story now?'' Richie spent the last year and a half traveling to wildlife crime conferences, meeting conservationists most people have never heard of. 'These are the most noble people I've ever met. In a polarising world, I thought - maybe we can all agree on this. Nobody wants to see an elephant shot in the head.'
News18
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Farhan Akhtar Reveals Why Shah Rukh Khan Was the Perfect Choice For Don: 'No One Else...'
Last Updated: Farhan Akhtar reveals why Shah Rukh Khan was always his first and only choice to play Don in the 2006 remake, calling SRK's mix of charm and menace 'tailor-made' for the role. When Shah Rukh Khan stepped into the iconic role of Don in Farhan Akhtar's 2006 remake of the 1978 classic, comparisons with Amitabh Bachchan were inevitable. But as Farhan recently revealed, SRK not only embraced the challenge — he was always the first and only choice for the part. Speaking at the Waves Summit, the filmmaker opened up about his decision to cast Shah Rukh in the high-stakes remake. 'Shah Rukh's personality was tailor-made for that part," Farhan said, recalling how their friendship blossomed after Dil Chahta Hai. 'From 2001 to 2005, we spent a lot of evenings together. When I started writing Don, I was convinced it had to be him. His sense of humour, his self-deprecating style, his ability to be both charming and menacing — it was all inherently Don." Farhan also spoke about how Shah Rukh, a lifelong fan of both the original film and Amitabh Bachchan, saw the role as a personal milestone. 'For him, Don is massive. He's a huge fan of the film and Mr Bachchan. So stepping into those shoes was very exciting for him." When asked if there was a backup plan in case Shah Rukh turned down the role due to inevitable comparisons, Farhan quickly dismissed the idea. 'I don't think Shah Rukh is scared of things like that. He's very confident in his abilities." In fact, he added that SRK had sensed the offer was coming. 'We'd been spending so much time together, and I had told him I was writing it. He was ready. Before I even offered it, I think he knew I was going to." SRK went on to reprise the role in Don 2 (2011), also directed by Farhan, further cementing his unique interpretation of the character. In 2023, Farhan announced Don 3 with Ranveer Singh stepping into the titular role. However, the film has yet to go on floors and has faced multiple delays. Rumours of another postponement circulated recently, but the production house denied them in November 2024. Notably, Farhan hasn't directed a film since Don 2, and at the Waves Summit, he remained tight-lipped about the progress of Don 3. First Published:
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Aamir Khan had two conditions before signing Dil Chahta Hai, says Farhan Akhtar: ‘I went to him because I had no choice'
When Farhan Akhtar was trying to cast his debut film Dil Chahta Hai, he met a few actors who just rejected his proposal. But once he met with Akshaye Khanna, there was a ray of hope. Farhan shared, at the recently concluded Waves Summit, that Akshaye was the first actor to come on board out of the three leading stars and at that time, Akshaye was going to play the role of Aakash, the role that was eventually played by Aamir Khan. Farhan shared that when he met Aamir, it was for Sid's role, that was eventually played by Akshaye, but Aamir placed his condition before the first time filmmaker. Calling Akshaye an 'incredible guy who has a lot of integrity', he recalled that he met the actor for Aakash's role and he readily agreed. 'I never thought Aamir would say yes so I never went to him. It sounds frivolous and kind of patronising now, forgive me because that's not my intention, but I went to him eventually because I had no choice. And I went with the feeling that he is going to say no but since I haven't met him, let me go and meet him,' he shared. Farhan said that after Aamir met with him, he liked the film but he had two conditions before he could come on board. 'He said I will do this film but I have some conditions. So the dialogues were in English at that time so he said that you get the dialogue draft in Hindi because right now, you have written it in English. I want to know if this humour will work in Hindi. He said if I like the Hindi draft, I don't want to play Sid, I want to play Aakash,' he shared. Farhan prepared his draft in Hindi and Aamir liked it but the next obstacle was how he would tell Akshaye about this, as the actor had already agreed to play Aakash. ALSO READ | Gram Chikitsalaya review: Safe and staid Panchayat redux colours itself in sameness He shared his situation with Aamir and the actor seemed very confident that Akshaye would be okay to play another role. 'I met Akshaye and I told him 'Aamir is really keen to do the film but he wants to do Aakash'. Akshaye said 'you came and met me and told me you want me to be Aakash. If you tell me you want me to be Sid, I don't care. I will do any role but I want to be in this movie,' he shared and added, 'I am always indebted to him for being so gracious.' Dil Chahta Hai also starred Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Preity Zinta.
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Amid Don 3 delays, Farhan Akhtar explains why Shah Rukh Khan was the perfect Don: ‘SRK can be charming while being menacing'
Shah Rukh Khan stepped into the shoes of the legendary Amitabh Bachchan when he played the lead role in Farhan Akhtar's remake of the 1978 film Don. Released in 2006, Don starred SRK in the titular role and Farhan recently shared that SRK's 'personality was tailor-made for that part.' He spoke about traits of Shah Rukh's personality that perfectly fitted his own imagination of Don, and added that SRK was not scared of the comparisons that he might have to face. At the Waves Summit, when Farhan was asked about casting Shah Rukh in Don, he said, 'Shah Rukh's personality was tailor made for that part. We became friends just after Dil Chahta Hai when we started spending some time together so from 2001 onwards, pretty much till 2005, when he said yes to doing Don, we had spent many evenings together. When I started writing it, I was convinced it had to be him. His sense of humour, self deprecating style… he can be very charming even while being menacing, all this was inherently in the character so I never even thought about going to anyone else.' Farhan said that even for Shah Rukh, Don was a big deal as he too, was a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan. 'For him, Don is massive. He is a huge fan of the film Don. He is huge fan of Mr Bachchan so to step into those shoes, to step into that role was very exciting for him,' he said. When Farhan was asked about his alternate plan, in case Shah Rukh refused because of the potential comparisons with the original, he said, 'I don't think Shah Rukh is scared of things like that. I think he is very very confident in his ability.' He then shared that SRK had been expecting that Farhan would come to him with this role and shared, 'We had been spending so much time together. I had told him that I am writing this. He was very excited. Before I told him, he was prepared that I will go to him. I think he was ready.' ALSO READ | Gram Chikitsalaya review: Safe and staid Panchayat redux colours itself in sameness Farhan directed the sequel of Don, Don 2, also starring SRK in 2011. In 2023, he announced Don 3, with Ranveer Singh replacing Shah Rukh in the lead role. However, the film's shoot is yet to begin. The film has been postponed many times, and recently, there were rumours that the film might get pushed further. However, the production house denied these rumours in November 2024. Farhan hasn't directed a film since Don 2. In this conversation at Waves Summit, Farhan did not say anything about Don 3.
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Aamir Khan was certain ‘log thookenge humpe' when he stalled shoot for 4 hours during Dil, was told audience won't think logically
Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit starrer Dil, directed by Indra Kumar, was one of the biggest hits of the early 1990s. The film hasn't aged well and Aamir, in the past, has expressed his regret about some of the objectionable scenes in the film. At the recently concluded Waves Summit, Aamir said that back then, he was comparatively new in the film industry and his sensibility was not in sync with the mainstream film industry. He recalled shooting a scene for the film where his character gets married to Madhuri Dixit's character behind closed doors, without any witnesses, and said that he just couldn't get past the logical loopholes of the scene. Aamir said that in the scene, his character Raja barges into her house where her father, played by Saeed Jaffrey, is present. Raja locks himself and Madhu (Madhuri's character) in a room, breaks a table, lights it on fire, and they take pheras around it. 'My mind is logical so I asked Indra that he is taking the pheras but there no witnesses. Saeed Jaffrey is alone and there is an old woman standing with him. So why is he panicking? He should just say that you can do whatever you want, you will ultimately open the door. Even if you say you are married, I will not accept it,' Aamir recalled and shared that they discussed this for 3-4 hours. When Aamir Khan presented his logical argument, Indra Kumar said that the 'audience is not going to think of all this logical stuff.' Aamir recalled his argument, 'I said how is that possible? They are smart people. They will see the pheras and even though we believe in it emotionally but from a father's point of view, who does not want them to be together, he will take the common sense route. He will say now you go home.' Aamir said that he gave up eventually and did the scene the way Indra expected him to do it. After the film's release, Aamir went to watch it in a popular single screen in Bandra and was shocked to watch the audience's reaction. 'People started whistling, clapping. I was certain that log humpar thookenge uss scene mein (people will make fun of us). That day was a big learning for me. Technical and legal logic is one thing, the other thing is emotional logic. So when you take them on an emotional journey, then they are not thinking logically,' he said. In an earlier interview with Aaj Tak, Aamir Khan said that he was 'ashamed' of the lyrics of a popular song from Dil. 'Hindi films have not been responsible enough, especially the way we project men and women. When we show something wrong in the films, we also show that the result of it is something positive. Which is wrong. And we often make the women an 'item' in films. Even the songs are like 'Tu cheez badi hai mast mast'. And even I am involved in this and I have done such films. 'Khambe jaisi khadi hai, ladki hai ya chadi hai.' We are calling women ' khamba ' but not humans. I am very ashamed of it,' he said.
