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His precious dream comes true

Director Ketan Mehta talks to Lakshmi B. Ghosh on his forthcoming film "Mangal Pandey -- The Rising"

Taking the backseat comes easily to Ketan Mehta. At least when he is not on the director's hot seat. He sits back, calmly watching the flashbulbs flicker incessantly at his stars, his eyes following the shutterbugs and scribes as they question him on his `magnum opus' film.

Mehta doesn't mind the questions, neither does he get upset about his film being called a semi-fictional representation. It has taken him over 15 years to put his dream project on celluloid. And with that his "Mangal Pandey -- The Rising" is all set to premier at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival this coming week, Mehta's ambitious attempt to showcase the Indian independence movement on 35 mm is finally a `reel' reality.

With little available on Mangal Pandey in history books, Mehta says he had no choice but to take cinematic liberties to make the film a combination of reel events and some imaginary stories.

"Some dreams are precious and take a lifetime. At one point I had almost begun to think that this film would never happen. This is not just a patriotic film. Mangal Pandey also stood for the Indian consciousness which was beginning to rise," feels the director.

He goes on to point out that designing the film's setting was not difficult, what with enough material available on the events of the period. But with little available on Mangal Pandey's own life, Mehta says he has made use of many stories that have been passed down generations through word of mouth. "There is not much historical data available except that he ignited the revolt. We do, however, have a lot written on the period. The film is essential a mix of oral tradition and history," he said during his recent trip to the Capital.

While "Mangal Pandey -- The Rising" is his first really commercial foray into contemporary history, he has experimented with the past in "Sardar". Bringing alive the life and times of the original "Iron Man" of India -- Sardar Vallabhai Patel -- the challenge for Mehta will be to balance the `masala' song and dance elements so important in a mainstream movie like "Mangal Pandey -- The Rising" with a period of history that most people are only too familiar with.

"The film, has multiple perspectives, be it the friendship between the British officer and the sepoy or the love story of the widow. They all have a place in the story," he says.

Having studies at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Mehta made his foray into filmmaking with "Bhavni Bhavai" in 1980. The 80s saw three more films from him. If "Holi" and "Mirch Masala" strengthened his position as a an artistic filmmaker, "Hero Hiralal", despite a strong performance from Naseeruddin Shah, had to bite the dust at the box-office.

His determination at not treading the beaten path was clear, as he took up rather different subjects in films like "Maya Memsaab" and "Oh Darling Yeh Hai India", which did little to improve his image at the box-office. But with the biggest film of the year under his belt, Mehta now has a big test ahead.

He has almost passed his first test this year on the small screen, what with his serial "Time Bomb" receiving good reports. The serial may have faced a tough time initially but Mehta is sure that his attempt to present a psychological thriller when family dramas rule the small screen will succeed. After all, doing it the routine way was never his style.

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