The Hindu : New Delhi News : Returning to the small screen

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Monday, Feb 04, 2008
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Returning to the small screen

Photo: Anu Pushkarna

All for change: Noted filmmaker Ravi Chopra in New Delhi.

After gaining huge success in Bollywood and years after making the series on Mahabharata, B.R. Films and Ravi Chopra will return to the small screen. Ravi Chopra speaks to Madhur Tankha about his upcoming serial.

Despite being an acclaimed filmmaker in his own right, Ravi Chopra still considers his father his guru and looks up to him for inspiration.

Ravi, who was on a visit to the Capital recently for the launch of his new serial “Pari Hoon Main” on Star One here, has no qualms in saying that whatever he is today is because of his father B.R. Chopra. “Even though he doesn’ t come to the sets, he continues to be my guru. I learnt from him the craft of filmmaking and how to get work out of my artistes. He still inspires me and I make it a point to discuss work with him and implement his suggestions. Ultimately, I want to see him fully satisfied with whatever film or serial I am making,” he adds

Pinning hopes on his much-talked-about film “Bhoothnath” that will release in May this year, Ravi reveals the film is about a relationship between an elderly man -- played by Amitabh Bachchan -- and his child. “I am not going to tell you whether or not Big B plays the ghost as I want to keep this secret under wraps. Whether Amitabh and Shah Rukh Khan will share some scenes together depends totally on the script.”

Ravi’s chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan dates back to 1975 when his film “Zameer” struck a chord with the film-going public. At that time, the charismatic actor with long legs wasn’t a big name in the industry. “But Amitabh still knew his craft well. I didn’t have to teach him the nuances of acting as he was a damn good actor even then. I couldn’t take him in my later films because I didn’t have a character etched out for him.”

When Ravi had a role suitable for Big B in “Baghbaan”, he immediately went up to his house and narrated the script to him. “Amitabh agreed to the script and when the film was released, his role of an elderly man in love with his wife was lapped up by the film-going public. His chemistry with Hema Malini, especially in the song ‘Gori Teri Chal Soni Re’, was excellent and the song became a big hit with people of all ages.”

Ravi’s edge-of-the-seat thriller “The Burning Train” that portrayed Vinod Khanna as an Indian Railways employee, who builds the prototype of the Super Express, was inspired by different sources. “The 1980-released film was deeply inspired by the Hollywood film “The Towering Inferno” and a book “Airport” authored by Arthur Hailey. I had difficulty shooting the film in Delhi.”

Stating that the unique selling point of his films and television serials is being faithful to the script, the filmmaker says he has a dedicated team of writers. “I feel you lose your objectivity if you write scripts of movies produced by you. Despite drafting a few scripts for a couple of films, I encourage other creative people to write them. We are script-oriented people.”

Asserting that television was an entertaining medium, Ravi says even Shah Rukh Khan and Irrfan Khan started their careers on the small screen. “We shouldn’t have that mental block that television stands for mediocrity. I have come to this medium after a hiatus because I was busy setting up my production house after ‘Baghbaan’.”

Among the latest films, Ravi admired Shah Rukh Khan’s performance in “Chak De India” and Darsheel Safary in “Taare Zameen Par”. Darsheel must be honoured with an award for his brilliant performance as a dyslexic child.

Just because a serial about family politics has become successful, doesn’t mean that we should replicate it, says Ravi. ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ had high viewership because of its good storyline and not because it dealt with routine squabbling between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law. Others also tried their hand at such soap operas but failed miserably, he adds.

Visibly excited about his new serial “Pari Hoon Main”, Ravi says it feels great to make a comeback on television with a story about an ambitious girl. “We hope to create an indelible impression in the hearts and minds of viewers just like B.R. Films did years ago with the epoch making ‘Mahabharata’. After our last serial became a household name, many television producers tried to make mythological stories. However, we want to try something new. Change is a way of life.”

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