"Films based on Biopic are inspiring today's audience" says Ketan Mehta

Renowned director Ketan Mehta has to his credit award winning films such as Bhavni Bhavai and Sardar. During the course of his career he made 10 feature films, seven documentaries and two television serials. It is his real, genuine experimentation with different mediums and people and the outcome of that experience which reflects in the  films  he has directed till date.  Amongst his recent projects, the one which is mention worthy is his latest directorial venture ‘Manjhi – The Mountain Man’ one of his most talked about film today.

In an exclusive interaction with Ketan Mehta, spoke to Adgully about his forthcoming film, the research that went into this biopic, the challenges he faced , his varied interests and much more .

When asked to brief about the inspiration and story behind his latest project ‘Manjhi- The Mountain Man’ Mehta said, “While I was shooting Rang Rasiya, I read about Dashrath Manjhi in a newspaper report. I was fascinated by the very idea of his story. Set in 1960, the movie Manjhi – The Mountain Man, tells the inspiring love story of a “poor Shah Jahan”- Dashrath Manjhi. Over 22 years, with just a hammer and a chisel, he carved out a path through a mountain, in memory of his beloved wife who had fallen down while trying to cross it. He did it so that no one else would have to suffer her fate. It’s an incredible story. I am completely fascinated by Manjhi and am glad that finally I can take this inspiring love story to the world.”

Dashrath Manjhi the man on whom the entire film has been essayed, achieved a rare feat in the name of love. He made a monument of love, with his own hands by breaking the mountain and paving the way. Moreover it goes beyond being just a thing of beauty like the Taj Mahal since it actually transformed the life of the entire region!

Though the film courted controversies and hit a major roadblock recently, Mehta won the Patna court case for the film. The shooting for the film starring Nawazuddin Sidiqqui and Radhika Apte was completed in October-November last year. It was shot at  the actual locations in remote areas of Bihar. However after the completion of the shooting,  a stay was brought on the release of the film on the grounds that, Dashrath Manjhi while on his death bed, in the ICU, had put his thumb impression on an agreement, giving away “exclusive rights” to make a film on his life.

Further discussing the challenges that he and his team faced during the making of the film and how he overcame the hurdles Mehta said, “When Dashrath Manjhi expired six years back, a lot was written about him at that time. I was really inspired by reading about the endeavors of this man. What he had done was unimaginable. We shot the movie at the actual locations in Bihar in the Naxal ridden areas, under complete police protection. The crew had to wake up at 3:30 in the morning and climb a mountain every day. We also faced a stay order on the release of the film after its completion as one party had claimed to have exclusive rights to the film. This claim had no substance as no one can have a copy right on a public figure! But I am glad that the verdict was in our favour and now the movie is ready for release.”

“While proving that Dashrath Manjhi was not even in Patna on the date of the agreement, we argued that Dashrath Manjhi, though a very poor man, was also very famous for his incredible deed and was already a public figure. Thousand of articles have been written about him and many documentary films have already been made about him and all this information is in public domain and there can be no copyright on information in public domain. The court upheld the argument while lifting the stay order and allowing the release of the film,” said  Mehta clarifying his stand in the controversy.

In the film, internationally acclaimed actor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has essayed the role of Dashrath Manjhi as Nawaz’s physical appearance makes him a perfect fit for the character he plays.  Actress Radhika Apte, will be seen as Manjhi’s wife. The ensemble cast includes Tigmanshu Dhulia, Pankaj Tripathi, Prashant Narayan, Gaurav Dwivedi amongst others.

We have observed and have come across films that are being based on autobiographies of legends and inspirational real life stories and in recent times this trend seems to be catching up. Commenting and sharing his view on this he said, “The taste of the Indian audience is changing and they prefer movies with rich content. In recent times, small budget films with no big names, but which are rich in content has done well at the box office. Biopics make for a good storytelling and are inspiring today’s audiences. Success of movies like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Pan Singh Tomar has time and again proved it. Manjhi – The Mountain Man is also a heart touching and thought provoking true story, which will be liked by everyone.”

With the completion of its post-production, the film is most likely to be released by the end of this year. Manjhi – The Mountain Man is a co-production between Maya Movies Pvt. Ltd. and National Film Development Corporation.

Mehta believes that script and audience are two essential elements which are responsible for the success of any film and when asked about the next project he is working on he said, “I am a one movie director. Currently I am looking forward to the release of my movie Manjhi – The Mountain Man and simultaneously working on the script of Noor Inayat Khan.”