His Arth and Daddy were recently turned into stage productions and now there is talk of Mahesh Bhatt’s 1985 autobiographical film Janam being remade.
The original featured Kumar Gaurav as Mahesh Bhatt. Now the latter’s protege Imran Zahid will be playing that role.
Talking about the project, Bhatt, who turned 65 on Saturday, said: “What I’ve made and is now in the public sphere is not mine anymore. It has been so many years but the same feelings and emotions still exist.
“Janam was telecast [on Doordarshan] in 1985 and the news was delayed for the first time in my memory for 14 minutes till the movie was over. It was an unprecedented thing at that time. The movie received lot of accolades and was included in the Panorama section of the 1986 International Film Festival of India [IFFI],” recalled Bhatt.
He says the telefilm got lost “because the actor who played the lead [Kumar Gaurav] faded into oblivion”.
But he is confident that Zahid, who was also part of Daddy The Play, “has the resolve to hit the bull’s eye” for the “tough screenplay” of the Janam remake.
Bhatt’s involvement
The remake will be made under Bhatt’s supervision.
“There was never any fear of social stigma within me. I was not afraid to expose my life although my family was outraged and not happy at all when I made Janam. But the film was about fighting in the social space against the existing norms of society and breaking away from it.
“The idea of anybody giving birth to himself is very relevant. It is the story of a person who refuses to be defined by references of the world, as he wants to create his own destiny. My family will be pleasantly surprised that so many years later somebody is still finding it relevant to be revisited,” Bhatt said.
Sanjeev Malhotra’s Manween Sanjeev Creations is making a debut in Bollywood with this film as producers.
Malhotra had earlier partnered with Bhatt for the theatrical adaptation of Daddy.
“With Janam, my production house has also taken a birth of sorts. To venture into Bollywood with the remake of a path-breaking film like Janam is an achievement in itself. I am really looking forward to make the best of this opportunity and make a film that holds up to the original,” Malhotra said.
