Kamal Ghorui
‘Jana Nayagan’ is touted as ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay’s final film before he steps into politics full-time and fans were waiting with baited breath. The film was supposed to release on January 9, however, it failed to get the certification from the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) due to which it missed its release date. Although the film initially received a preliminary clearance, the makers were later informed that it had been sent to a revising committee following a complaint. This prompted them to approach the Madras High Court. While the court has now reserved its order, it has not indicated when the verdict will be delivered. With a January release now virtually ruled out, the producers have stated that more than Rs 500 crore is riding on the film.Amidst all this, filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has recalled being in a similar situation when his film ‘Rang De Basanti’ went through the same. The film’s release date was announced but it was facing issues with the certificate due to contentious elements was a crucial storyline involving the assassination of a Defence Minister, set against allegations of massive corruption in the procurement of MiG fighter jets. Talking about it, Mehra said in an interview with Screen, “The bureaucrats at the Defence Ministry told us, ‘Don’t call a MiG a MiG, don’t call a Defence Minister a Defence Minister, you won’t get a Censor Certificate. You have to remove the scene on television where the defence minister says: “the soldiers aren’t in their senses, but high on spirit, while flying the planes.” They said you can’t do all of this. But I said, all of this is derived from real life. I have facts to support everything.”
Much like ‘Jana Nayagan’, ‘Rang De Basanti’ also missed its initially announced release date. Mehra recalled being cautioned that refusal to make changes could significantly delay the film’s arrival in theatres. “They said your film is releasing on 19th January. It will take six weeks for the film to go through the process, to clear it, and you will suffer. So I said, ‘Take six years, don’t take six weeks. We will release it after six years, it’s okay.’ But these are facts. So when we stuck to our guns, it went up to the Defence Minister and sailed through after that. Originally, it was supposed to release on January 19, but it released on the 26th January. So what happens, happens for the good, we got a Republic Day release.”Beyond censorship, Mehra also spoke about the intense financial strain the project faced even before shooting began. “We were fighting for finances forever. It was just two months before shooting, and my earlier producers, one from America and one from the UK, had to be legally removed from the film because they never performed. They never showed up. They never gave the money. I kept investing my own money. That was, of course, not enough; I’m not a rich guy. Finally, we had to mortgage our office first, and then our house in Pali Hill to keep pre-production running.”He further described the persistent interference from the initial producers, saying, “They kept saying, ‘Take that actor, why are you doing this? Go for a known face for this one.’ I understand collaboration, but I hate interference of any kind because that spoils the film. Not for any egotistical reason or anything. I believe there needs to be singularity in the vision.” Eventually, ‘Rang De Basanti’ starring Aamir Khan, R Madhavan, Siddharth, Soha Ali Khan, Sharman Joshi proved to be a huge hit and is still loved over the years.
