Mumbai: Bollywood is full of stories about cinematic masterpieces almost not being made. But for the vision and the conviction of makers and producers, some critically acclaimed films would’ve never made it to the big screen, so it is not surprising that a deep sense of gratitude binds filmmakers and financiers even to this day. And it is this connection that drove the award function-shunning Mahesh Bhatt to attend a recent filmi ceremony. Says Mahesh, “I don’t attend awards ceremonies. But I was told the Barjatyas were being honoured. They are the most remarkable guys. I cannot forget that Tarachandji’s son Raj Barjatya (filmmaker Sooraj’s father) took on his father only once in his life, and that was to convince him to produce my film Saaraansh!”
Saaraansh attacked the theory of reincarnation, one that the senior-most Barjatya strongly believed in thanks to his close association with the Shri Aurobindo Ashram. “Sethji (Tarachand) wanted the theory of reincarnation not to be questioned. But I wasn’t willing to make disastrous compromises. It was Raj Babu who convinced Sethji by taking a position opposite him. Given that I was a nobody then, I thought that was exceptional.”
The retired filmmaker recalls his association with the Barjatyas with tremendous fondness. His disillusionment following the NFDC’s snub to produce Saaraansh was short-lived thanks to the support he found in Raj Barjatya. He says, “I had gone to the NFDC, the body set up to help meaningful cinema. But it had literally shut the door on my face saying. ‘Baad mein aaiye’, I was told. No matter who the producer, priority is given to stars and not to the script.”
Dejected, Mahesh was on his way back from the NFDC office when he chanced upon Rajshri. He adds, “I was travelling back by bus when I saw the Rajshri banner at Prabhadevi. I walked into their office. Raj Babu was there. I pitched him the story of Saaraansh and he said yes. Much later I asked him what made him say yes to me. He said, ‘I saw a kind of unbridled passion in you. It was palpable in your every pore. We bought your hunger’.”
