AUTEUR FILMMAKER SUNEEL DARSHAN OPENS UP ABOUT ANDAAZ-2!
Veteran journalist Jyoti Venkatesh in a candid chatathon with Suneel Darshan.
What attracted you to Filmmaking?
My maternal and paternal grandfathers were majorly into filmmaking and in film distribution and I was brought up on a diet of Dara Singh films like the classic Samson with Mumtaz and Feroz Khan , then Raj Kapoors romantic classic Sangam and laterManoj Kumars directorial ventures like Upkaar and Purab Aur Paschim, etc. I requested my father to make me an assistant to Raj Saab but he was aghast at the idea since I come fom a prestigious school Bombay Scottish and a South Mumbai college called Sydneham so he sent me to Indore to manage our distribution concern and those months there were really horrible to me since I wanted to make films like my grandfather Nanabhai Bhatt.
What made you venture into filmmaking?
I had this passion to be a successful filmmaker and so I made many films with Sunny Deol and like Intequam with Anil Kapoor, . Ajay, Lootere which was a break for my younger brother Dharmesh Darshan and made films Like Ek Risthta – Loveis Forever, Barsaat , and Mela directed by my brother Dharmesh Darshaan which was about my small town sojourns in the villages of Madhya Pradesh then I made Jaanwar which Made Akshay Kumar a superstar and then made Andaaz with Akshay Kumar and two beauty pageant winners like Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta and the film was supersuccessful. Now after a hiatus I am making a sequel to Andaaz titled Andaaz -2 starring newbies Aayush Kumar , Natasha Fernandes and Aayikaa . The music is by my hit jodi Nadeem Saifi who is returning to Hindi Film music with my film.
You have made films for outside producers too?
Yes. I made Talaash for Pahlaj Nihalani who I respect as a tough producer and Mere Jeevan Saathi for the Jab Jab Phool Khile director Suraj Prakash and both the films did well.Now I hope Andaaz-2 does well too and he siigns off with his effacing smile.
