Manmohan Desai : The bindaas maverick filmmaker

JYOTHI VENKATESH goes down memory lane and culls out this rare, hot and explosive interview with the Maker with the Midas touch MANMOHAN DESAI, which first appeared in the now-defunct Free Press Bulletin dated 11th March 1979 almost 40 years ago. Filmgoers still miss Manmohan Desai, who entertained them for over three decades. His films have always had a happy ending and therefore the tragic end to his life perplexed many. Manmohan Desai, if he had continued to live, would have turned 82 on March 1, 1994. We at CINEBUSTER pays a tribute to him.

Way back in 1981, when I had interviewed him for Filmfare, Manmohan Desai had told me that he did not consider himself as a star-maker, but then “I have no objection if people label me as one”. To reproduce his quotes, “I have made films like Chhalia with Raj Kapoor, Rampur Ka Lakshman with Shatrughan Sinha and Randhir Kapoor, Sachcha Jhootha with Rajesh Khanna and Vinod Khanna and Aa Gale Lag Jaa with Shashi Kapoor. When I made those films, the artists concerned were known more as good actors rather than stars or for that matter demigods. It was only by the time these films were released, that they rose slowly and steadily in stature as stars. The same is the case with Amitabh Bachchan. When I signed him on for Amar Akbar Anthony, he was one of the big stars of that time, but after the release of the film he became the No 1 star.”

I remember Manji, as Manmohan Desai was fondly called by all his friends, telling me that both Amitabh Bachchan and he were lucky mascots for each other. “It is true that after Amar Akbar Anthony, I have not made even a single film without Amitabh Bachchan in it. As long as Amitabh Bachchan does not feel that he is doing me a favor by agreeing to work with me, I have no intention of making even a single a film without him. After all, Amitabh is a good artiste and also a star. Tell me what more does a producer need?”

Though he was a pucca teetotaler, Manmohan Desai used to entertain all his friends who were fond of the Bachus lavishly at his Khetwadi flat. Like Manji, his son Ketan Desai also downs a glass of beer or two at times. The Desais’ have always proved to be excellent hosts. For journalists, Manji was always a delight giving them quotable quotes. Like, “It is easy to make art films, but quite tough to make masala films designed to entertain the audiences.”

Manji had the uncanny knack of getting impossible things done not only in his films but also in real life. I remember once in 1980, he wanted me to do an intimate in depth informal interview over dinner at his house at Khetwadi to promote his film Naseeb. When I expressed my inability to his PR person, the late Prakash Pange because I was holed up for nearly 20 days at the Hotel Oberoi Towers at Nariman Point (now Hotel Trident) where, besides being the President of the Employees Union, I was actually working then as an Accounts Supervisor on account of a prolonged strike. The politically affiliated rival union, which had dubbed our union as the chamcha union and wanted to break the legs of those loyal employees who were working inside the hotel during the strike, including yours truly, Manji had arranged to send Prakash Pange with a hefty ‘security’ guy to escort me from the hotel late in the evening in a car. I was clad in, believe it or not, a long flowing black burqa which had veiled my face, like Rishi Kapoor had in his film Amar Akbar Anthony, to his house in Napean Sea Road and then drop me back at the hotel after the dinner.

I was katti with Manji for some time when he was making Naseeb because he had chosen to be neutral when Amitabh Bachchan who was the ruling super star, had told him to throw me out of the sets at Film City where I had gone to interview comedian Mukri for Star & Style. Instead of taking up for me or even coming to me and explaining the situation, he chose to send his production guy to me with the message that as long as I was present on the sets, “Amitji” will not be shooting for the film that day. Though Mukri was more than willing to take up for me, I politely walked out of the sets.

Manji was jovial to the core. Once he commented wryly pointing out to his heroine Manisha Koirala when I met him on the sets of his son Ketan’s film Alla Raakha, “Look at this beautiful girl. She is telling me she respects me a lot though I am very disappointed that she does not love me.” Once when Manji was shooting at the New Excelsior theatre basement in Mumbai for the climax of his film Naseeb, I suggested that he should title his next film as Hum Tum Na Judha Honge since he had the habit of making films with either the father and the son or the mother and the son or two friends, he brandished a Rs 1000 note to me and said it was a token payment to me for volunteering to suggest the title of his film. Alas Manji did not make the film at all and passed away too soon.

While Desh Premee was being made, once Stardust had assigned me to do his interview for the column Court Martial. Though he was anti – Stardust, because Amitabh was anti – Stardust then, when I convinced him that he could trust me and give the interview to a freelancer like me who will not misquote him, he agreed and in the interview he lambasted Hema Malini for having gone ahead and become ‘pregnant’ and spoilt his shooting schedule.

After having second thoughts, Manji had developed cold feet and arrived at my office in Oberoi Towers in Nariman Point searching for me frantically only to ask me to delete the reference to Hema Malini because he did not want Hema to get angry and refuse to give her dates for the film which was already delayed. Luckily for me, I could convince the then Editor of Stardust – Uma Rao to delete the said portion.

It is indeed difficult to come across a top director on the sets of his film completely relaxed and at the same time involved with his work like a possessed man. But then Manmohan Desai is an exception. When I visited him on the sets of Naseeb, a multi starrer with Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Rishi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha and others, it was a dare devil stunt scene with Hema Malini on a slick and stylish motor-bike.

Instead of allowing the fight composer to take over, Manmohan Desai insisted on directing the scene himself. “Why should I let my fight composer take over? The director has got to slog on the sets and co- ordinate the functioning of each and every unit. Moreover, my late father Kikubhai Desai had built the Paramount Studios and also made several stunt films in those days when stunt films were being considered to be C or even D grade projects. I have thus known the world of stunts” he said.

During the lunch and in between the shots, I managed to pin down Manmohan for an impromptu interview. Sometime back there were talks that Manmohan Desai had sold off the Naseeb film project to Yash Johar because he had overshot the budget and didn’t wish to continue as the producer of Naseeb. I asked Manmohan about it. “I have decided to retain Naseeb with me as its producer. When I launched Naseeb, I did not have the compete script with me and I went on conceiving the project as if Warner Brothers were going to make it. I forgot that we have limited resources at our disposal and also limited number of territories in India. And believe it or not, Naseeb is being shot not in 35 mm but in Cinemascope, not 70 mm.”

The only two films of his on the floors are Naseeb and Desh Premee. His Suhaag is complete and due for an early release. Apart from Suhaag, he has taken up one more film to direct for an outside producer, that is Subhash Desai’s Sarfarosh. Manmohan Desai justifies his working in as many as four projects at a time. “Sometimes it happens that my stars are busy with their commitments elsewhere and I have to idle away my time. Now that I have kept myself busy with four films, it is the other way round sometimes I am awfully busy but on the other hand, my stars are free.“

Manmohan Desai said that he is on the look-out for a girl to play opposite Rishi Kapoor in Naseeb, now that Neetu Singh has walked out of the film. “I have decided to cast either an established actress or a brand new girl opposite Rishi Kapoor. We have not yet finalized our casting plans”

Ketan Desai, Manmohan Desai’s only son and also one of the most organized executive producers, I have ever seen in the film industry till date, told me that the problem they were encountering was that most of the established senior heroines would look like they are Rishi’s aunties and also they did not want to sign in Tina because she was very busy with too many assignments.

“I have no regrets that Neetu Singh has had to walk out of Naseeb. I had shot only one or two days with her for the film. She told me that she was getting out of the film because she was planning to marry her prince charming Rishi Kapoor and settle down in life and hence I did not want to stand in her way. I wish her all the best. There are very few heroines who are as friendly and co-operative as Neetu Singh.”

Is it true that the star writers Salim and Javed have actually turned down your request to write a script for Suhaag? I asked him. As I had expected, my question provoked and also irritated him.”Am I insane to ask Salim and Javed of all people to write a script for Suhaag? I challenge both Salim and Javed to prove that I had approached them to write a script for me. They must be joking and talking out of ignorance.”

Manji continued. “The number of producers that they have antagonized till date is legion and hence the day is not far off when Salim will have to resort to character acting to keep his home and hearth burning. In fact, I have planned to offer Salim a role in my forthcoming film Maang Saja Do Meri, a role akin to the one he did in Professor, the only difference being that in my film Chintu will be required to bash him up whereas in Professor, it was Shammi Kapoor who did the dirty job. And I have decided to do the rehearsals myself and show Chintu how to bash Salim before I ask Chintu to do the shot himself” Manji chuckled.

Manmohan Desai continues with gusto “No self-respecting director today would condescend to work with Salim and Javed because they keep on interfering with the director’s work. I have decided never to work with those two charlies, if I can help it. I have had enough with that single film Chacha Bhatija. Even Cacha Bhatija was not as great a success as my other films without Salim and Javed’s script like Amar Akbar Anthony or Dharam Veer. Why Prakash Mehra’s Muqaddar Ka Sikandar was a bigger hit than even his Zanjeer”.

Manmohan Desai also has plans, believe it or not, to make small budget quickies on the lines of B.R. Chopra’s Pati Patni Aur Woh or for that matter Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaye, though they sound quite unlike him. He has decided not to strain himself with the dual task of producing and directing too many films together. And right now, while he is directing Sarfarosh for his brother Subhash Desai, he has assigned the job of directing his own film Maang Saja Do Meri to writer-director Prayag Raaj.

Though Nanda got engaged to Manmohan Desai in 1992, both didn’t tie the knot in nearly two years. The relationship met with a tragic end when on March 1, 1994, the director reportedly climbed the water tank on his terrace and jumped off. There was some loose talk of a property dispute between Desai and son Ketan, financial problems, his chronic back pain and depression following the debacle of Anmol, his last directorial. Whatever the reason, the last time an inconsolable Nanda saw her ‘Man’ was at the hospital. She remained unmarried till the end, and also extremely elusive, till her demise.

The hit film Chalia had one hit song – Dum Dum Diga Diga Mausam Bheega Bheega Suniye Main to Gira Main to Gira Main to Gira Hai Alla. Alas. It is indeed very sad that ironically, Manji also chose to die the same way and fell down to his death and we – his legion fans and admirers had to loose even before the scheduled time, a damn good maker who knew the pulse of the audiences.

Superhit Movies of Manmohan Desai