Raj Krishna Menon’s mellow, mirthful and, at times, moving story of three North Indian migrants, Barah Aana brings in a sense of un-visited surprise. There are three main characters: a quiet driver Shukla (Naseeruddin Shah), a watchman Yadav (Vijay Raaz) and a waiter Aman (Arjun Mathur), all driven to the doors of despair but stopped in time by a self-directed sense of humour that rescues them from self-destruction. Barah Aana completes 16 years today. On the film’s anniversary, Menon looks back at his debut.
How do you look back at you debut film?
Barah Aana was a true indie and that indie experience is irreplaceable. We had next to no money and so the film was really made by everyone coming together to tell a story we all passionately wanted to.
Tell me about the casting
When we wrote a character who represented a generation that accepted their lot and did not speak up, we knew we need someone to play Shukla who was a maestro, someone who did not need dialogue to portray all those conflicting emotions. Naseeruddin Shah was up for the challenge and every day on set I would be mesmerised by how he found ways to take the audience into the character’s world.
And Vijay Raaz?
Vijay Raaz is effortless or so he makes it feel, and very different in approach to Naseer and so watching they play off each other was magic. Arjun Mathur was new and a sponge. He got to learn from the best. Tannishtha (Chatterjee) was already getting to the top of her game. Violante Placido the Italian star was a casting coup. In between a huge Italian hit and a film starring alongside George Clooney, she managed to make Barah Aana happen. All the technicians, Priya Seth, Debasish Mishra, Anuradha Shetty, Ninad Nayampally, Hemanti Sarkar became a family. We knew we were in the midst of something very special; an experience we would cherish even 16 years later.
Were you happy with the way Barah Aana was received?
Barah Aana travelled and had a very successful festival run including the Chicago International Film Festival where it followed Lagaan as the second film from India that made the cut at that festival. It was an honor to showcase the film there.
Would you like to see Barah Aana re-released?
Yes, I really would like to see the film re-released. I think the film was a bit early for the Indian audience when it was released but over the years, it has garnered an audience and a lot of love.
The post 16 years of Barah Aana: Director Raja Krishna Menon wants the film to be re-released: “The film was a bit early for the Indian audience when it was released” appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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