I am a loner: Dev Anand
Dev Anand
Legendary actor Dev Anand exclusively talks with MM.com about his latest release Chargesheet!
Chargesheet made at a budget of 12-14 lakhs has extensively been shot in Mahabaleshwar over a period of one and a half years. The film includes star cast like Dev Anand, Naseeruddin Shah, Jacky Shroff and Divya Dutta among few newcomers. Chargesheet is written, produced and directed by Dev Anand and releases on September 30.
How has the journey been so far?
I joined the film industry in 1945 and it's been six decades since then and I am improving and progressing along with the passage of time. My work keeps me going and I feel elevated each time I release a film. I am very happy with my latest release Chargesheet which is a murder mystery.
How did you develop your unique style?
I am this way since the time Prabhat Film Company gave me my first break and I am glad people love it. It's not a put on or a deliberate attempt. And, yes, I still smile the same way (Smiles).
How do you manage to maintain the 'evergreen' image of yours?
I don't maintain an image, maybe I look that way (Smiles). It's because I've never grown a beard and never will. It's not deliberate at all. I never hide my age. When I play a role, I play my age.
You've acted, written, produced and directed this film. How did you go about doing all this?
I will not make a film without Dev Anand. If a role demands me and my age then I will always act. Filmmaking is a very expensive hobby as a lot of money is involved. If you make a good film, you feel like the master of the world. You have to be alive all the time or else you are finished.
When did you decide to make Chargesheet?
I was in America and wanted to do a film called Song Of Fire but nothing got executed. In the meanwhile, I wrote another script which I registered in the writers guild of America and came back to shoot a film called Beauty Queen in Nepal. Unfortunately the revolution took place where the king was dethroned. Later it struck me that I have never made a murder mystery and that's how I started making Chargesheet.
Don't you ever feel the need to cast mainstream stars over newcomers?
It's a great honor to work with big stars but when you make a film and if a script can include a few newcomers then why not. There's a huge line up of aspiring stars in this country. There is tremendous population of young boys and girls who have a hunger to showcase their talent. How many people give them breaks? Dev Anand is one of them.
What is your take on the contemporary commercial aspect of cinema?
I remember when films like Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Des Pardes had released, people walked up to me and said "Devsaab, people have been waiting to buy tickets since mid-night". These days a film does business in first few days and this is the new phenomenon as a lot of multiplexes have come up and the ticket prices have also gone up. One has to go with the time.
Why are you against the idea of remakes?
Why do you want to make a remake? So that you're sure that your film is a hit? But there is no guarantee. A remake means that you are bankrupt of ideas. A movie-man is an educated man and he is updated with all the news around him. There are so many ideas that come into your mind and one idea sticks with you and once you start exploring the idea, you should make it into a script.
What keeps Dev Anand going?
My own personality, thinking, optimism, positivity keeps me going. I am a loner. I am not in the crowd all the time. I socialize to meet new people and write about them. But you have to isolate yourself from the world when you're writing. I like to be all by myself. Mujhe maza aata hai. Padta hoon, likhta hoon, picture banata hoon. Picture banane ka maza hi kuch aur hai. (I like to read, write and make films. Filmmaking is a drug in itself).
Chargesheet made at a budget of 12-14 lakhs has extensively been shot in Mahabaleshwar over a period of one and a half years. The film includes star cast like Dev Anand, Naseeruddin Shah, Jacky Shroff and Divya Dutta among few newcomers. Chargesheet is written, produced and directed by Dev Anand and releases on September 30.
How has the journey been so far?
I joined the film industry in 1945 and it's been six decades since then and I am improving and progressing along with the passage of time. My work keeps me going and I feel elevated each time I release a film. I am very happy with my latest release Chargesheet which is a murder mystery.
How did you develop your unique style?
I am this way since the time Prabhat Film Company gave me my first break and I am glad people love it. It's not a put on or a deliberate attempt. And, yes, I still smile the same way (Smiles).
How do you manage to maintain the 'evergreen' image of yours?
I don't maintain an image, maybe I look that way (Smiles). It's because I've never grown a beard and never will. It's not deliberate at all. I never hide my age. When I play a role, I play my age.
You've acted, written, produced and directed this film. How did you go about doing all this?
I will not make a film without Dev Anand. If a role demands me and my age then I will always act. Filmmaking is a very expensive hobby as a lot of money is involved. If you make a good film, you feel like the master of the world. You have to be alive all the time or else you are finished.
When did you decide to make Chargesheet?
I was in America and wanted to do a film called Song Of Fire but nothing got executed. In the meanwhile, I wrote another script which I registered in the writers guild of America and came back to shoot a film called Beauty Queen in Nepal. Unfortunately the revolution took place where the king was dethroned. Later it struck me that I have never made a murder mystery and that's how I started making Chargesheet.
Don't you ever feel the need to cast mainstream stars over newcomers?
It's a great honor to work with big stars but when you make a film and if a script can include a few newcomers then why not. There's a huge line up of aspiring stars in this country. There is tremendous population of young boys and girls who have a hunger to showcase their talent. How many people give them breaks? Dev Anand is one of them.
What is your take on the contemporary commercial aspect of cinema?
I remember when films like Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Des Pardes had released, people walked up to me and said "Devsaab, people have been waiting to buy tickets since mid-night". These days a film does business in first few days and this is the new phenomenon as a lot of multiplexes have come up and the ticket prices have also gone up. One has to go with the time.
Why are you against the idea of remakes?
Why do you want to make a remake? So that you're sure that your film is a hit? But there is no guarantee. A remake means that you are bankrupt of ideas. A movie-man is an educated man and he is updated with all the news around him. There are so many ideas that come into your mind and one idea sticks with you and once you start exploring the idea, you should make it into a script.
What keeps Dev Anand going?
My own personality, thinking, optimism, positivity keeps me going. I am a loner. I am not in the crowd all the time. I socialize to meet new people and write about them. But you have to isolate yourself from the world when you're writing. I like to be all by myself. Mujhe maza aata hai. Padta hoon, likhta hoon, picture banata hoon. Picture banane ka maza hi kuch aur hai. (I like to read, write and make films. Filmmaking is a drug in itself).
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