Rajasthan was a must for my film: Imtiaz Ali

It’s romantic, desolate and mysterious. That’s the roads of Rajasthan, the highways, that seem to fascinate filmmakers
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali was quite sure he was going to make another big-budget film with actor Ranbir Kapoor post Rockstar. But a chance encounter with an old script of his, which had been eating dust for quite sometime, made him take up the challenge of shooting on the highways of not one, but six states.The director tells us why shooting in Rajasthan was a must for this movie…
Hitting on the roads of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, Imtiaz and his crew comprising Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt, Anil Mehta (director of photography) would on to the highways of India to capture real location.
The filmmaker who has extensively shot for the film for 15 days non-stop at locations like Sambhar Lake, Bikaner, Pupan, Ajmer and outskirts of Jaipur. “My story is about highways of north India. So, Rajasthan was a must for us. Over the years, it has evolved as a state. It no longer is as arid as it used to be, it is greener than before, now mustard is cultivated here. I wanted to project the new emerging state in my film. Coupling highway and some scenic locations, we have done some attractive shoots,” says Imtiaz. He adds that the idea of shooting here was to get good visuals, and creating a lively atmosphere that depicted a layered culture. “And this was possible only in Rajasthan,” he adds.
Well, it’s not just Imtiaz who has come to Rajasthan for his road trip film. Rajasthan has always held a fascination for filmmakers down the years. In 1974, Satyajit Ray made a detective movie for children titled Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) and shot many scenes on the roads of Rajasthan. Earlier filmmakers like Dev Benegal (Road, Movie), Ram Gopal Verma (Road), Lara Dutta (Chalo Dilli) and many others have been to Rajasthan to shoot for their road movies. So, what is it that entices them to shoot in Rajasthan?
“The desert has a soul of its own. The light is clear, the mountain ranges, the sand dunes, and picturesque landscapes, makes shooting in Rajasthan as must when it comes to this genre of films,” says actor Tanistha Chatterjee, who has shot for Road, Movie and Dekh Indian Circus here in Rajasthan. Chatterjee, who shot for Road, Movie in the peak of summer feels that the association of highways of desert areas to a film’s script adds a certain flavour to the film. “There is a certain type of romanticism associated with such shoots. And that is reflected in the films. We started from Jodhpur and travelled via Jaisalmer to Bhuj, during the peak summer. It was challenging, but when you see the film, you will realize that it was worth it,” she says.
Perhaps its the magic world of desert coupled with the prospect of some mind-blowing cinematography that brings the filmmakers to Rajasthan. “The silence of the desert adds on to the mystique of Rajasthan. The fact that the traditions that we have lost as a country are still alive over here, make it more interesting for those wanting to capture the landscape of this state,” says filmmaker Pooja Bhatt, who has shot some portion or the other of almost all her films, even Jism, here.
“One of my upcoming films will capture not only the roads but the spirituality of Rajasthan too. It’s the story of two young women who meet with a catastrophe, while travelling to Ajmer Sharif, and then how they take on to the roads of Rajasthan. It’s a bit non-conventional, but is exciting me a lot,” says Bhatt. “It’s the aesthetics and logistics that bring them here,” says film historian Gayatri Chatterjee. According to her, Rajasthan’s flat terrain with scant vegetation provides a vast horizon that can take on the most romantic or desolate or even a mysterious look, depending on what the filmmaker wants to show. “It’s a big state with lesser population, so the vast back drop, lesser cars in a vast space creates a sense of freedom, upbeat mood and even prepares people for an adventure trip,” she says.
(With inputs from Aditya Mukherjee)