Akashaditya Lama, director of Tauba Tera Jalwa, starring Ameesha Patel, speaks about the film, his journey in tinsel town and more...We believe you knew Ameesha much before she did her first film?I knew her before Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai was released. She started shooting for Gadar and I was an assistant director on the set. She has been very kind to me, and even predicted that one day, I would be a big director. She recommended me to Tanuja Chandra, when she was making a telefilm. I assisted her for some time and she always kept pushing me. And then I got into television. I was working as a TV writer. I've written more than 3,000 episodes for Indian as well as Indonesian TV channels. Then I got into theatre, and formed my own theatre group here named Big Bang Theatres. My first play was Mohenjo Daro, which I wrote when I was 17 years old.
In 2012, I directed my first film, Cigarette Ki Tarah. It starred Madhurima Tuli, Prashanth Narayanan, and Yuvika Chaudhary. And before that, I wrote additional dialogues for Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan’s Lahore. After that, I co-wrote Sushant Singh Rajput’s Chanda Mama Door Ke.
You've written quite a few scripts, but unfortunately, a lot of the projects are not released or taking shape. What do you think is the issue?Writing is the most thankless job, same as an assistant director. A film starts with a writer, but when the film releases, nobody remembers the writer. If you take any hit film, it is the actor, followed by the director, who takes credit. It's unfortunate, but this is the way the industry is functioning. And writers are not paid well too. In TV, writers are well-paid and you get regular money. But the budget of the film will depend on the star you are taking on board. So accordingly, the writer's remuneration will be decided, unless you a star writer.
Will the success of Gadar 2 help your film Tauba Tera Jalwa because Ameesha Patel has again come into the limelight?Yes, definitely. I can say with full confidence that this is going to be one of her best films because she has been presented in a very different way. Ameesha got Gadar 2 after she finished shooting for our film. But because of COVID, we couldn't release it. But since the film is ahead of its time, you will not feel that it's stale, look-wise or content-wise.
There was some issue with you and Ashutosh GowarikerYes. I shared my script of Mohenjo Daro with him in 2002-03, through our editor friend Ballu Saluja. In 2012, I came to know that he had started the film. I asked him through the mail, but he didn't respond. Then when this film started, I asked him again, but there was no response. So finally, I went to court. But the court doesn't function the way we think or we see in cinema. The film was loosely based on my play. I still maintain that but I have moved on now.
Do you think Chanda Mama Door Ke should be made with another star?See, I'm not the right person to comment on this, because the story idea is Sanjay Puran Singh's, so he has all the rights and he is the director.
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