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From Yahoo India News
SHEKHAR KAPUR’S DEBUT
Producer Devi Dutt first met Shekhar Kapur, then a struggling actor wanting to direct a film, at a dubbing studio. “Shabana Azmi introduced us. I wasn’t sure of Shekhar’s abilities but Shabana said I must try him out because he was full of ideas.”
THE CONCEPT
The film is based on the book Man Woman and Child. Dutt recalls how his financier wasn’t ready to give him more than Rs 20 to 25 lakh.
“The financier had rejected another story we had narrated to him that morning. He gave us half an hour the same afternoon for the Masoom story and set his alarm accordingly.
I asked Shekhar to hurry, but when the alarm rang, the financier shut off the alarm and let him continue. Shekhar is an excellent narrator, you see.”
THE CAST
Shabana Azmi was in the project from the beginning, says Dutt who had worked with the actress in Ankur, Nishaant and Bhumika. But when it came to deciding the hero, Kapur said he wanted to do the role.
Says Dutt, “My financier told him, ‘you’re a flop actor. How can I put Rs 25 lakh on you?’ ”
Then we approached two actors for the role of D K Malhotra. Sanjeev Kumar said no since it was an offbeat subject.
Vinod Mehra was interested but refused to do the film if his wife Bindiya Goswami wasn’t given a lead role.
Shekhar wasn’t sure of Naseer but I knew him from the time I did Aakrosh. Naseer was initially hesitant about the film. He wasn’t too impressed with Kapur’s English accent.
DELHI CONNECTION
Kapur, a Delhiite, had friends who volunteered resources for the film. Besides, he wanted all the artistes together for the duration of the shoot.
“If we’d been in Mumbai, the location itself would have cost us a lot. My locations in Delhi hardly cost me a lakh-and-a-half.
No extras were used even in the party scene and song sequences. They were all Shekhar’s friends and relatives,” says Dutt.
THE MAKING
Jugal Hansraj, who was eight when the film was made, recalls how he had initially refused to do the film.
“Shekhar uncle used to visit me at home, take me out to lunch and the studio where the music was being recorded. I finally agreed and missed two months of school for the shooting.
Shabana aunty was a meticulous actress and throughout the shoot she kept her interaction with me to the minimum, since her character required her to be like that.”
THE RELEASE
Masoom was released in January and initially it did not fare well. “The film picked up because of the song Lakdi Ki Kathi. Since it was the holiday season, parents took their children to cinema halls,” says Dutt.
DISTRIBUTOR SPEAK
Shyam Shroff of Shringar Films purchased the rights of Masoom a while ago, but now its negatives have faded and are partially destroyed due to which further copies cannot be made. “I am looking out for old prints of the movie,” says Shroff.
AWARDS
In 1984, Masoom bagged four awards including Best Actor (Naseeruddin Shah) and Best Music Director (R D Burman).
Lyricist Gulzar won the award for Tujhse Naaraaz Nahi while playback singer Aarti Mukherji walked away with the trophy for her unforgettable rendition of the song Do Naina Ek Kahani.
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