Mumbai, Maharashtra: In an exclusive interview with IANS, filmmaker and screenwriter Rajkumar Santoshi opened up about actress Hema Malini's Facebook post congratulating him on his film Batwara 1947. He also spoke about the feedback the film received from both the industry and audiences. Rajkumar addressed the comments and reviews circulating on social media. He shared that he tries to analyze his films and his own mistakes, and also takes feedback from the public when his film doesn’t do well at the box office or fails to become a commercial hit. In the same context, he mentioned that not as many people watched Batwara 1947 as they had planned. The director also spoke about his approach to filmmaking, saying he tries to make decent films and stays away from abusive language. Reflecting on his early career, Rajkumar said he went with different genres films like Ghayal, Damini, and The Legend of Bhagat Singh, and believes in “to go by your gut feeling” to stay unique in the market. He also reflected on his courtroom drama Damini that became a template for similar films in recent times. Calling this diversity “what keeps him alive as a director,” Rajkumar also revealed that he is planning his upcoming films with actors like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Ajay Devgn. He further said that he regrets not doing a film with late veteran actor Dharmendra.
#RajkumarSantoshi #IANS #Batwara1947 #Bollywood #SalmanKhan #AkshayKumar #AjayDevgn #Ghayal #Damini #TheLegendOfBhagatSingh #BollywoodDirector #BoxOffice #FilmInterview #HemaMalini #Dharmendra #IANS
#RajkumarSantoshi #IANS #Batwara1947 #Bollywood #SalmanKhan #AkshayKumar #AjayDevgn #Ghayal #Damini #TheLegendOfBhagatSingh #BollywoodDirector #BoxOffice #FilmInterview #HemaMalini #Dharmendra #IANS
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FunTranscript
00:00Welcome to INSR. First of all congratulations for Bhadwara 1947. One thing that came as a little surprise for me
00:11which was Hema Ji's tweet which I saw two days back. She wrote a long note about Bhadwara and both
00:18the emotions and everything. Was it surprising for you?
00:23Yeah, very pleasantly surprised. She liked the film immensely and I am grateful that she wrote this small write-up
00:30on Facebook. Really, I am very thankful to her. Very encouraging and very nice of her to write such a
00:39write-up.
00:42So, because these days reviews are always very very mixed and you know it's quite, it's a little difficult for
00:49anybody to believe that what is right, what is wrong. What is your take on all this? And also since
00:57it has been few days since the film has released, I want to know that what are the feedback from
01:02industry?
01:02That's the most important thing.
01:04Industry, I don't know much about the people who have watched films, who have watched films, who have watched films,
01:09who have watched films, who have watched films.
01:10And in the most recent years, the film is more or less numb. They are very emotional and crying. They
01:20are very very positive response and feedback from all those people who have seen the film.
01:25That means 96, 97 percent, 2 or 3 percent of those who have seen the film as well and are
01:31very different. But otherwise, 96 percent have liked the film immensely and praised the film a lot.
01:37Since your last film to this film, social media scene has changed a lot. So, when you see every day,
01:46you know, I am not, I will not talk about one particular film but for all the film.
01:50The all kind of comments and reviews that goes on on social media. What do you think about it? What
01:57is your take about it?
01:58See, they have become a major player now. Social media, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
02:04They will do their own work. They will do what they understand. Sometimes it can be very disturbing also.
02:11But one has to use to it, get used to it. There is no other way.
02:15They have to live and live. They have to live and live.
02:19And in publicity and marketing, these people do a lot of work.
02:23So, as a filmmaker and as a director who has given such big hits in history,
02:31who doesn't know Rajkumar Santoshi Ji in this country, do you find it difficult to adapt with today's narrative and
02:41everything that cures and the chatter that goes on on social media and all around you?
02:47I am not thinking. The story that I am good and the subject that I am good at, I try
02:55to make it by making it.
02:57I do not really care about it. I do not care about it. I do not care about it.
03:00I do not care about it. It is a different people like marketing or PR.
03:03I do not care about it. My job is to make a good film for everyone who will enjoy it.
03:09So, I'm going to try it.
03:39commercial hit not happening. So what does, you know, what does, you know, what does
03:42think of what happens inside? Well, first, I try to do that. I study the media
03:50report. I hear good critics. I hear them from the whole thing. If I think that something
03:57has gone wrong, I should not do that. I keep the attention. And the public who comes
04:05around, I get feedback from what they talk about the picture. So it's like a learning,
04:11concert learning. So it's like disappointment. So it's like a bhatwara. So bhatwara
04:17that we wanted to come and see. After seeing them, they reject them and don't like them.
04:23I don't have any complaints from them. But what we wanted to do, people didn't come
04:29to the theater. They didn't come to the theater. They had preconceived notion,
04:33have made their mind. I'm really disappointed by that thing. They didn't come to see the
04:40film. If they see the film, then they can take anything. They can want to say, they can
04:44say anything. We have made a very good film because it's proof that those who are watching,
04:50they are speaking sky-high. They are very tariff. That's what you mentioned about Himadji.
04:56That's why all the film, actors, stars, makers, everybody have preached the film a lot. But
05:03the box office number is not showing that. Unfortunately, it is very less. And it is steady
05:09now. I'm very hopeful that it will grow as time grows. Because word-of-mouth
05:17still works. I think word-of-mouth still works because I will say that.
05:21It's very good.
05:23Sir, because you have spent such long time in this industry and such a veteran of
05:29filmmaker, do you think that today's audience is totally unpredictable?
05:36But at least in the 90s, people could still gauge and guess that, okay, this kind of movie
05:42they will like. You know, it's an audience kind of movie. But today's audience is totally
05:48unpredictable. Nobody understands that. None of them are able to understand that.
05:53I don't try to understand that. What's in our hands? To make a decent film, a good
06:00film and a healthy film. And I don't keep vulgarity in the film. Cheap dialogues, I don't
06:10have to worry about my films in the film. I will not follow that. I will do that which
06:22I believe. A. Technologically, I will try to constantly update myself, improve myself.
06:29I will try to understand what I can and all the content are. I will try to learn what I
06:32am
06:32doing as well as I am doing. In the 90s, as well as they are in the 90s, their time
06:34is
06:34the excitement level. I will stay focused of all of the technical things, as I am doing that.
06:42I will try to watch everything I could do so that they don't be bored with the narrative
06:44there. But content-wise, I will not do any work before. After all this is, this has been
06:50worked. How many people have liked it? It is, how many people have made it.
06:52Like, for all sequels, numbers, up-� stubble numbers, the numbers of the numbers, the numbers of all
07:05So it's very heartening to see that you are saying that there are people who say
07:11that the girl is going on today and still you don't approve of it but there are many
07:14filmmakers I have heard that you are very openly saying that this is going on.
07:20I am talking about big filmmakers I have not named them and they have spoken this in the
07:24event.
07:24And since cinema is a medium that impacts society so much, do you think that you know
07:36the language that is used in the film in the past, that it should be a bit of censorship
07:41or whether it is self-censorship or whether it is the government?
07:46Self-censorship is better for example everybody has a reason.
07:51The purpose is to make money so they will do that and make money.
07:57I also want money.
07:59I also want to make money.
08:00My profession is my job.
08:01It is a rosy roti.
08:02But not at the cost of society's loss.
08:06their purpose is a matter of
08:07There are many times as an ad film I have inspired before and it is called the tabhaaqo
08:11or liquor ad.
08:12I don't agree and encourage andренal I have to do that, so I don't have to do that.
08:16Because I know society has a sin that I can benefit individually, I have to get the money,
08:22so I would not do that as an individual.
08:34hit, moderate hit, but at least my conscience should be very clear, that I will not do such
08:39work, to make money, to make someone lose, or to supply, to sell, to advocate, this is
08:46a very good thing, I will not do that.
08:50But most of them, like, probably, I don't mind if I say that, because you can say it
08:56today, because you have given such big hits, and you are a already very established filmmaker,
09:02and you have seen all in your career, so you can say it now safely, but there are
09:07people who give justification that, okay, he is a starter, and he has to establish himself,
09:11so he has to go into that zone of, you know, vulgarity, and what do you say about those
09:16things?
09:16See, I am not very well established.
09:21I am not very well established.
09:23For example, this is a fact that I have taken this subject for 15 years.
09:28I didn't get a producer.
09:30I didn't got any encouragement.
09:32I have made a Gandhi Godusek film.
09:34He did not do that.
09:36I believed in that picture, and I wanted to make that film.
09:39So, every Friday, there is a struggle.
09:42If I have done this film, it will be difficult for me to take a new picture.
09:45And I have got a family, I have got a staff.
09:48We must run everyone up.
09:50So, I am just a situation I am.
09:52I don't have very big bank balance,
09:54That you can't do anything by yourself.
09:56It is that easy.
09:57The struggle is my own.
09:59My newcomer, who are talking as well,
10:02would say to me, kings and forwards,
10:03do what your heart says.
10:05It will become your sight.
10:07Or you will go away.
10:08If you make everything, it will be effective.
10:10You will not see individuality of your eye.
10:11Like for the first picture of Gael, everyone advised me that it was the time of musical films, it was
10:19the time of love story.
10:20I had a very big hit, my heart was coming, Nadeem Sharwan was at the peak, Anand Mreen was at
10:26the peak, only musicals.
10:27So we came with an action film at that time. It was a very dicey moment.
10:31What will happen, I don't know. Then Gael went and became a trend.
10:34When the film was made, nobody was a hero in an oriented subject. No courtroom drama was made.
10:41So I felt like this film was made from me. It was a big difference.
10:45Anandaz-a-apna-a-abhi, there was no comedy at all.
10:48Full comedy, beginning from the end of the comedy.
10:52And music, vintage music, Tushar Bhatia, etc.
10:55So I think to keep yourself alive, you must do constantly new things.
11:01What you believe, I have made a legend of Bhagat Singh.
11:05I have made a legend of Bhagat Singh.
11:06So I have decided that I will make a legend of Bhagat Singh.
11:08Because I have believed in Bhagat Singh.
11:11China Academy has made a lot of veterans, 10 veterans.
11:14Don't tell anyone who has made this picture.
11:17Om Puri, Natal Nishah, Amrish Puri, Danny Dejokpa, Anjan Srivata, Kulwushan Karpandha, Anupamkir.
11:24I have made such a big action picture.
11:27So go by your guts feeling.
11:29If you feel the right feeling, go to that.
11:32And at the same time, I have not made an art film.
11:35I have made a mass film.
11:36If you want to sing, there will be a song, dance, fighting, dialogue.
11:43I have made an entertaining film.
11:45I have made a film, which is a bad thing.
11:47If you work hard on a day and earn money, then why do you do it?
11:51Why do you do it?
11:52If you want to sing, you want to sing, you want to sing, you want to sing.
11:54It's a different medium.
11:55Cinema is mainly entertainment media.
11:57So you have to get entertainment to the cinema.
12:00You have to see a very engaging film.
12:03It's an emotional family drama.
12:05You have to cry and cry.
12:07You have to cry.
12:08You have to cry.
12:08You have to cry.
12:09You have to cry.
12:09You will make a poem.
12:10You have to be in the city.
12:11For all your emotions inside.
12:12For all the entertainment movies.
12:15Sir, since you spoke about so many of your films, fast films.
12:19A film that you've talked about is really the only story of from Gandhi.
12:27That movie created a lot of debate.
12:32When you see that the song has created so much debate.
12:35Why did you attempt to choose another such debatable subject in such a short span of time?
13:05In January 30th, there was a massive hit from Gandhiji and Ghoj.
13:15It was a very interesting and engaging drama.
13:19Gandhiji and Ghoj had both point of view.
13:23Again, a very different kind of experiment in screenplay.
13:26What is happening if Gandhiji and Ghoj had been met, and they were living in three days,
13:31then what do they do?
13:33What do they do?
13:35It's a very different kind of film.
13:37As a director, it was very challenging.
13:39Same thing with Bhatwara also.
13:41Very interesting and challenging.
13:43The protagonist is Srikander Mirza, who is fighting today as a Hindu champion.
13:49He is fighting against the people in Pakistan, killed and killed him.
13:54So, Sunny is playing a Muslim, Srikander Mirza.
13:57But he is playing a greater responsibility.
13:59He is not a champion of Hindu, he is a champion of humanity.
14:02He is fighting for humanity.
14:04He is fighting for humanity.
14:05I am saying that the movie is not good for the mother's rights,
14:09and it is not good for the mother's rights,
14:10it is not good for the mother's rights.
14:11He is fighting for the humanity.
14:14I do not know that this is risky.
14:16It's interesting, it's an entertaining picture, or if it's a circus, it's a picture.
14:24There are comments also that, you know, there are filmmakers who, you know, think a lot before choosing a subject,
14:33keeping Gen Z in mind.
14:34And especially now, Peace Pachas and Palace are keeping Kharam TV Gen Z.
14:38So, when you discuss or brainstorm, are there people who suggest to you something like that?
14:46We will do a suggestion.
14:48People will grow, people will say.
14:50And I respect Gen Z.
14:51I respect Gen Z.
14:52That's the future.
14:55But I don't care about Gen Z.
14:57They want to watch one kind of film.
15:00That's why we want to watch every kind of subject.
15:02We want to watch every kind of picture.
15:03I want to watch another movie.
15:04Who should watch filters, especially relevant for the conclusions, and happy of image.
15:08I'm usually picking from them, who's delivering reflexes.
15:13So chiefs areaney of them.
15:15I처럼님이 Roy Rosa sings the main script.
15:15As the third scene precision means thezinho is interesting and entertaining.
15:20I think that jeep take action from them as an artist.
15:24If you've got an artist, you're on their own Four State Edge.
15:29Come along with that, and I will be aintdar.
15:31To that of after all, I am also responsible for this film,
15:48It is a very strange phenomenon which we have been seeing in the past few months, that
16:04at the same time, we see that one English movie comes and it disrupts all Hindi movies and
16:11the entire theater's business disrupts.
16:15And recent example is of course Spider-Man, Odyssey, etc.
16:18And it keeps happening, it has been happening since past few years.
16:21So, there seems to be contradiction in this.
16:25One way, we say that we want to watch movies and the other way the audience is watching this film.
16:34The audience is right, the audience is right.
16:37The audience wants to watch it.
16:40It's an English film, it's a bad film.
16:42It's interesting, it's a good film, it's a franchise.
16:44It's a franchise.
16:45Now, Spider-Man is running, it's an Odyssey, it's a picture.
16:49I've seen a very good film.
16:51Important is that theater is coming, it's a very good film.
16:54This is a very good thing for the industry.
16:56People are willing to spend money.
16:58And the price of the ticket, it's a high price.
17:02It's a very good thing.
17:03It's a good sign.
17:05I've seen a lot of them.
17:05So, I can tell you that it is a good film.
17:06This one is a great film, you will want to watch them.
17:08And you will also listen to these films.
17:09And you will also watch them when they watch them.
17:10And they are watching these films, they will watch them.
17:13And they will watch them very bad films.
17:15And you will watch them equally.
17:17They will watch them very funny.
17:17So, you have a very interesting topic.
17:18Sorry about that.
17:19You have done a film on a film.
17:19When you have made a film called Damini.
17:20The film is not a film of Damini.
17:22No.
17:24Now, Damini is a template for everybody.
17:26The film is like a film.
17:27The film is like a film called Damini.
17:29But it's just one genre of film.
17:32Yes, we also mentioned that in the past, in the past, in the past, in the past, in the parliament.
17:38So, it's a good thing, I feel good about it.
17:42What we had started, I remember it.
17:47My advice was that today's generation, young people who were not yet,
17:53they were talking about dialogue.
17:55Mark, Teja, Crime Master, Go-Go,
17:59all these characters are popular, it gives immense satisfaction,
18:03we have done a good job,
18:06and where do we remember?
18:08Ghyl, Ghatak, Daamir,
18:09all these people remember,
18:10they remember the dialogue.
18:13Ghyl, Ghatak,
18:14we can use this,
18:16we can use it,
18:17we can use it,
18:18we can use it,
18:20we can use it,
18:22we can use it,
18:23we can use it,
18:23we can use it,
18:25we can use it,
18:27we have inspired,
18:28and work on it.
18:30We are very glad.
18:31I really congratulate Durandr's success,
18:33the work I am going to do.
18:36He is a good filmmaker.
18:38I want him to succeed in a very big way,
18:40and the future is.
18:41Were you aware that when you saw your film?
18:44Yes, people immediately told me that the dialogue was used in the picture.
18:50Good, but correctly used it and misuse it.
18:56You are one of the filmmakers because you said that you chose a subject when nobody wanted to touch it.
19:05So, your filmography is like a bokeh. You have made a comedy. You have laughed and laughed.
19:13And on the other hand, you have made an experimental film.
19:20And then again Batwara. And then at the same time you have made an actual film.
19:25So, how do you navigate through all this? Different genre kind of film.
19:31You have made a film like that. You have made a film like that.
19:37I feel good. I feel like as a writer, as a director, I am alive.
19:42I like the same thing, but I feel tired. Why should I do that?
19:46I enjoy all kinds of genre. Action films, which I like to watch.
19:51That's why I have made an adventure film.
19:53I am planning a science fiction film. I will make a picture of a mythology.
19:58So, I like it.
19:59And naturally, the thing that is natural, the river is natural, it will not be wrong.
20:06And I don't condition it. If I am forced to do it, it will be wrong.
20:10This comes very naturally to me.
20:13Whatever subject I take, I will make a film like that.
20:15I will make a film like that in the genre.
20:19So, after so many years, you collaborated with your old favorites like Sunny Deol, Amir Khan.
20:25Tell us about your next with Salman Khan.
20:27This is the plan.
20:29This is the plan.
20:30It will be very soon.
20:31There will be an announcement.
20:32There will be an announcement with Salman and Akshay Kumar.
20:35They will make a film with Ajay Dhogghan.
20:37They will make a film with Ajay Dhogghan.
20:38They are all very good.
20:39They are all very good.
20:47you know, human beings.
20:47It's no matter how many people, they have to be here.
20:56You know, the name of the director, but they are all very good.
20:59But, there is a one where.
20:59There is one where you have to be here.
21:02I am not saying the favorite.
21:03But you can call it a comfort zone.
21:06You can call it a comfort zone.
21:09I have no problem with anyone.
21:11Even Amit Ji, Amit Ji made two pictures.
21:13I got to learn from that.
21:15He was a fantastic actor.
21:17He was a great actor.
21:18In my life, there was a regret.
21:23I could have done a film with Dharam Ji.
21:26I said, Dharam Ji is an all-time best actor,
21:30a best human being.
21:32He is such a good actor.
21:34He doesn't know anything,
21:36he doesn't say anything.
21:37He doesn't know anything.
21:37He doesn't know anything.
21:40But the role of the role,
21:42the role of the character,
21:44every character,
21:45every character,
21:47like a film,
21:48or a film,
21:50the director,
21:50there was no response to it.
21:55I got to say that Dharam Ji,
21:58I got to get close to it.
22:01Why did I get a picture?
22:03Why did I get a picture of Dharam Ji?
22:05Dharam Ji said,
22:07all of them say,
22:07say,
22:08say,
22:09say,
22:09say,
22:09say,
22:10say,
22:10say,
22:10say,
22:11say,
22:36say,
22:36say,
22:37say,
22:38say,
22:38say,
22:45say,
22:46say,
22:48say,
22:50say,
22:53say,
22:57say,
22:59say,
23:00say,
23:00But whoever the fans are, they will get this huge gift, they will get their own gifts.
23:07They will get their own gifts, they will get their own gifts.
23:11Tell us more about the cast, sir.
23:13Who is it?
23:13Cast, cast.
23:15Cast will be too early to talk about it.
23:18Thank you so much for talking to Alice.
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