Join the celebration as Satya hero JD Chakravarthy marks his 54th birthday, Lehren Retro presents a candid chat video where he reminisces about moments with Ram Gopal Varma, Shah Rukh Khan, and more. Dive into this special flashback chat.
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00:00 I can tell you Amitabh Bachchan can never be a flop. His films can flop.
00:03 If 15 guys come to hate my hero, my hero will run away.
00:07 I hate tragedy films.
00:09 Acting is a big ocean. I'm part of it. I'll not say that.
00:13 Tell us about your latest film, Guddulka.
00:16 What do you want me to tell you about it?
00:19 Brief storyline. How concept developed?
00:21 Well, this has been in my thought process right from the time I got more greedy.
00:28 Wanted to make more money.
00:30 Wanted to become myself creative on the creative side.
00:33 Well, as we were...
00:35 Before telling you this, I should brief you about myself.
00:39 Which may sound boring, people who have seen me earlier briefing about myself.
00:42 But please bear it with me.
00:43 I've been associated myself with Mr. Ram Gopal Verma's direction department.
00:47 Incidentally, it happens to be his first film as well as my first film.
00:51 In fact, he was directing it and I was assisting him.
00:53 That was also my first film as an actor.
00:57 So, after that I continued with Mr. Ram Gopal Verma as an assistant in his direction department.
01:02 I worked with him from Satya to Satya.
01:05 From Shiva to Satya, I worked in the direction department.
01:08 Of course, he has also produced 11 films with me as an actor.
01:12 So, then see as I was...
01:16 As every assistant director, nothing different with me.
01:22 Even I wanted to become a director.
01:25 As an actor, I wanted to become a hero which I have become.
01:28 So, I've achieved that actor stuff which I've achieved.
01:30 Now, as an assistant director, my goal of becoming a director was due which I wanted to take off.
01:36 In fact, I should be really thankful to Mr. Ram Gopal Verma who had that trust in me.
01:42 He wanted to launch me as a director.
01:44 But I was a little hesitant, little scared.
01:53 It's not because he would interfere or he would direct.
01:55 He wouldn't do that.
01:57 I was scared that if the film turns out to be good, then the credit will be given to him.
02:03 If the film is bad, they would say Chakri directed it.
02:05 Ramuji didn't have the time.
02:07 And if the film is good or bad, I wanted to take the credit.
02:16 As I told you, I was also involved in the technical side with Ram Gopal Verma.
02:23 As I said, I used to assist him.
02:25 I was also working on the editing side and the post-production sound department in Satya.
02:31 Somewhere I don't remember, like when is the 14th November, I don't remember the dates or time where I had the thought.
02:40 Sometime in that time, that thought came that when I started developing on it and after two months I just left it like that.
02:48 Up till two months, the thought I just scribbled it and left it.
02:53 I do that most of the time. Whenever I get a thought, I just scribble it.
02:57 And if I see it after one or two weeks or three weeks or one month, if it still excites me, then I would go ahead with it.
03:04 This particular thought excited me after two months also.
03:07 So I thought, yes, I don't really remember how and when I developed it, but I got it developed.
03:15 I got that thing developed, getting developing and developed inside me.
03:19 So that's Durga.
03:21 What inspired that thought?
03:23 See, basically, Durga is also a realistic film. It's a realistic approach like Satya.
03:31 It's in the genre of realism, realistic films.
03:36 Well, I'll call it the commercial sector of films.
03:42 But somewhere, there's an incident which really moved me to make a movie because I thought I'll make more money as I was telling you.
03:52 So this is a real incident which happened in those days when I was here shooting Satya.
03:59 I went to a theater to watch a movie. There I've seen this thing happening.
04:03 This particular incident.
04:05 I got a little scared.
04:08 I said, this is happening and nobody is saying anything, nobody is talking.
04:13 And everything was...
04:14 After two minutes or five minutes, everything was normal.
04:18 Even the person who went through that was also normal as if nothing happened.
04:22 It really is...
04:24 See, this thing can... and none of us were also talking about it and everyone were acting as if nothing happened.
04:32 This really... what thing worked is...
04:36 Something like this happened and the person who went through it himself doesn't want to talk about it or want to feel that it happened to him.
04:44 So this keeps happening, not only in Bombay, it happens everywhere in India or in the world.
04:51 It's a very common factor which really... I liked it.
04:54 So this is not the hero which is going through that.
04:57 My story is...
04:59 Most of my friends, in the initial stages when I was discussing this and especially my mother was quite shocked.
05:07 I said, why?
05:08 Are you really producing this film? I said, why? It doesn't look like commercial.
05:11 It's too commercial but as a mother she would have felt that...
05:15 You should make the total film on you only.
05:18 But you are the hero, no doubt.
05:20 But in totality the film is nice.
05:23 But the hero should have more footage.
05:26 That's when I said, now I'm sure and keen that I'll only go ahead with the film because the film has to work on totality.
05:30 If you have a good hero or a good heroine or a good music, the film doesn't work.
05:35 The film always works on totality.
05:37 Every character should work.
05:40 So based on that, then I started developing 'As I Told You' and it shaped up well according to me.
05:46 I'm happy with whatever I shot.
05:50 Tomorrow you suddenly say, come let's make the whole film again, I'll give you more money.
05:55 I'll still do the same what I've done.
05:58 So the budget or the atmosphere or the culture what I shot is the same I would go through.
06:05 Probably I don't think I would even give that best.
06:09 I can even spoil it.
06:12 So that's what has moved me making this film.
06:16 Give a brief storyline about the film.
06:20 See, as I told, there are no more new stories.
06:25 And there are more new makers.
06:29 So, first of all my story is this much.
06:36 And how would I narrate it to you on the...
06:38 No, it's not that I don't have a story in the film.
06:42 As we discussed, I have a very strong storyline which has got been supported very strongly by screenplay.
06:50 If I ask you, what is the story of Sholay?
06:54 It's very difficult to tell here.
06:56 Like two thieves, they come and try to save it.
06:59 And one decoy is trying to scare them.
07:03 It sounds stupid, like you've seen 100 films before that we think.
07:07 But I think it's a masterpiece of Indian cinema.
07:12 Films of Indian cinema.
07:13 So it is how you present the film.
07:15 The story has been, how it has been told.
07:18 All the beautiful best stories have already been directed by the best of the directors we had.
07:24 Let it be Mr. Gurudutt, Mr. Raj Kapoor.
07:27 All these guys have already done.
07:29 So now here I don't think I have anything, a different story I can tell you.
07:33 But I have made the film.
07:34 I didn't try to be different.
07:36 I have given a different approach to the film.
07:40 So this is a excuse of not telling you the story.
07:43 I hope you understood it.
07:44 You better see the film and know that.
07:46 Shah Rukh said after seeing the film,
07:47 "Chakri, if you want Sathya to be a flop, what we should do?"
07:50 I said, "What we should do?"
07:51 "You should make Shah Rukh Khan act in the film."
07:53 I said, "Why Shah Rukh?"
07:54 "Bloody, he is standing in one corner."
07:56 He said, "If you want to hit him, then say."
07:59 I can't do that.
08:00 I will say, "If you want to hit him, then say."
08:02 And then he will make a flop.
08:04 That's what he said.
08:05 It was a nice way he gave me a compliment.
08:07 I thank him for that.
08:08 What is the promotional element in this film?
08:10 Considering it is a realistic film.
08:12 See, this is one question which I really don't have an answer for.
08:18 A very simple reason is,
08:19 any film which runs is commercial for me.
08:22 Any film which doesn't run is not commercial for me.
08:25 Now what do you call a commercial film?
08:28 Sholay is a commercial film.
08:29 Adda Sathya is a commercial film.
08:31 Full Sathya, that is my Sathya, is also a commercial film.
08:35 Now all these films are highly successful.
08:38 They are all commercial for me.
08:39 I don't know what is not commercial.
08:41 For me, Lagaan is commercial.
08:44 Gader is commercial.
08:45 All Govinda's films are commercials.
08:49 So, commercial films.
08:51 So, any film which runs is a commercial film.
08:53 Any film which doesn't run is a non-commercial film
08:55 from a producer's point of view.
08:57 See, this commercial word is only for producer.
09:03 Otherwise, how is it related to anyone else?
09:06 Because it is his money which is going into the business
09:08 and how much money is getting back is what is called a commercial thing.
09:12 And as a producer, when you film,
09:14 you get back your money, that means commercially you're good.
09:18 So, coming back to your question of being commercial,
09:21 I have definitely,
09:23 see, basically I don't believe in slow films.
09:26 Ki aap aake baithe aur...
09:31 Chala na...
09:32 No, I can't, I have...
09:33 I don't have so much of energy.
09:35 That is also a realistic approach.
09:37 But that is too much into realism.
09:39 But my approach of filmmaking is realism.
09:42 See, as I tell you,
09:44 if 15 guys come to hit my hero, my hero will run away.
09:48 If there are 5-6 guys, my hero can bash them up.
09:54 4-5 guys, where is the limit here?
09:57 So, this is realistic what I am talking about.
10:00 Okay?
10:01 And my hero is too strong.
10:03 He is definitely intelligent.
10:05 And definitely short-tempered.
10:07 And that's my hero.
10:10 So,
10:12 and I hate tragedy films.
10:14 I don't like...
10:17 I like films which have got lots of entertainment.
10:20 And it can also be put in a realistic way.
10:23 Now, Angur was definitely a very well-made film.
10:26 Don't you agree?
10:27 It's a fantastic commercial film.
10:28 Jani Vidya Viyar was also a very good film.
10:30 But I am not tying my films into that genre.
10:33 My films are in the genre of Sathya, Shiva,
10:36 you know, in this kind of genre of films.
10:40 So, I think I made a commercial film.
10:42 Is there a lot of music in your film?
10:44 See,
10:49 music is the most important part of the film.
10:53 I don't think it can be divided.
10:57 Like, I can't...
10:58 I don't know.
10:59 Maybe in the future, I don't know.
11:00 I just think about
11:01 the present tense.
11:04 I can't believe in dividing the music.
11:06 One is doing the background
11:07 and one is doing the
11:08 you know, the songs for you.
11:11 I don't know. At least now,
11:12 because since this is being my first film,
11:13 and I have all the liberty and freedom to talk,
11:16 it can be nonsense also what I am saying.
11:18 But this is at least now what I believe is.
11:21 It can't be like that.
11:23 Someone will do the background
11:24 and someone will do the music.
11:25 At least not for me.
11:26 So, I needed a guy who can handle background
11:28 as well as the songs.
11:30 So, then...
11:33 And I wanted to be comfortable.
11:34 I thought then I'll take...
11:37 There is a guy called Vidya Sagar.
11:39 He has got three national awards
11:40 and four filmfare awards.
11:42 Something, something, something.
11:43 But that is not the reason why I took him.
11:46 He is definitely...
11:47 definitely knows his job.
11:50 Okay?
11:52 Because sound plays a vital part in my film.
11:56 And music being one...
11:57 one of the contents for the sound,
11:59 definitely plays a vital part.
12:01 So, the background score is...
12:03 See, someone asked me before,
12:05 like as my film was in the final stages,
12:07 they said,
12:08 "Let's do one thing.
12:09 You tell us your rushes.
12:10 We'll do something."
12:11 "No, no. You won't do anything.
12:13 Without my music and my sound,
12:14 you won't be able to do anything."
12:16 Because you will not have a judgment, man.
12:18 You will definitely not have a judgment, right?
12:20 If it is just by looking at a person,
12:23 if you want to take him in films,
12:25 then why you ask for a portfolio?
12:26 It's as simple as that.
12:28 Because you want to see it in different, different ways.
12:29 That sound is also got different, different meanings
12:31 and different, different shades.
12:32 That music happens to be one among them.
12:34 So, that is the reason I took this guy called Vidyasagar.
12:37 He is very good.
12:38 Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken him.
12:40 And he has done what exactly I had in my mind.
12:44 And he has really done a good job.
12:46 Being your debut as a director,
12:49 what difficulties have you gone through
12:50 during the making of this film?
12:53 Why is that one has to go through difficulties?
12:55 Is it, is it, it sounds little,
12:59 you know, it gives more sympathy when I say
13:01 I went through a lot of difficulties.
13:03 No, why should I go through difficulties?
13:05 I enjoyed making my part.
13:07 I didn't, I didn't, probably,
13:08 you should ask my actors.
13:09 They would say he has put us into difficulties.
13:12 Probably, I, you know, I have made them,
13:14 I don't know, but I, I know, I don't want,
13:16 I, I, I hate self-sympathizing.
13:19 So, I never went through any kind of difficulties.
13:22 Why should I go?
13:23 Were you well planned or totally?
13:26 I don't plan anything.
13:27 What well plan?
13:28 Like, see, direction,
13:29 there can be a storyboard,
13:32 see, I believe in bounded scripts
13:35 and a storyboard.
13:37 If you reach the location and
13:41 you think it will be a sunny day,
13:44 if you have a bloody,
13:46 or any time it can drizzle,
13:48 then you say, no, no, no, no,
13:49 I have a storyboard.
13:50 Long shot, low shot, mid shot,
13:51 low shot, nahi chalega yaar.
13:53 So, it's well planned,
13:56 I was well planned
14:00 to tackle,
14:02 given in that kind of bad situations also,
14:05 I was well planned for that more than anything.
14:07 And of course, I made the film
14:09 how much extent I can make.
14:10 See, everyone wants to make their film good films.
14:13 Nobody wants to spoil their films.
14:15 Everybody starts intention with making that,
14:17 making best of the films
14:18 and I happen to be one among them.
14:20 Have you achieved creative satisfaction as an actor?
14:24 See, acting is a big ocean,
14:28 I am part of it,
14:30 I will not say that.
14:31 If it is a big ocean,
14:32 who asked you to come?
14:33 You should at least be a bucket of water,
14:35 otherwise what are you doing here is my theory, okay?
14:38 See, my aim, ambition and goal as an actor,
14:42 they have been fulfilled.
14:43 It may sound,
14:44 see, I will tell you something,
14:46 it has been heard umpteen number of times that
14:48 "No, Ravi, what have I got in life?"
14:52 "I have not met such a character yet."
14:54 No, no, I don't know about others.
14:56 About myself, my aim, ambition, goal
14:59 have been fulfilled with a film called 'Shiva',
15:01 that was the first film as an actor.
15:03 So, that was the best film I could have ever done.
15:05 Whenever I see that,
15:07 I will never sit and think,
15:08 if given a chance now,
15:09 I can do a better job,
15:10 no, I will screw it up now.
15:11 I will really, really,
15:12 I will really make a,
15:13 you know, because then,
15:14 I didn't know really anything much about,
15:15 it's not that I know anything now.
15:16 So, I didn't really know anything about it.
15:19 I was a raw,
15:20 a raw candidate, you know,
15:21 a candidate where I really enjoyed it.
15:23 So, my ambition, aim and goal has been fulfilled.
15:25 The creative side of me as an actor has been fulfilled.
15:27 After that, it's my greed and it is the bonus which has pulled me.
15:31 It is a greed to
15:32 earn name, more name as an actor,
15:36 which is what has pulled me to this.
15:38 So, the creative side of me has really been fulfilled
15:42 with the first film 'Shiva'.
15:44 The masses think you are more of an action hero.
15:47 So, are you going to keep this image
15:49 or you plan to?
15:50 See, when you yourself are telling me
15:54 they like me that way,
15:55 so why you want me to change it?
15:56 First question,
15:58 when people like you with something,
16:00 people like you for what you are,
16:02 I don't think you should change from what
16:04 that image is.
16:06 What happens here is,
16:08 see, actors, even me, probably,
16:11 actors, we do the same mistake.
16:14 See, because what happens is,
16:15 for us, we have done this role of Satya,
16:18 I have done the role of Satya,
16:19 now I will be Govind,
16:21 I will do some
16:23 you know, fun, fun.
16:25 No, what happens is,
16:26 when people like you in a particular character,
16:29 you can even see you in 100 films.
16:33 Amitabh Bachchan, I think,
16:35 is one of the brilliant actors Indian screen has ever seen.
16:38 But tell me, whenever he has given brilliant performances,
16:42 the films didn't work.
16:43 They have liked him, not,
16:45 you know,
16:47 I think, Mayazad, who was a brilliant performance,
16:49 but it won't work.
16:50 Because Amitabh Bachchan,
16:51 I personally like,
16:52 Amar Akbar Anthony,
16:53 I loved that film,
16:55 Mr. Natwar Lal,
16:56 even though it is a flopper,
16:57 I liked his characterization,
16:58 his character.
16:59 So, I can tell you, Amitabh Bachchan can never be a flop,
17:01 his films can flop.
17:02 But his films also will flop
17:04 when they don't have that kind of
17:06 elements what people have fixed.
17:10 See, this is entirely my theory.
17:12 I am not trying to rub it on to you.
17:15 So, I think,
17:17 I would do what exactly people would love to see me in.
17:19 Otherwise, I will buy a camera like this,
17:22 keep it in my home and do different things,
17:23 watch it,
17:24 feel happy,
17:25 come and do what they like it.
17:26 Where from now,
17:29 you want to direct more ventures
17:30 or also act subsequently on the side
17:32 or concentrate on one major department?
17:34 See, frankly speaking,
17:35 I do want to act,
17:39 also direct.
17:40 In fact,
17:41 I am seriously planning to direct films
17:44 with someone.
17:45 I really don't want to take names.
17:46 I am not acting in that.
17:47 I am directing.
17:48 So, let things happen here.
17:50 I don't want to talk
17:51 before anything happening
17:52 because it sounds like a loud mouth
17:54 where I am doing this and I am doing that.
17:55 When I am doing it,
17:56 obviously,
17:57 you will know it
17:59 rather than before me telling you,
18:00 "No, no, I am doing that.
18:01 Why should I?"
18:02 So,
18:04 I believe in that.
18:05 Of course, as an actor,
18:07 I have signed a very good film right away
18:09 and
18:11 that gentleman told me
18:12 not to reveal it right now.
18:13 And I also believe that
18:14 he should announce it
18:15 more than I do it
18:16 if I am still there in the film.
18:17 I meant you want to concentrate more.
18:20 Yeah,
18:21 no, see,
18:22 I am concentrating more as a director now,
18:23 actually.
18:24 More as a director
18:26 and
18:28 actor also,
18:30 but more as a director.
18:31 More as a director.
18:33 That's what I am looking forward to.
18:34 Okay, thanks.
18:36 No problem,
18:37 no problem.
18:38 No problem.
18:40 [Music]