Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar brought in the NRI phase in Bollywood, says Sooraj Barjatya: 'I clearly remember...'
Sooraj Barjatya said there was a phase of NRI films in Bollywood. He said filmmakers like Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar had ushered in that phase.
Sooraj Barjatya spoke about filmmakers Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra in a new interview. The director, who is gearing up for the release of Uunchai, his upcoming film starring Amitabh Bachchan, said there was once a phase of NRI films in Bollywood. He said it was ushered in by Karan and Aditya. Also read: Sooraj Barjatya reveals he took ‘anxiety medicines' before narrating Uunchai script to Amitabh Bachchan
When asked if Indian cinema was coming back to its roots, the filmmaker said the industry goes through ‘phases’. He spoke about his films and said that when Salman Khan-starrer Maine Pyaar Kiya (1989) released there was ‘a phase of love stories’ in Bollywood. With Madhuri Dixit’s Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994), the phase of ‘family’ films came in, the director added.
“I clearly remember when I made Maine Pyaar Kiya there was a phase of love stories. With Hum Aapke Hain Koun the whole family culture came in. Then Adi and Karan (filmmakers Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar) brought in the NRI phase. What I think is that the audiences are also traveling everywhere. People are able to afford travel. I feel maybe the people also want to show their children their roots. So, now films have also come back to Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra etc.,” Sooraj told ETimes.
Aditya Chopra-directorial Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) and Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna are few of the notable films based on NRI families that released in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Many of their films, based on and catering to NRI audiences, became big box office hits.
In the same interview, Sooraj also spoke about the films from the south that were ‘rooted in Indian culture’, and said, “It’s a phase, but I think people want to see Indian stories. Indians will be Indians at the end of the day. And I am very happy that Indian stories are being told.”
The upcoming film Uunchai is Sooraj's first film in seven years. Billed as a drama, the film is about four friends – Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Danny Denzongpa. Parineeti Chopra, Neena Gupta and Sarika also feature in Uunchai. The film is set to be released on November 11.
