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25 years of Fiza| Writer-director, Khalid Mohamed says, ‘Was pushed into directing it after plans with RGV fell through’
The film Fiza, released in 2000, celebrates its 25th anniversary today, we look back at its journey
Fiza, released in 2000, celebrates its 25th anniversary today. On this milestone, the film’s writer-director, Khalid Mohamed, shares, “These 25 years seem like yesterday. Looking back, there’s a sense of self-fulfilment and pride.” He calls actors Karisma Kapoor a “dream to work with” and Hrithik Roshan the “most immersive” actor.
Khalid says he wasn’t meant to helm the film originally but was “pushed into directing” after filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, the first choice, didn’t work out. It was cinematographer who Santosh Sivan stepped in with a suggestion: “Why don’t you direct it yourself?” Later, Karisma also joined Santosh in encouraging Khalid.
Though Khalid had written screenplays for films like Mammo (1994), Sardari Begum (1996), and Zubeidaa (2001), directing had its own challenges: “Of course, there were some tough days, like when we didn’t have enough resources to show a large room.”
Khalid also states that funding was a major concern until a new producer joined in. Miraculously, Hrithik Roshan became an overnight superstar with the release of his debut film, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. “The film had been started with loans derived from friends by co-producer Pradeep Guha and myself,” Khalid says. Then, finances increased dramatically. The team could then afford to travel to Udaipur for a month to complete several key location shoots. That's why Sushmita Sen's song "Mast Mahaul" was filmed in Rajasthan instead of a studio in Bombay.
Sharing how the music became a huge asset to the film, Khalid says, “As someone weaned on mainstream cinema, music is absolutely important. I lucked out.” Anu Malick “was in his element,” and AR Rahman composed "Piya Haji Ali" for free. Gulzar's lyrics for "Aaja Mahiya" also “worked wonders for the song also the title track was remarkable,” concludes, the writer-director who wants to stay away from film-making as of now.
