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Anurag Basu is on a high
After the success of Life in a metro, filmmaker Anurag Basu has signed a three-film deal with UTV. Diganta Guha speaks to the director.
Post
Life... In A Metro
, filmmaker Anurag Basu is on a high. And it is more exciting than the phase he went through after the success of his second film,
Murder
.
“It feels different because
Metro
was my script, which
Murder
was not (It was derived from a Hollywood film),” says Basu sitting at the lobby of a city hotel on Saturday afternoon.
So, is there any possibility of a sequel to
Metro
?
“Of course, but only if it is better than the previous one. And it will have a story based in Kolkata,” Basu informs, adding that he never anticipated the film would do so well even in smaller cities.
Talk of
Murder
and we are reminded of its producer Mahesh Bhatt. Basu reportedly had a tiff with Bhatt over
Suicide Bomber
, which will launch Bhatt’s son, Rahul.
Basu clarifies, “That was not a pleasant incident. It was difficult to write the story from data on the Internet, so I suggested to Bhatt
saab
that somebody else write it. Someone from UK is writing it. I am waiting for the script to come my way.”
Metro
was narrated to Bhatt first but “they make one kind of film and I want to try out different subjects.” The film was then produced by UTV. That is also why Basu is undecided on what he wants to make after
Metro
. “By September I will probably be ready with my next,” he adds.
He has a three-film deal with UTV Motion Pictures and Basu knows he is sought-after these days. “It’s very difficult to create your own brand because there’s so much of entertainment around and with every film the crowd’s expectations keep rising. You have to live up to that,” he says.
Was
Metro
his dream project? “My dream project is always my next film and as far as
Metro
is concerned, I was not writing it for donkey’s years.”
He is also enjoying his stint back on TV with the serial
Love Story
. Basu plans to visit his in-laws place at Shantiniketan, if he gets time (he is here with his wife and two children).
“I have worked a lot. Now, I need a break.”
