'There is no story to tell in Ankahee'

Vikram Bhatt says the film isn't based on his life. Diganta Guha tells more.

His lead actor Aftab Shivdasani feels he has never seen a more passionate Vikram Bhatt before. The director of Ankahee doesn’t deny this. He was, after all, "telling a story so close to my heart" - the film reflects the turmoil Vikram faced as a result of his relationship with Sushmita Sen and his subsequent spat with his ex-wife.

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You can make out that Ankahee is very special to Vikram. "It’s a very honest film. When things come from the bottom of your heart, they cannot be faked. This is where I would say it is a very real film," says the director of films such as

Vikram has "no regrets" about what happened during his time of turmoil. "Regret is a way of living in the past. What has happened has happened," he says.

"There are always two options in whatever you do. Either you do it or don’t. At times, you just have to do it. Even if you realise later that it was wrong, you have done it. So, what’s the point in regretting?" asks Vikram. But he does admit that he has learnt from the episode.

Vikram Bhatt in a conversation with Aftab Shivdasani. The actor has worked with Bhatt in four films; Kasoor, Raaz, Aawara Paagal Deewana and Ankahee.

Like his own life,

Ankahee

has its share of ups and downs. The film was earlier titled

Aakhir

and had Sanjay Suri, Rituparna Sengupta and Nandana Sen (later Divya Dutt) in the cast. "Aftab was my first choice, but then there was a change of producers and Sanjay came into the picture," he says.

There was one more change with Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd entering the picture. "They wanted more viable stars and I had to make a film, and hence…," adds the nephew of Mahesh Bhatt.

But, Vikram says, "I have a lot of regard for Rituparna and I would definitely want to work with her."

Vikram also talks about the rapport he shares with Aftab, (who apparently plays Vikram's role in the film) having earlier worked with him in films such as Kasoor, Awara Pagal Deewana and Footpath. "Earlier, he was full of fun. He was a typical teenager. He has definitely evolved as an actor and I am sure Ankahee will make people sit up and take note of him,” says Vikram who is also doing Speed and Red with the actor.

The same holds true for Esha, who is playing a character apparently based on Sushmita Sen. Critics are already going ga-ga over her performance, though the film hasn’t hit the theatres. “It wouldn’t be right to say I made her do things she was not capable of. Obviously, she had some qualities in her. But I believed in her,” Vikram says.

What about Ameesha Patel? “When I think of Nandita, I cannot think of anybody else. She is absolutely indispensable to the film,” says Vikram about his real-life girl friend.

Is the talented filmmaker making any statement through the film? “Yes, there is a statement.

Stepping beyond the parameters of your marriage is recipe for doom and in this situation everybody suffers,” he says. Vikram clarifies that Ankahee is not his story in totality. “I had this burning desire to make a film on what I went through. But there was no story to tell. Ankahee is a vehicle (to express my emotions),” he says.