15 May,2011 07:25 AM IST | | Jigar Shah
Mukul Deora wears many hats. Son of politician Murli Deora, the DJ-musician's latest avatar is that of producer. And he's ready to produce a film based on Man Booker-winning novel The White Tiger with Hollywood producers of The Revolutionary Road
How did you meet Patrick Smith and John Hart (producers of Revolutionary Road)?
John Hart is very big. He's made films like Boys Don't Cry. I heard that he was trying to make a film on Adiga's The White Tiger and was looking for an Indian partner who could provide strong ground support.
I went to New York and met him through a friend. We gelled, and decided to do the film together.
Deora believes Adiga's book can garner universal cinematic
appeal
What attracted you to the book?
Both of us loved it, and John thought it would make a good cinematic story. The book is a propulsive and witty (even serious films need to have humour) story of modern India. I believe it will have great universal appeal.
It doesn't show India in a particularly positive light. Do you think it will raise a controversy similar to Slumdog Millionaire?
India in a negative light? I don't buy that. When Gandhi was released, people thought it was exporting the idea of poverty. Today, it is considered an Indian film. Slumdog is a great film; I didn't have a problem with it. At the end of the day, it is a filmu00a0-- don't Indian directors suddenly show couples dancing in Switzerland! The kind of stuff that author Arvind Adiga talks aboutu00a0-- bureaucracy, corruption, caste systemu00a0-- is all prevalent; so do we need to hide it? I believe cinema should at least be able to talk about society. Our press is exposing bureaucrats and politiciansu00a0-- should we not talk about that too? I'm sure someone will make a movie on the scams that have come up in the recent past. Raajneeti shows the ugly side of India, where each character is killing another. It is worse than The White Tiger but no one cried about that. People believe a foreigner shouldn't say anything negative about India.
Bheja Fry 2, also produced by Deora
At the end of the book, the main character, Balram, kills his boss and turns into an entrepreneur. Comment.
It is a very strong scene. A lot of people do what they want but murdering someone is never an option. The boss could have had a family. For me, the killing is indicative of the deep divide between the haves and have-nots, and that's what drives people to do these things.
Will Adiga work on the script?
No. He has sold the rights to us. I guess that is how things work in US.
Have any technicians been finalised?
Not yet. We are looking for an international director to come on board.
Why are you producing Bheja Fry 2?
After Bheja Fry, Sagar (Ballary, director) had a three-film contract with Sahara but they had not spoken a thing about Bheja Fry 2. Sagar and I thought it would be good to follow up the film with a sequel, so I bought the rights to the film.
Did your bheja get fried while making the film?
Everyone's bheja got fried! It will only stop when the film releases (laughs).
