Meghna Gulzar has worked closely with her father, celebrated lyricist and filmmaker Gulzar, throughout her journey as a director. From her debut Filhaal to films such as Talvar, Raazi, Chhapaak and Sam Bahadur, Gulzar has been associated with her projects as a lyricist. He also wrote the song Sach Ka Daayra for Meghna’s latest film, Daayra.
However, there is one member of her family whom Meghna has deliberately kept away from her directorial sets: her mother, veteran actor Rakhee Gulzar.
In an exclusive conversation with News18, Meghna opened up about why she has never directed Rakhee, despite having once imagined doing so. Her explanation was laced with humour, as she suggested that their strong personalities could make a professional collaboration rather eventful.
Meghna Gulzar Jokes About Directing Rakhee
Asked what might happen if Rakhee eventually returned to films in a movie directed by her, Meghna laughed and said, “I think one of us will pack up the shoot for the day and leave (laughs). That will happen for sure. She definitely has a very strong personality and that’s where genetics comes in.”
The filmmaker was referring to the strong-willed personality she believes she shares with her mother. For Meghna, however, the issue goes beyond temperament. She feels that bringing their mother-daughter relationship into a director-actor setup could create complications.
“If we translate the relationship that we’ve as a mother and a daughter into an actor and a director, she’s going to have to listen to me, by virtue of my designation. And she may not want to all the time. Being my mother can come in the way,” she explained.
Meghna revealed that directing Rakhee was something she used to fantasise about when she was younger. With time, however, she began looking at the idea more practically.
“When I was younger, I used to fantasise about directing her. Then I got older and became practical (laughs),” she said.
Rakhee’s On-Screen Scolding Reminds Meghna of Her Childhood
Meghna also pointed out an amusing similarity between Rakhee’s performances and her real-life interactions with her daughter.
According to the filmmaker, Rakhee’s scenes involving her onscreen sons often remind her of the way her mother used to scold her at home.
“I’ve noticed this in her performances… When she’s scolding her sons, which is something that she was doing in all the movies, it’s exactly how she scolds me. So, there’s no performance there,” Meghna said.
She went on to cite films such as Ram Lakhan and Karan Arjun, saying Rakhee’s tone and pauses in those scenes were remarkably similar to the way she spoke to Meghna.
“You know that when she’s scolding them, whether it’s Ram Lakhan or Karan Arjun, she has scolded me in exactly the same way. The tone is the same, the pauses are the same, everything is the same. So, yes, if I’ve to direct her, it would be interesting!” she added.
Rakhee’s last Hindi film appearance was in Dil Ka Rishta in 2003. She subsequently stepped away from mainstream Bollywood and has maintained that she does not intend to return to films.
Meghna Gulzar Is Known as a ‘Taskmaster’
Meghna’s comments about her directorial style also come in the wake of Daayra promotions, during which her lead actors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran spoke about working with her.
Kareena described Meghna as a “taskmaster” and revealed that she would reach the set around 30 minutes early to avoid upsetting the director.
Prithviraj, meanwhile, recalled having several creative disagreements with Meghna during the making of Daayra. He joked that Meghna ultimately “won every single argument.”
The filmmaker appears to take the description in good humour. She also revealed that she intends to borrow one particular habit from her father Gulzar: rewarding actors with toffees after a good shot.
Meghna Wants to Adopt Gulzar’s Toffee Tradition
“I’m definitely going to do that! I saw how happy they (Kareena and Prithviraj) were and how much they loved the idea! I made a note of it,” Meghna said.
Prithviraj responded with his own joke, suggesting that Meghna might not hand out quite as many sweets as she promises.
“I can assure you that she’ll buy ten toffees at the beginning of the shoot and would’ve given away two at best by the end of it,” he quipped.
