‘Dil Dosti Dilemma’ writer Anuraadha Tewari says that working with filmmakers Prakash Jha and Madhur Bhandarkar has helped shape her career. Anuraadha, who has penned the films ‘Rahul’, ‘Fashion’ and ‘Heroine’, says that each of them has made her who she is today.
“The two experiences are as different as chalk and cheese! Mr. Jha was the first person to give me a break as a writer on a small little film called ‘Rahul’. Meeting me way back in his small office, he asked me to write a story based on a concept he had. I didn’t even have a computer then, so I stayed up the night to write it in his office. When he read the 10-pager the next day, he said he was impressed and I was on,” she says.
She adds, “Thereafter, our working relationship was that of mentor and student. Mr. Jha is a teacher, a taskmaster. With every draft, I felt I was learning something new. I was also touched that he respected every thought of mine, despite being that new and that young. When I started freelancing, he let me work out of his office for six months. That’s the kind of grace he has.”
Talking about working with Madhur, she says, “Madhur Sir, on the other hand, is a different entity altogether. He is a friend first. He seeks personal comfort with you before you start work. There is an incredible ease around him that comes from not taking himself too seriously. Yet, he has this whole spiritual quotient to him, like a part of him is watching himself do what he does. So, with him, I struck this instant friendship. We bonded over cinema like two boys. Despite the initial ‘memsaabness’ that he was wary of, Madhur Sir brought back the Gorakhpur in me! I find that invaluable because when a part of you becomes elitist, you tend to lose touch with your core audience. With him, I learnt to marry my intellectual thoughts with an Indian groundedness that is unique to him. So yes, I can safely say that both Mr Jha and Mr Bhandarkar have contributed immensely to my growth as an Indian filmmaker.”
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