Anil Sharma Interview: When the films did not work, people said, Sharma ji’s era is over!

Director Anil Sharma, who created a stir at the box office with his/her last film ‘Gadar 2’, has been in the industry for almost 45 years. Anil Sharma, who was an assistant director to a well-known director like BR Chopra, started his/her career with a family film like ‘Shraddhanjali’, but then he/she became known for grand action films. Once again after years he/she has turned to the family film ‘Vanvas’. A special conversation with him/her.You belong to an astrologer’s family, so how much did they believe in the omens and bad omens of your films?
-When astrology is practiced in your home, it will definitely have an impact on you. I have heard a lot of stories and Puranas in my childhood, so it had an impact on me and my cinema as well. My grandfather was a great astrologer. Papa was also a great astrologer, so I believe in astrology, but more than that, I believe in God’s will and hard work. Yes, I choose the Muhurta for my films, but I am never adamant that there should be a particular Muhurta or time.

Surprised by Naseeruddin Shah’s words, Anil Sharma requested, watch ‘Gadar 2’ once, after that the statement will change.
In the initial phase of your career, you worked with BR Chopra as an assistant director in many films like ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’, ‘Insaaf Ka Tarazu’, ‘The Burning Train’. What did you learn from him/her?
– BR Chopra Saheb used to say only one thing that you should not get entangled in technique, tell the story and I learned this from him/her. I believe in storytelling. Many times people say that your technique is like that of the nineties. But for me the story is always important. If I were making Gadar One on a story set in the 70s, I would use the same technique. If I am making ‘The Hero’, I will use the same technique. Other people make a 90’s movie look like it’s from 2024, but I don’t do that.

You have been in the industry for more than 40 years, what was the most difficult phase of your career?
-Difficult times keep coming. Every film in the film industry is like a test. When one of your films doesn’t work, people keep sitting around saying that you are finished. As you grow older, people start saying that you have become old-fashioned. In between, there came a period when my films did not do well, then people started saying, Sharmaji’s era is over. Now as Genius did not run in theatre, but went on OTT, people said that their game is over. Now even at the time of Gadar 2, people were saying that he/she is an old-time director. Nothing will happen to them. I was not getting money to make Gadar 2, because people thought that Sharmaji’s era was gone, but then the same film was a blockbuster. I don’t take any influence from those things. I do my work with a smile. It has been 45 years of my journey and the journey is still going on.

When my films did not do well, people started saying, Sharmaji’s era is over.

Anil Sharma

Your son Utkarsh is a good artist, but when will you let him/her come out from your tutelage? Do they do films under your production and direction only?
-I say, you take him/her under my protection and get him/her a good role. Look, it’s not that he/she doesn’t have work. Stories come every day, but those stories are such that he/she himself refuses them. I do not interfere in Utkarsh’s work. he/she listens to his/her own stories and himself says yes or no. Utkarsh has his/her own manager and team and takes his/her own decisions. Now he/she has liked a script, so probably that film will be announced next month. I want Utkarsh to do outside films also, but when I need a young hero, I cast Utkarsh. I am also keen to work with Kartik Aryan and Ranbir Kapoor, but if they don’t suit me for my film and I find him/her perfect for that role, then why shouldn’t I cast him/her.

After building your reputation as an action director, why did you gravitate towards family films?
-After many years, ‘Vanvas’ feels like returning home. I started my career with ‘Shradhanjali’ and ‘Bandhan Kachcha Dhaag Se’. Going back into the zone of a family film I guess. The demand of today’s times is, I feel, it is my moral responsibility to give something back to the audience by making a family film. Today there is exile in every home, where people have abandoned their own people. Your newspaper presswire18 Times comes to my house and in it I have read many news stories about how elderly parents were abandoned by their children at pilgrimage places. Right now the world’s biggest festival Kumbh is coming, but there are many such bad children who commit the evil act of leaving their parents at these holy places, so from all these news I got the seed of the story.

Going back into the zone of family films, I think this is the demand of today’s times.

Anil Sharma

Your previous films Gadar One and Two have created history at the box office, how much pressure are you feeling regarding this film?
-Look, I never bear the pressure of box office. Even at the time of ‘Gadar 2’, people said, Sunny Deol is an old-time hero, Anil Sharma is an old-time director, but God was very kind. Even today people are asking that the action phase is going on and Sharma ji has brought a family film, then I say that if people are bored after eating one sweet, then they should be fed another sweet, the rest will be under the pressure of box office. I don’t take it. All I can say is that when the film ends, you will definitely call your parents. And when you meet them, you will definitely hug them knowingly or unknowingly.

After working with Sunny Deol in ‘Gadar One’ and Two, how was it to work with Nana Patekar, who has an angry image? -Sunny sir, it is not difficult at all. They are family to us. One issue with Nana Patekar is that he/she is a very punctual and disciplined actor. They want you to also be punctual. Be prepared, logically correct and disciplined. If you do all these things, then there is no challenge on the set. If you have given Nana Sir a call time of 9.30, he/she is ready on the set with his/her lines and if his/her shot is not taken at that time, he/she gets angry. Once or twice it happened that at their call time I was taking some other shot and they got angry as to why called me when your second shot is going on. I don’t know, you take my shot. When I told him/her that other actors start work at 11.30 with a call time of 9.30, he/she said, I am not like that, this will not work with me. So from next time onwards we gave them the same time when we had to take the shot. There was no problem after that.