Filmmaker Anurag Basu says his growth as a storyteller mirrors the evolution he has witnessed in his personal life where women have been a major source of inspiration.
Over a career spanning more than two decades, Basu has established himself as a versatile director, exploring various genres ranging from the erotic thriller "Murder" and the romantic crime drama "Gangster" to deeply moving stories like "Barfi!" and "Kites", and even ensemble anthologies such as "Life in a... Metro" and "Ludo".
"Movies reflect the phase you are going through in your life. Initially, my films were a little erotic when I was young. After that, I grew older, had a family, matured, and then began to understand the depth of relationships in a much better way. Those depths then began to be reflected in films,” Basu told PTI in an interview.
“I seek inspiration from everybody, from all the women in my life, like the women who raised me, who loved me, and those who outsmarted me. So, all the stories came from there,” he said.
Basu received critical acclaim for his 2007 movie “Life in a… Metro”, an anthology exploring stories of love, ambition, and heartbreak in the fast-paced urban landscape of Mumbai.
He is now coming out with the movie's follow-up "Metro…In Dino”, which follows the bittersweet relationships of four couples in four different cities.
The director said when he made "Life in a... Metro", he thought of it as a standalone movie as he had no storyline for a follow-up.
“While making ‘Ludo’, this idea came to me. Before that, I attempted once or twice to write the film, but it didn't happen. But this time, it came along," he said.
“Metro…In Dino” is part of Basu's hyperlink trilogy, which began with “Life in a...Metro” in 2007 and continued with “Ludo” in 2020. All three movies weave together interrelated tales that encapsulate the diversity of love.
“Now the trilogy is complete, and I don’t want to do it again. I don't want to do a hyperlink film. I don't want to do it for the next 2-3 films,” the 55-year-old director explained.
While writing interlinked stories is a big challenge, shooting the movie was a lot of fun, Basu added.
"We have to write four stories, which is equal to writing four films. The audience will see it from the perspective of four stories. For me, it's a movie, and it should have a graph of up and down and everything. In ‘Ludo’, you felt like you were watching one movie.
"It was the same case with the old ‘Metro’ film. So, achieving that ease is a little difficult. You don't want to get lost in four stories, and wanting to root for all the characters and be invested in all the characters at the same time is a very tough job,” he said.
“Metro…In Dino” features a star-studded cast of Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkana Sen Sharma, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Sara Ali Khan.
For Basu, he "hit the jackpot" with the star cast of this film.
“All my first choices said yes. I was lucky because there was no option B. They trusted me. So, it was a dream cast. If it wasn't there, I don't know what I would have done. Now, when I see the film, I can't see anybody else playing their character as they have played,” he added.
Basu has already begun work on his next, a musical romantic drama that was initially titled “Aashiqui 3”. The film, which features Kartik Aaryan and South sensation Sreeleela, is poised for its theatrical release on Diwali.
“I don't know if it's going to be called ‘Aashiqui 3’. There was a story which I was making, and I didn't write a story for ‘Aashiqui 3’. I was going to make this film, no matter what the title was. As of now, I don't know what the title will be. It would be right to say untitled now,” the director said.
Basu is equally thrilled about his long-cherished project: a biopic on the legendary Kishore Kumar, which he had announced over a decade ago. Reports have claimed that superstar Aamir Khan will feature in the movie but Basu refused to comment on the speculation.
“I've started work on it at full speed. I’ll start it (filming) soon. The writing work and all is done, everything is done,” Basu said.
“Metro…In Dino” is set for release in theaters on July 4.
