Manmohan Desai and Amitabh Bachchan on the set of Coolie

Stylistically and thematically, Manmohan Desai’s films might be described as ‘fantasticated’ expressions of romantic idealism. In fact, love, honour, separation, vindication and reunion were his abiding obsessions. While recounting those deceptively believe-it-or-not stories, he retained that key element of wonderment. He was akin to a child who had lost himself in a fairground, had clambered onto a Ferris wheel and could have enjoyed the ride till kingdom come. He never betrayed the slightest sign of exhaustion; he continued to be an irrepressible raconteur even when a chronic backache confined him to a hardboard chair.

The diverse personalities of the dramatic director and the extravagant producer coalesced in Manji. His films generally took place in scenic outdoor locations or in studio-manufactured settings, where the boundaries between fantasy and everyday life could be transgressed.

Maybe it was the shortsightedness of the film commentators of the time that drew the simplistic comment that his work was absurd, far-fetched, incredible and unreal. Compared to the inter-planetary adventures of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, Manmohan Desai’s foreverland was as familiar and as authentic as the people living next door. ‘See, people praise Spielberg’s imagination but have problems with mine,’ he would declare with bemusement.

Rationalists quibbled but audiences adored him. They wanted more. The criticism that Manji belted out films which were so fast, furious and funky that the viewers were not allowed any time to think, just doesn’t hold any water today. The fact is that several of his films ' Sachaa Jhutha, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb and Coolie to name a few ' have achieved cult status, constantly inviting thought, discussion, and most hearteningly, hosannas of approval.

Any list of films which have advocated secularism is now topped by Amar Akbar Anthony. When it was released, its full-throttle message of communal harmony wasn’t perceived, but it is acknowledged unconditionally today. True to his nature, Manmohan Desai never spoke about his films’ agenda because he didn’t have to.

To know Manmohan Desai was to know a man of compassion. Despite the tremendous success of his films, his feet never left the ground. His screenplays often germinated from major and minor incidents, which he may have read in the newspapers or heard about from his neighbourhood gully cricket pals. He belonged to an era when the director was an auteur, imprinting a firm signature on every frame of his films. And his signature was of a spry wizard who coaxed the audience towards a wild and improbable realm, and yet remained strongly rooted in the soil. A paradox yes, but a splendid, unparalleled one.

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(From the Foreword)