Do autobiographical films work in India? Guru Dutt filmed his grooming and growing fondness and final disillusionment with Waheeda Rehman in Kagaz Ke Phool. Raj Kapoor filmed his loves and heartbreaks in Mera Naam Joker. The two films nearly wiped out their creators. In recent times Mahesh Bhatt has been dabbling in autobiography. His Arth, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Ayee and Zakhm were all sliced off from his personal experiences.

And now, even while his daughter Pooja Bhatt is all set to remake Arth, Bhatt’s protege Mohit Suri whose Kalyug goes into the dark world of pornography, is ready to film the senior filmmaker’s tumultuous relationship with the deceased actress Parveen Babi. Says Suri, “I was blown when I read Bhatt Saab’s account on Parveen Babi after her death. He spoke with such brutal frankness. And the fact that she died all alone in her apartment made me think about the darkest and ugliest side of showbiz: loneliness.”

Who will play Mahesh Bhatt? The Bhatts’ new blue-eyed boy, Kunal Khemu? “No, he’s too young for the part. I’m planning another film with Kunal, and so’s Madhur Bhandarkar. Awaarapan requires someone more mature.” Ajay Devgan had won the National Award for playing Mahesh Bhatt in Zakhm. The fact that Pooja Bhatt is making a similar film doesn’t daunt Mohit Suri. “Not at all! She’s remaking Bhatt Saab’s Arth which was more the story of her mother (Bhatt Saab’s first wife Kiran) than Parveen Babi. My film to be entitled Awaarapan is going to be an exploration of Parveen Babi’s life.”

Newcomer Kangana, who plays the lead in another Bhatt protege Anurag Basu’s new thriller Gangster, has been more or less finalised for Parveen’s part. Suri seems upbeat. “Kalyug came with the tag of being sleazy when it was nothing of the sort. I’m glad my film was able to overcome the preconceived notions. I’m proud that Kalyug had no sleaze. The romantic scenes between newcomer Kunal Khemu and my sister Smilie who starred opposite him were meant to hark back to the suhaag raat sequence between Shashi Kapoor and Raakhee in Kabhi Kabhie?Yup, that’s how ambitious I am.”

Ironically, while Suri with his supposedly sleazy reputation attempted to return to the elegant poetic romance of Yash Chopra’s cinema the YRF banner had gone into a full-blown sex-and-nudity formula in their latest flick, Neal ‘N’ Nikki, released on the same day as Suri’s Kalyug!

Films Based On The LiVES Of Actresses

SOHRAB MODI’S Meena Kumari Ki Amar Kahani (1979)

GURU DUTT’S Kagaz Ke Phool (1959)

SHAHID LATIF’S Sone KI Chidiya (1958)

VIJAY ANAND’S Tere Mere Sapne (1971)

SHYAM BENEGAL’S Bhumika (1977)

MAHESH BHATT’S Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Ayee (1993)

VIKRAM BHATT’S Ankahee

MOHIT SURI’S Awaarapan