Anupam Kher-Darsheel Safary in Walt Disney's Zokkomon
He has the singular honour of directing the only documentary on the making of a yet to be released feature film. And now, after making Chale Chalo on the making of Lagaan, the reticent (not by choice) young director Satyajit Bhatkal is ready with Zokkomon, the first Indian feature film to be produced by Walt Disney Pictures.
Satyajit has been strictly forbidden from talking about Zokkomon. All he'll say reluctantly is that it will be a film unlike any other. "The script was one of many that I wrote. To my luck, it was almost immediately approved by Disney. But before that, I did a number of one-hour series entitled Bombay Lawyers for NDTV. These were based on my own experiences as a lawyer."
Bhatkal was a practising lawyer before movie-making beckoned. "When I made Chale Chalo based on behind-the-scenes experiences of those involved with Lagaan, I made sure there wasn't a single shot of Lagaan in my documentary."
But that docu-film did not get Bhatkal the chance to direct a film for Disney.
"They liked the script, I think," says the director shyly. Zokkomon stars Anupam Kher and Darsheel Safary. This would be Darsheel's first release since Taare Zameen Par. As for Anupam, Satyajit has become the actor's lifelong fan after he made his dream come true.
Recalls Satyajit, "When Anupam told me he was going to Israel this month and might meet Topol, I requested him to get me Topol's autograph since I'm his lifelong fan. To my surprise, Anupam called me from Israel, handed the phone to Topol, and made him speak to me. It was a gesture not many would make."
Courtesy: Bollywood Hungama
