Remembering Mukul Anand: Gone but not forgotten

Consumerism has made amnesia a super-star in today’s life and times. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow, a mystery. The present is all that counts. Except for acknowledged classics – Bandini, Mother India, Mughal-e-Azam, Sholay, Awara, Guide, along with some others –most other films are shoved on to a tray called OUT!

So why this remembrance of a young director resurrected for a close-up? Simple. Mukul Anand was no ordinary director. He was different. Vigorous, vibrant, versatile, consumed by movies from an early age. His father being an Income Tax Consultant to most of the leading Bollywood luminaries, his Uncle being the late Inder Raj Anand and his cousin being Actor-Director Tinu Anand, certainly played their part. However, he seemed to be restless, adventurous and curious all along, fearless about leaping into new & exciting voyages of discovery. Be it with his Ad production company MAD, (where he did some awesome TV commercials for both Coke & Pepsi) or his feature films that were to follow.

He was a true rebel with a cause and every single top star associated with him, loved, admired, trusted & respected him. Be it the Big B – who did Agnipath, Hum and Khuda Gawah, three of his most memorable films, one of which got him his first National Award – Vinod Khanna [Insaaf – his comeback film after his Rajneesh trip], Dimple Kapadia, Sridevi, Danny ... they all were deeply connected with both his passion & purpose.

Even today, decades after the release of ‘Hum’, who can forget the Big B’s rocking Jumma-Chumma number, setting the screen on fire. His younger brother, Raahul – also a maker of films & all set to enter the Bengal film industry – remembers Amitabh being stunned at the proposition and wondering if Mukul had totally lost it! “Yaar, this is a chee-chee (Govinda) act, not me. No one will accept me trapeezing and proposing in such a wild manner! Mera image kuch aur hai, yaar.”

Mukul’s persuasive skills hesitantly convinced him but being the true, committed professional that he is, Bachchan leapt into the role with all cylinders firing ... and no prizes for guessing which stratosphere it took the film and the Mukul-Bachchan duo! Also, who can forget his chilling iconic delivery of his name in Agnipath, the Scarface-inspired masterpiece, Mein Vijay Dinanath Chauhan! Or his towering Badshah Khan persona in Khuda Gawah, shot in Afghanistan at a time when it was unimaginable to even consider that disturbed location. Never Say Never seemed to be his mantra and he pulled out the stops to offer stories & spectacles that dazzled the eyes & zonked the senses!

Mukul Anand was one of those rare directors who followed his heart and did everything in his power to present narratives larger than life because he believed that “Cinema is the one medium that allows you to dramatise dreams that is collectively dreamt by the people, with colour, drama and action that enthrals, excites & entertains together.” His elder sister, Beena. never fails to remind us of the zillion times she continues to hear Mukul’s assistants and associates mourn the loss of their brilliant & futuristic Boss. “This digital world of today was his world, his playground, his zone. One shudders to imagine to what heights he would raise the bar and push the envelope if he was around.”

Mukul was totally uninterested in self-promotion and fame and always considered himself a technician first, a hit-director later. “Cinema is a collaborative art and without a good team, nothing can happen.” What a pity that when he was at the top of his game [Dus – a film in which he introduced Shankar Ehsan Loy, who were then popular Jingle makers and briefed them to create a passionate patriotic song that will be remembered as an anthem. They responded magnificently with the song Suno Gaur Se Duniya Walo Sabse Aage Hoga Hindustan] the final cut arrived.

All we can say to the late maverick director ... gone, but not forgotten!