AR Rahman to co-produce Shekhar Kapur's 'Masoom' sequel
What's the story
Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur had already announced that he is set to gift cinema lovers a new gem- the sequel to his 1983 masterpiece Masoom, called Masoom: The Next Generation. Now, in a conversation with Variety India, Kapur revealed that music maestro AR Rahman has joined the project not only as a composer but also as a co-producer.
Collaboration details
Rahman has already recorded 1 song for 'Masoom' sequel
Kapur said, "I am going to shoot it this year. I have cast it, I have written it." "A.R. Rahman is co-producing the film with me. He heard the script and asked me, 'Can I co-produce it?' and we said, 'Let's do it.' So we have already recorded one song, we are on to the second." This collaboration is sure to amp up the expectations.
Film's direction
'To have a producer who's one of the greatest musicians...'
Kapur described the collaboration as more than just a simple composer-director relationship. He said, "When Rahman said he would produce it, it felt fantastic. To have a producer who is one of the greatest musicians of our time." He added that music remains pivotal to his cinematic experience and "I love making films is because I love not just songs but also the background score."
Film details
Original 'Masoom' starred Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi
The original Masoom, adapted from Erich Segal's Man, Woman and Child, starred Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi. It followed the fallout of a man bringing home the son he had from an extramarital relationship. The film is expected to reunite Shah and Azmi while expanding the world with Manoj Bajpayee, Nithya Menen, and Kapur's daughter Kaveri Kapur in key roles.
Identity theme
Sequel's idea grew from observing displacement across generations
Kapur said the idea for Masoom: The Next Generation grew from observing displacement across generations. "So the question is, have we become like turtles? Some went from a rural landscape to an urban setup. Some from urban cities went overseas." "Then we crawl into our shell and make it a home. In a way, it was also explored by Salim-Javed in Deewar."
Filmmaker's insight
'When does your home become home?'
Kapur said he has taken the question of identity as his next. "Because there are so many court cases in India where families are fighting against each other. All over the world." "So it is a very simple question. When does your home become home? And when does your house become a property and when does that property turn into real estate? It is a story of home and what it means," he added.
Filmmaker's challenge
What is Kapur's biggest challenge?
Kapur said the biggest challenge has been rediscovering naivety. "It's the same cast and it's the same me, but my struggle in writing is how do I become naive again? Naive again to rediscover this story without being Shekhar Kapur, this well-known director. I had no idea 'Masoom' would become this big." He added, "I think the ability I have is to be able to love actors. I think it is my love for my actors that creates my films."