'Ranjish Hi Sahi' trailer: 1970s Bollywood centered on extra-marital affair
The trailer for Mahesh Bhatt's web series Ranjish Hi Sahi dropped recently and we have a very filmy tale in our hands. Tahir Raj Bhasin stars in it as a struggling filmmaker in the 1970s who engages in an extramarital affair with a superstar portrayed by Mynaa star Amala Paul. Meanwhile, actress Amrita Puri plays Bhasin's wife. Notably, this seems inspired by Bhatt's life.
'From the lanes of Bombay...comes a dramatic love story'
Struggling director meets superstar for work but they get tangled
The clip begins with writer/director/producer Shankar Vats (Bhasin) being accorded with the lifetime achievement trophy at some award show. We're immediately taken down memory lane when a young Vats was desperately looking for a break in Bollywood. His wife Anju (Puri) appears to be extremely supportive too but things get dark when he meets superstar Amna Parvez (Paul) for his next project.
Messy plot ahead: People find out, Vats suffers moral dilemma
It is only after the duo gets involved in a relationship that Vats realizes it is morally wrong and tries to walk out of it. But the fearless/confident Parvez refuses to bow down, asking Vats to leave his wife and family to marry her. On the other hand, Anju finds out about the affair and is naturally heartbroken and furious. Everything is a mess.
Why do we need this tale again though?
As one can figure out, the plotline is quite similar to Bhatt's own life story with then superstar late Parveen Babi. But the question arises, why is another production being made now? Bhatt has previously contributed to similar stories in the past, be it 1982's Arth or 2006's Woh Lamhe. Is it because of a new format or simple recycling of a story?
'Ranjish Hi Sahi' premieres on Voot Select on January 13
In the last scene, a Vats says people used to tell him how he did not have a story to tell and now, he had one. This suggests he will be becoming a legendary filmmaker by taking elements out of his life, something Bhatt also did. Ranjish Hi Sahi, written and directed by Pushpdeep Bhardwaj, premieres on Voot Select on January 13.