From the timeless romance of ‘Dil’ (1990) to the blockbuster success of ‘Beta’ (1992) and ‘Raja’ (1995), filmmaker Indra Kumar has carved out a special place in Hindi cinema. As conversations around the industry’s current struggles continue to grow, Kumar, whose directorial debut ‘Dil’ marks its 36th anniversary today, looks back at the stories behind his greatest successes, his early faith in Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit, and his belief that staying true to one’s instincts, rather than chasing trends, remains the most powerful tool in filmmaking.
Indra Kumar on casting Aamir Khan
In a conversation with Variety India, when questioned about whether Aamir and Madhuri were always his top picks for ‘Dil’, Indra revealed that the casting was set in motion much earlier than most would know. He said, “Aamir was the first choice. I signed him when “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak” (1988) was released, but then took a couple of years to make the film. By the time it released, his other films had come out but those didn’t work. But “Dil” worked. Every actor goes through a difficult phase.”
Indra Kumar calls ‘Dil’ his first love
The filmmaker further said, “We made the picture with complete honesty and love and that showed on screen. It’s my first love. After that, you become smart and somewhere along the way, that honesty fades. That’s just how it goes.”
Indra Kumar’s advice to filmmakers
When asked whether he felt the industry was now attempting to replicate the success of ‘Dhurandhar’, Indra didn’t soften his words and offered straightforward advice to filmmakers. He said, “Dhurandhar” is an example unto itself. If you try to copy it, you’ll fall flat. Work on your subjects honestly. Believe in what you want to make and don’t try to please everyone else.”
What is ‘Dil’ about?
In ‘Dil’, Raja (Aamir) and Madhu (Madhuri) fall in love, but their stubborn fathers create trouble for them. Raja’s father Hazariprasad (Kher) is a small-time junk dealer, while Madhu’s father Mr. Mehra (Jaffrey) is a wealthy businessman. To impress Mehra, Hazariprasad pretends to be rich, but gets exposed at the engagement and faces embarrassment. In the end, the couple’s strong love melts their fathers’ hearts and the two finally get married.
