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The session opened with felicitation by Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan MN, Joint Secretary (Films), followed by producer Shri Ravi Kottarakkara, who hailed Chopra’s Parinda as a “game-changing film.” Dr. Ajay expressed hope that Chopra would continue guiding young filmmakers with his trademark honesty.
Joshi began by recalling his first meeting with Chopra, a moment that would lead to films like Lage Raho Munna Bhai and 3 Idiots. When asked about his evolution from Parinda to 12th Fail, Chopra delivered a characteristically honest reflection:
“Every film reflects who I am at that point. I was angry when I made Parinda. Today I’m calmer.”
He said 12th Fail arose from witnessing corruption around him. “If I can change even 1% of the bureaucracy, that’s enough.” Watching the newly restored 8K version of 1942: A Love Story, he admitted, moved him deeply—“I could not make that film today because I’m no longer that person.”
Joshi praised Chopra’s unwavering artistic integrity, noting he cares only for a film’s artistic fate, not its commercial outcome. Chopra spoke passionately about preparation and visual truth, even singing a song from 1942: A Love Story to illustrate the lengths he went for a perfect shot—chasing real birds across a mountain ridge with scattered breadcrumbs.
The session overflowed with anecdotes. Chopra recalled writing Khamosh in a cramped flat, shouting “cut, cut!” from the rooftop to the alarm of neighbors. Another crowd favourite was Jackie Shroff mistakenly entering the wrong apartment during rehearsals and handing flowers to a stunned resident—“She swore she dreamt Jackie Shroff visited her,” Chopra laughed.
Chopra also recounted his fierce determination to work with R.D. Burman on 1942: A Love Story. After bluntly rejecting early tunes, he finally received “Kuch Na Kaho,” which he sang onstage to thunderous applause.
His retelling of the National Award postal bond incident and his humorous sparring with L.K. Advani filled the hall with laughter, while acknowledging Advani’s later support, including enabling his Oscar trip.
A touching moment arrived when Kamna Chandra, the 92-year-old writer of 1942: A Love Story, joined the conversation alongside producer Yogesh Ishwar. Kamna spoke of the emotional weight of seeing the restored film, saying, “I felt like I’ve done something in life.”
Yogesh explained the painstaking 8K restoration process in Italy, cleaning the film frame by frame. Chopra added that the restored version “looks exactly like what I imagined.”
The session closed with an engaging Q&A, but the true magic had already unfolded—an intimate journey through decades of cinema, layered with memories, creativity, laughter, and the evolving artistic partnership between Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi.
The session opened with felicitation by Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan MN, Joint Secretary (Films), followed by producer Shri Ravi Kottarakkara, who hailed Chopra’s Parinda as a “game-changing film.” Dr. Ajay expressed hope that Chopra would continue guiding young filmmakers with his trademark honesty.
Joshi began by recalling his first meeting with Chopra, a moment that would lead to films like Lage Raho Munna Bhai and 3 Idiots. When asked about his evolution from Parinda to 12th Fail, Chopra delivered a characteristically honest reflection:
“Every film reflects who I am at that point. I was angry when I made Parinda. Today I’m calmer.”
He said 12th Fail arose from witnessing corruption around him. “If I can change even 1% of the bureaucracy, that’s enough.” Watching the newly restored 8K version of 1942: A Love Story, he admitted, moved him deeply—“I could not make that film today because I’m no longer that person.”
Joshi praised Chopra’s unwavering artistic integrity, noting he cares only for a film’s artistic fate, not its commercial outcome. Chopra spoke passionately about preparation and visual truth, even singing a song from 1942: A Love Story to illustrate the lengths he went for a perfect shot—chasing real birds across a mountain ridge with scattered breadcrumbs.
The session overflowed with anecdotes. Chopra recalled writing Khamosh in a cramped flat, shouting “cut, cut!” from the rooftop to the alarm of neighbors. Another crowd favourite was Jackie Shroff mistakenly entering the wrong apartment during rehearsals and handing flowers to a stunned resident—“She swore she dreamt Jackie Shroff visited her,” Chopra laughed.
Chopra also recounted his fierce determination to work with R.D. Burman on 1942: A Love Story. After bluntly rejecting early tunes, he finally received “Kuch Na Kaho,” which he sang onstage to thunderous applause.
His retelling of the National Award postal bond incident and his humorous sparring with L.K. Advani filled the hall with laughter, while acknowledging Advani’s later support, including enabling his Oscar trip.
A touching moment arrived when Kamna Chandra, the 92-year-old writer of 1942: A Love Story, joined the conversation alongside producer Yogesh Ishwar. Kamna spoke of the emotional weight of seeing the restored film, saying, “I felt like I’ve done something in life.”
Yogesh explained the painstaking 8K restoration process in Italy, cleaning the film frame by frame. Chopra added that the restored version “looks exactly like what I imagined.”
The session closed with an engaging Q&A, but the true magic had already unfolded—an intimate journey through decades of cinema, layered with memories, creativity, laughter, and the evolving artistic partnership between Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi.
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