Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra On His Life's 'Most Embarrassing Moment' That Led To The Making Of Mere Pyare Prime Minister

Time and again it is said that when it comes to films, there is real life meeting reel life, and then at times what you see on reel actually ends up happening in real life as well. Though filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has been inspired by some shocking events in real life that happened right in front of him, he would indeed be hoping that what he has tried to bring on screen in his upcoming release Mere Pyare Prime Minister translates in real life as well, something that would go a long way in ensuring women safety and also improve basic sanitation.

"You know, there is not just one thing that led me to make Mere Pyare Prime Minister, it is a combination of many incidents that have been etched in my memory for over three decades now," says Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra whose latest offering is the result of last three years of effort," When I came to Mumbai 30 years back, I got to know about this slum colony called Dharavi. Today, three decades down the line, there are more than 100 Dharavis that have come up. You see so many tall buildings in the city bit they all grow out of these slums."

Mere Pyare Prime Minister tells the story of a mother and her son from one such slum.

"There is an incident from eight years ago that has stayed in my mind ever since," reveals Mehra, "I was coming back home from the late night shoot of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and on the way parked my car in a corner. I saw a bunch of women taking a walk with 'dabba' in their hand. I realized they were walking towards an open area in order to defecate. Honestly, not just was it shocking, it is also one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. I haven't been able to get that image off my mind ever since. In fact this is also the opening scene of my film."

The film tells the story of a kid (played by Om Kanojiya) who reaches out to the Prime Minister of the country requesting basic sanitation facilities after his mother (Anjali Patil) is raped.

"Do you know that 50% of the rapes happen to women who go out to defecate in open," quizzes Mehra, "It is really shocking. The film is not just about toilet or sanitation; it is about raising an alarm. It is about asking our society that what we are doing about safety of our women."

While one waits to see the larger impression that the film manages to make and the steps that good Samaritans eventually take, at the micro level the film has its central protagonist, a kid, trying everything in his capacity to help that one woman who is most important in his life - his mother.

"He is a kid who is full of life and though he is just eight year old, he doesn't take anything lying down. He first tries to build a toilet himself, then he even reaches out to the municipality along with his friends, and then when nothing really works out, he doesn't hesitate reaching out to the Prime Minister of the country. His question is simple but relevant - 'What if this would have happened to your mother?'," wonders Mehra, who has asked some tough questions in his most acclaimed film till date, Rang De Basanti, as well.

For someone who has attempted different genres with each and every film of his, starting from a psychological supernatural affair Aks to cross-generational romantic drama Mirzya, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra names Mere Pyare Prime Minister as his 'most intimate' film till date.

"For me, the stories that I tell are always very personal. I mount them as per the need," says Mehra, "For Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, to begin with I wasn’t getting the required funding. I wanted to recreate the Asian games and the Commonwealth games. I wanted to be authentic about the clothes that people wore. I wanted to get the essence of a period drama right. I didn’t compromise though and instead chose to wait. Now when Mere Pyare Prime Minister was being put together, I knew it could be done in a controlled budget. That’s how the business works."

We would like to see how it all plays on screen once Mere Pyare Prime Minister, which has Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra tying up with Jayantilal Gada (of Pen) for the film's theatrical release, hits the screens on the coming Friday.