N. Chandra does a Crash 
By Subhash K. Jha, December 17, 2007 - 14:39 IST
Here's a first for Indian cinema. N Chandra has shot his new film Breaking News on panavision camera. "So far only big Hollywood films have been shot on that format. I had got a Hollywood cameraman Matthew Boyd to shoot Mumbai like never before," says Chandra.
Long in hibernation, N Chandra who once made hard-hitting socially relevant films like Ankush and Pratighaat in the early 1980s is back in the news with his latest film Breaking News. He frankly admits to being inspired by the Oscar-winner for Best Picture. "I feel Crash had a great concept. It looked at the malaise in American society through various episodes. I've adapted the same format."
The film stars Anupam Kher, Seema Biswas, Atul Kulkarni, Rajpal Yadav, Siyaji Shinde and Perizaad Zorabian. "There're seven stories, all inter-linked by the characters. I confess no big stars wanted to work with me. Of late Indian cinema has changed drastically. The big stars feel I'm too senior to be contemporary. None of the established stars want to hear my narration. Breaking News is my way of proving them wrong. I had to come to terms with reality. And the reality was that my market value was low. Breaking News takes me back to my roots. I've touched on burning issues like the Hindu-Muslim divide, anti-reservation, the migration problems in big cities and of course the rich-poor divide."
In-between, Chandra made some low-brow comedies like Style and the sequel Excuse Me. "I won't say I was uncomfortable doing them. They were the need of my hour. After Wajood which I consider my best and most ambitious film, I was in a deep financial crisis. I had to face immense setbacks. I went through severe mental trauma It took me time get hold of myself again. I had to make those comedies, just like after Mera Naam Joker, Raj Kapoor made Bobby. Sometimes one needs to do things for practical reasons. But Breaking News marks the return of the real N Chandra."
He cuts down rumours of re-making his all-time hit Tezaab. "I’ve lots of ready subjects. Why should I go for a re-make? After Tezaab I made Narasimha which made even bigger money. It was like pitching a new batsman with Sachin Tendulkar, so comparisons were unfair."
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N Chandra speaks on Tezaab sequel and his 'style' of films
