Yesterday, Bollywood Hungama exclusively reported that a Gujarati unreleased film, Bapu Kyan Chhe?, had a similar story to that of the initial script of Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). The news spread far and wide, as expected. Pankaj Trivedi, who wrote and directed Bapu Kyan Chhe?, and even featured as an actor, reached out to us to give his version of the story.
Pankaj Trivedi told Bollywood Hungama, “I have not been inspired by Rajkumar Hirani’s script. Nor have I copied it. In fact, I didn’t know about it until I read the article.”
He further said, “I worked with Neeraj Vora since Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003) and was one of his closest associates. I even worked with him on Hera Pheri 3, which was being made nearly a decade ago with John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan. I had written a one-act play during my drama school days. It's about a mentally retard person who’s taking care of a statue of Gandhi in a park. There was also a famous gag of Johny Lever, ‘Bapu Ne Khana Khaya Kya’. I derived the story of my film by merging these two ideas.”
Pankaj Trivedi continued, “Interestingly, I even started out as an actor by playing Mahatma Gandhi in a play directed by Umesh Shukla. All this probably influenced me. Hence, my film’s subject has nothing to do with Rajkumar Hirani’s script. A lot of people, without understanding the whole situation, called me and alleged that I copied Mr Hirani’s idea. I want to clarify that many stalwarts, including Neeraj Vora and Umesh Shukla, knew about Bapu Kyan Chhe?. Dharmendra Gohil, a famous name in Gujarati theatre, starred in the film along with Mihir Bhuta, who wrote ‘Chanakya’.”
He also revealed, “Neeraj Vora was the first one to hear it. He told me that it’s a brilliant subject and fit for a Hindi film. He loved certain dialogues in the film and claimed that it would create a frenzy in the country. The film has even been censored and the CBFC members applauded me.”
On Sunday, March 9, while having a conversation with Javed Akhtar, Aamir Khan confessed that Rajkumar Hirani had expressed the desire to cast him for a film before 3 Idiots (2009) and after Munna Bhai MBBS (2003). However, Rajkumar later tweaked the script and turned it into Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). He also revealed about the original script saying, “It was set before independence, and the protagonist is a freedom fighter and a Gandhian. During lathi charge, he gets severely hurt and slips into a coma. He wakes up 40-45 years later. The world has progressed, but he doesn’t know that Gandhi has been killed. He’s still in the mid-40s. That’s why he talks to Gandhi.”
Pankaj Trivedi told us about the story of Bapu Kyan Chhe?: Bipinchandra Jagirdas Gandhi aka Bi Ja Gandhi (second Gandhi) was with Gandhiji when he was assassinated. Bapu fell into his arms, whispered something in his ear, uttered ‘Hey Ram’ and passed away. A stampede ensued and Bi Ja Gandhi got hurt. As a result, he slipped into a coma. In the present day, he wakes up and the whole world wants to know what Bapu told him before passing away. However, Bi Ja Gandhi constantly asks where Bapu is. This is because he has no idea that so many years have passed and that Bapu is no more. A drunken, womanizer actor is asked to be Mahatma Gandhi and appear in front of Bi Ja Gandhi, so that the latter can tell the former the last words of Bapu. How this situation is milked by people with vested interests, including Bi Ja Gandhi’s grandson forms the rest of Bapu Kyan Chhe?.
Interestingly, Pankaj Trivedi plays the alcoholic actor who turns into Gandhi in the Gujarati film. While talking about the film, he spoke highly of his guru, Neeraj Vora, multiple times saying, “I couldn’t take up Neeraj Vora’s suggestion (of making the film in Hindi) as I was already committed to making it in Gujarati. Also, since I was directing it and getting to act in it, I was more inclined to make it in Gujarati. It was also my way of doing something for Gujarati theatre and cinema. This film was serving multiple purposes for me.”
He then shared, “I wanted Neeraj bhai to come for my mahurat but he was not in Mumbai. My friends Sharman Joshi, Umesh Shukla, etc. did attend. I messaged Neeraj bhai and he replied, ‘Beta, by body, I am in Delhi but by heart, I am always with you. You have all my blessings. You’ll do wonders with this film’. The same evening, Neeraj bhai collapsed in Delhi.”
Neeraj Vora suffered a brain stroke in 2016 while he was at the then-MP Paresh Rawal’s residence in Delhi. He never recovered and passed away on October 14, 2017. Pankaj Trivedi admitted, “I saved that last message of Neera bhai with me for five years. I used to read it again and again and used to feel depressed. Finally, I deleted it. But even today, it haunts me.”
Pankaj Trivedi signed off with the hope that Bapu Kyan Chhe? finds a release in cinemas due to this episode. He said, “I am glad the film is in the news. I hope this encourages producers to finally release it in theatres.”
More Pages: Bapu Kyan Chhe? Box Office Collection , Bapu Kyan Chhe? Movie Review
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