HBD Chetan Anand : Acting has always been a 'joke' for me

HBD Chetan Anand : Chetan Anand, who became famous for his film 'Neecha Nagar', even today, after spending years of creative life, working in this business, claims to make a good film if he gets a good audience. After making famous and memorable films like 'Haqeeqat', 'Hindustan Ki Kasam', 'Aakhri Khat', 'Heer Ranjha', he remained away from the life of films for many years. Today he has brought his serial 'Paramveer Chakra' for the audience on the small screen.

He hates new cinema. Here he talks to us about what's going right and wrong in Indian cinema and tells how audience tastes have changed in the last forty years. It remains to be seen what new taste he will give to the audience through the small screen after years?

Chetan ji, we are curious to know what kind of life you would have had before coming into films?

'There was a kind of creation in all the work I did before film direction. I was a broadcaster in All India Radio and British Broadcasting Corporation. Apart from being a teacher at Doon School, he was also a theater activist. I did theater work in Lahore. I also stayed with IPTA.
You always made memorable films under your direction. You made successful films like 'Haqeeqat', and 'Hindustan Ki Kasam' but the soul of both these films and their theme were the same and is there any special reason for the repetition of this thing?

There is no such special reason. 'Haqeeqat' and 'Hindustan Ki Kasam' were made on the war that took place between India and China in 1962. 'Hindustan Ki Kasam' was made on the performance of the Indian Air Force in 1971, but there was no intention to repeat any theme behind it and anyway 'Haqeeqat' After 'Aakhri Khat', I made 'Aakhri Khat', which was completely different from Bor Picture. After that, I made a love story like 'Heer Ranjha'. Take my first Indian film 'Neecha Nagar' which was sent to the Cannes Film Festival or 'Aandhiyan' which was appreciated at the Venus Film Festival, all were different from each other. Yes, in the war theme, the bravery of the youth attracts me. That is why I have made the serial 'Paramveer Chakra'. Your serial became quite popular on the small screen.
Please give us more information about it.

My serial is different from the films 'Haqeeqat' and 'Hindustan Ki Kasam' because the films were based on imaginary characters and the characters of this serial are real, i.e. those who were mostly martyred in the war and those who did extraordinary work in the military. Received 'Paramveer Chakra'. These fifteen episodes are coming on screen. Each episode is 39 minutes. This serial is of Totally National Heroes. 
Which film actors are going to become national heroes in this serial?
'Some of the actors working in this serial are Annu Kapoor, Farooq Shaikh, Puneet Issar, Pankajdhir, Naseeruddin Shah, and Gurdas Maan.
So you didn't try to dramatize it at all?

How did you manage to keep pace with reality in this serial?
'I have made every effort to ensure that the serial is based on reality and truth. There is an episode in the serial Major Som Nath Sharma on AAP TV. But we have seen that he was the elder brother of today's Army Chief General V.N. Sharma. The incident happened in 1947 when Pakistan raided Srinagar airport. Pakistani raiders were among eight hundred and there were only 97 people with Som Nath. He was being attacked from three sides. But Somnath fought like a brave man and died at the end of the day. But he had saved the airport. This entire episode was shot in the same village. Where all this happened years ago. We found some bullets in the trenches which may have been from the time when all this happened.
Both your brothers Dev Anand and Vijay Anand were also involved in the acting field of film making but you worked in only a few films. One of them is the 'Kala Bazaar'.

I had made 'Kala Bazaar' for Goldie. Yes. I did a few roles in films like 'Aman' but I did all that due to certain circumstances. Otherwise, acting has always been a joke for me. Nor did I ever take much interest in it.

What would you say about today's action films and films that show vulgarity?

'I would say that today's films are a reflection of our society. The taste of the audience has also changed, they are interested in similar films. Give us a good audience and we will make good films even today. The audience, society, and politicians are responsible for sex and violence films that allow things to reach this level.

What do you have to say about intellectual cinema?
'To be frank. I never believe in this type of cinema. After all, you don't make a film for four people, you make it for the masses.
'Why should anyone watch intellectual cinema? When you want to show your creations to millions of people, you have to satisfy them. Which this type of cinema can never do.

How did you have to work while making your serial 'Param vir Chakra'?
'We had to work very hard on this because the Defense Ministry did not have any specific information about national heroes. For almost a year, we formed a group and kept visiting the friends, relatives, and knowledgeable people of these heroes to get information about them kept refreshing their memories, and by getting information in this way, kept making their real-life story, he said.