Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, who has started filming Mulk here, says that actor Rishi Kapoor shot a scene at a palace where Shyam Benegal’s Junoon with Shashi Kapoor, Muzaffar Ali’s Umrao Jaan with Rekha and Anil Sharma’s Gadar: Ek Prem Katha with Sunny Deol had been shot earlier.
“I had no idea. I had simply liked the place when I was on a recce there. It was the locals who recently told me about these iconic films being shot there. I must have been 12 or 13 when Shyam Babu was shooting Junoon there. This place houses the history of cinema,” Sinha said in a statement.
Produced by Deepak Mukut, the social thriller also stars Taapsee Pannu and Prateik Babbar.
He’s all praise for the mango belt of north India and its inhabitants.
“The mango orchards spread over miles and the locals actually adhere to the Lucknavi ‘tehzeeb’ of ‘pehle aap’. Recently, I complained about the unit tea and within 15 minutes, 30 cups came from someone’s home,” said Sinha.
On Sunday, they were shooting at a college, which they have converted into a government office.
“Taapsee and Rishi ji have earlier worked in Chashme Baddoor and share a great rapport. Rishi ji is a chilled out person, doesn’t carry the aura of Rishi Kapoor and is very friendly with everyone. We are on a start to finish schedule and by mid-November will return to Mumbai after the shoot ends,” he added.
It’s not just work for the cast and crew of Mulk. They will take a break and attend the Founder Day Dinner at Aligarh Muslim University on Tuesday and celebrate Diwali.