“I can’t explain what Ashokji meant to me. I'M what I'M as a result of him,” said the actress who played the lead role in Mehta’s directorial debut “Moksha”.
Manisha attributes all of the right moves in her career to Mehta, who died Aug 15 after battling lung cancer. He was 65.
“He did the cinematography of my first film ‘Saudagar’. From then on Ashokji was my guide mentor and philosopher. I MUST say he contributed so much to my career.
“I was clueless concerning the film industry. So, when Mani Ratnam had asked me to come back to Chennai to do a screen-test for ‘Bombay’, I refused. Yes, I didn’t know much about Mani Ratnam except that he had made a movie called ‘Roja’. If it wasn’t for Ashokji I wouldn’t have done ‘Bombay’,” she said.
“I was like, ‘Why should I do a glance test? Why should I play a mother to twin boys? And why should I work for thus little money?’
“So many of us advised me to not do it. Ashokji fired the hell out of me. He told me about Mani’s greatness and literally packed me off to Chennai.
“He taught me, ‘Beta, zindagi main paise hi sab kuch nahin hote hain.’ I did good films because he guided me… Ashokji held my hand and guided me. No wonder I BELIEVE bereft,” added Manisha, who turned 42 Aug 16.
She organised a bash to celebrated the ocassion, but cancelled the party after hearing the inside track of Mehta’s demise.
When Mehta directed his first feature film “Moksha”, Manisha was the natural choice for the lead.
“He narrated ‘Moksha’ to me during ‘Saudagar’. It took him 10 years to make it. I USED TO BE close not only to Ashokji but additionally to his wife and family,” she said.
Manisha and Mehta were collaborating on a movie at the lifetime of Gautam Buddha.
“When I got the offer to direct a movie on Gautam Buddha from Sri Lanka, the very first thing I did was contact Ashokji. I didn’t even know that he was already diagnosed with cancer. He was so lively.
“We got Samir Chanda as art director and Bhanu Athaiya for costumes. All the day we’d be together doing sketches for the Buddha project, settling on locations, etc. Not once did I AM GETTING any inkling he was unwell.
“Four months back I got to grasp he was in hospital. I rushed to peer him. I felt terrible. I had spent such a lot time with him and that i didn’t know. He was an excessively brave man. He didn’t want anyone to grasp of his condition.”
Manisha met Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra at Mehta’s house.
“One month back Rakeysh had gone and given Ashokji a narration. Work was the one technique to get Ashokji back. For a work-oriented man not having the ability to work was like death. I’ll never forget him as man of serious spirit,” she said. – IANS
