Rati Agnihotri said: K.Balachander Discovered for Hindi cinema
Dec 26,2014
Late veteran auteur K. Balachander will always hold a special place in Rati Agnihotri's heart. The actress says she was lucky to have had him as the director of her first Hindi movie, "Ek Duuje Ke Liye", which released in 1981.
On tueday, K.Balachander who passed away at a Chennai hospital. For Rati, who is nurture to her unwell mother, it is very hard to believe for har that K.Balchander is no more in between us.
Talking about a recent chance to meet Balachander, Rati said: "Just some days ago when I was shooting in Punjab, I got a call from Chennai asking, 'Can you come down to Chennai for a get-together?' They wanted to honour K. Balachanderji and Bharathi Rajaji by inviting all the actors and technicians that they had worked with in 1970s and 1980s."
"Coincidentally, I was launched in Tamil cinema by Bharathi Rajaji and in Hindi cinema by Balachanderji. I was very fortunate to have been launched by the best. I couldn't go for the commemorative event because I needed to be with my mom. Balachanderji meant so much to my career and to me as a person. He didn't only discover me for the Hindi cinema in 'Ek Duuje Ke Liye', he guided me through the film."
Rati's father had confidence in the filmmaker.
"I remember how I got this role. My dad was approached and we immediately agreed because the film was produced by the great L.V. Prasadji and directed by the stalwart, K. Balachanderji. 'Ek Duuje Ke Liye' was a remake of Balachanderji's Tamil film 'Maro Charitra'." She said, "All I knew was I had a great producer, director and co-star Kamal Haasan.
"My dad saw the original before saying yes to the remake. But I was not allowed to see 'Maro Charitra'. Balchanderji didn't want me to get influenced by the earlier film. So I had no idea what the film was all about."
"Balachanderji would come up to me, whisper comforting things in my ears, and I would do the scene. I'd just follow what he said. I was like a sponge, absorbing all that I was given. Balachanderji would talk to me in Tamil, then English. Prasadji, Balachanderji and Kamalji would pull up a chair and explain the scenes to me. That's how I managed."
"I couldn't have done it without these three great artistes to guide me through 'Ek Duuje Ke Liye'. Talent is all very well. But what really matters is luck. I was lucky to have Balachanderji as the director of my first Hindi film."
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