Mumbai: Every time Meghna Gulzar finishes the first draft of a script, her father, veteran poet-lyricist-filmmaker Gulzar, gets the first read. He doesn’t rewrite it or correct it — he simply reacts, sometimes with an exclamation mark when a line or moment moves him deeply.
It is a small ritual that captures the working equation between the father-daughter duo.
Gulzar, who has served as a lyricist on all of Meghna’s directorial projects, from her debut “Filhaal” to critical hits “Talvar”, “Raazi”, “Chhapaak” and “Sam Bahadur”, and now her latest “Daayra”, said he never gets to see a script while she is still writing it.
According to him, she prefers to develop her ideas without allowing outside opinions to influence the early stages of her creative process.
Talking about Meghna’s writing process, Gulzar said that she does not even allow him to come close to the script while she is working on it.
“When she is working on her script, she doesn’t even let me smell it, doesn’t let me come close. And I consider that completely justified. Why should even the shadow of an opinion or a hint of external thought fall upon it? You must complete the work entirely in your own way,” he said. For Gulzar, this separation allows Meghna to develop her ideas freely before seeking feedback from others.
Their Collaboration Begins At A Later Stage
While Meghna keeps the initial writing process private, Gulzar said their creative collaboration eventually begins when the project moves towards music and songs.
Even when a film has only one song, Meghna shares the completed script with him so that they can understand the story and its requirements before working on the lyrics. However, Gulzar emphasised that Meghna remains the final decision-maker when it comes to her films. She may listen to suggestions and opinions from people around her, but ultimately trusts her own judgement.
Gulzar Praises Meghna’s Approach To Filmmaking
Gulzar also praised Meghna for developing her own perspective and bringing it honestly to the screen. “She has lived life in her own way, felt life in her own way, and continues to express herself on screen with absolute honesty,” he said. Meghna has established herself as a filmmaker known for tackling layered subjects through films such as Talvar, Raazi and Sam Bahadur. Her approach has often involved extensive research and an emphasis on creating grounded narratives.
About ‘Daayra’
Daayra stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran and is produced by Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios.
The film is scheduled to release in cinemas on September 18, while its trailer will be unveiled on August 31.
