I am proud of being Kamal Amrohi's grandson: Mashoor Amrohi

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) Think of legendary filmmaker Kamal Amrohi and one cannot but visualise grandeur and opulence writ all over the silver screen, as symbolised by his films, from 'Mahal' in the 50s to 'Pakeezah' in the 70s to his swansong 'Razia Sultan'.

So it comes as a bit of a surprise to find the grandson of the great filmmaker make his debut with a light romantic comedy which encompasses all the elements of a typical Bollywood film.

However, for Mashoor Amrohi, the grandson of Kamal Amrohi who makes his debut as actor and director with 'Hum Sey Hai Jahaan' next week, the legacy of his grandfather, while a matter of pride for him, is not something which he can even think of emulating given his limited resources.

''Today, if somebody gives me, say, about Rs 100 crore, I would love to make a grand epic like 'Pakeezah' or 'Razia Sultan'. However, at present, with my limited resources, I am content in making a film which I feel will provide to the cinegoers wholesome entertainment.

Moreover, I feel that one makes only the kinds of films one sees and is influenced by. In that sense, our levels of entertainment are different,'' Mashoor Amrohi told UNI here.

In the capital for promotion of his film, which features newcomer Vishakha Singh in the lead, Mashoor, however, said his legacy as the grandson of Kamal Amrohi was something for him to be immensely proud of.

''I am proud of my lineage. Also, today, for a person like me who does not have a big platform like that of Adlabs, UTV of PVR to extensively promote his film, the only way to convince the cinegoers about one's sincerity of purpose to associate oneself with a famous name like Kamal Amrohi.

''So, even though his style of filmmaking was grand and period films, it does help to give a face value to my film. The purpose is not to use his name to ensure a box office draw for 'Hum Sey Hai Jahan' but to convince the viewers to have faith in me and my film,'' Mashoor said.

Asked about the kind of influence the late Kamal Amrohi had on him while directing the film, Mashoor said,''I was very small, just eight to ten years old, when my grandfather was into active filmmaking.

The platform at which we interacted was more personal than professional. So whatever impression of him on my life were more on my personal life.

''However, at some level, I was influenced by the simplicity inherent in Kamal Amrohi's films like 'Pakeezah' and 'Mahal' in that his films did not have an overemphasis on technology that often makes them unintelligible to the viewer. This aspect of his films is something that I have tried to imbibe in my films.'' It is interesting to note that Mashhoor Amrohi has scripted, directed and acted in 'Hum Sey Hai Jahan'.

''Actually, I always wanted to be an actor. However, I felt I was too much of being the college kind. So I decided to wait and while I was assisting David Dhawan in 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi', I wrote this script out of sheer boredom.

''Initially, while I was writing the script of 'Hum Sey Hain Jahan', I thought, I would only act in the film and give it to someone else to direct. But when I wrote it, I felt that justice could only be done to the film if I directed it myself. I was too close to the script to let anybody else envision it in their way.

I wanted the final product to come out in exactly the same manner.

So I decided to myself wield the megaphone,''Mashoor said.

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