Sudhir Mishra recalls starting Chameli with “29 rough pages” of script and wrapped it in 28 days after Anant Balani passed away: “We shot for 12 hours a day” 29 : Bollywood News

Sudhir Mishra recalls starting Chameli with “29 rough pages” of script and wrapped it in 28 days after Anant Balani passed away: “We shot for 12 hours a day”

Sudhir Mishra recalls stepping in to complete Chameli after director Anant Balani passed away.

Kareena Kapoor Khan’s 2004 film Chameli was almost shelved after its director Anant Balani tragically passed away just two days into filming. In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, filmmaker Sudhir Mishra reflected on how he came to helm the project after being approached by producer Pritish Nandy.

Sudhir Mishra recalls starting Chameli with “29 rough pages” of script and wrapped it in 28 days after Anant Balani passed away: “We shot for 12 hours a day”

“There are a lot of stories about Chameli, but let me set the record straight. Chameli was being directed by Anant Balani, a film institute graduate who had already made two films. He passed away just two days into the film’s shoot. At the time, I was working on Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, which was produced by Pritish Nandy, who was also producing Chameli. He approached me to complete the film,” Sudhir Mishra recalled.

Facing the Challenge of an Incomplete Script

Sudhir Mishra faced a unique challenge as Chameli’s script was unfinished, and Balani had improvised much of it. “When I asked for the script, the team informed me that Anant was improvising, and they handed me around 29 rough pages of it,” Mishra said. To tackle this, Sudhir Mishra enlisted screenwriters Shiv Kumar Subramaniam, Swanand Kirkire, and others to develop the film’s narrative. “We wrote the details of the plot within a week, but we continued improvising every day during the shoot,” he explained.

Kareena Kapoor’s Performance Stands Out

Mishra also praised Kareena Kapoor Khan for her dedication and professionalism during the making of Chameli. Despite the challenges, including working long hours and performing in difficult conditions, Kareena remained committed to her role. “Kareena’s talent is immense. It’s fascinating. She was given her dialogues every morning, but that’s something those in popular cinema are used to. Coming from Raj Kapoor’s lineage, she has a sense of discipline, respect for her director, and respect for the process,” Sudhir noted.

He added that Kapoor’s ability to contribute to her scenes impressed him. “Even when I would forget to say ‘cut’ during a scene, she never stopped—she kept acting. She would often add something of her own that I hadn’t directed her to do. It’s not easy to rehearse and perform in the rain while wearing a heavy saree, but Kareena did it effortlessly. We shot for 12 hours a day and completed the film in 28 days,” Mishra shared.

Chameli, which was completed and released just four months after production began, proved to be a pivotal moment in Kareena Kapoor Khan’s career. The film, which also starred Rahul Bose, showcased her versatility and dedication as an actor.

Also Read: Sudhir Mishra praises Kareena Kapoor Khan’s dedication during Chameli shoot; says, “She is from Raj Kapoor’s family, she knows how to respect the director and the process”