How Akshay Kumar’s ‘Rustom’ crushed Soni Razdan’s Nanavati directorial dream: ‘One day, when the time is right, it will happen’ | Hindi Movie News
About ten years ago, Sony Razdan he was working on his second directorial venture, ‘Love Affair’. Although her first film as a director, ‘Nazar’, which was released in 2005, was written by her husband and renowned filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and was produced under her brother Mukesh Bhatt’s Vishesh Films banner, ‘Love Affair’ was a different proposition. The film was co-produced by Pooja Bhatt, Mahesh’s eldest daughter from his first marriage with Kiran Bhatt, along with Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series, under his production company Fish Eye Network Private Limited. However, the project did not reach the screen.
Sony Razdan had Ali Fazal and Kalki Koechlin in his ‘Love Affair’
Soni had also started making “Love Affair” in Ooty. The film was based on the 1959 Nanavati murder case and boasted a dramatic cast, with Ali Fazal playing Nanavati, Kalki Koechlin as his wife, and Chandan Roy Sanyal stepping in as lawyer Ram Jethmalani. The film also featured Gulshan Devaiah, Hansika Motwani, and Soni herself in lead roles.
Soni Razdan reveals how Akshay Kumar’s “Rustom” messed up his Nanavati film
Speaking to SCREEN in an exclusive interview, a distraught Soni said, “Unfortunately, it happens with movies.” Sony was on the verge of rolling over the cameras before things ended. “I had three weeks to start shooting, and things went wrong with the budget for one reason or another, which obviously I can’t talk about. Then it didn’t happen, and Rustom came out. When they did Rustom, I said this was not the right time,” recalls Soni, referring to the time of Tinu Suresh Desai who hit the time of crime in the Nanati murder case. The film featured Akshay Kumar in the lead role, inspired by naval officer KM Nanavati.
Soni Razdan still hopes to make Nanavati a director one day
Although “Love Affair” did not appear on the screen, Sony did not give up on its ambitions to direct it. The film remains close to his heart and he is sure to bring it to life when the time is right. “I still want to make this film because it was a very good, very good idea from the woman’s story, from the woman’s story. It was a film about three people, and we followed the story very carefully. And one day, when the time is right, it will happen,” says Soni.
About Nanavati’s murder case and her on-screen transformation
The Nanavati murder case is about a naval officer who killed his wife’s lover. The case has inspired many movies and shows over the years. RK Nayyar produced Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke in 1963, with Ashok Kumar, Sunil Dutt, and Leela Naidu. Gulzar also produced a crime-based film called ‘Achanak’ in 1973, starring Vinod Khanna, Om Shivpuri, and Lily Chakravarty.
Soni Razdan played Mehra Nanavati in ‘The Verdict – State vs Nanavati’
Later, PN Menon made a Malayalam film called ‘Ashthram’, loosely based on the same story, starring Bharath Gopi, Mammootty, and Jyothi. After ‘Rustom’ hit, Ekta Kapoor produced a web series called ‘The Verdict – State vs Nanavati’ for ALTBalaji and ZEE5. It was the first change to use the real names of the case. The episode featured Manav Kaul as Nanavati, Elli Avram as his wife, and Viraf Patel as his lover. Most importantly, Soni Razdan also appeared in the series, playing Mehra Nanavati.
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