20 Years Of Deewangee EXCLUSIVE: “I remember Ajay Devgn told Urmila Matondkar, ‘Tu darti bahut accha hai. Tereko aur darana chahiye’” – Neerraj Pathak
No matter how well-made a suspense film is, there’ll be a small section of moviegoers who’ll claim that they knew the twist beforehand. Here’s where Deewangee (2002) stands out. This is a film which no one claim to be predictable. Starring Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna and Urmila Matondkar, it gave a jolt to the viewers during the intermission sequence, when the suspense was unveiled. Interestingly, the Anees Bazmee-directed film continued to engross viewers in the second half, even after the suspense was revealed.
As Deewangee completed 20 years on October 25, Bollywood Hungama spoke exclusively to screenplay and dialogue writer Neerraj Pathak (also the director of Right Yaaa Wrong and Bhaiaji Superhit) about his experience, memories and a lot more.
How did you become a part of Deewangee?
Anees Bazmee called me at 11 o’clock at night, and asked me if I was awake. When I replied in the affirmative, he informed me that he was coming below my building and asked if I can meet him. He told me, ‘Thoda problem hai. I am doing this film, Deewangee. I have got the dates of Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna and Urmila Matondkar. The shooting is in 1 ½ months. I need your help to write the script’. He then opened the trunk of his car. It had a suitcase which consisted of as many as 18 scripts. Those were the 18 different versions of Deewangee! He told me that he was confused as to which version he should opt for. He asked me if he wants the 18 scripts for reference. I told him, ‘Yeh suitcase aap bandh kar do. Agar maine bhi yeh scripts padh li, toh mera aur aapka haal same ho jaayega’. I suggested that he should narrate the film which is there in his mind. He told me the idea in half an hour at the very spot. He’s a fantastic narrator. I understood the film and asked him to give me some time to develop the script.
Besides writing the script, you also wrote the dialogues…
Initially, I was not supposed to write the dialogues. I was only doing the screenplay. I worked on the first half in just 15 days. He heard and said, ‘Mazaa aa gaya. Aap ekdum correct track pe hai’. While writing the screenplay, I inserted a few dialogues. He suggested that I should pen the dialogues as well. I told him that I don’t write dialogues since I find the process boring! He replied, ‘Aap dialogues kar dete toh accha tha’. I persuaded him not to involve me in dialogue writing. Then, I worked on the second half and based on his inputs, got the script ready.
Then how did you got credited as the dialogue writer?
Kyunki unhone smartly mujh se dialogues bhi likhwa diye! He was about to shoot the first scene of the film. I was at Ajmer Sharif. He called me and said ‘Kal 2 baje shooting hai aur main dialogue likh nahi paaya hoon’. He said there was a lot of pressure on him and requested me to write the dialogues of the first chunk of the film. He said, ‘Bas itna likh do. Fir koi tension nahin hai’. I told him that I am travelling but he requested me to send the dialogues by nighttime. I agreed and wrote the dialogues of the first three scenes.
He shot these scenes and even more. Then he was about to film the courtroom drama. That was the time when I was about to go to Titwala for darshan. He called me at 7 AM and told me, ‘Aap Titwala mein darshan baad mein kar lena. Pehle studio ke darshan kar lo’! He explained, ‘I am shooting the courtroom scene today at 2 PM. And I have not written a single dialogue’. I was shocked. He said he was going through some problem which he was trying to sort out till 4 AM. He asked me to help him out. My family went to Titwala while I headed to Filmistan. The ADs greeted me the way they would welcome Amitabh Bachchan! They were like ‘Neeraj bhai aa gaye…Neerraj bhai aa gaye’! I told Anees bhai, ‘Aap phansa dete ho mujhe’.
Backstage, he arranged for some lights, provided me with a table, chair, and snacks and asked me to write. Now, the courtroom sequence is very crucial to the film. I was blank and had no idea what to write. 15 minutes later, Anees bhai told me, ‘Akshaye Khanna aa gaya hai. Aur woh dialogue maang raha hai!’ I told him to give me some time.
It’s incredible that a film, with such powerful writing, was written on the sets…
This was a common practice. Then, scripts and especially dialogues were written on the sets. An hour later, I gave him the first draft of the first scene. This is the scene where Ajay says ‘Kaale coat’. I narrated the dialogues. We had a discussion, added some points and it was locked. Then I wrote the next courtroom scene on the same day. This is how Anees bhai smartly got the dialogues done from me for key sequences in bits and pieces!
Do you mean to say that you wrote the shocking interval scene as well?
Yes, I wrote all key sequences, from the interval block to Akshaye Khanna banging his head in the jail to Ajay’s first turnaround when he tells Seema Biswas ‘Kainchi ki tarah zubaan chalti hai teri. Kainchi se hi kaat dunga’. Ajay Devgn’s character was very interesting, and I got really involved in it. So, I was narrating the dialogues to Anees bhai as if I was also a split personality patient! Anees bhai recorded it. He added his own punches and then showed Ajay Devgn what exactly he wants. And Ajay Devgn took it to another level.
You and Anees Bazmee seem to have a great bond…
Anees bhai and I had a great camaraderie. He shot Deewangee so well. And the way Ajay Devgn performed, Deewangee became one of the finest thrillers. My friendship with Anees bhai is so strong that we wrote the whole film and not even once, we discussed the remuneration. It was only later that he asked me how much I’ll charge. I told him, ‘Paiso ke baare mein kya baat karna’. He then paid what he felt was apt and I also happily accepted it. Such is our friendship.
How and when did both of you meet?
Anees bhai and I had begun work on a film named Mulk. It never got made. The producer of the film knew me well. He told Anees that I’ll be writing the script. Anees bhai wasn’t comfortable with this arrangement. He wondered, why is the producer giving me a writer? Nevertheless, he agreed. I had gone to narrate to him the first half in his then Goregaon office. In his mind, main producer ka aadmi tha! So he was courteous but I could feel that he was not warm towards me. We started the narration. As soon as I finished narrating the first scene, his stance changed. He asked me if I’ll have tea! Thus began our friendship. 1 ½ year later of this meeting, he called me and offered Deewangee.
There are stories that the original casting of Deewangee was different…
When I got involved in the film, Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna and Urmila Matondkar were already on board. But before, I guess Karisma Kapoor and some other heroines were considered.
There are also reports on the internet that Akshaye Khanna and Ajay Devgn had issues while working together…
There were no issues. Akshaye is a dedicated actor who believes in method acting. Though Ajay had a very author-backed role, Akshaye tried to find his stake as well. And look how he shined where he breaks his head and puts the blame on Ajay. Akshaye Khanna has a dialogue, ‘Waise, game bahut acche khela tumne. Bas aadmi galat chuun liya’. Anees bhai ne yeh line karke dikhayi. Akshaye copied it as it is since Anees did it so well. This happens a lot on his sets, especially in comedy scenes. He’s known for comic capers but with Deewangee, he proved that he can make a fine thriller as well. I always tell him that he should make more films in this genre.
During the promotions of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022), Anees Bazmee expressed the desire to make a sequel to Deewangee…
He did tell me about it. Around 4-5 months ago, he called and said, ‘Bhai, Deewangee ka sequel socho na zara’! I told him that I’ll work on it.
The film ends by showing that Tarang probably is alive. Was it added with the idea of taking the story forward?
Ajay Devgn’s character was so significant and intelligent that we didn’t feel like killing him. That’s why we ended the film by hinting that he’s possibly alive. We had the hope that we might make a second part. However, that was a time when the trend of a sequel was not there. As a result, despite doing well, nobody thought or even asked for Deewangee 2. Had Deewangee been released in the present day, there would have been a lot of demand for its sequel.
How was it to work with Urmila Matondkar?
She worked very dedicatedly. I was present in the key scenes and she understood the character very well. She was excellent in the scene where Ajay attacks Tanaaz Irani and where she was supposed to act scared. It was a one-take shot. Anees bhai did take one more shot, to extract a different layer of performance but her first shot was just perfect. I remember Ajay told Urmila, ‘Tu darti bahut accha hai. Tereko aur darana chahiye’!
Did you visit the cinema halls to check the audience reaction?
Yes, Anees bhai and I went together. I still remember when Ajay challenges Akshaye at the interval point, there was madness in the cinema hall. People were whistling and hooting! After, some 15 reputed celebrities called me, few were those who would call me once in six months or a year! I still remember Himesh Reshammiya calling me. He told me, ‘Aapne toh faad diya. Main theatre se hil hi nahin pa raha hoon. Kya thriller bana diya’! Also, Ratan Jain ji called to congratulate me.
Ajay Devgn won the Filmfare Award for Best Villain. However, Deewangee didn’t even get the nomination for Best Story, Screenplay or Dialogues, forget winning the award. Did that hurt you?
Even we were surprised. I guess it was one of its kind thrillers and there were a lot of twists and turns. But we didn’t take it to heart as we knew we had made a good film. And most importantly, it was thanks to Deewangee that Anees bhai and I became such close friends. Since then, he always narrates his film to me. He does that just to get an assurance that the script is promising.
Your friendship with Anees continues even today…
When creators love each other, they want to give more and deliver better. Every second day, we speak and that’s even though we worked on just one film. He did offer me a couple of films. But since I was busy with direction and other work, we couldn’t collaborate. But we are planning something and hopefully, we’ll reunite once again.
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