Age no bar

When she decided to direct the film,though she had everyone’s support,her family,however,was worried about her health,“considering I am 73 years old,” she laughs. She was in fact in high spirits as it was what she wanted to do for a long time.

Talking about the film,she said that she was working on the story for about five years but when she found a willing producer in Legend Movies,she began diligently working on the screenplay and dialogue,which were completed within five weeks. The film was shot at Kolhapur and Mumbai within 27 days.

Selecting the cast was also not a big task,she said,as Arun Nalavade and Sharad Ponkshe were her choices even as she was writing the story. When she narrated the story to actor Milind Gawli,he got emotional. When questioned,she learned that he had just lost his mother and gradually started talking about her. He agreed to do the film saying it was his mother’s blessings that he got a film on Mata. “Milind was emotionally involved with the film right from the start,” says the director. Prasad Javade came to become her assistant but she signed him to play her hero’s brother as he suited the role. Madhura selected Deepali Pansare to play the heroine after watching her in a comedy serial. “Deepali had the right look and age,” she says. The debutant director described how she and her crew managed to successfully capture a sunrise for a scene. “It was a scene when Milind is on the bullock-cart singing a song at the break of the dawn. We had the set-up ready and reached the location at 3.45 am to capture the sunrise. I think it is the most beautiful scene in the film,” she beams. She also recalls how everyone,from the light-boys to the spot-boys,would call her aai on the sets and “since the title of the film was Aai Tuzha Aashirwad,they would seek my blessings every morning saying,‘Aai tuzha aashirwad aamuchavar asudhya (Mother give us your blessings). It was a great feeling,” she recalls.

The biggest achievement for the septuagenarian was when she roped in legendary singers Lata Mangeshkar and Pandit Jasraj to sing for her film. “Lataji said,‘Tu direct kartes na. Mee gaayeen’ (Since you shall be directing,I shall sign for you). As for Panditji,he was a little apprehensive as he has never sung in Marathi. Finally,he agreed to do it. I am grateful to both,” she says.

When asked how is the film faring at the box-office,she admits candidly that the initial reports are okay. She is however glad that she helmed a movie at the age of 73.

On the personal front,Madhura has always had the support of her family. She says that her father V. Shantaram and husband Pandit Jasraj,eminent personalities in their own right,always knew that she had all the makings of a filmmaker. “Marriage and kids kept me busy for a very long time,” she said. However when her children – music director Sharang and actress Durga Jasraj – grew up,Madhura got back to work. She directed documentaries and kid’s plays. She also directed and produced critically-acclaimed ballets Geet Govind,Kaan Kahaani and Surdas. Her most popular series on TV was Faster Phene which marked the debut of actor Sumeet Raghavan.

Madhura is proud to have learnt everything about filmmaking from her great father. As a kid,she would go on the sets of her father’s films every Saturday after school and would keenly observe him.

Later she directed a film based on his work titled Portrait Of A Pioneer,which was released in 1990 after he passed away. “He had seen some of it,” she recalls. Prior to that,she had penned his biography Shantarama in 1985.

Madhura says that one thing that has stayed with her is what he had told her when she was confused while working on Faster Phene.

“I remember him telling me,‘Don’t think. Just follow your heart and there is no need to fear. Take the first shot that comes into your head.’ I have followed this advice ever since,” says the director,who has diverse plans but she doesn’t want to divulge till things fall into place. “I have proved that age doesn’t matter and that I am willing to work even harder,” she signs off.