Director Khalid Mohamed delves into the making, themes, and lasting impact of his film, Fiza, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. The conversation covers the challenges and inspirations behind the movie, from working with a star-studded cast to addressing sensitive socio-political issues. Mohamed revisits the film’s relevance, highlighting its exploration of themes that continue to resonate with audiences even decades later.
Reflecting on his work, Mohamed views Fiza as a significant achievement, particularly in its cinematic and thematic depth. He emphasizes the film’s exploration of the repercussions of the 1992-93 riots and its message against the polarization of communities, which he believes have underlying vested political interests. He highlights the importance of secularism in the film, particularly in the song and picturization of the qawwali ‘Piya Haji Ali’ composed by A. R. Rahman.
Mohamed acknowledges the influence of Costa-Gavras’s directorial style, particularly the pacing and editing techniques, which were further enhanced by the contributions of editor Sreekar Prasad, cinematographer Santosh Sivan, and the background music by Ranjit Barot. Despite facing challenges, Mohamed maintained his composure throughout the production. He recalls the film’s budget of Rs 7 crore, which earned upwards of Rs 32 crore. He also mentions how his work on Mammo and Zubeidaa, along with Fiza, has defined his identity.
Mohamed speaks about the dream cast of the film, including Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Manoj Bajpayee, Karisma Kapoor, and Sushmita Sen. He clarifies that he didn’t seek any commercial ingredients by including cameos from Mr. Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. He highlights the strong performances of Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, and Sushmita Sen. Hrithik, despite being a rising star at the time, remained unaffected by the stardom and would go to great lengths to reach the shoot locations. Also, Nadira Zaheer Babbar politely declined to play a part, which later Asha Sachdev took, and Akshay Kumar was not cast in the film. He reflects on the challenges of directing a large cast, but he saw them as collaborators and mentioned his grandma’s words: ‘Kabhi kisike mohtaj mat banna’ which means ‘Never be dependent on anyone’.
Mohamed discusses the film’s exploration of Muslim identity, stating that he feels ‘torn apart’ by the rise of segregation and non-inclusivity. He admits that he has not found any financiers or producers willing to fund films on the subject, which is the reason for his withdrawal from making films. He responds to the criticism from journalists, particularly those from Stardust, Indian Express, and India Today. He also reflects on his withdrawal from the film world, attributing it to his preference for working on other creative endeavors. He has been writing books, directing theatre plays, and making documentaries. He has also completed novels and occasionally indulges in painting. He considers this to be more than enough work for him.
