MUMBAI: On Day 2 of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), a masterclass witnessed an unfiltered, heartfelt interaction with acclaimed filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra in a session titled “Unscripted: The Art & Emotion of Filmmaking,” moderated by award-winning screenwriter Abhijat Joshi.
The session drew a full house, reflecting Chopra’s influence across generations of cinema lovers.
IFFI 2025, organised by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the Government of Goa, continues to strengthen its commitment to knowledge exchange through curated master sessions that explore storytelling, craft, and cultural impact.
Speaking with characteristic candour, Chopra took the audience through three defining films of his career, Parinda, 1942: A Love Story, and 12th Fail and how each of them was shaped by who he was at that time. Reflecting on Parinda, he said, “When I made Parinda, I was a very violent man myself. I am far less violent now, thanks to Anupama, who married me and stayed married for 30 years. She has calmed me down.”
He recalled how distributors had offered him ₹11 lakh in cash to change the ending and keep Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit alive, but he refused. “I said I can’t do that, because what I am saying in the film is that violence begets violence.”
Chopra then spoke about 12th Fail, calling it a personal reaction to the socio-political atmosphere around him. “Corruption around me pushed me to make 12th Fail. I am personally sick and tired of seeing the level of corruption,” he said. He added that if the film could inspire even a fraction of the system to choose honesty over corruption, he would consider it a success.
He also described the overwhelming experience of watching 1942: A Love Story in its newly restored 8K version at IFFI, saying the restoration moved him to tears. He expressed gratitude to collaborators like NFDC–NFAI, “people who lived in Italy for four months to work on the restoration,” whose efforts will enable a new generation to rediscover the film’s timeless visuals and music.
Throughout the discussion, Chopra reiterated that his creative choices evolve with the world he inhabits. “An artist is not independent of the times he lives in… my cinema reflects what I see,” he said, prompting a resonant applause from the audience.
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