Shekhar Kapur glad he didn't compromise on 'Masoom'

MUMBAI: Many people had urged Shekhar Kapur to change the script of his 1983 debut directorial feature, "Masoom", and the filmmaker says he is glad that he had the courage to silence those voices, and follow his vision.

"So many people that ‘knew' wanted me to change the script of 'Masoom'," Kapur wrote on Twitter while sharing a poster of the film, adding: "People that were famous, experienced and ‘knowledgeable' told me it had no drama, no villain. I was naive, unknown, unskilled and untrained. But rebellious. Thank God for that."

Released in 1983, "Masoom" narrates story of a man whose life turns upside down when he gets to know that he has an illegitimate son from a past affair. The film featured Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, with Jugal Hansraj and Urmila Matondkar as child actors.

Kapur's second film as director after "Masoom" was "Mr India" in 1987, which went on to become a blockbuster. He gained international recognition with the 1994 film, "Bandit Queen", which was based on the life of Phoolan Devi, a bandit from Uttar Pradesh who later became a Parliamentarian. Kapur later moved to Hollywood, to direct films such as "Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age".