Indian director Sriram Raghavan revealed that Saif Ali Khan was initially unsure about taking the lead in his 2004 hit film, There was one beauty.
Raghavan shared that while Urmila Matondka immediately connected with her character, Saif was hesitant because he had just finished Dil Chahta Hai and was still finding his footing in the industry.
“He had just started seeing if audience liked his work; he hadn’t had many successes in a while.There was one beauty was his 44th film, and he wasn’t sure if it was the right choice. But somehow, we got along; we liked similar films and books, so he trusted me,” Raghavan said during a Masterclass at the Red Lorry Film Festival.
The neo- thriller, produced by Ram Gopal Varma, marked Raghavan’s debut as a director and featured Saif and Urmila in the lead roles.Raghavan recalled that the story came to him after he lost the chance to direct Ab Tak Chhappan. “I was planning to work on another project with Ramu, which didn’t happen. Then I got this story, and I decided I wanted to do it,” he said.
The film’s script, written by Pooja Ladha Surti, was noted for its raw and novel – like quality.
The Agent Vinod director also spoke about lessons from producer Ram Gopal Varma, including the importance of not repeating oneself as a filmmaker and enjoying the process. “We finished the final cut, and Ramu said,‘You’ve made a good film. Don’t try to repeat it; focus on your enjoyment,’” Raghavan said.
He added that he had once planned a film based on Ira Levin’s novel A Kiss Before Dyingbut the project was dropped when the story was already being adapted into the Hindi film Baazigar.
Raghavan’s latest film, Ikkisa biographical war drama on Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal featuring Agastya Nanda, received positive reviews for its peace-focused narrative, though it did not attract large audiences.
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