As Namkeen turns 44, legendary filmmaker and poet Gulzar revisits one of his favorite films in this exclusive interview with ETimes. He opened up about his background, characters, music and lasting influences. Interview excerpts:Gulzar Saab, Namkeen It remains one of your favorite films. What does it mean to you today?I have to admit, I’ve always had a soft spot Namkeen. It’s like that kid of yours left behind in the race. Samresh Basu has always been one of my favorite authors. I had read all his works in the original Bengali, so I knew the nuances that are often lost in translation. Namkeen It’s based on a story of his that I loved from the moment I read it.The film had a strong gallery of female characters. What drew you to them?For me, the most interesting part Namkeen there were these four women, one past the age of marriage, one of marriageable age, another approaching it, and their mother, constantly worried. I emphasized his fears in the film. As these women hold on to the man who enters their lives, he begins as a tenant but soon becomes their support system. He shares a special relationship with each of them.You had an amazing cast, Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore, Shabana Azmi and Kiran Vairale. Was it difficult to get them together?Not at all Why should it be difficult? If you offer actors good roles, why would they say no? Everyone did well. Yes, Kiran Vairal reminded me Jaya Bhaduri.And Sanjeev Kumar held his own so brilliantlySanjeev Kumar was always my first choice for male leads. In my cinema, there were two constants: him and RD Burman. I had the privilege of working closely with both of them.His collaboration with RD Burman gave us classics like ‘Parichay’, ‘Khubsoorat’, ‘Aandhi’, ‘Kitaab’ and ‘Namkeen’. What made it so special?Pancham was a very unique and versatile composer. The work he did with me was very different from what he did with others. I never gave him a reference point, I would tell him what the film needed emotionally.Any memorable moments from creating music at Namkeen?Yes, while working on “Phir Se Aaiyo Badra Bidesi” sung by Asha Bhosle and performed by Shabana Azmi, there was a gap in the composition. Pancham thought a line was needed, so we added, “Tujhe meri kaali kamli wali ki sau…”Was it difficult to get the rights to Samresh Basu’s story?I met Samresh Basu personally. He had a beautiful smile and a very warm personality. I first met him when I was helping out Bimal Roy. I rewrote the story for the movie, but I made sure not to distort it. For me, the story is the raw material of the script, just like the script is of the film.The title Namkeen it’s quite unusual, like your other films. What is the story behind it?I believe that a movie should be completely defined by its title. I originally titled it Namkeen Hrishikesh Mukherjee, but he didn’t like it. So I said, “Main aapko Khubsoorat title de raha hoon”, and I took it Namkeen backWas the title inspired by the character Nimki?No, not really. If you try to analyze a title too much, it starts to sound absurd. A title should have room to grow over time. It’s like Alfred Hitchcock appearing in his films, it seems arbitrary at first, but with time, you understand its meaning.
