Khalid Mohamed, the director, discusses the 25th anniversary of his film, Fiza, reflecting on its production, central themes, and its enduring significance. Mohamed shares his experiences, inspirations, and the challenges of managing a large cast and addressing sensitive socio-political issues. He revisits the film’s continuing relevance and examines the complexities explored within the narrative.
Mohamed highlights Fiza’s cinematic and thematic significance, particularly in its portrayal of the 1992-93 riots’ effects. He emphasizes the importance of secularism as a message in the film through the qawwali ‘Piya Haji Ali’ and its critique of political manipulation within communities. He acknowledges his influences, including Costa-Gavras. Despite facing negativity, Mohamed emphasizes the film’s financial success, which earned over Rs 32 crore, against a budget of Rs 7 crore.
Mohamed discusses his cast, including Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Manoj Bajpayee, Karisma Kapoor, and Sushmita Sen. He reveals why he avoided including cameos from Mr. Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. He commends the performances of Hrithik Roshan and Karisma Kapoor, also discussing the challenges of directing them, like the shooting of ‘Mast Mahaul’ in Udaipur. He shares that Nadira Zaheer Babbar turned down the role and the eventual casting of Asha Sachdev. He also describes how he decided against casting Akshay Kumar.
Mohamed discusses the experience of directing a large ensemble, viewing the cast as collaborators. He states that he is ‘torn apart’ with the rise of segregation and non-inclusivity. He also explains his decision to withdraw from the film industry, which is because of his shift to other creative endeavors.