Hansal Mehta was born in April, but it’s October that has proved to be a landmark month for him. His first theatrical release, Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar, was released on October 6, 2000. Shahid, the film that revived him, arrived in cinemas on October 18, 2013. Scam 1992, one of the greatest web series of India, dropped on Sony LIV on October 9, 2020. Meanwhile, he has made a show on Mahatma Gandhi, who, incidentally, was born on October 2!
25 Years of Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar EXCLUSIVE – The film that launched Hansal Mehta as a theatrical filmmaker is shockingly LOST forever: “The negatives have been DESTROYED; there’s NO record of the film”
Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke with Hansal Mehta at the Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF). When this writer asked him if he noticed how October has been special for him, the talented filmmaker smiled and said, “I did not realize that (smiles). I would also like to add that my son Pallava, who is a special child, was also born in October. My sister, who is in the true sense the ghar ki Lakshmi, is also October-born. So yes, I think that October is a significant month!”
As Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar completes 25 years, it also means that Hansal Mehta celebrates his 25th anniversary as a theatrical filmmaker. Will he celebrate the landmark occasion by having a reunion with the film’s lead actors, Manoj Bajpayee and Tabu? The director said, “We have been talking about it. But the unfortunate thing is that the film’s negatives are destroyed.”
He explained, “My producing partners had sent the negatives to Adlabs. When Adlabs was shutting down, it sent a notice to the producing partners informing them that ‘all the negatives are with us. Claim them within a month. Or else, we’ll destroy them’. They were given a notice of one month. But either nobody received the notice, or they did but didn’t pay heed to it. Eventually, the negatives were destroyed. So, rather than celebrate the film, I am very sad about the development.”
Hansal Mehta continued, “I asked my producers the other day about the negatives. They had no clue and later, they realized that the negatives were destroyed. So, there’s no record of the film.”
Hansal Mehta’s second theatrical film, Chhal (2002), starring Kay Kay Menon and Prashant Narayanan, had also faced a similar challenge. On this, he revealed, “We retrieved the negatives of Chhal. At present, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur’s Film Heritage Foundation is helping me restore the film.”
As Hansal Mehta completes 25 years, can we expect a ‘Hansal Mehta Film Festival’ where his memorable films can be screened? He answered, “We are hoping to do that. It’s just that Dil Pe Mat Yaar won’t be there as it’s gone.”
Earlier this year, a full-house screening of Shahid was held in Mumbai. Hansal has been vocal on Twitter about the film’s absence from OTT. He said, “I had to struggle to get the print of that film for screening.” Is it possible for him to buy the rights to the film so that he can make it available to the public? Hansal smiled and said, “No. I can’t afford to take the rights.”
Shahid began his wonderful association with Rajkummar Rao. Both helped each other in getting the much-needed limelight. It’s been almost 8 years since they last worked together. When asked if there’s any project with Rajkummar Rao happening, Hansal said, “We keep talking, but we have to find the right thing for us to make. By the right thing, I mean that both of us should be excited about the script and film. I don’t think we have found that subject yet after Omerta (2018).”
More Pages: Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar Box Office Collection , Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar Movie Review
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2025 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.