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Finding the `Arth' of life over food...
THE SARAANSH OF GOOD FOOD AT LE MERIDIEN: Mahesh Bhatt reveals a thing or two about his life at Le Meridien in New Delhi. Photo: S. Subramanium.
THE PASTEL greens at Golden Phoenix seem to soothe Mahesh Bhatt's ardour and zeal. Fiercely individualistic, there seems to be a restlessness in him that can be compared to the turn and ebb of the ocean. Life has no full stops, he says over a steaming bowl of Chinese soup - "The more you know, you should know that what you do not know is more''. Bhatt Saheb, as he is popularly known as has an unquenchable thirst for life and wakes up with a feeling of discontent every morning, of not quite being there - "Nights should have a feeling of rest and days a sense of completion''. The Mumbai-based maverick filmmaker-turned-writer, who was in New Delhi the other day, wakes up at 4-30 a.m. to put his thoughts together and plan for the day. After all moments are what days are made of - even a film is remembered by moments, sketches of colour in your mind. Golden Phoenix at Le Meridien offers a wide range of Cantonese and Szechwan dishes, including favourites like Sliced Chicken and Special King Prawns on Sizzler. But Mahesh Bhatt is a vegetarian and we decide to do it his way - Shredded Potatoes in hot Garlic Sauce, Crispy fried Spinach and Broccoli and Sweet Corn in a Szechwan sauce.
"My mother was a Muslim and she lovingly tried to introduce me to the finer nuances of kebab and other meat preparations, but perhaps I have my father's Brahmin genes in me. I can eat my mother's aloo fry with chillies and her simple dal twice a day and every day." He declines to order anything from the restaurant's wine card, as he has been a strict teetotaller for the last 14 years - "A drink is like gunpowder, one spark and there is an explosion, that cannot be controlled.''
He grew up, sharing his Shivaji Park home with six siblings, often watching politicians making speeches and promises of a better India, the teacher-priests at Don Bosco attempting to shape the lives of himself and his friends. As a 15-year-old, life meant playing cricket, watching movies, tightening nuts and bolts to make a living and having the courage to stand alone. "I couldn't understand the values of school. When there was a `dharna', the teachers ran away. I saw the futility, similar to a house where the guests have left after dinner and the true characteristics of the family are revealed.''
Continuing with the Chinese meal, he talks about his 30-odd years of dedication to cinema, his personal investment in terms of emotion and time that have brought him, both bouquets and brickbats. No longer having absurd expectations of life, Mahesh Bhatt now wants to "blow away the cobwebs of the past 20 years'', by discovering and investing in talented young people - "Saya" with John Abraham, Tara Sharma and Mahima Choudhary, is set for a summer release, questioning if there is life after death? Is it possible to have a relationship with a beloved who is no more? Next on the cards is Pooja Bhatt's Moscow thriller that focuses on a dying, man-woman relationship and how they struggle to revitalise their love.
"If I was not into cinema, I would have liked to be a journalist - deadlines do not intimidate me and never have I missed one! I was pretty much delighted when the Delhi Press Club gave me a permanent membership.''
"Bread and Hot Water" is the latest book being penned by Mahesh Bhatt, focusing on conversations and experiences with his friend UG, who has "taught me to completely push aside cultural conventions, but don't break traffic rules. Freedom has a price tag and you have to pay for it some day.''
While Mahesh Bhatt is off active filmmaking, he has taken up more real issues with the help of documentaries, focusing on Orissa's super cyclone and an HIV/AIDS awareness programme. "We brought in school children from Kohima, informed them about AIDS and then asked them to make films with the help of skills which we provided them.''
We round off the meal with ice cream and lychees and reflections of Nature's gifts - The human jungle we have created compels us to look for a tool to cope with. As always, the enigmatic Mahesh Bhatt wants to continue to work hard and live hard with the resilience to be able to go on and on. No free meals, no utopia.
SUMITRA SENAPATY
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