Dreams and desires are two of the greatest teasers, twwo mysterious powers which take vicarious pleasures in playing around with us silly, puny human beings who believe we are smart and refuse to belive that we are just puppets, playthings. The games theses dreams and desires play with us in every sphere of life, during every breath, step and moment of our lives in what life is all about. We, human beings, can dream the most magnificent dreams, we can desire what no man (or woman) has ever desired before but the final decision, the ultimate judgement is passed by these dreams and desires who don't give us een a hint of what they plan to do, what they've written in their secret diaries. We see some dreams fulfilled. We see some of our desires granted. We win some, we lose some but we don't give up dreaming, we don't give up desiring. Theses dreams and desires are the stuff some of the greates stories are made of. Dayavanti Pictures' Aarzoo is one of those stories, a story where two young men and a beautiful woman are caught in a strange web created by the machinations, manipulations and manoeuvrings and even the mingling and mauling, mangling by the power, the sheer force of these very dreams and desires. This film is about dreams and desires is also the result of the dreams and desires of a man with a passion for cinema, a man called Vikas Mohan, one of the better-known men in film circles. Vikas always wanted to make films. He started small, an unkown film that was forgotten fast. He then tried soemthing very artistic. He planned a film called Libaas, written and directed by Gulzar with three of the most facinating artistes in the country-Shabana Azmi, Naseerunddin Shah and Raj Babbar. Gulzar calls Libaas his "most memorable film." Vikas agrees with him but neither Gulzar nor Vikas have found a way to release the film. Who's guilty? It is more than a decade (or more) now and I shudder to think of the death of a film like Libaas which I am sure must be one of those milestone, a feast of a film that comes once in a way.
Vikas, in the meanwhile, started a trade paper called 'Complete Cinema'. There were other trade papers in the market which were established papers for years. Vikas stood a very slender chance of making another trade paper a success. Vikas took it up as a challenge and with no time 'Complete Cinema' became tough competition for the other trade papers. His magazine was free, frand, fealess and full of facts which were accepted as the truth by people who cared for the truth about the business of entertainment.
Vikas was established, respected (and even cursed by those who didn't like his passion for the truth)editor. But the filmmaker in him, his dreams and his desires to make a film that would be talked about, rememberd, make money, make a name was still alive. He kept chasing them with a passion only he could understand, feel. It took him time but he saw his dreams, his desires come true. He put all his good wil, experience, knowledge and passion together and started Aarzoo. His announcement made the industry, the trade circles sit up. Aarzoo was considered "the hottest proposal of the time", "the one film which made every filmmaker wish he was making the film", "a sure-shot which would mark Vikas Mohan has one of the leading filmmakers". It was the cast which made all the difference. He had a cast which other producers only dreamed about and desired. He had Madhuri Dixit, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan as the trio caught in a love tangle. He had Lawrence D'Souza who had directed Saajan as his director-cinematographer and writer Rakes Nath who had written Saajan as the leader of the team out to fulfill his dreams, his desires. He had the blessings of hislate brother RC Sharma with him. The very beginning of the making of Aarzoo made Vikas Mohan one of the leading producers. He was envied. There were producers who wanted to emulate him. They wondered how he had brought about such a major casting coup. Vikas was an excited man but he didn't show it nor did he show off. "I must say I am very lucky man blessed by god. How could I, who was just another editor of a magazine and a man madly in love with films be ableto launch a project like this, I wondered. There were times when I think Aarzoo is one of those impossible dreams and I try my best to hold on to it. I will be the world's greatest fool if I let an opportunity like Aarzoo go waste. I have a dream team in Madhuri Dixit, Akshay and Saif. They are all in full form right now. They will only grow better with time and they will touch the peaks of their careers by the time Aarzoo is released. I have got a very experienced and understanding director in Lawrence D'Souza. I am sure I don't have to worry about anything with a captain like him. He is a good director, he working in Aarzoo is a part of me. Where is the place to have any more desires? And besides, I have experienced Anand Bakshi as my lyricist and fiery Anu Malik in charge of my music-a rare combination," Vikas said as he strated making progress with his film.
But there is always a slip between the cup and the lip. There is always a fear of man's dreams and desires playing games with him, like I said. There was a time when it looked like Vikas was capable of overcoming any obstacles that came in the way of Aarzoo but it was not written like that in the diaries of dreams, desires and destiny. The film which was to be completed according to a particular schedule couldn't keep up with the problems that came in the way. And these problems are the kind of problems any producer whether it is Vikas Mohan or Dev Anand will not talk about, would not like to talk about. The film which was "the hottest proposal" soon went out of the light. It was delayed. The delay was heart-breaking, agonising. It gave everyone associated with it all kinds of trouble. There were some of Vikas Mohan's "friends" who led people to believe that Vikas would not be able to complete the film. They didn't know the reasons. They still don't know the reasons but they "loved" to believe that Aarzoo was in trouble.
Vikas gave his detractors a vicarious pleasure they wanted while he was going through the kind of pain that can kill all passion. But he didn't want them to have the last laugh. He wanted to have the last laugh. He had a right to. No one could snatch it from him. Soon God was on his side, the stars were on his side. There were friends and well-wishers who were all on his side. He completed one major schedule after another. He went abroad to complete all his songs. He also completed all the major scenes with Madhuri, Akshay and Saif. "It was one schedule which gave me all the reasons to bleive that I had crossed the difficult bridges. I knew I could complete the film now come what may. And all this was possible thanks to the wonderful team I had. They were interested in my film, willing to do anything for it. I have completed the film now. There is nothing that can come in my way unless God has some other plans. No man came come between me, my dreams and my desires now," Vikas says. Vikas is grateful to his music director Anu Malik who has given Aarzoo the kind of music that comes only out of the desires to do good work which will do good to the film. Vikas had some problems with his heart too during the making of Aarzoo but after seeing how his Aarzoo shaped up his heart has all the reasons to sing. His dreams, his desires have faced the severest trials and traumas and have triumphed. He has seen his dreams and desires in all their moods. His faith in them has grown stronger. Sometimes he wishes he could lay his hands on the secret diaries of his dreams, his desires, his destiny. But he has learned how it is not very good to be ambitious. It doesn't help. It can hurt, never help.
The countdown has just begun. The future? It's all there is those secret diaries.
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