‘Mohra’ vs. ‘Ramayana’: Rajiv Rai Says It’s No Competition For the Nitesh Tiwari Film (EXCLUSIVE)

Filmmaker Rajiv Rai’s 1994 blockbuster “Mohra,” starring Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon, re-releases alongside Nitesh Tiwari’s “Ramayana” on November 6. Calling it a “small release,” the director says the film will take up the theatres left over by the Diwali tentpole. He also talks about the possibility of a “Mohra” sequel and why he isn’t remaking classics produced by his father, Gulshan Rai, such as “Johnny Mera Naam” and “Deewaar.” 

Your 1994 blockbuster ‘Mohra’ is returning to theatres.

Yes, I am re-releasing “Mohra” on Friday, November 6, which is Diwali. It’s a small release again because we are taking the leftover theatres from “Ramayana.” It’s no competition for “Ramayana.” They can’t take all the theatres, and there has been public demand for these films of mine.

Have you thought of remaking or making a sequel to ‘Mohra’?

Everybody asks me that, but I’ve never answered the question. Even on social media, people constantly ask me, ‘When are you making “Tridev 2”?’ They even ask about ‘Vishwatma.’ When ‘Gadar’ did well, Sunny Deol’s fans wrote to me asking me to make “Vishwatma 2.” Then people said, “Make ‘Mohra 2,’ and now they’re asking for ‘Gupt 2.’”

Why haven’t you made one then?

I have reservations. I don’t like making sequels, though I might consider one. A sequel isn’t a bad idea if you have the actors on board and a storyline that’s better than the first film. It should fit like a glove. I don’t find the idea of a remake very exciting because I’d be making something I’ve already done. How would I improve on it or bring in a fresh element?

It’s like asking Mr Ramesh Sippy to remake Sholay. That was one of the greatest films ever made, so why would he want to remake it? The films I would consider remaking are those that haven’t done well, because then I know where the mistakes were. Not “Mohra.” It did really well, so I don’t think of remaking it. A sequel, though, is a different discussion. I am open to a sequel to “Mohra.”

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Why is that?

A sequel doesn’t have to have everything in common with the first film. It can be a continuation of “Mohra.” Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) and Suniel Shetty have died in that film, too. So, I have Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon left. We could show an older Akshay and Raveena.

Would it have them singing a remix of Viju Shah’s ‘Tip Tip Barsa Paani’ from “Mohra’?

Yes, why not? The two are still attractive enough to carry it off. As for a remake, I might consider it if somebody came to me with a brilliant idea. See, if you remake it, you have to change something. I received offers to remake films produced by my father (Gulshan Rai) — “Johnny Mera Naam,” “Deewaar,” “Trishul” and “Vidhata.” Among those offers, I rewrote Johnny Mera Naam for a remake, but with a new star cast. It’s not a sequel, nor is it a remake with the same cast. I actually want to do it, and it’s very different from the original.

I also rewrote “Deewaar” without Salim-Javed’s help. It’s nothing like the original. But honestly, when you see it, you’ll say it’s only five per cent of the other film. But that’s what I like. I can’t simply remake something as it is.

If I remake “Deewaar,” I will obviously change Amitabh Bachchan’s character. He can’t be the angry young man again, because that has already been done. You can’t do it better than Amitabh Bachchan, and you cannot simply replicate what actors and directors achieved back then. You can’t improve on the writing, either.

So, I’ve written something new. Maybe I’m not as talented as the directors of that era, but I’m talking purely about the script. I feel it has a lot of potential and power.

It would be interesting to see your versions of “Johnny Mera Naam,” “Deewaar” and “Mohra.”

I am 70 now. I don’t have the energy. This is a dream of mine that I don’t think I’ll fulfill, so I want to let it go. I doubt it because I would have to bring together a very big star cast. I don’t have the energy, and I don’t want to take the financial risk. I find it risky. But they say, never say never. If God proposes it and wishes it, it will happen. I haven’t written a new version of “Mohra” or “Gupt.”

But you wrote another version of ‘Tridev,’ right?

I did work on a version of Tridev for Salman Khan a long time ago, when there was news that I was making Tridev 2. That was true. We worked on it for a month or two, but then the pandemic came, and we gave it up.

Salman wanted to make it with his own star cast. I was directing, and we were both producing it. It was shaping up brilliantly, but I left the script halfway through. People on social media still ask me all the time, “When are you making ‘Tridev 2’?”