“I have stood outside the hospital with thousands others when Mr Bachchan was hurt during the making of Coolie because my sister was an ardent fan,” smiles Raja Menon, the director of the upcoming movie Airlift starring Akshay Kumar. Yet, growing up in Bengaluru, films were not Raja’s destination; he wanted to be a bike mechanic, and dreamt of setting up shop for super bikes.
Raja’s entry into the world of visual storytelling was quite accidental. Back in the 1990s, he was hired by an ad film-maker as a production runner in Bengaluru. “I was part of the Yuva Janata Dal,” says Raja, “ and was good at getting clearances and permits from local police and authorities.” On the sets,“ Something shifted in me,” remembers Raja, “I knew this is where I wanted to be.”
He moved to Mumbai to continue working with one of the producers. “ Those were tough days. I got thrown out of 8 PG accommodations because the landlords thought my late hours meant I was involved in some nefarious, illegal activities, ” laughs Raja, “but those were also the days of fantastic dreams!”
His encounter with Mukul Anand changed Raja’s perspective. I realized that Bollywood was more than white shoes and dancing around the trees,” says Raja, “ In 1996, when I decided to set up my own production house, Mukul gave me a room in his office and paid my phone bills for six months. Where do you find such generous souls? ”
In 2000 Raja made Bas Yuh Hi, starring Nandita Das and Purab Kohli on a budget of 85 lakh rupees. “The dollar credit cards of my US friends helped me pay bills and complete the movie. The movie broke even and actually made some money for us!”
If Bas Yuh Hi was about getting people to notice him and his work, Raja’s next venture Barah Anna (with Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Raaz) in 2009 was a movie, “ I wanted to make with no thought of commercial or other variables that could impact the creative process.” The movie, eerily similar to Aravind Adiga’s bestseller The White Tiger was well received in film festivals across the world.
While Barah Anna taught Raja the importance of a crew that understood and shared his vision, tough days lay ahead. Says Raja , “ It took me more than 4 years to convince someone to partner with me on a story I wanted to tell. In a particularly low phase, my wife Anu recommended that we go on a backpacking trip through South and Central America. It was life altering. Traveling, meeting diverse people, listening to their stories refreshed me, and made me believe in myself again.”
That confidence is reflected in Airlift. Says Raja, “ There is an erosion of faith on our government, but there have been times in our modern history when the government has been selfless. The Kuwait episode is the largest civilian evacuation in modern history, and more than 170,000 Indians were flown back to safety. The government acted without a hidden agenda and it is an event all Indians should be proud of.”
In the initial days, Raja was a tad nervous about Akshay Kumar. Raja was worried that Akshay would flex his superstar status to demand changes in the narrative. Instead he was in for a surprise.
Raja Menon (Director, Airlift)Akshay did not come with the paraphernalia I expected a superstar to have. He was committed to the character, and immersed himself in it. He was disciplined, always on time, and never created a fuss.
Transitioning to becoming a mainstream storyteller has its pain moments. “The stakes are so high, and the number of people engaged in it are so many that it puts real pressure to convince all stakeholders about my vision,” says Raja, “but my pain points have reduced as well. I no longer have to think of marketing and distribution, because more seasoned qualified people are doing it for Airlift.”
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