About ten years ago, Soni Razdan was working on her second directorial venture, ‘Love Affair’. While her first film as a director, ‘Nazar’, released in 2005, was written by her husband and celebrated filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and produced under his brother Mukesh Bhatt’s banner Vishesh Films, ‘Love Affair’ was a different proposition altogether. The film was being co-produced by Pooja Bhatt, Mahesh’s eldest daughter from his first marriage with Kiran Bhatt, along with Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series, under her production company Fish Eye Network Private Limited. However, the project never made it to the screen.
Soni Razdan had Ali Fazal and Kalki Koechlin in her ‘Love Affair’ cast
Soni had even kicked off pre-production for ‘Love Affair’ in Ooty. The film was based on the infamous 1959 Nanavati murder case and boasted an impressive cast, with Ali Fazal playing Nanavati, Kalki Koechlin as his wife, and Chandan Roy Sanyal stepping into the role of lawyer Ram Jethmalani. The film also featured Gulshan Devaiah, Hansika Motwani, and Soni herself in key roles.
Soni Razdan reveals how Akshay Kumar’s ‘Rustom’ derailed her Nanavati film
Speaking to SCREEN in an exclusive interview, a disappointed Soni said, “Unfortunately, that happens with films.” Soni came agonisingly close to rolling the cameras before things fell apart. “I was three weeks away from shooting, and things went haywire with the budget for some reason or the other, which obviously I can’t talk about. Then it didn’t happen, and Rustom came out. When they did Rustom, I said this wasn’t the right time,” recalls Soni, referring to Tinu Suresh Desai’s hit period crime thriller, which was also rooted in the Nanavati murder case. The film starred Akshay Kumar in the lead role, inspired by real-life naval officer KM Nanavati.
Soni Razdan still hopes to make her Nanavati directorial one day
Despite ‘Love Affair’ never making it to the screen, Soni has not given up on her directorial ambitions. The film remains close to her heart and she is determined to bring it to life when the time is right. “I still want to make that film because it was a very, very good perspective from the woman’s story, from the wife’s story. It was a film about three people, and we followed the story very closely. And one day, when the time is right, it’ll happen,” says Soni.
About the Nanavati murder case and its screen adaptations
The Nanavati murder case is about a naval officer who killed his wife’s lover. The case has inspired many films and shows over the years. RK Nayyar made Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke in 1963, starring Ashok Kumar, Sunil Dutt, and Leela Naidu. Gulzar also made a film based on the case called ‘Achanak’ in 1973, starring Vinod Khanna, Om Shivpuri, and Lily Chakravarty.
Soni Razdan played Mehra Nanavati in ‘The Verdict – State vs Nanavati’
Later, PN Menon also made a Malayalam film called ‘Asthram’, loosely based on the same case, starring Bharath Gopi, Mammootty, and Jyothi. After ‘Rustom’ became a hit, Ekta Kapoor made a web series called ‘The Verdict – State vs Nanavati’ for ALTBalaji and ZEE5. It was the first adaptation to use the real names from the case. The series starred Manav Kaul as Nanavati, Elli AvRam as his wife, and Viraf Patel as her lover. Interestingly, Soni Razdan also appeared in the series, playing Mehra Nanavati.
