Sangeeta Ahir On Reviving Dilip Kumar’s Directorial Kalinga: “We Have Nearly 8 Hours Of Footage & We Are Digitizing It Fully” (Photo Credit: Facebook & Instagram)
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Mohammed Yusuf Khan, better known by stage name Dilip Kumar is one of the legendary actors in Bollywood who passed away on July 7, 2021. It was a huge loss for the country and several mourned for his demise. Many reports even reminded fans about his directorial project, Kalinga which never saw the light of the day.
The late legendary star’s directorial project starred Amjad Khan, Raj Babbar, Raj Kiran, Shilpa Shirodkar, Amitosh Mann, Meenakshi Seshadri, Kiran Kumar and others. Days ahead of his demise, producer Sangeeta Ahir revealed she is working on the film.
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As reported by Bollywood Hungama, Sangeeta Ahir confirmed that she is working on Dilip Kumar’s directorial Kalinga and it is in full swing. On being asked about whether the film will be released in cinemas, she said, “We have nearly 8 hours of footage and we are digitizing it fully. And as you are aware, the theatres are shut in Maharashtra currently. Yet, it makes sense to think of having a theatrical release. Currently, we are focusing on finishing the background score, colour grading etc.”
The producer also said that she is excited about the content of Dilip Kumar’s film. She said, “A lot of lovely stuff is there in the footage. In those days, films were shot differently. There were no visual effects. So it’s a nice learning experience for all of us while working on Kalinga. Also, I remember during the scripting stage that one writer would write the script in Urdu while another writer would write it in Hindi.”
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Sangeeta Ahir further said, “It has one of the best performances of Amjad Khan. I think, after Sholay (1975), this was his next best performance. It gives me goosebumps every time I see him.” The producer also revealed how she was close to the legendary actor. She said, “Dilip saab was like family to me. My kanyadaan was done by him and Saira ji (Saira Banu). Kalinga was his dream project, his only directorial venture. The whole industry was waiting to see it.”
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She is also confident that Dilip Kumar’s film Kalinga will serve as a lesson to the youngsters who aspire to become filmmakers. She said, “Aaj kal ke films mein entertainment ke naam pe kuch bhi hota hai. The language, the writing, the technique – you need to work on everything. Hopefully, the aspiring filmmakers and film technicians will learn a thing or two when they watch Kalinga.”
Sangeeta Ahir also dismissed reports about Kalinga has been partially shot. She said, “In fact, it has been overshot! We have 8 hours of footage and we have to now decide how to trim or should we turn it into a series.”
