Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Masterclass Lights up IFFI

By Pickle November 22, 2025

A night of wit, wisdom, and wild storytelling—Vidhu Vinod Chopra and legends brought Kala Academy alive with laughter, nostalgia, and cinematic secrets.

Kala Academy, Panaji, was less a venue and more a movie set as Vidhu Vinod Chopra and screenwriter Abhijat Joshi took center stage at IFFI’s “Unscripted – The Art and Emotion of Filmmaking” session. The air crackled with expectation, but what unfolded was a festival of anecdotes, laughter, and raw cinematic wisdom.

The evening kicked off with Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan MN, Joint Secretary (Films), felicitating Chopra and Joshi, followed by renowned producer Ravi Kottarakkara presenting them with shawls. Dr. Ajay expressed hope that Chopra would continue guiding new filmmakers with his signature honesty, while Ravi hailed ‘Parinda’ as a game-changer in Indian cinema.

Abhijat Joshi set the stage with nostalgia, recalling his first meeting with Chopra on a November day—a meeting that would sow the seeds for hits like ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ and ‘3 Idiots’. Joshi asked how Chopra’s style had evolved from the violence of ‘Parinda’ to the introspection of ‘12th Fail’. True to form, Chopra was unfiltered: “Every film reflects who I am at that point. I was angry when I made ‘Parinda’. You can see that violence in the movie. Today I’m calmer.”

He explained that ‘12th Fail’ was shaped by his encounters with corruption—his way of advocating for honesty, hoping even a 1% change in bureaucracy would be worthwhile.

Chopra grew emotional reflecting on watching ‘1942: A Love Story’ in its newly restored 8K version. “It’s a film I couldn’t make today—I’m not the same person anymore,” he admitted.

Joshi praised Chopra’s relentless loyalty to his creative convictions, stressing that Chopra cares only for a film’s artistic, not commercial, fate. The conversation shifted to the creative process behind ‘Parinda’ and ‘12th Fail’, with Chopra emphasizing preparation, vision, and “visual truth.” He recounted orchestrating a memorable shot in ‘1942: A Love Story’, even singing the song on stage. To get real birds to fly across a ridge, his crew scattered breadcrumbs—a detail that drew both laughter and applause. Watching that scene in 8K, Chopra said, “was joy.”

The evening blossomed with laughter as Chopra recounted writing ‘Khamosh’ in a cramped flat, shouting dialogues and “cut, cut!” from the rooftop, much to the terror of his neighbors. Joshi chimed in, confirming: “Vidhu can get as excited as a child when conceiving a film.”

The crowd erupted when Chopra shared the tale of Jackie Shroff accidentally walking into the wrong apartment during rehearsals, startling a woman with flowers. “She told everyone she dreamt Jackie Shroff visited her,” Chopra laughed.

When the subject turned to music, Chopra recalled his fierce determination to work with R.D. Burman on ‘1942: A Love Story’, despite naysayers. Unimpressed with Burman’s initial tunes, Chopra bluntly called them “bullshit,” demanding the soul of S.D. Burman. Weeks later, the classic “Kuch Na Kaho” was born—Chopra regaled the audience by singing the melody, earning thunderous applause. “This song exists because I said that one word,” he joked.

Chopra shared his famous National Award story: expecting ₹4,000 in cash, he instead received an eight-year postal bond. His humorous retelling of an argument with L.K. Advani, who later helped him attend the Oscars, brought the house down.

In a heartwarming segment, 92-year-old Kamna Chandra, screenwriter of ‘1942: A Love Story’ and Chopra’s mother-in-law, joined the stage with producer Yogesh Ishwar. Kamna described her painstaking process writing dialogues and the emotion she felt seeing the film restored. “I felt like I’ve done something in life,” she said.

Yogesh detailed the meticulous 8K restoration in Italy, cleaning each frame and remastering the sound. Chopra said the restored film “looks exactly like what I had imagined.”

A lively Q&A capped the evening, but the real magic had already happened. The audience had journeyed through decades of filmmaking, soaked in the joys and absurdities of cinema, and witnessed the brilliant, unscripted camaraderie between Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi—a duo whose partnership has shaped some of India’s most beloved films.