Walk into Neeraj Vora’s office in Santacruz and you will experience a familiar homely warmth that corporate studios and other lavish film producers office rarely offer. Almost immediately after our arrival, we are served some hot pattice and piping hot masala tea. Athithi devo bhava is Neeraj’s second nature and he makes sure every bit of your comfort is taken care of in his simple yet sophisticated office premises. Soon we settle down for a long chat to take a detailed peep into the successful career that Neeraj built for himself from scratch in Bollywood. Excerpts from the interview
Neeraj, not much is known about your family background. Let’s begin with that?
I come from a classical musician’s family. My father, Pandit Vinayak Vora belonged to the Kirana gharana. He had learnt vocals but he was a maestro in playing Tar Shehnai, an instrument that he had invented himself. It’s a two string instrument but sounds like a shenai somewhat similar to a Japanese fiddle. All his life, he strived to give this instrument a place as a solo classical music instrument. In his professional career, my father has provided live accompaniment to greats like Pandit Jasraj and Lakshmi Shankar. He also performed live at Albert hall in London with Yehudi Menuhin and Pandit Ravi Shankar. My father also had the privilege of playing Tar Shehnai for the Beatles for their album Wonderwall. So my father was completely involved in classical music and I was also brought up in a strict classical music environment where we had absolutely no access to any film or pop culture music.
So how did films happen?
I have to thank my mother for that. She was obsessed with cinema. My mother and father are from Kutch but since my father was settled in Mumbai my mother too moved here. In smaller towns, the only entertainment source was radio or cinema. So whenever my mother used to go to watch movies, I used to go with her and I used to remember all films shot by shot. I then used to narrate it to others. So in school, art of narration became my nature. Also in those childhood days, your main aim is to draw the attention of people mostly females. So at that age, the art of narration became my tool to attract attention. I used to participate in debates and elocution competitions where I rarely used to prepare. It used to be an extempore performance. Later in life, I started getting associated with huge actors who were fans of my father as they used to take his help in their drama. So along with music which was already running in my veins, theater too happened in my life. As soon as my father realized my passion for theater and drama, he wholeheartedly encouraged me to pursue it. He said, ‘Don’t waste your time going to college. You have passed SSC thankfully.’ But I wanted to go to college and wasted four-five years there. But thankfully, I made many friends there like Ashutosh Gowariker, Aamir Khan. We were friends much before we came into cinema. So when I was in college, I got a film called Holi in 1984. Aamir, Ashutosh, Paresh Rawal and all other Ketan Mehta fans were acting in it as well. For four and half months, we were living in the campus of FTII and saw many films there. I was playing the role of a Langda and that was the beginning of my career as an actor.
You are a prolific writer having written for a plethora of films in Bollywood. How did you develop and hone that talent?
After Naam had released, I used to go to Salim saab’s house almost every alternate days. To hear Salim saab speak and meet the crowd there which included Rajendra Kumar, Waheeda Rehman and others was an exhilarating and enlightening experience. So I started writing. Now I had a different way of writing. I never used pen or typewriter. I used to narrate my script which used to be recorded. With every different narration, I used to say something new and different. Finally, after finishing my final narration, I used to transcribe it down. So in a way, I never wrote a film with pen. The art of narration that I had mastered in school was put to good use.
How did you first writing assignment happen?
I thought nothing is going to happen for me as an actor. Neither do I have the height nor the looks, so I thought it is time to shut shop as an actor and get into writing. I decided to write, Ashutosh Gowariker said he will direct while Deepak Tijori came in as the hero and we ended up making Pehla Nasha which didn’t do well except for the music which was given by my super talented brother. The film however flopped because script written by me was horrible and selection of the original subject by Ashutosh was horrible. But fortunately, I got next film for writing which was Baazi. Baazi was also not a great hit but something happened on Baazi when Ram Gopal Varma came on the sets to talk to Aamir for Rangeela. I had just corrected a small scene of Baazi and converted it into a huge comic one which was appreciated by Aamir and he recommended me to Ramu. Ramu was not too convinced and asked me if I would like to co-write dialogues with Mehboob who was writing for Rangeela. I said, ‘ I am fine.’ Then Ramu gave me five scenes and asked me write dialogues. I wrote it then and there and gave it to Ramu who felt super happy after reading it. Later Mehboob left the film and I started writing Rangeela. I was so involved in Rangeela which made Aamir extremely happy that he encourage and supported me a lot in that picture. Rangeela became the turning point in my life and from there was involved in Akele Hum Akele Tum, Josh, Badshah, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Ajnabee and many others.
But then you made a comeback as an actor too…
(Smiles) That happened because an actor was absent on the sets of Rangeela and Ramu wanted to bring down the sets after finishing the shoot. I was called into do the scene of a gatecrasher. After seeing that scene, Anil Kapoor and Priyadarshan called me for Virasat. And then my shop of acting was reopened. Then Aamir called me for Mann. Salman too cast me in his films. I then put a full stop on acting for some time.
To turn director?
Yes. So that I could focus on writing and directing wholeheartedly. I directed Khiladi 420 which didn’t do well. After that I decided to produce myself. So I went to Sahara and they allowed me to produce two films, Familywala and Garam Masala which was to be made with Akshay kumar and Sharman Joshi. While working with them on Familywala, I realized I couldn’t do Garam Masala with them. So I decided to drop Sahara and sold the film off to Venus and they substituted Sharman with John. I also wrote Awara Pagal Deewana and Deewane Hue Pagal and Firoz bhai (Firoz Nadiadwala) liked my work. We then collaborated for Phir Hera Pheri which was to be directed by Satish Kaushik but there were problems with his dates. So Akshay and others asked me to direct it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t be present for the release of the film as five day prior to its release I lost my father. I was bereaved for almost a year. I then decided to do something in memory of my father and started organizing a classical concert on his death anniversary which is continued even today and will carry on till I can. From 2007onwards, I decided to get back into the scheme of things. There were a few projects that I was associated with like Shortkut and then Run Bhola Run for Ashtavinayak but that company unfortunately doomed. So I was lucky for all because everybody doomed (smiles). So I decided to start my own production. That is when Firoz bhai called me and said let’s do part 3 of Hera Pheri. We started work on it in 2011. For two years we tried it to do it with Akshay but issues used to happen with his dates and combination. Finally we decided on Akshay’s alternative and Abhishek Bachchan happened with whom I had worked in Bol Bachchan and then John, Paresh, Suniel Shetty and other cast followed.
Which acting performance of yours would you rate as the best?
I would say Satya in which I play a music composer and was shown playing the harmonium. In real life too I can play the harmonium very well. The other role of mine which I enjoyed is from Daud.
Why haven’t you composed music till now?
It is my brother who composes. I am more like an arranger. I know the technicalities. Also, I have learnt from my father than music is a device to be used to pray to god. Any other way of using it is not a good thing. So somewhere deep down that has became ingrained in my mind. Also, if you are pursuing music, you should pursue it whole-heartedly.
Finally, when will we see you direct your good friend, Aamir Khan?
Me and Aamir have attempted atleast 10 times to work together but as they say life is something that happens to you when you are busy making other plans. Same thing has happened in our case as well. Aamir is always involved in something while I am busy making some film. Aamir does one picture at a time and he will never get distracted with anything else while I am into multiple things. But trust me very soon we will be a making a film together.
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