Shekhar Kapur reveals theme of ‘Masoom’ sequel

Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who has helmed renowned films such as Bandit Queen and Elizabeth, has revealed the theme for the sequel to his 1983 directorial debut Masoom. Written by the legendary Gulzar, Masoom was an adaptation of Erich Segal’s 1980 novel Man, Woman and Child. It followed a happily married couple and their two daughters whose lives were disrupted with the arrival of a boy, who is the man’s son from an earlier affair.

The cast included Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Jugal Hansraj, Supriya Pathak, Saeed Jaffrey and Urmila Matondkar. The sequel, titled Masoom…The New Generation, is about the ‘idea of home’,” the filmmaker said.

Shekhar was in London for the National Film Awards, where his last film What’s Love Got to Do with It? scored nine nominations and won four awards, including Best Director, Best British Film, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. “If you look at What’s Love Got to Do with It? you realise it was a joint family system, which in that part of the world lasted a long time. And not just India, but across South Asia,” he said.

One of the big things that has been happening is that kids have been moving away from small towns to Mumbai, Mumbai to the west. They go out for their education and don’t go back

“One of the big things that has been happening is that kids have been moving away from small towns to Mumbai, Mumbai to the west. They go out for their education and don’t go back, and every time I’ve talked to them, there is this little thing that bothers them, a guilt that never goes away, a feeling that ‘I left my parents,” he added.

Details of how exactly the film ties in with the 1983 film are under wraps. All Shekhar will reveal at this stage is that it will revolve around a couple in their 80s who are in a crumbling house and will involve ‘generation change’.