Pooja Meri Jaan is directed by Navjot Gulati.
The film stars Mrunal Thakur and Huma Qureshi.
The courtroom drama hit Zee5 after several delays.
Pooja Meri Jaan director Navjot Gulati hopes the film's recent release brings some peace and vindication for star Rhea Chakraborty. Penned six years ago and backed by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films, the courtroom drama finally dropped on ZEE5 this month after years of unofficial delay. While Gulati previously slammed Maddock for shelving the project to prioritize its horror-comedy franchise, he is now moving focus back to the movie's core message rather than its elongated stay on the shelf.
“That’s not something we’re happy about, right? Because you want society to progress, understand the basic ideas, and move on. But unfortunately, we’re very evidently regressing as a society. So, the film has become even more relevant with the passage of time,” the filmmaker told SCREEN in an exclusive interview.
“If I’m making a film on a subject which is going on in front of me on live television, I’d obviously be observing and taking notes. Whatever happened to her is very sad. I hope she watches this film and feels vindicated, that somebody took her side,” he says. But he explains why he chose not to approach Rhea at the time to make her film more informed — “When somebody has gone through so much, and that too publicly, I’ve watched it on live television. There’s no need to ask. Why would I make her uncomfortable again by discussing things she’s gone through?”
Pooja Meri Jaan Inspired By Rhea Chakraborty Witch-Hunting
“I knew the house would be divided, and a lot of people would question the intent. Because for the first hour, you’re led to believe the girl is wrong. But honestly, in our country, the second half matters more. I feel it was necessary to do it because it covers all viewpoints. Also, it makes for a more entertaining film. If I keep telling you in a straight line, you’d get bored. I have to engage you first for more effective messaging,” insisted Navjot.
In an earlier conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Gulati explained that he had already started developing the film before Rajput’s death. “No, because I started writing the film in April 2020, when Sushant Singh Rajput was still alive,” he said.
However, the filmmaker also confessed that the events involving Chakraborty subsequently influenced his approach. “Then, of course, I saw Rhea’s media trial unfold every day, like the rest of us. And I did get inspired by what was happening to her. The witch hunt against her was wrong at every level,” he added.
