The 13th edition of Rajnigandha presents Jagran Film Festival (JFF), the world’s largest travelling film festival, continued its celebration of Indian Cinema in Delhi from September 4th to 7th, 2025. On September 5th, the festival hosted an engaging panel discussion with R. Balki.
R. Balki, acclaimed director of Cheeni Kum, Paa, and Padman, was part of the conversation. As 2025 marked the centenary year of Guru Dutt, Balki’s reflections carried special significance, offering audiences insight into how cinema honours legacy, preserves cultural memory, and at the same time challenges perceptions of love, empathy, and human connection.
Recounting his experience of pitching Cheeni Kum to Amitabh Bachchan, filmmaker R. Balki shared, “He shared a 2 liner text with him which read as ‘It’s the story of a 64-year-old man who falls in love with a 33-year-old woman and her father is part of the picture too.’ For me, Amitabh Bachchan has never been the ‘angry young man’; I see him as the ‘sarcastic young man.’ I wanted this film to be filled with that sarcasm, nothing else. That’s why I wrote it only for Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu — I always say no one else could have played these roles.”
The session stood out as one of the most anticipated highlights of this year’s festival — a morning where art, ideas, and dialogue came together to celebrate the evolving landscape of storytelling.
