Director Vinay Sapru reflects on Salman Khan’s Lucky: No Time For Love which released in 2005 including what the experience was like making the movie, the song he lovedand shooting in Russia for a film he says holds a special place in his heart.
20 years of Lucky: No Time For Love, what was the experience like?
Lucky: No Time For Love was our very first film, and the excitement was absolutely palpable. It was our dream to bring a fairy-tale world to life on the big screen, and we were truly blessed to have Sonali Khan as our producer. She gave us complete creative freedom — a rare and invaluable gift — and stood by our vision unwaveringly.
For me, the film is special for Lataji’s duet with Adnan Sami ‘Shaayad yehi toh pyar hai’.
After finishing the recording, my co-director Radhika Rao and I were driving back, playing the song in the car… it moved us to tears. Lataji’s voice, her emotions—she brought the divinity to the song that we were seeking as co-directors. Also, watching her dub for our very first film was a moment of pure blessing, especially for us as musical filmmakers. What makes it even more special is knowing that Veer-Zaara and our film were the last two songs she sang for… before she stopped singing… and Yash Chopra ji… we are great fans… we couldn’t have asked for more. We were truly blessed.
You shot the film on some really tough terrain?
Our search for the perfect fairy-tale setting led us to Saint Petersburg, Russia, a place where no Hindi film had ever been shot before. It was an alien land with an alien language, but the moment we landed, something magical happened. The locals welcomed us with warmth and nostalgia, remembering the golden ties India once shared with them through cinema, from Raj Kapoorji’s ‘Mera Joota Hai Japani’ from Awara to Mithun Chakraborty ji’s ‘Jimmy Jimmy’ from Disco Dancer.
You shoot in Russia with a Russian crew?
We were lucky to work with an incredibly hard-working Russian crew. Together, we shot across frozen landscapes — from the icy Gulf of Finland to the rugged trenches of the Russian army. We filmed action sequences with real tanks, soldiers, guns, and live ammunition — a surreal and unforgettable experience. The entire journey was nothing short of a cinematic fairy tale in itself — one that still holds a special place in our hearts, even two decades later.
