Untold, challenging stories encourage Gowariker to make films

Mumbai, Aug 13 (IANS) Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, who has made period films like "Lagaan", "Jodhaa Akbar" and "Mohenjo Daro", says he loves to make movies on stories that are interesting and haven't been told before.

Gowariker said: "Any story that is challenging excites me to make films. I take pleasure to tell a story which is untold. We know about the Brtish era, the lifestyle of the Kings, caste system and all... But we don't know about Bhuvan, (Aamir's character in 'Lagaan') and when he comes in a situation like this that blends facts with fiction.

"Same with 'Jodhaa Akbar', we don't know what happened between Jodhaa and Akbar or how their romantic life was. Therefore, it makes me happy to create a world but at the same time tell an untold story. It happened with 'Mohenjo Daro'. The story excited me."

He said that every film is very dear to him because "I get a great experience while making them. They are like milestones of my life. No matter how much you ask me about them, I would love to talk endlessly. I like revisiting the movies that I have made."

The director said that he is an emotional man.

"When you do your first film, you carry on those experiences along with you to your second work. Thus, you become more mature. A creative person matures with every work he does.

"However, what you lose is the innocence. Today, I feel I am not the same person who made 'Lagaan'. If I make 'Lagaan' now, it will be a very different film. Maturity has advantages but it has also some disadvantages. You lose that hunger what you had in your previous film."

He tries to keep that desire intact in every film. "That's why I take time to choose a script," he added.

Set in the city of Mohenjo Daro, the nerve centre of the Indus Valley Civilisation (3,500-1,700 BC), "Mohenjo Daro" brings an epic adventure-romance story to the silver screen.

The film, which released on Friday, features Hrithik Roshan and Pooja Hegde.