Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur is reviving his 1983 classic, Masoom, for the new audience in a new way, with Masoom: The Next Generation. Veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi have already been confirmed to be reprising their roles from the original film, and now HT City has exclusively learnt that another original cast member has come on board — Jugal Hansraj, who played Rahul, Naseeruddin Shah's onscreen son.

Jugal Hansraj made his acting debut as a child actor with Masoom alongside actor Urmila Matondkar. He played the innocent Rahul, whose entry into a typical family changes its dynamics forever. More than four decades after the film's release, Hansraj is now reuniting with his first director, Shekhar Kapur, as well as Shah and Azmi.

Speaking about the reunion, Kapur tells us, “There is something profoundly beautiful about coming home, not to a place, but to a story that has stayed alive in people's hearts for decades. Jugal was just a young boy when we made Masoom, and today, welcoming him back as an accomplished actor is both emotional and deeply fulfilling. Reuniting him with Naseer and Shabana is a reminder that some relationships transcend cinema. As we begin this new chapter, I hope audiences experience the same honesty, tenderness, and emotional truth that made Masoom so enduring.”

Hansraj resonates with the sentiment as he shares that he felt so happy when Kapur called him to offer the new film.

“Masoom has been a part of my life, my identity, for as long as I can remember. Even after all these years, I’m still that ‘Masoom boy.’ It’s been more than 40 years since the film was released, but people still remember the film with so much affection. I constantly get stopped by people even here in New York, and I’m told with a warm smile that their kids or grandkids listen to ‘lakdi ki kathi’. They meet me like I’m a member of their own family. I’m glad that I can be a part of this special family again. It’s like life coming full circle,” he shares with us.

Masoom: The Next Generation is a spiritual sequel to Masoom and will explore changing family dynamics, identity, and relationships across generations. Apart from the three actors, the film will also feature an ensemble cast including Manoj Bajpayee, Nithya Menen, and Kapur's daughter, Kaveri Kapur. Composer A R Rahman has come on board to compose the music and co-produce the project.

It has taken Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur forty-two years to reunite for a project after their classic Masoom (1983). But now that they have teamed up, things are moving swiftly on Masoom: The Next Generation, the sequel to the 1983 film. Azmi has begun workshops for the drama, which will also star Manoj Bajpayee, and Shekhar’s daughter Kaveri Kapur.

“Shekhar wishes the actors to improvise a lot, and workshops are currently on between Kaveri and me,” shares Azmi, who is looking forward to the creatively stimulating experience of shooting with Shah and Shekhar.

“The script is about the search for identity, which Shekhar has been haunted by for as long as I’ve known him. My character has been inspired by his nani. There are scenes between Kaveri and me that are straight out of Shekhar’s memories,” she says. With Masoom: The Next Generation, the filmmaker will explore the idea of what home means to different generations.

Azmi, who will play Kaveri’s grandmother in the movie, will sport a distinct look. Adopting a particular look for each character is a step towards embracing the part, believes the veteran actor. “The focus on looking good in a prescribed way works to the character’s detriment. At the end of the day, inhabiting a character’s world is about finding the soul,” she states.

While she is particular about her on-screen looks, she is irked by the practice of actors’ off-screen appearances being scrutinised in the name of fashion. “Why is there so much emphasis on which designer one chooses to wear? The obsession the paps have with singling out how much a bag or a pair of sunglasses costs is loathsome,” she states.

In her three-decade career, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi has dabbled in both music and movies. Most recently, she’s begun hosting her own podcast on YouTube, The Suchitra Krishnamoorthi Show. Her daughter, the 24-year-old Kaveri Kapur, has also followed in her footsteps. After an initial stint in music, she made her acting debut this year with Bobby Aur Rishi Ki Love Story.

Suchita is pleased with her daughter’s choices, and says, “She is at such an early stage of her career. She got an offer while studying in Boston. Her film was always meant to be direct to OTT, so there was no confusion on that part. As an artiste, you should take the best opportunities that come your way. It’s [OTT] the greatest platform for actors, filmmakers. You do your job here, whereas in theatres, there are big risks involved. I am very happy she made her debut the way she did.”

The 49-year-old was impressed with Kaveri’s debut, directed by Kunal Kohli and co-starring Vardhan Puri: “She surprised and delighted me because she had never shown any interest in acting before. She took to it like fish in water and is only going to get better.”

Suchitra began her entertainment career at the age of 12, while Kaveri entered the industry in her twenties. She agrees that there’s a contrast in the way today’s newcomers are treated, facing far greater scrutiny, especially with social media in the mix.

“The way social media treats newcomers is cruel and unnecessary. A lot of it just stems from jealousy and negativity. It’s like a free-for-all [situation]. Arre, khud kuchh karke dikhao, phir dusron ko bolo! Every kid, wherever they are from, you are going and commenting on them. At least they made an effort. One doesn’t have to respond to all that nonsense,” she says.

How did Kaveri cope? Suchitra adds, “She finds all this trolling amusing, and says ‘Mumma don’t people have something better to do?’ She’s very mature — an old soul with a baby face and heart.”

In 1983, Shekhar Kapur stirred emotions with Masoom, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Urmila Matondkar, and Jugal Hansraj. Now, almost 42 years later, the filmmaker is making the sequel, Masoom: The Next Generation, set in Mumbai. He plans to shoot the film in a start-to-finish schedule. While not a direct continuation of the 1983 film, the sequel also explores familial relationships. Kapur, this year’s recipient of the Padma Bhushan, shares that the film will delve into what a home represents—love, relationships, memories, and identities.

“We will begin shooting in the next couple of months. I am recording all five songs composed by [husband-wife duo Nirali Kartik and Kartik Shah’s] band Maati Baani. Their [music] is folksy and Indian with a modern touch. I have to compete with my songs in [the original] Masoom,” he smiles.

He adds that the unit will build the set in Mumbai once he completes the music sessions. “It’s a very performance-oriented film, and I don’t want to push my actors. I want to give them space to discover the film and their characters. We will, of course, do workshops and weeks of rehearsals before we begin shooting. The first schedule will start with the entire cast—Shabana, Naseer, Manoj Bajpayee, Nithya Menen, and Kaveri [Kapur; his daughter].”

The director further explains that while Shabana and Naseer portray 80-year-olds, “Kaveri plays the daughter of an Indian father and an American mother.” “I started writing this film a decade ago, based on my experiences and my parents, who wanted to build a home in Delhi,” he shares.

In 1983, Shekhar Kapur made his directorial debut with the acclaimed Masoom, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Urmila Matondkar and Jugal Hansraj. Little did the filmmaker know then that forty-one years on, he would direct its sequel as the acting debut for his singer-daughter Kaveri Kapur. Along with Shekhar, Azmi too will return to the film’s universe, playing Kaveri’s grandmother.

Masoom, which continues to be loved by audiences to this day, examined family and infidelity through a happy couple whose life changes drastically when a boy—who is the man’s illegitimate child—joins them. Shekhar says that the sequel, the working title of which is Masoom: The Next Generation, too will revolve around themes of family and relationships.

“It is not a continuation of Masoom. The story is based in India, and we will have two male protagonists along with Shabana and Kaveri as the female leads. We are working out the dates and cast,” says the director. If things go as planned, the project will roll in October 2024.

The thought of making another movie like Masoom always played in the filmmaker’s mind. It is only now that he found a fitting idea.

“Masoom: The Next Generation is my gift to the people of India, who have supported me for so long. It came from an idea of what home means to us today. To my mother, who was a refugee from Pakistan and had survived two earthquakes, it was more than bricks and mortar. Home meant family and memories to her. She wanted to build a home in Delhi that survives an earthquake. Today, my friends ask me to sell the house, but it’s an homage to my parents. Through my movie, I want to convey that home is an emotion, and within that, there is a family.”

Kaveri, like most of us, was deeply moved by the original. She says the sequel will focus on today’s generation and their issues. “I don’t know anyone in my generation who doesn’t have anxiety issues, and the script treats it with compassion.”

Being directed by her filmmaker-dad and sharing screen space with Azmi are experiences she is looking forward to. “It’s daunting to work with an actor of such international acclaim. But every time I meet Shabana aunty, I feel like I’m talking to a family member. My dad is constantly telling me that I have to bring who I am, to the part. I will also write and sing some of the songs,” she says.

Filmmaker director Shekhar Kapur, who is known for his contribution to Indian cinema with masterpieces like Mr India and Bandit Queen, is all set to make a sequel to his 1983 directorial debut film Masoom. In a conversation with us, Kapur spoke about his inspiration for the sequel, his daughter Kaveri, who will make her acting debut with this project and how his films are all about the story, never the star. Excerpts:

I have decided to make Masoom 2 - The New Generation for a reason. The story revolves around the next generation and their issues. The new generation is constantly thinking about who they are, where they are headed and so on. I want to make a film about them, their value system, how they relate to parents, single parents, and the entire debate about the old generation versus the new generation. There have been films on the new generation, but they have only touched the surface.

My daughter has been an artist for a long time and when I read her lyrics, I realized she is more of a philosopher. At her age, she talks about philosophy with Deepak Chopra. I have been discussing acting projects with her, but she kept saying, ‘No, that’s not me’. Then we watched a few Alia Bhatt films together, and she admired her work. That’s how she got interested in acting. I always knew she would act. When she was younger, I used to call her my entertainment machine; she would crack jokes and it is not easy being funny. She is talented like her mom (actress Suchitra Krishnamoorthi). The inspiration for the Masoom sequel came from Kaveri because she has often spoken to me about how their generation suffers from anxiety and how life is tougher as there are many opportunities, but the pressure is higher. I am currently writing her dialogues, but I hope that someone from her generation will share more about their issues. I don’t want my daughter to feel that I failed her. The film will also feature the old cast, including Shabana Azmi.

Social media has definitely put pressure on Gen Z because it is creating an artificial aspirational life for them. Many young people I meet have become victims. People on social media keep sharing posts about how great their life is, which is not the reality. With ChatGPT and AI, it is a different life for Gen Z.

In India, I agree (I did less work), but I did a lot of work abroad. I am proud of the fact that I worked with actors in Hollywood when they had started their careers, like Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger (directed him in Four Feathers). After Bandit Queen, I figured that it was not easy to tell different stories. Now, with OTT, things have changed, and actors like Manoj Bajpayee are winning accolades. But, in those days, it was not possible to work with Manoj Bajpayee and make a film. You had to take a star, and when you work with a star, things change. I have never made a film which is a star vehicle, whether it is in the east or west. I have always worked on a movie where everyone is subservient to the film and story. Even when I worked with Sridevi in Mr India (1987), she was not a star; she had acted in Himmatwala (1983) and later became a star.

I will never make Mr India 2 because I have already made the first part. But, I would not mind if they take another director and make the film and remember that the original was born because of the joy of filmmaking.

The big-ticket films do make sense because they are like a joy ride. But then, every now and then, we get a film like 12th Fail, and it reminds us how there are interesting films like these, too. I have enjoyed watching a lot of good content on OTT, like Panchayat, and many good writers have moved over to OTT platforms. I agree that social context is missing in films today, but then directors should be motivated to make films like Naya Daur and Pyaasa, which were so socially relevant.

Dhaval Roy (DNA; August 13, 2019)

Remixes of movie songs are being released with much alacrity these days but music lovers can now look forward to the recreation of an Indipop song. Remember the disco-pop track of the ’90s, Dum Tara rendered by Suchitra Krishnamoorthi? It’s all set to be reinterpreted by the actress-singer-author herself and released soon. Suchitra tells us, “RJ Anushka got in touch with me on Instagram and said Dum Tara is her most favourite track ever. And she asked me if I would be keen on doing a version of it. I said yes.” Then a record label came in place and the fresh take on the song was recorded. “It’s interesting because this will probably be first non-film number to be remade. So far, we have only heard recreations of film songs. We shot the video on Sunday. So, I’m guessing the new version will be out in early to mid-September,” Suchitra informs us. 

Apart from this, there are two more tracks that one can look forward to from the songstress, who also gave other hits such as Dole Dole and Aha, back in the day. She also plans to treat the audience to a collaboration with her musician daughter Kaveri Kapur (Half a Heart and Again) sometime soon. “She has just finished her 12th standard exams and will be off to Boston in September for further studies. Before she goes, we will release a single of hers. There is always something musical happening, whether her career or mine. Now, we will bring something out together very soon for sure. We just need to find the right song,” she signs off.

Last year, when actress-singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur's daughter Kaveri made her singing debut, legends like Amitabh Bachchan and A R Rahman took to the social media to rave about her talent. After all, at 17, the young musical prodigy is already hitting the right notes - she has written, composed and sung three singles, Did You Know, Half A Heart and Again. Her captivating voice and soulful melodies have also gained her a sizeable fan following online. In a joint conversation with BT, the mother-daughter duo talk about Kaveri's musical leanings, the inspiration behind her mature compositions and why she doesn't mind giving acting a shot. Excerpts...

Suchitra, with Kaveri starting out so young, do you worry she will burn out and lose interest in music?
Suchitra: When she wrote her first few songs, she was just 11, and I wouldn't have been surprised back then if it had fizzled out. But she's 17 years now and has sustained her passion for music all these years. I think she has found her calling. She has a long way to go, but I don't think she will lose interest in what she is doing.
Kaveri: Actually, I wrote my very first song when I was just nine years old! And I am still writing everyday. It's something that I really enjoy doing, so I don't think I'll burn out.

When did you first realise that she was musically inclined?
S: I always knew Kaveri had exceptional talent. She started her Hindustani vocal training with my guruji when she was just six years old. So, I knew she had a good voice, but her song writing abilities took me by surprise. It's one thing to sing, but to write lyrics and compose melodies is very different. By the time she was 11, we started taking her to recording studios because she was writing full-fledged songs.
K: I have been introduced to music because of mom and her background, but song writing came to me rather spontaneously. I remember when I was younger, I would suddenly come up with melodies. And I didn't want to share them with anyone.
S: She was so shy, I had to literally pry those songs out of her!

Kaveri, you'd said in an interview that you hope people appreciate your music because they like it and not because of who your parents are. Do you still think people praise you because you're your parents' daughter?
K: I am definitely in a position of advantage because of who my parents are; there's no denying that. But after a certain point, I hope people like my music because I have talent. I work really hard and put a lot of effort into what I do.
S: I find the whole nepotism debate amusing. It exists in all fields. People are bound to get certain opportunities and exposure because of their backgrounds. But if they don't deliver, they will be rejected like anyone else. One must not grudge others because of their opportunities; ultimately, life is a level-playing field.

The lyrics in Kaveri's songs are rather deep... they're about heartbreak. Kaveri, have your personal experiences made their way into your music?
K: I haven't really experienced anything...
S: Well, you have friends who have just started to date.
K: Oh yes! I know it's normal, but I am a weird case, so I just got left behind. Sometimes, I draw inspiration from my personal experiences and dramatize it in my songs. Other times, I look at people around me. There are times when I just start writing a single line and then build up on it.

Does your mom help you with your lyrics?
K: Not at all. I don't go to anyone.
S: That's one department where she is completely independent - her lyrics and melodies. Sometimes when she is recording a song, I tell her, try singing this line in a particular way, but that's about it.

How do you strike a balance between your academics and musical pursuits?
K: It's really hard. I used to think I'll manage but now that I am studying IB syllabus, there's so much to do. When I come home from school, I just want to sleep, but I realise I have to study for six tests the next day and also practice on the piano.
S: There are times when I have to wake her up in the night for her vocal practice. But she is so dedicated, I don't have to tell her what to do. In fact, I tell her to relax and take it easy!
K: That's true, I've never felt any pressure from my parents; my hard work comes from own passion.

Last year, you collaborated with the British band The Vamps. How was the experience?
K: It was amazing, but also terrifying. I had never performed live before and then, suddenly, I was going to sing along side The Vamps. I was about to have a nervous breakdown. But just being on stage in front of a live audience cemented the belief that this is what I want to do forever. Also, they were nice and took a lot of effort to make me feel comfortable.
S: I didn't expect her to be so comfortable on stage, because she has always been a shy kid. But I guess when she is singing, nothing else matters to her.

Kaveri's father has expressed his desire to direct her, so will she give acting a shot?
K: My priority is music; I think it's something that I am good at. But I am open to acting in the future.
S: She should definitely give it a shot. In the past, she had a very good acting offer. In fact, it was a singing role, but she said a flat no. That was her state of mind then, she is more open now.
K: Obviously, I was just 14 na!
S: Well, you might land up having fun. Or maybe you'll realize that it's not your scene. But till you try it, you will never know.

What's in store for the future?
K: I like to sing what I write, so my goal is to be a singer-songwriter. In the past year, my writing has really evolved. I want to do more in my videos. I want my songs to have a story. I am very shy but I have grown up a lot.
S: I really believe in Kaveri's talent. She just has to give it her best and go with the flow. She has enough time to figure out what's working and what isn't. We're also looking at various music schools in England schools in England and USA, where she can study music production.

Actress-turned-author Suchitra Krishnamoorthi is in a happy space these days. She is not only excited about making her theatre debut alongside her daughter Kaveri, but is also thrilled that her new book will be on shelves soon.

“My daughter has composed a song for the play, which is an adaptation of my previous book. It's a positive, upbeat and a happy number,“ says Suchitra, adding, “I realised that as Kaveri started growing up, time was hanging heavy. I wanted to be involved in more things other than baby ka homework and finding out if the dog has been fed. I was looking for some interesting projects, but nothing really appealed to me. That's when I decided to adapt my own book for the stage.“

After acting in an array of films like Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, My Wife's Murder and Karma, Confessions And Holi, Suchitra had taken a break from the industry. Does she regret her decision? “Regret is such an annoying word,“ she says, adding, “I prefer to look forward to what is yet to come and make the most of it.“