Boney Kapoor has always been someone who isn’t afraid to take risks, a trait he demonstrated very early in his career. After the huge success of ‘Hum Paanch’ in 1980, he took another bold step and launched his younger Anil Kapoor: in his second production ‘Woh 7 Din’ in 1983. The film became a bigger hit and was loved by the audience all over the country. With the film completing 43 years this year, Boney shared some interesting and fond memories about its making.
How did Boney Kapoor team up with director Bapu for ‘Woh 7 Din’?
In a candid conversation with Variety India, Boney was asked how he first teamed up with director Bapu for ‘Woh 7 Din’. The producer shared an interesting and detailed account of how the film was made, revealing that it was not a straightforward journey by any means. He recalls, “After ‘Hum Paanch,’ we became very close. I always visit Chennai because I want to do my next film with him. During the discussions, we got an idea to make a love story. It did not reach scripting even after working on it for several months. We tried hard for it, but it didn’t excite us. Bapu was offered a Telugu production, the remake of the 1981 Tamil film ‘Andha 7 Naatkal’ directed by the late K. Bhagyaraj. He invited me to watch some reels with him. There is still work to be done. At that time, there was no intention to remake the film in Hindi. After watching the movie, I told Bapu that he should make it in Telugu, so he started working on it. I didn’t get over the movie. I wanted to buy the rights for the Hindi version, but Bhagyaraj didn’t want to give it up, because his ‘Ek Hi Bhool’ with Jeetendra: and Rekha has just become a big hit and she might be waiting for better prospects. Finally, however, I convinced him to let me remake ‘Andha 7 Naatkal’ in Hindi.
Who would Boney Kapoor want to cast in a modern remake of ‘Woh 7 Din’?
When asked who he would cast if he were to remake ‘Woh 7 Din’ now, Boney had some interesting and exciting names in mind. Without missing a beat, he shared his dream cast for the modern version of the classic film. He said, “Janhvi can play the role of Padmini. For Naseer, someone like Siddharth Malhotra. And for Anil’s role, Ranbir Kapoor.”
How does Boney Kapoor view his 54-year journey in Bollywood?
Reflecting on his long and extraordinary journey in the film industry, Boney looks back with great pride and gratitude. Speaking about his illustrious career spanning more than five decades, he said, “I’ve been around for 54 years. I started working at the age of 16-17. First as an assistant editor, then assistant director, then assistant producer, then producer. I think it’s been a journey.”
