Boney Kapoor has always been someone unafraid to take risks, a trait he showed very early in his career. After the huge success of ‘Hum Paanch’ in 1980, he took another bold step and launched his younger brother Anil Kapoor in his second production ‘Woh 7 Din’ in 1983. The film turned out to be an even bigger hit and was loved by audiences across the country. As the film completes 43 years this year, Boney shared some interesting and fond memories about its making.
How did Boney Kapoor come together with director Bapu for ‘Woh 7 Din’?
In a candid conversation with Variety India, Boney was asked how he first collaborated with director Bapu for ‘Woh 7 Din’. The producer shared a fascinating and detailed account of how the film came to be, revealing that it was not a straightforward journey by any means. He recalled, “After ‘Hum Paanch,’ we struck a good bond. I used to visit Chennai often because I wanted to make my next film with him. During discussions, we struck on an idea to make a love story. It didn’t get to scripting even after working on it for a couple of months. We worked hard on it, but it didn’t really excite us. Bapu was then offered a Telugu production, the remake of the 1981 Tamil film ‘Andha 7 Naatkal’ directed by the late K. Bhagyaraj. He invited me to accompany him to see some of the reels. There was still some work left to be done. At the time, there was no intention to remake the film in Hindi. After watching the film, I told Bapu he had to make it in Telugu, so he started working on it. I couldn’t get over the film. I wanted to buy the rights for a Hindi version, but Bhagyaraj wasn’t keen on giving it up, because his ‘Ek Hi Bhool’ with Jeetendra and Rekha had just become a big hit and he was probably awaiting better prospects. In the end, though, I convinced him to let me remake ‘Andha 7 Naatkal’ in Hindi.”
Who does 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’ today, Boney had some very 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 could do Padmini’s role. For Naseer, someone like Sidharth Malhotra. And for Anil’s role, Ranbir Kapoor.”
How does Boney Kapoor look back at his 54-year journey in Bollywood?
Reflecting on his long and remarkable journey in the film industry, Boney looked back with great pride and gratitude. Speaking about his illustrious career that has spanned over five decades, he said, “I have been around for 54 years. I started working at the age of 16-17. First as an assistant editor, then an assistant director, then an assistant producer, then a producer. I think it has been quite a journey.”
