To bring back the old days, bring back the old guys, seems to be Sanjay Gupta’s policy as he sets about trying to recreate the Bombay of the 70s. For his sepia-tinted Shootout At Wadala, that deals with the city’s underbelly with a retro edge, Gupta may rope in Zafar Hai, a long-forgotten Bollywood director of the 70s whose only feature film was a dramatic thriller titled The Perfect Murder.
“Zafar’s film had an excellent title sequence, which showed an amalgamation of the most notable aspects of the city and the era. The way it captured Bombay’s harbour line is what caught Sanjay’s attention,” informs a source. “He wants to meet Zafar and see if he could be of help.”
The only problem? Zafar is practically untraceable since that one film. “I really admire Zafar’s work, and still can’t get over the visuals he created. I want to meet him or catch hold of more of his work,” says Sanjay, admitting his helplessness in locating the reclusive director.