Shekhar Kapur to start shooting for 'Masoom 2' from February-March: 'The script is ready'

Shekhar Kapur, Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah

Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur is gearing up for the sequel to his 1983 classic 'Masoom'.

The director recently shared an exciting update about 'Masoom 2', revealing that the script is finalized and production is set to begin in early 2025.

During a conversation with ANI, Kapur reminisced about an amusing incident during his travels that gave him a sense of serendipity regarding the project's future.

"The script is ready, and I will start shooting from February-March. I was traveling from Dubai to Delhi, and I realized I had left the 'Masoom 2' script on the plane seat," Kapur recalled during a conversation with ANI.

"But I got it back, and a flight attendant wrote me a note saying that Masoom was a very good film, and this one will be just as good. So, see, it came back even after being left behind--there must be something to it. It's destiny," the filmmaker said.

The sequel promises a fresh storyline while retaining the core values that made the original 'Masoom' so beloved.

Kapur confirmed that the star-studded cast will include Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Bajpayee, and Kaveri, among others.

Reflecting on the inspiration behind revisiting the story, Kapur shared, "At that time I was very new to the industry, a complete naive, and I really want to know how did I do it."

While he's excited to bring the sequel to life, Kapur also took time to discuss the changing landscape of creativity in the age of AI.

On whether technology like AI stifles artistic expression, he pointed out, "If you start depending on it, you'll become lazy. Where does creativity come from? From fear... There are many drives for human beings--fear, love, faith, and hope. Can you ask AI to talk about hope? It can write about hope, but it can't hope itself."

Kapur elaborated on the importance of human emotion in storytelling, emphasizing that "AI cannot fall in love, and to be creative, you have to fall in love. You have to feel pain, not just describe pain."

In a lighter moment, Kapur humorously recounted how his cook once claimed to have written a script for 'Mr. India 2' using ChatGPT.

"One day, my cook told me he had written a script for 'Mr. India 2'. I said, 'Wow, that's great! Where did you get it from?' He said, 'ChatGPT, sir.' The story was very good, but I told myself, 'You'll need to write it better.' So, AI provokes you to be better. If ChatGPT writes every story, then what am I for?"

On the much-anticipated 'Paani', Kapur noted that while the project remains on hold, he plans to focus on 'Masoom 2' first before turning his attention to it.

Fans of Shekhar Kapur can look forward to 'Masoom 2', a new that promises to evoke the same emotional depth and sincerity that made its predecessor a timeless classic.