Zoya Akhtar shares exclusive insights into the creation of Bagwati in “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.”

Zoya Akhtar’s film creations are born from her passions. “Gully Boy” was driven by her love for hip-hop music. In a recent Sit With Hitlist conversation, she revealed that “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” originated from her fondness for road trips. She expressed, “I love taking road trips, and I wanted to do a road movie, and that’s how it started. Having just completed a big ensemble film with Luck By Chance (her debut directorial), I was eager to work on a smaller film, so I opted for a small ensemble.”

Featuring Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, and Farhan Akhtar in prominent roles, it was far from a small film. Playfully, Reema, who co-wrote the screenplay with Zoya, remarked, “That is Zoya’s concept of a very small film.” Recalling Zoya’s initial idea post “Luck By Chance,” Reema added, “She said, ‘I just want three boys, no hair makeup, and I am going to follow them around in a car.’ It began like that, but it didn’t quite end up that way.”

Reema and Zoya embarked on numerous trips together before the film. Recounting those experiences, Reema mentioned, “We did, quite a lot actually. There were five or six of us.”

Before Luck By Chance or so, it was ages ago,” Zoya concluded her sentence. “A road trip, but with a mix of everything.”
Reema further mentioned, “A significant part of that vacation spirit was infused into ZNMD, although not necessarily the exact details.”

During one of those motivating journeys, Reema, a “broke AD,” found herself in Goa without funds for a bus ticket back to Mumbai. She secured a car ride with the sister of a friend, and throughout the journey, the host remained cautious of a plastic bag in the backseat, containing an expensive vase or something. They humorously named that bag Priscilla.

This is the story of how Bagwati made its way into ZNMD. Interestingly, Reema, unfamiliar with a Birkin, remarked, “What’s that Berk, Berk, whatever.” When Zoya introduced the concept to her, Reema questioned the idea of someone paying lakhs for a bag. She expressed her preference for the motif to be something breakable in the film, but ultimately, as Zoya was the director, she went along with her vision.

The widespread admiration for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara has fueled hopes for a sequel, and it seems Abhay Deol has an idea in mind. Zoya shared, “He is threatening to meet me. He said, ‘I have an idea I want to meet you,’ so I am going to meet him

Another highly anticipated film from them is Jee Le Zara, initially planned with three female leads. When asked about its status, Zoya mentioned, “That’s pending, waiting on dates.