They love mainstream cinema — everything from action thrillers to romance and comedy — and their biggest dream is to work with Amitabh Bachchan. But creative producer Amrish Shah and scriptwriter Ameet Mehta have managed to accomplish something entirely different.
They have made a biopic — ‘The Beatification of Mother Teresa’ — and seem just as amazed as the people who know them. “It was destiny - having grown up on a healthy diet of masala films, working on a Mother Teresa film was something we never imagined we’d do,” admits Amrish.
Shot primarily in Rome and Calcutta, the film was recently showcased at Cannes. It features heartfelt experiences by many celebrities including Penelope Cruz and Sahara’s Subrata Roy. His Holiness, the late Pope John Paul II, also features in the film as he presides over the Beatification ceremony in Rome.
The main theme of the film, produced by Percept Picture Company and Sahara One Motion Pictures, is the miracle that Monica Besra, a lady from India experienced.
Monica, who also worked in the film, got cured of a tumor in her stomach after a few nuns chanted a prayer in Mother Teresa’s name. It was this miracle that lead to the Beatification of Mother Teresa.
Says Amrish, “I feel blessed. Working on the film was an unforgettable experience. I’ve realised that even a lifetime of my achievements will not match up to what she achieved in any given day of her life. Mother Teresa humbles you.”
Adds Ameet, “I don’t even do my own laundry and this woman happily nursed even those afflicted with leprosy.”
Both of them have big plans for the future. “Our goal is to direct feature films and we believe that it will happen soon. In the meantime, we are also meeting the bigwigs of the industry with ready scripts,” conclude the dynamic duo.
