Years after Delhi-6 reached theatres, filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has revisited one of the most debated creative choices of his career. In a recent conversation with SCREEN, Mehra revealed that the 2009 film starring Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor had a significantly different version, one that never made it to Indian cinemas.
According to the director, the original cut of Delhi-6 began by declaring the fate of its hero in the very first frame. The film opened with the immersion of Abhishek Bachchan’s character’s ashes in the Ganges, accompanied by a voiceover identifying them as his own. Mehra said this version, which was screened at the Venice Film Festival, received an overwhelmingly positive response and left international audiences stunned by its bold narrative choice.
However, the filmmaker chose to alter the ending before the film’s domestic release. Reflecting on that decision now, Mehra described it bluntly as an act of “sheer foolishness.” He explained that many who viewed the film felt it should end on a hopeful note, given its dark humour and layered storytelling. Influenced by those opinions, he chose to soften the conclusion, something he admits he should not have done.
When asked about the possibility of releasing the original version, Mehra sounded uncertain. He said he does not believe the time is right, adding that he feels audiences today may be even less receptive to such themes than they were then.
Also featuring Waheeda Rehman, Rishi Kapoor, Supriya Pathak and Om Puri, Delhi-6 struggled at the box office but remains a film that continues to spark discussion years later.
