Vishwanath was shot without a script

Shatrughan Sinha was a friend. A friend who starred in my first film, Kalicharan. A friend for whom I had written another film, Khan Dost. Khan Dost bombed. Kalicharan was a big box-office success and Shatru was convinced that only I could save his banner. “You have to help me dost,” he asserted. “Start a film for me in a fortnight’s time.” I couldn’t say “no” to my friend but how could I start a film without a story? Shatru was deaf to reason. “I don’t know how you’ll do it but you have to do this for me,” he insisted. I began thinking hard. And stumbled upon an idea of a criminal lawyer who becomes a criminal and uses the loopholes in the law to get justice done. Shatru loved the concept. We finished the film without a script in 10 months. Vishwanath was a bigger hit than Kalicharan. And convinced me that most Indians work better in times of crisis. I certainly did.

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