Forget everything for the next three months,” Rakeysh Mehra says to Rajkumar Hirani. The Rang De Basanti maker is sharing his experiences with the director of Lage Raho Munnabhai about the after-effects of making a well-loved super hit.

It’s not easy to get two Bollywood directors to agree to a debate in print. Especially two who are contemporary cinema’s latest mavericks. No discussion on the Hindi film industry is complete without a mention of their films and both were main contenders for India’s official entry to the Big O. Then, there is also this to consider: While both films have a nationalist flavour, they have vastly differing points of view. While one had protagonists rejecting Gandhi’s principle of non-violence and following Bhagat Singh’s path to rouse a nation from its apathy, the other was a shining example of following the Gandhian approach in modern times.

­But even as it is Mehra’s Rang De Basanti that beats Hirani’s Lage Raho Munnabhai as the official entry to the Oscars, the makers agree—on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti—to a debate on Gandhi and his relevance today.

Even though Hirani has a doctor’s appointment for his sore throat, he promises to make it for our date. Mehra takes a break from scripting his next movie and arrives on dot. Hirani is running a bit late courtesy the Mumbai traffic. He messages an apology to Mehra who tells him to take his time. When Hirani makes an appearance, both greet each other like long-lost buddies. And despite their differences, the makers exude only camaraderie and mutual respect.

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