September 4, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): Now it can be told. A lot of Kajol's character in Siddharth Anand's debut film is inspired by the director's mythical grandmother Bina Rai.

Debutant director Siddharth Anand lost his legendary grandmother, the 'Anarkali', 'Ghunghat' and 'Taj Mahal' actress Bina Rai, just months before his film was to be completed. Now Siddharth cannot bear to look at his film without wondering what his doting Dadee would think of his work, and specially Kajol in whom Bina Rai saw a lot of her own spirit. The eerie feeling that Bina Rai watches over the family in 'We Are Family' persists.

Says the emotional director, "I remember Dadee never used to go out of the house. But when I started the film she came to Filmistan studio to give the mahurat clap for her favorite grandchild that's mee! Eerily my first shot was on the same floor of Filmistan where she had shot her two most well known films 'Anarkali' and 'Taj Mahal'. She came back to the same spot at Filmstan after 40 years just to bless me, my film and Kajol. I was her first grandchild and therefore her favorite."

When Siddharth Malhotra set out to adapt the Hollywood film Stepmom in Hindi the role of the strong wife and mother became a role model.

Says Siddharth, "My Dadee was the purest soul and strongest woman I've known. Now there's Kadz who's got the same qualities. Naturally one became the model for the other in my creativity."

Bina Rai had met Kajol and really warmed up to her. Siddharth isn't surprised. "When Dadee came on the set my first shot was with Kadz. She loved what she saw. Truly I see so much of my Dadee in Kadz. My Dadee meant the universe to me. And Kadz is the only one after my grandmother whom I love and respect so much, not just as an actor but a person. They don't make human beings like my grandmother and Kajol any more. Kajol must be a mistake."

In fact the director thinks he has expressed a lot of his grandmother's strength of will and intuitive resoluteness in Kajol's character in 'We Are Family'.

Says Malhotra, "Consciously or unconsciously, Kajol's character comes across as very similar to my Daadee. When I saw the film I was amazed at how similar the two women I admire the most were! If Dadee had seen my film she would agree. Unfortunately she passed away when I was shooting in Sydney. But she did see portions of 'We Are Family' on my computer and was very excited. She couldn't wait to see the whole film. I wish I could have showed it to her!!"

Siddharth Malhotra has dedicated 'We Are Family' to his grandparents Bina Rai and her equally illustrious husband the actor Premnath.

-- Subhash K Jha / Sampurn Wire