The film industry seems to have caught a strange new disease. It’s being given the name of `Black` magic. Nothing occulist about it. But the impending release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film of that title has triggered off a strange ‘black’ mood in the industry. (Also Read: Dino Morea behind bars…)

Could it be just a coincidence that at least two other film with the word ‘black’ in the title are tumbling out from behind Black? (Also Read: Dev Anand to revive classics)

It seems unlikely, because before Bhansali’s Black there was no Hindi film with that word in the title except Vijay Anand’s Blackmail which came in the mid-70s. Now a few weeks after Black, Ajay Devgan will be seen in a film entitled Blackmail, followed by Anurag Kashyap’s controversial Black Friday. (Also Read: Sush's dramatic comeback)

Three ‘Black’ films in a month seems hardly coincidental after years of avoiding the colour of darkness and mystery as being unlucky. In fact there was film by G.P. Sippy in 1959 called Blackmailer. The title was changed to a more conventional Bhai Bahen to suit audiences’ sensibilities. (Also Read: Guild reaches out to tsunami victims)

Tanuja Chandra wanted to call her film Andhera (darkness). She was told by distributors to find another title if she was serious about making it. Chandra hastily changed the title to Sangharsh.

Now the stigma attached to the colour black has gone. And the credit for this is being given to Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

“Really?” he laughs through his pre-release tensions. Black is being readied for a worldwide release on February 4. Bhansali takes a break from the back-breaking job of mixing the film to ponder on the relevance of the title. “I don’t know about other films with the word. But black has always been my favourite colour. I wear black clothes most of the time. The colour calms me. When I decided to make a film about the world of the sightless, Black was the title that came to mind immediately. Just like Devdas had to called only that, my new film could have no other title except Black. It says everything that needs to be said about the world of my characters, and also about the significances that underline the so-called normal world of people who see and yet remain blind.”

Getting personal Bhansali confesses, “Yes, I do get into black moods. Which creative person doesn’t? The power to create something beautiful comes from that pitch-blackness of not-knowing, the anguish of trying to get out of that state of darkness is what makes the colour black so challenging, exciting and productive.”

Pausing to look at the enchanting posters of his new film with guru Amitabh Bachchan and pupil Rani Mukherjee caught in stirring motions of bonding, Bhansali says, “A lot is being written about my black moods. Not all of it is true. I certainly don’t turn violent on others…If you see my films Khamoshi, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and now Black you’ll realize my characters too inflict pain on themselves thereby creating a painful chain-reaction in the characters around them.”

One thing is for sure. Black will redefine almost every rule of mainstream filmmaking. Bhansali moves away from the glowing-oranges and flaming-reds of Devdas to create a new colour-scheme of resplendence.

Sighs Bhansali, “Much of the frames in Black are done in that shade. Yet you can’t look at a single moment of the film as depressing or defeatist. Like Devdas, Black is ultimately a celebration of the human spirit.”

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