Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) The end of idealism and the beginning of compromise sometimes indicate the culmination of many creative pursuits. One such was Raman Kumar's small, slender but immensely large-hearted 1982 film 'Saath Saath'. After more than two decades, the director is set to make a sequel to the film.

The film featured Farooque Sheikh as an idealist whose visions crumble as his wife Deepti Naval watches her husband's dreams turn to dust. Kumar is ready to carry the 'Saath Saath' story forward.

'Yes, I'm making a sequel to 'Saath Saath'. The idea came to me on New Year's Eve. Only three friends - Farooque, Honey Irani and I - were together and we were discussing 'Saath Saath'. We rang in the New Year with the resolution to make the sequel,' Kumar told IANS.

'It will have to feature Farooque and Deepti again. I've told them I can't make the film without them. It's the story of the moral dilemma faced by their son as he inherits a new world in the new millennium. See, a lot has changed since I made 'Saath Saath' 28 years ago. But the basic theme of idealism and its compromise remains unchanged.

'I've been personally troubled by compromises that I've to make as a human being and an artiste. Television is a very corrupting medium,' he added.

It remains Kumar's only genuine work of art comparable with the best coming-of-age end-of-idealism films that came out of the Mumbai film industry between Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 'Satyakam' in 1969 and Sudhir Mishra's 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi' in 2005.

The director has lately locked himself away from the world to write the script for the sequel.

'It's a thought that I'm completely consumed by. If you remember, the film had outstanding poetry and music by Javed Akhtar and Jagjit Singh. I've already asked Jagjit to lend me his songs. Kuldeep Singh who composed the music will also be back. I'll also be using portions of the footage in 'Saath Saath' as a part of the sequel.'

The only thing Kumar is sure of is that the sequel about the compromise of values will have no compromises.

'I've told Farooque and Deepti that I'll be producing the film. I'll somehow gather the funds schedule by schedule. No one would be looking at any kind of profit. We're doing this film for the love of the theme.'

The film will go on the floors in three months.

Some other notable films on the erosion of idealism include Guru Dutt's 'Pyaasa', Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 'Bemisal', Vijay Anand's 'Tere Mere Sapne', Rakeysh Mehra's 'Rang De Basanti', Raj Kumar Hirani's 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' and Raj Kumar Santoshi's 'Halla Bol'.