If it is still around, I would wish for it to re-surface now and its print be sent to the National Film Archives for preservation. I think "Road To Sikkim" might still be in some private possession as a 16-mm print in eastern India. At one time Bhattacharya even contemplated re-shooting "Daku" with a new star cast, but funds were his insurmountable problem. He probably had all the material destroyed.
"Daku" had already got full tax exemption in Punjab and more credit would be forthcoming. īasu Bhattacharya was furious at the turn of events. The advertisement for a well-known brand of talcum powder endorsed by Mahendroo also disappeared and, of course, there remained no trace of the film "Daku". Films already released, like "Road to Sikkim", were withdrawn. The entire record of Mahendroo's film career to date virtually disappeared. He demanded that even lobby prints, posters, trailers and advertisement films et al featuring Mahendroo be handed to him or his representative. He even went so far as to declare that he would pay double the cost incurred to all filmmakers with rights over their films in which Anju Mahendroo had a role. Rajesh Khanna's fierce battle with Mahendroo led him to order the private confiscation of all films in the country featuring her. I had found the film worthy of the exemption. The film was issued a tax exemption for a period of one month after its first week's commercial run in Delhi. The writer did not charge any royalty because she had tremendous regard for Basuda as a film director.
"Daku" was based on a novelette written by the famed Punjabi writer Amrita Pritam. The film came to me for tax exemption as I was the film expert on board the official committee of the Excise Department in the Delhi Administration. One working print was sent to Delhi by the producer for private screenings. My close friend Basu Bhattacharya had just completed his latest film "Daku" featuring Kabir Bedi and Anju Mahendroo. He blamed Mahendroo and her friends for all the negative publicity. What made Kaka furious was the reaction from even his well-wishers. The latter and her mother had a royal tiff with Khanna before Mahendroo walked out of the home in which she had been a regular. The time was when Rajesh Khanna was about to get married to Dimple Kapadia after a long-drawn romance with Anju Mahendroo. Actress Anju Mahendroo could have much to add to my own story which I wish to share. He used his star power to demolish any opposition.