Many congratulations for ‘420 IPC’. Absolutely love the authenticity you have brought to the film. How has been the response so far?
People are totally liking the film. Critics and critics also gave good ratings to the film. I am being told by the audience that they liked the twists and turns in the story that kept them hooked till the end, and that the final twist at the end was completely unexpected and unexpected. People have appreciated the detailing of court procedures in the film. I am being told that the film is completely honest and candid – just like mine.
There is so much depth and detail in your stories. What are your priorities as a director – focus primarily on the protagonist and characters and their world view, or focus on storytelling?
My focus has always been on storytelling. Every scene in my film always takes the story forward. I intentionally stay away from subplots that are only for character development. Because this can slow down the pace of the story and break the interest of the audience. Every scene in my film is always a part of the plot. As the story progresses, I make the audience discover the characters. This is the reason why my films are short and precise. They do not wander here and there. They keep their word and they are over. My blueprint for writing my suspense scripts are novels by late author Agatha Christie that are completely inspired by the plot.
Very often, when making legal and political dramas and films, it becomes very easy to enter the linguistic realm. How do you avoid this when writing and directing?
Indian cinema is plagued by linguism. Most Indian movies try to give some kind of social message or moral lesson. I think this is very fake, this is a very wrong trend because not every story can have a social message. For example, ‘Section 375’ which I wrote is a mirror of our present times whereas ‘420 IPC’ is purely a suspense film. I am too close to reality to avoid fundamentalism. In real life no lawyer or policeman ever gives moral speech inside the court. So when I write a scene, I sit back and ask myself, “Can this really happen? Would a real person in this situation talk like that?” If the answer is yes, then I go ahead and shoot that scene.
Your last directorial ‘Rahasya’ and ‘The Stoneman Murder’, as well as ‘Sarkar’ and ‘Section 375’ that you wrote, were also drawn from real events and people. What attracts you to such stories?
I write what I see happening around me. My stories are derived from reality because I can relate more to a plot when I know it’s real. It is more thrilling, haunting, disturbing and impactful for the audience when they know that something like this really happened and therefore could happen to them as well.
For a country like India, where people are extremely sensitive about cinema, political and legal subjects used in films, how challenging is it to hone your craft?
A writer-director in India has to face constant hurdles as he is liable to be politically correct at all times. If a character from a particular community is portrayed in a negative sense in the film, the writer-director is forced to portray another character from the same community as good so that the sentiments of a particular community are not hurt. The writer-director’s contract at the studio explicitly includes legal clauses stating that our content must not hurt the sentiments of any community. Furthermore, movies in India are an easy target for rioters who protest or litigate for their propaganda and other agendas. A writer-director in India has to deal with all these challenges constantly.
How do you determine who your audience is? What are your pull factors?
Being from an advertising background, before making a film, I would first define the target audience for what the film is being made for. A filmmaker needs to know what kind of content appeals to which segment of the audience. My films are typically designed for a specific urban audience, in layman terms, a multiplex-visiting audience. All my films always have the story, the concept which is always unique in all my films. Unlike other filmmakers, I do not depend on the star-power of my lead actors to captivate the audience. My story and concept is what works.
Now that you’ve been in the industry for so long, what has been your biggest takeaway?
My biggest learning in this industry is that no one is really your friend or foe here. Everyone is an opportunist. Whether or not they will support you depends on whether it benefits them at the time or situation.
You have also shot a suspense drama Raveena Tandon. Can you tell us about the film? And how has been the experience of working with them?
‘One Friday Night’ is a relationship drama plotted like a suspense thriller. Raveena was very professional and punctual, she always reached on time which is rare in Bollywood. Initially we had a tussle on the sets as Raveena took some time to understand my sensibilities as a writer-director. Raveena and I belong to completely different schools of filmmaking. She comes from a very strong background of commercial mainstream cinema whereas I come from a background of realistic cinema. But when he caught on to how I would envision the film, I was thrilled with his performance. She has given a scintillating performance that will captivate the audience. I also found an extraordinary, huge screen presence in Raveena.
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