On this very 'Wednesday' going to tell you I'm about a 'Special' Director and why his films are his ultimate 'Babys'!!! Neeraj Pandey is one of the most complex directors I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Way back when I first shot with this extraordinary quiet man, the intimidation I felt towards his uniqueness was through the roof, yet he had absolutely no idea the excitement and nerves I was feeling on my first day working with him for Special 26. I was silently worried after day one we were never going to be able to be in sync with each other on a professional level, but I bit my lip and no joke, it may have taken some time and a gentle arm-twist, but by the second leg of our schedule, all barriers were down and we actually had a laugh at the monitor, which turned everyone's head in sheer shock. The serious, poker-faced Neeraj Pandey CAN laugh and we've been enjoying each other's hard work ever since. Though, he definitely is the most honest black and white man in this industry, he says what he means, he means what he says, but his heart is pure and his opinions are even more placid than my own, this is when I learnt I am actually being directed by a man that thinks and speaks as little as I do. He is not here to gossip or give opinions in areas he doesn't feel comfortable in expressing his views, he's not here to talk about anyone else's film apart from his own and even then, he speaks not a word of his success or greatness, he's even more humble than that. When asked what he thought of Special 26 after editing it, his words were, 'Nice, you tell me when you see it, then we'll talk!' Again, I asked him what he felt about Baby during the edit, again he replies, 'Good, you see it, then you tell me!' His job is complete, he's done his best, only time will tell now, but he's definitely not a man that is going to butter up his own film for anyone's benefit and I commend him for that. Opinions are pointless without results, but even then he speaks nothing but his passion for his next script, that's when we talk the most, when there is a script involved and an adventure to plot.

The solidarity that we share now, I never knew would ever exist between such a life-gripping director and myself. (But I will admit I have kept my pranks down to a minimum on his films). What I love most about this man, apart from his direct honest opinion and crystal clear vision, is how this man doesn't shoot to impress, he's not here to extravagantly blow your mind, he shoots to tell you a story, his only interest is to suck you into the trail he wants you to follow. I could follow this man till the end of the earth, just listening to his take on life and the way he sees things, his visions, his honesty to shoot original sequences as he refuses to copy anything already made. For example, he had a torture scene mapped out in front of me over a year ago, then recently a Hollywood film duplicated his vision. Needless to say he scrapped it, even though he had dreamt about this scene for more than a year. He said, 'No, I'll shoot another version, this one has already been made.' So, he deleted this scene from his head and made a new one, that is how honest a director he is. Nothing but genuine from start to finish. There are no shortcuts in his world. He's so passionate and politely cocksure about what he does and how he wants to portray his script, like he's lived it before, dreamt it and made it 10 times before he's even walked on set. It's that genuine faith alone that gives an actor that immediate confidence. Every story is for a reason, either to educate, open minds or to just experience the thrills of real life incidents that our city lives through on a daily basis. The term 'pointless' doesn't exist in Neeraj Sir's vocabulary. Everything is for a reason.

I could talk about what a wondrous man he is all day .There are very few people on the planet that I can openly talk about with such admiration, but this 'Special Director' is definitely one of them. To the Baby of all Babys, I wish this team the absolute best, it's been a tough schedule, but like Neeraj Sir always says, 'Work hard or the door's that way.' What can I say. I respect this man from all angles. He is a Million Dollar Baby through and through!!!