For a boy who has grown up on a healthy dose of Bollywood and film-making dreams, a directorial debut with an actor like Arvind Swamy is huge. Armed with a four-year degree in film direction, and the experience of a few shorts and videos, Tanuj Bhramar returned to India from the US to make movies in the “rapidly evolving Indian film industry“. An artiste at heart, Tanuj believes that his movies are an extension of who he is. He loves Bollywood masala potboilers and wants to make movies in all genres. In a candid interview, the young director talks about his debut film, Dear Dad which releases on May 13.

Arvind Swamy is making a comeback in Bollywood with your movie. How does it feel?
It is an honour to bring him back to Bollywood after 15 years. The industry missed his subtle performances. Sir (Arvind) has really expressive eyes and for a film like this, I needed an actor who would say a lot without talking much - a contained performance was necessary and he delivers it perfectly.

What was his reaction when you asked him to do the movie?
He was a gracious host and over an amazing lunch, he heard my script, and said he'd get back. He did after a few days, and I went back to Chennai. We discussed the role again, he had a couple of suggestions and then, just like that, he was ready to do the film. Sir is very choosy about his movies and I am happy my film passed his test.

Why didn't you choose a Bollywood actor for the lead role?
It wasn't about choosing a Bollywood or Tollywood actor, it was about choosing the right actor. At the end of the day, script is king, and it dictates who your actor will be.

What made you choose Arvind?
When I was working on the script, I had a mental image of the father and my casting director suggested that we rope in Arvind. Right from his warmth and body language, he was tailor-made for this role. Plus, his performances are subtle and understated, never over the top. For this movie, I needed that.

Is Dear Dad inspired by your life? How close are you to this movie emotionally?
The movie is a homage to my trips to school with my father and parts of it are inspired from my life, so I have an emotional connect with it. The movie deals with the father-son relationship and is about acceptance, understanding and getting to know each other's true self.