The director of several well-acclaimed socio-political dramas is now the subject of a documentary himself
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 15, 2016)

After his 2010 3D animation film, the Kajol and Ajay Devgn-starrer Toonpur Ka Superrhero, Kireet Khurana is ready with a one-hour documentary on three-time National Award-winning filmmaker Saeed Mirza. "Saeed and I live in the same building in Bandra, I've known him since my childhood and have been hugely inspired by his work. He is such a charismatic man that I'm surprised it never occurred to anyone to make a documentary on him," reveals Kireet who began shooting towards the end of 2014 and wrapped up the shoot in 40-45 days.

The filmmaker reveals that he spent a year-and-a-half just shadowing Saeed before going on the floors. "In the course of our conversations, I realised that he tends to raise many questions but doesn't have any answers and this reflects in his storytelling, be it Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai, Naseem or Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro. All of them had open-ended climaxes," Kireet notes.

The documentary also highlights Mirza's love for his wife, Jennifer, even though she only features in it and doesn't speak. "But we did speak to his friends and colleagues, including Mahesh Bhatt, Kundan Shah and Sudhir Mishra. Sudhir had assisted him on Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!," Kireet points out, adding that they shot in Mumbai, Ladakh and Goa which is his second home. "Locations where Saeed had shot his own films also appear in the docu, including the chawl in Nagpada from Mohan Joshi... I was surprised it still looked the same."

Mirza told Mirror, "I followed Kireet's advice since I didn't want to interfere in his perspective. I simply answered his questions. I've only seen it in parts but I hear people who have seen the whole film have liked it."