Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, hasn't been an easy journey for Kushan Nandy. The filmmaker has overcome many odds to ensure that his labour of love hits the screens this Friday. The movie, in his own words, “was shelved several times, at least in perception“. To begin with, they were forced to change locations. Then, Kushan was forced to replace his leading lady Chitrangda Singh after shooting a considerable portion. If that wasn't enough, he even fought 48 cuts suggested by the CBFC to the Appellate Tribunal. In short, he has seen it all in just one project. In a candid chat with BT, the director talks about the challenges he faced during the making of the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer and how the industry salutes only the rising sun. Excerpts...

After all the hiccups, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is finally ready for release. Relieved?
Yeah. This film was a roller-coaster ride. I've had to fight a lot of tough situations, but as they say, all's well that ends well.

The film was nearly shelved a couple of times. What exactly happened?
If your last film hasn't been successful, the industry is cruel to you - stingy to give you another chance. I've made two movies earlier and since they hadn't worked wonders at the box office, it became difficult to even put this one together. Also, we had to combat difficulties in West Bengal. There's some kind of a political mafia, which supports the film federation there. So, we were forced to hire an entire group of technicians and junior artistes, the latter increasing in number everyday. We were blackmailed and almost put at gunpoint to pay what we didn't even owe them. The producers couldn't sustain that after a point. Ultimately, we filed an FIR and called off our shoot in the state. That was a huge setback. However, I continued making the film. Nawaz also believed in the script as much as I did. I braved everything for his conviction in the film.

You were also forced to rope in Bidita Bag after Chitrangda Singh walked out, citing the explicitness of the lovemaking scenes as her concern. Why did you stay mum at that time?
I was too shocked to even react to what was being hurled at me, as I don't speak in the way Chitrangda quoted me. It was a personal attack. Without delving much into the past, all I can tell you is that intimate scenes were the last of the reasons for her exit. Many issues kept creeping in while we were shooting, but I don't think they need to be highlighted because I don't want to pull anyone down. She made me look like a villain. I wish her luck, but I know for sure that I don't want to associate with her again.

It didn't take you long to cast Bidita. How did you find her?
I had met her while casting for another strong part in the film. I found her to be very real, unlike the zillion clones of make-up-smeared people we see all around us. She stood out in a jungle of plastic faces. Though she didn't fit in that role, she stayed on my mind. Then, when the fiasco happened, my team started communicating with her. Bidita is a bit of a crack-pot in real life too, which is what I was seeking in my heroine. She had to have that streak of eccentricity and uninhibited attitude.

The next jolt came when the CBFC asked for 48 cuts with an A-certificate. While the news garnered a lot of publicity, Pahlaj Nihalani, after his exit from office, said that filmmakers used him and the Censor Board to promote their films. What would you like to say?
It's a joke if he thinks that we publicize our films using him and the CBFC. The board functions on the basis of such an ambiguous act that anyone in power can interpret or misinterpret it conveniently. See, we could never have released our film with those cuts; it would have ruined the narrative. If I wanted publicity, I wouldn't have gone and met him to seek redressal, but he came across as autocratic and arrogant, which didn't leave me with a choice except appealing to the tribunal. I have not made an erotic film. The scenes naturally flow into the script, they are not for titillation.

Have you charted your legal recourse against him?
Mr Nihalani was trying to sabotage my film. Luckily, I had technical support which helped me prove that his allegations were baseless. I'm shocked with his vindictive attitude towards my film. My lawyer and I are working out a way forward.

Are you hopeful that after Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, the industry will be more accepting of you?
I don't know. I am not thinking about what the industry might do or say. I went out there and made a film despite odds. I want to enjoy this process. The responses have been good so far. Now, I want to know what the audience thinks. It's great if they like it; if they don't like it, I will pick up my lessons, and start working on my next project.