Upala KBR (MID-DAY; January 13, 2018)

After his sanskari act all through his tenure as the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), it didn’t take long for Pahlaj Nihalani to do a volte-face post his exit and present the erotica Julie 2 last year. The dismal performance of Julie 2 behind him, Nihalani seems to be changing tracks for his next. The filmmaker is set to helm a gritty film on student politics, titled Ground Zero.

Nihalani tells mid-day, “Ground Zero focuses on what is going on in the country today. It revolves around the youth politics and student power — the core is young India.”

The former Censor Board chief informs that the cast will be a mix of established stars and fresh faces. “We start shooting in Delhi from February in a start-to-finish schedule. In all likelihood, I will be directing it.”

One wonders how Nihalani, who predominantly made masala potboilers, has switched gears to make an issue-based film. “You have to go with the times,” he reasons, before adding, “It’s not based on any real-life story, but what is happening in the country today.”