Celebrating the success of his latest release, Raid, Raj Kumar Gupta on why the story of an income tax officer garnered his interest
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; March 25, 2018)

Raj Kumar Gupta is a relieved man. His latest offering, Raid, has turned out to be the second biggest weekend opener after Padmaavat this year. The film’s first week collection totalled Rs 63.05 crore and it is still running strong. “For us, it was important to make a good film. Getting an overwhelming response is humbling, heartening and energising,” says the director. “Numbers do matter, it is a business after all. The producer is putting in money, while the unit puts in their heart and soul into the project. To make more films, one needs money. When a producer reaps profits, it is good for the industry.”

Gupta’s last film, Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi-starrer Ghanchakkar (2013) was an underperformer. He says, “It garnered extreme reactions — either people hated it or loved it. It did not make as much money as expected. People who loved it were lesser than those hated it. There will always been that one project for a filmmaker that will not receive as much appreciation as his other ventures.”

It has been 10 years since Gupta’s directorial debut Aamir, starring Rajeev Khandelwal, hit screens. He followed it up with the critically-acclaimed No One Killed Jessica (2011), which featured Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan. Gupta is known to excel at making slice-of-life film. “I am happy that I have got a chance to make such films. I am fascinated by the extraordinary stories of ordinary people. My superheroes are real people, they don’t fly. But it does not mean that I will not direct an imaginary story. If I connect with the plotline, I’ll do it. It must have a soul.”

Raid was offered to him by producer Kumar Mangat. “I found the plot fascinating. It was an unbelievable story about people we hear little about. There is a lot of negativity attached to income tax officers, but we must realise that they are only doing their job. The time frame was fascinating. Corruption has existed since long. So the story was relatable.”

Far from basking in the laurels, Gupta has already started work on his next. “It will be a real story again,” he says.