The actors are scheduled to begin shooting for the international director’s adaptation of Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy next month; Tanya Maniktala plays protagonist Lata; the project goes on the floors next month
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 12, 2019)

Earlier this year, it was reported that Ishaan Khatter had opted to be a part of Vishal Bhardwaj’s next, based on Salman Rushdie’s Booker Prize-winning novel Midnight’s Children, over Mira Nair’s screen adaptation of Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy. Then Mirror was the first to inform that the young actor and the auteur had parted ways, albeit amicably, over creative differences. Now, Ishaan is back in Mira’s project, written by Andrew Davies (of Pride and Prejudice, War & Peace, Les Misérables fame).

For someone who began his acting innings with Iranian legend Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds, making his Bollywood debut with Karan Johar’s Dhadak, Ishaan’s next move is keenly anticipated. “I hope I can satisfy Mira’s vision and give the global audience the character they deserve in Maan Kapoor (his character),” he says.

Ishaan will be joined by another powerhouse performer, Tabu. “Having worked with Mira previously in The Namesake, I am looking forward to another creatively challenged experience,” exults the National Award-winning actress. Interestingly, Ishaan’s brother Shahid Kapoor has worked with Tabu in Haider (2014), Vishal’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

The novel tells the story of a spirited university student Lata (played by Tanya Maniktala, earlier seen in the TV series Flames), coming of age in North India in 1951, at the time when the country is going to the polls for its first democratic general elections. While her mother is determined to find her a husband, Lata embarks on her own journey of love and self-discovery. Connected to her through their siblings’ marriage, the wayward Maan Kapoor (played by Ishaan) is determined to enjoy life to the fullest whatever be the consequences, much to the concern of his politician father. He is infatuated by the beautiful courtesan Saaeda Bai (played by Tabu) and the trio’s stories play out during a tumultuous period in India’s history, reflect the wider conflict between tradition and modernity.

Mira points out that Vikram tells the story of a free India and our people with wit, clarity and love. “I’m deeply honoured to be the one bringing this intimate, epic tale of an unseen India to the world,” she asserts, adding the novel is more relevant today. “We’ll keep the history and dream of an alternate India alive,” promises the director of The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Queen Of Katwe.

Newbie Tanya is in a daze and admits it all “still surreal” to work with Mira. “I’m still understanding Lata and the complexities of her reality. I hope I can deliver. But, for now, I’m focusing on enjoying the process and just taking it one day at a time,” she smiles.

The shoot will begin next month. The team will be filming entirely on location, in palaces, streets and villages across northern India, in places like Lucknow and Maheshwar.