Over the past few years, films and the process of storytelling has seen experimentation of a scale that was otherwise not attempted. And director Anees Bazmee feels this is the need of the hour as the audience is exposed to films from around the world. He explains, “Films today have to be realistic in some sense. They should not be too loud as they used to be. With comedy, they need to be situational. I have always stressed upon the idea of situational comedy. It needs to look real.”

This, the Welcome (2007) maker says, has always been his belief. “I always tell my actors: ‘please don’t try too much’. Because you can see that on screen. This has always been my style of working. For instance, in No Entry, during the climax, all three of them in their buffoonery, are still serious. The same went with Welcome, in the funeral scene, if you look at it, while the scene is funny, there is still a tense atmosphere. This is because the audience has changed a lot and those who write films, with time, need to change as well,” he recounts.

So, is this the perfect time for makers to pursue their passion project? Bazmee responds: “I do have a passion project. It has been in my mind for a long time. But I have realised that I cannot make it with proper calculations. I don’t know what will be the expenses of the film. The partnership has to be based on trust when you make a film like that.”

When it comes to attempting anything of importance, the director feels trust remains the main aspect of the collaboration. “The producer has to trust you and believe that you will do the right thing, and vice versa. I have a few films that are not of the same scale that I am known for. A lot of people have told me to make them, but since they’re not larger than life, they don’t want me to direct it,” he quips.