Jhund marks Sairat director Nagraj Manjule’s directorial debut in Bollywood. The film helmed by him is headlined by Amitabh Bachchan and backed by producer Bhushan Kumar. The movie, based on the life of Vijay Barse (played by Amitabh Bachchan), who founded the NGO Slum Soccer, hits the big screen on March 4. In an exclusive chat with BT, Nagraj Manjule and Bhushan Kumar talk about what makes Jhund special and their association of mutual trust and admiration. Excerpts:

Nagraj Manjule: It is a comment on perception. What might seem wrong to you, could be right in my eyes. Similarly, what I see as a team, people perceive as jhund. The film revolves around the lives of slum dwellers and how we tend to judge people on the basis of their background and looks. For instance, a dark-skinned person is often assumed to be a villain, while a man with innocent looks is assumed to harbour no ill intentions. Jhund addresses these stereotypes. Besides, Bachchan sir hain toh yeh film automatically badi hai mere liye.

Bhushan Kumar: It’s been almost three-and-a-half years since we started making the film. Several opportunities came our way to release it on an OTT platform, which has become an extremely powerful medium with an impressive viewership. But when Nagraj ji showed me the film during the lockdown, everyone in the team felt strongly that we should hold the film back for a theatrical release. Nagraj ji is the creative person behind the film, and he was certain ki yeh bade parde ki film hai, aur wahin aani chahiye. As a producer, I have to support him and respect his vision.

Bhushan: This movie doesn’t belong to the thriller, comedy or action genre, which generally tends to become dated after a couple of years. This is a reality-based story adapted by Nagraj ji, so the film becoming dated was out of the question. No one can predict how a film will fare at the box office, but as a producer, you must have conviction about your product as well as the interests of the director at heart. I kept him informed about the OTT option, but he had made up his mind about the film releasing in theatres. As producers, we should also take steps to ensure the smooth functioning of theatres. Theatres khatam nahi hone chahiye. It’s a good sign that the fear of watching a film in theatres, owing to Coronavirus, is reducing.

Nagraj: I am a fan of Bachchan sir and have admired him since my childhood. Main jab chhota tha tab Bachchan sir ke jaise shirt ko gaanth maar kar school mein jaata tha, aur maar khaata tha uske liye. I must have watched all his films. It was beyond my imagination that I would ever be able to work with him. However, things fell into place when I pitched an idea to Bhushan sir and everyone felt that it could be developed with Bachchan sir playing the central character. I wanted to flesh out the story before approaching him. So, Jhund is the first film for which I have developed a script keeping the actor in mind. I usually follow a different process because there is an inexplicable pressure and fear when I have to decide on an actor before writing. That should not be the case, because if you like what you write, you can work on the project more confidently.

When I heard a brief narration of the story, wahin se main iss film ke saath jud gaya tha. Hum content se judte hain. As a studio, we make all kinds of films, including action and massy entertainers. Hum Jhund bhi banaate hain, Thappad bhi banaate hain aur Kabir Singh bhi. Jhund mein humne football aur slum ke bachhon ki duniya dikhaayi hai. The kids cast in the film are those who live in the slums. The actors are real. We haven’t taken any established actors for kids.

Nagraj: These kids meet the requirement of the characters. My brother, who does the casting for me, spent two months in Nagpur and went around the slum settlements. We must have auditioned 600 children, who knew how to play a bit of football. They underwent a prep for around one-and-a-half years. When you watch the film, you will get a glimpse into their reality and background.

Nagraj: It’s extremely encouraging. On many occasions, there are financiers who come on board as producers. It helps if a producer is also creatively inclined and isn’t just thinking about making money. It’s a pleasant surprise that someone with immense knowledge about the business aspect of filmmaking isn’t just looking at it as a business prospect. He never asked me how the film was shaping up and visited the set only once.

Bhushan: Not everything is just about the money in business. Thankfully, we have enough funds, and I don’t need to put in so much effort. It can result in tunnel vision. So, it’s not always the money. It is also about a feeling of pride, and Jhund evokes a sense of pride in you. I am positive about Jhund, as Nagraj ji has made a very good film and I am sure we won’t be in losses.