It happened during the shoot of Makdee (2002). Aasmaan Bhardwaj was only seven at the time, but as he stood on the set of his filmmaker-father Vishal Bhardwaj’s directorial debut, he knew he wanted to be a director. “The ambience, the energy, it all fascinated me in such a way that then and there, I made up my mind on [growing up to become a filmmaker],” he begins.

Over 20 years on, Aasmaan has realised his ambition. His directorial debut, Kuttey, opens in screens today. Interestingly, he had first written the crime comedy in January 2019 while studying filmmaking. “I had finished an assignment earlier. My teacher said that since we had about six months in hand, I could write [another story] till I graduated,” he recollects.

Little did he know then that he would turn director with this script. When the time came, it was his filmmaker-father who helped him take the decision. “I went to my father with five scripts, of which two were shortlisted. He explained that Kuttey’s script is unique, and would be a better pick for my first film because of the way it is written. We both felt it would also showcase me as a writer.” 

In Kuttey, the first-time director has brought together a dream cast — Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kumud Mishra, Arjun Kapoor, Radhika Madan and Shardul Bhardwaj. That some of today’s finest actors gave their nod says a thing or two about the script’s merit. Aasmaan admits that being Vishal’s son helped him get access to them.

“My father could call or message them, saying that his son would like to narrate a script to them. After that, the decision of doing the movie was entirely theirs. I had never expected Tabu ma’am or Koko ma’am to say yes. In fact, I was scared Naseer bhai would not only dislike the script, but also tell me to not make it,” he grins.

He was understandably anxious when shooting with Shah, Tabu and Sen Sharma. “I was so lost in Tabu’s performance that I forgot to say cut. On Naseer bhai’s first day of shoot, I was nervous all day. But they were all easy to work with because they are fabulous actors.”

As he follows in his father’s footsteps, what aspects has he imbibed from him as a storyteller? “Whatever I know today, I have learnt it from him, and my mother [Rekha Bhardwaj]. Like him, I want to make diverse movies.”