In 2024, director Amit Rai came close to realising his wish of helming a historical drama on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shahid Kapoor was attached to play the Maratha warrior. But a year on, things have changed. Rai, who last helmed OMG 2 (2023), reveals that the biopic is off the table. Reason? He pegs it down evasively to the “cruel system”.

“The system is so cruel. Even if you have proved your mettle with a Rs. 180 crore film [OMG 2], it’s not enough,” he says exasperatedly. While the director doesn’t specify why it fell through, he admits he felt helpless as the biopic — written by him — went from being one of the most ambitious projects to the shredder.

“How is a director supposed to work here, under these systems of casting, production, star, and management? You live with a story for five years, and within minutes, somebody writes a five-pager, pointing out what is wrong and what is right in the film.”

The experience made him realize that turning producer was the only way ahead. So, for his next, Dharma that revolves around a child and a dog, Rai relied on no one but himself and his hunger to tell the social drama. He felt validated when Hungarian cinematographer Máté Herbai and popular Hollywood action and motion-capture specialist Isaac Hamon came on board.

“I did four months of casting, [called] the action director I like the most and said that I have a story, but I don’t have money. [So many] people agreed just on the basis of our story.”

While his OMG 2 actor Pankaj Tripathi is part of the film, Akshay Kumar too had expressed interest in it (Akshay asked me why I did not pitch the film to him, July 16). But Rai says that the two actors are generous, a rarity in Bollywood where landing stars for a movie can be crushing.

“An actor will only do what’s working at the box office. Very few actors were honest to me. Sometimes, they weren’t interested in being part of a film that’s speaking the truth about society, and instead wanted to do a love story. But when I took a love story to them, they said, ‘This is an expensive film, this is a period love story.’ So, the criterion kept changing. [The truth is that] they will say yes to you once you enter their circle.”

Where are the films for kids? That question haunted director Amit Rai for years. It has resulted in Dharma, his upcoming drama that tells the story of a child and a dog.

“Every country makes films for kids. They are our future generations. But the condition is pathetic here. It has been 10 years since we last watched a film for kids. In my opinion, Dangal [2016] or even Sultan [2016] is a film for kids; they aren’t only enjoyable but also allow kids to imbibe values of gender equality and love for sports. But we have failed to make such movies,” laments the director.

As he set out to explore the genre, Rai found a generous collaborator in Pankaj Tripathi, the leading man of his last film OMG 2 (2023). The actor wasn’t on his mind at all as Dharma’s protagonist is a child, played by Maahi Rai.

“I went to meet him and his wife after they had a [personal] tragedy. While sitting with him, I saw how his dog clung to him. So, I mentioned that I had written Dharma. He liked the story. Then over dinner one night, I gave him the full narration and he said, ‘It’s a wonderful story. Plus, you’re shooting in Bihar. I’d like to be a part of it’.”

The filmmaker, however, wasn’t sure whether Tripathi was serious. That is, until the actor asked for the script two months later. “I offered him the role of a teacher, which is very important. I kept asking him about the commercials. But he never talked about it. He never said, ‘This will be my remuneration’.”

Another former collaborator of Rai shared similar enthusiasm regarding Dharma — Akshay Kumar. The director says he was touched by the superstar’s interest. “Very few stars are interested in the story above anything else. Akshay Kumar is one of them. When he learnt about Dharma, he asked me why I didn’t pitch it to him. He said, ‘You saw that my dog passed away recently. I know that sentiment. You should have narrated it to me once.’ I told him that the film wasn’t star-driven. So, I didn’t think a superstar would say yes to it.”