Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 20, 2019)

As an educationist and mathematician, he’s recognised as the man behind the Super 30 programme, which commenced in Patna in 2002. It trains underprivileged students for the entrance examination, for admission in coveted technical institutions. Though his success rate is high, Anand Kumar comes across as a modest teacher, who admits that people laughed out loud when they heard Hrithik Roshan would headline his biopic titled Super 30. Over to the shikshak, who wonders why most parents don’t encourage their children to pursue teaching as a profession, how his faith in director Vikas Bahl was never shaken and why he was confident about Hrithik being the best choice for the film. Excerpts from the chat:

Your biopic has been in the making for a while now. Writer Sanjeev Dutta and you have been working on it since 2014. It’s been a long wait…
Honestly, now I wish that this process just went on for a little longer. Mujhe mazaa aane laga tha intezaar ka, logon se milne ka, aur sab ke saath khaate peete samay guzaarne ka. Ab kuch samay mein woh sab khatam ho jayega.

My life will go back to what it was after Super 30 releases. I enjoyed the process of being on a film set and watching a movie being made from close quarters. My family would get upset with the change in the release date. Actually, they don’t know what happens behind the scenes. Even I don’t know much, but I’ve learnt that when you’re working towards something big and good, you have to face a lot with it. It never comes easy.

Back in the day, Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena and Vikramaditya Motwane’s production house was working on your film. A lot has happened in the last two years. At some point, Akshay Kumar was in discussion, before Hrithik came on board. Director Vikas Bahl was named in the #MeToo controversy, which left everyone wondering how it would impact the film’s prospects. What was really going on behind the scenes?
To this day, of the four people that you mentioned, I only know Madhu Mantena well. He wanted to make the film and he had introduced me to Vikas Bahl. My knowledge of what happened between the partners comes from what I have read in the papers; I’ve never tried to find out more. It’s true that several filmmakers and actors had offered to work on my biopic. Madhu ji’s (Mantena) conviction and the way he wanted to narrate this story, assured me that he would do a great job. While there were several actors who were keen to play my character, and I met a few of them too, I felt Hrithik was the best choice. He was willing to take it up as a challenge and was ready to work hard. His diligence impressed me.

Hrithik looks urban and suave, and is referred to as the Greek God of Bollywood. Just on the basis of his physicality, didn’t you have reservations about him playing your character?
(Laughs!) Yes, I know he’s known as the Greek God of Bollywood. And trust me, whenever I told people that he was going to play me on screen, they would laugh out loud and say, ‘Tum shakal aur bhasha se dehati ho, woh Greek God jaisa hai. Woh kaise kar sakta hai? What if your decision is wrong?’ As a teacher, I felt that Hrithik’s earnestness and his vision for the role was unmatched. I thought to myself, ‘Koi chamatkaar nahi hai agar koi hamare jaisa aam dikhnewala vyakti hamara kirdaar kare. Audience ko zyada engaging tab lagega, jab koi Hrithik Roshan jaisa dikhnewala aadmi hamara kirdaar kare. Uss mein asli challenge hai.’

How involved were you with the project at every stage?
I worked with Sanjeev Dutta and Vikas Bahl on the script. After coming on board, Hrithik involved me in the project to a larger degree. He had many meetings with me, and each one lasted for five-six hours. I had read somewhere that teams generally just meet the subject of a biopic or his family once or twice as part of the process. Then, they make the film the way they want to. But Hrithik handled it differently. He asked for inputs all the time. In fact, he had told me that once the film goes on the floors, I might have to spend more time with him on the sets. With due permission, he had also sent someone over to my house to shoot 150 hours of footage, capturing my every-day life. He would refer to that footage often. At times, he asked me what I’d felt at a certain time in my life, before emoting that part in front of the camera.

The film is being described as, ‘based on true incidents. Any reason why it’s not being called a biopic?
I can’t explain why that has been done. People have different ways of technically compartmentalizing a film, and they have their reasons for doing that. I know that Hrithik’s name in the film is Anand and it’s my story. My friends had suggested that I have a legal agreement with the makers that the script will be finalised with my nod. The makers upheld my word. Also, I was on the set on so many occasions. Of course, I never interfered with Vikas’ work, because he can’t teach me math and I definitely can’t teach him the art of filmmaking. I’ve seen rushes and I am happy with the outcome. I want to watch the film with my family.

The last eight months have been challenging for your film, given the #MeToo allegations against Vikas Bahl. How did you bide that time?
I trusted Vikas and never lost faith in his abilities. I know how emotional and sensitive he is as a person. I also waited to know what the internal complaints committee had to say. They’ve given him a clean chit and I’m very happy about that.

There are contrasting reports about you in the news space. Some articles have been published criticizing the Super 30 programme and reportedly, the education mafia had attacked you physically. What’s the truth?
(Cuts in…) I’ve been attacked a few times by the education mafia. I’ve been given protection by the government authorities. The trailer of Super 30 shows maar-dhaad, but I’ve never done it. My brother Pranav had done it on a few occasions to protect my students and me. He got into trouble for doing that. It’s strange that all kinds of negative stories about me have started making the rounds only after the film was announced. Uske pehle Anand kya kar raha tha kisiko pata nahi tha. People have tried every trick to demotivate me and derail the biopic. No one raises an eyebrow if you are a rich man’s son and you become a successful businessman. Kisi gareeb ka beta agar padh-likh kar bada ban jaaye, to logon ko badi dikkat hoti hai. People who have failed in their lives are the ones who pull others down. My father had once told me that as you grow in stature, your problems, too, shall increase. Jitnaa bada hero banoge, utna hi bada villain bhi aayega. A lot of people, some who don’t even know me, have levelled allegations against me, moved court on occasions and have caused me distress. Thanks to my father’s teachings, I don’t get rattled. I am tackling my share of problems, but today, I have a lot of support from people who appreciate my efforts. To this day, no matter what people say, I support my family and students with the tuition I provide.

You’ve spent most of your career teaching underprivileged students. What’s your take on India’s educational system? Lately, films have highlighted the education mafia and system loopholes...
Education should not be used to pressurise children. While there has been a lot of development in every field, education needs to evolve. It’s surprising that everyone wants a good teacher, but most people don’t encourage their children to pursue teaching as a profession. No one sees teachers as an instrument of change. Also, in our country, there’s such a huge divide in the education space. Some schools look like five-star hotels aur kahin schools mein chhat aur darwaza nahi hai. Our film underlines the fact that we need teachers who can bridge that gap and not let it affect the prospects of a child.

As controversies plague him, Anand Kumar says Hrithik’s Super 30 will silence detractors
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; June 19, 2019)

“People want to take selfies with me now, but I will always remain a tutor,” begins mathematician Anand Kumar, whose success story has led to the creation of Hrithik Roshan-starrer Super 30. No sooner was the film announced than the Patna-based tutor — who founded the institute that provides free coaching to 30 underprivileged students — was dogged with allegations of fraud and litigations.

“I am under attack only because a film is being made on my life,” he defends, adding, “The Bihar government has given me security cover. My brother Pranav was hit by a heavy vehicle last year; it was not an accident, it was deliberate. There are a handful of people with feudal mindset who are hell-bent on pulling me down. But the film will silence my detractors.”

It is easy to see why his journey may have caught the attention of many a filmmaker. Writer Sanjeev Dutta approached him eight years ago, keen to adapt his story for the big screen. “Anurag Basu showed interest then, but nothing moved. Things took off when producer Madhu Mantena came into the picture. It was through him that I met Hrithik Roshan. He told me he needed a year to prep for the role.”

Quiz him if Roshan is an unlikely choice for the part since he doesn’t physically resemble him, and Kumar retorts, “Isn’t acting all about diving into the character? I admire him as an actor.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 18, 2017)

There has been much conjecture over Hrithik Roshan’s next — from the look of things, it seems the actor will soon start Vikas Bahl’s biopic on Super 30 genius, Anand Kumar. Given his streak for perfection, it’s not surprising that Roshan has been having several meetings with the math wizard — a picture from one of their meetings even went viral.

In fact, Kumar reveals that he has been overseeing the script, right from its inception. “Both Hrithik and Vikas have kept me in the loop. They want to make the story as authentic as possible. They have taken a lot of research material from me. Vikas has promised that I will be consulted at every point during the research and writing process. I’m satisfied with the way it’s shaping up,” he says.

While he has had several takers for his biopic, Kumar is certain that Roshan is the best choice to bring his story on screen. “I understand that Hrithik cannot look like me, but that is not the point of the film. He wants to embrace the spirit of my story,” he says, adding that the actor will undergo a few months’ training before the project goes on floors.

Talking about being the subject of a Bollywood film, he says, “I was skeptical about giving out my story to anyone, but Vikas really convinced me. I could see their drive at creating something unique.”

One might suspect that his skepticism was a case of once bitten, twice shy — Anurag Basu had committed to make a film based on him, only to back out without even informing him. Reflecting on it, Kumar says, “I was hurt, but it has worked out for the best. I’m hopeful that this team will do more justice. I wanted my story to go in the right hands.”