Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 26, 2020)

Harinder Sikka, author of the 2008 novel Calling Sehmat is miffed with director Meghna Gulzar (who helmed the 2018 film adaptation, Raazi) and her father, lyricist Gulzar. He claims that he had promised the lyricist to let his daughter direct Raazi, and that was his “biggest blunder”.

Unhappy with the film, Sikka says the director “intentionally” made blunders. “The first one was her pro-Pakistani approach. In the book, when Sehmat kills Abdul, there’s a dialogue, ‘I’m sorry Abdul, but I love my country more’. Meghna removed it,” he says. The second, adds Sikka, was, “Sehmat came back to India to a royal red carpet welcome, saluted the Tricolour while the military band played the National Anthem. Meghna, instead, brought her back in a depressed state...” Asked why didn’t he raise these points when the film released, he says he did try to speak up, “but after a few of my interviews, I received a death threat on social media”.

Sikka alleges the Gulzar family tried to sideline him from the film. “When she was signed for Raazi, she began changing colours. After shooting ended, she sent me a nasty WhatsApp message, cutting off all relations,” he recounts. Sikka also claims he was supposed to see the director’s cut. “She didn’t invite me nor informed me,” he adds. Even the film’s title was changed, he says, without his knowledge or approval. “Their plan to checkmate me, the outsider, was in place. I was removed from promotions related to Raazi. I should’ve learnt that this was the trait of someone who’d soon back-stab,” rues Sikka.

When we reached out to the director about the author’s accusations, she wasn’t available for a comment.

As he pens second part of Calling Sehmat that inspired Raazi, Sikka hints that Bhatt is keen to take the story ahead on the big screen
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 14, 2019)

Months after the phenomenal success of Alia Bhatt’s Raazi, Harinder Sikka — author of Calling Sehmat, the book that was adapted by director Meghna Gulzar for the big screen — reveals that he is working on the sequel, Remembering Sehmat.

While many may believe that the novel — that told the true story of a young Kashmiri girl who was sent as a spy to Pakistan in 1971 — doesn’t lend itself to a second part, the author insists the protagonist’s journey has enough fodder to warrant a sequel. “After I wrote Calling Sehmat in 2008, I spent another 10 years with her, on and off, depending on the little time she gave me. [The book will focus on] how she went into depression after the mission but fought her way out of it. It will reflect her personal journey since her return from Pakistan — how she never accepted her son as her own, and denounced public life. Dr Manmohan Singh offered her the Padma Shri, but she turned it down. The mysteries around her will be decoded in Remembering Sehmat. A portion will also include why she made me take two trips to Pakistan, during the decade that I knew her,” reveals Sikka.

Raazi made for a gripping big screen experience. It not only gave the audience an unlikely hero in the protagonist, but also gave Bhatt one of the most definitive films of her career. It’s not surprising then as Sikka says that he has discussed the sequel with her. “Multiple producers are interested to adapt the sequel into a movie. But as far as the casting goes, Sehmat herself had chosen Alia. I met Alia at the Ambani wedding, and did discuss this. She was definitely interested.”

The book, he reveals, is likely to be backed by Penguin and may hit the shelves later this year.

Meghna Gulzar and her lyricist father weigh in on the ethos behind her espionage thriller Raazi, and the creative collaboration between the old and the new guard
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 12, 2018)

Gulzar saab, from Filhaal (which was about surrogacy) to Talvar (the judiciary), and now Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions’ Raazi, which weighs loyalty to family against loyalty to country, how do you, as a filmmaker, perceive Meghna’s journey?
Gulzar: She’s always been a brave girl who made her choices independently and we respected them because we trusted her strength. She was fond of singing and would paint with me, but opted for filmmaking and surprised me with her choices. When she told me Filhaal was about a surrogate mother, I didn’t understand what she meant, but knew she was in step with the times unlike our films where if a woman was unable to produce a son, ‘hum doosri le aate’. It was a brave step but she was convinced and convinced everyone else. Then, came Talvar, a comment on the judiciary. When your child is taking a step forward, it’s best to hold their hand and let them lead you into the future rather than hold them back.

Raazi is another step forward…
G: Yes, and the right step after Talvar. I don’t think any Indian film has treated Pakistani characters with so much dignity. I was born across the border and I know Raazi will bring forth friendly voices between the countries.

Meghna, did your papa’s stories of Pakistan help shape your characters?
Meghna: He never spoke of his days before the Partition, it’s an emotional scar he’s still trying to heal through his writing. He didn’t even visit Pakistan for the longest time because he didn’t want his memories to be diminished by the present.

G: But not a day has passed when I haven’t spoken to someone there.

M: And there was so much warmth in his interactions with those who came across as part of cultural exchanges and perhaps subliminally I imbibed that because. For me, a Pakistani was never the enemy or an alien. They are us and we are them, it’s geography and politics that divide us. As Kanwaljeet says in the film, “Jeet ka jashn manate hue yeh yaad rakhna ki humne kya khoya hai.” Every victory comes with a human collateral, whether it’s an Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Kashmiri.

G: It’s this that makes the film more than another thriller, takes it beyond borders.

You left Pakistan at age eight and returned after 70 years. How did it feel?
G: It was like moving from one room in my home to another that housed people like Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, a renowned poet in Pakistan and also my mentor. My own writing is published there, including a collection of all my poems. The volume is so huge and heavy that it was difficult to courier even 20-25 copies. So Hasan Zia, a poet himself, who’s like a son to me, took the books to Dubai from where they were dispatched through a friend who travelled to Delhi via Mumbai so he could bring the parcel across. As people, we are the same, bas ghar ke buzurgon ko taqleef hai isliye hum ghar ke bichhde hue sadasya ki tarah bade pyaar se kahin aur milte hain.

M: Yes, when we are in the US, UK or another part of South-Asia, borders cease to exist.

Did shooting in Kashmir enhance the theme of patriotism?
M: I don’t want to highlight this, but it was important to place the narrative in the Valley because today, for many, it’s difficult to say Kashmir and patriot in the same breath. But those who question, or express disbelief need to introspect historically on why people in the Valley feel this way. When we were there, the locals were very welcoming, but also almost apologetic when they asked, “You feel safe here, na? Aapko kisi baat ka dar to nahin?” I don’t think any citizen in any part of the country should be made to feel this way. On our part we were careful to respect the people and the place. If you go in an empowered, entitled way, there will be backlash.

Harinder Sikka had come to you first with his novel, Calling Sehmat. What were your thoughts about the story that Meghna adapted as Raazi?
G: I was committed to other projects then and the love story of Sehmat’s parents’ that he wanted to focus on, seemed juvenile.

M: There are four films in that novel and when I told papa I was adapting it, he couldn’t understand why I’d want to dabble in an action-thriller that had bombs going off. For me the core of the book was Sehmat’s journey and her time in Pakistan. When I sent the first half of the script, which ended with Sehmat realising Abdul is alive, to papa, he responded in less than two hours, saying, “Uff kahan laake chhod diya hai, baki kab bhejoge?” That was a real shot in the arm to me and my co-writer Bhavani Iyer. We immediately got started on cracking the second half.

G: I was stunned, she had found layers we didn’t see. That’s why I say this generation has made better cinema than mine.

Meghna, which is Gulzar saab’s bravest film according to you?
M: Maachis. Since he’s a Sikh himself, the insurgency and 1984 riots were scarring, yet papa made a film which said such strong things in his inimitable soft and objective style. He didn’t glorify the misled youth but simply underlined circumstances which made them feel alienated and take up arms.

Gulzar saab, Meghna has often said that she can’t think of going to any other lyricist for her songs…
G: How can she? Meghna, Shaad (Ali) and Vishal (Bhardwaj) are my children. They wouldn’t be able to bully anyone else the way they do me. Shaad used to ask me for pocket money when he was assisting Mani Ratnam and still gets me to change words like Meghna. Vishal wants the lingo of Meerut; his films are heavy on gaalis.

M: (Laughs) I don’t know how he’s managed it, but papa has written some of his raunchiest songs for Vishal’s films.

G: (Laughs) Yeh bachche badmashi bahut karte hain but they also challenge me.

Writing songs for a film like Raazi must have been difficult…
M: It was but I got all the songs in a day. “Aye watan” happened right here in this room during my first meeting while I was briefing Shankar (Mahadevan), Ehsaan (Noorani) and Loy (Mendonsa). Papa wanted the line incorporated, “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua Ban Ke Tamanna Meri…”

G: It was a prayer we sang in school, by Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistan’s poet, who also wrote “Sare Jahan Se Achcha”. Poetry and literature cannot be divided. It’s one India.

M: “Dilbaro” was written in the studio. The trio had composed a tune and as it played, papa started coming up with the words… “Ungli Pakad Ke Tune, Chalna Sikhaya Tha Na, Dehleez Oonchi Hai Yeh, Paar Kara De.”

G: In this case it was not threshold of the home, yahan sarhad paar karwana tha. This triumvirate is so creative they make your job easy no matter how big the challenge.

Meghna’s next is Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw biopic, another challenge.
G: Every generation walks its own path. And rather than teach, it’s better if we learn from this new generation of brilliant filmmakers.

M: Usually parents talk down to their kids but papa always said that even if you’re 40, when your child is five, you’re just a five-year-old father. And a child who is raised with this sense of equality, grows up to be a confident individual, secure in his own world and the world beyond.

Harinder Sikka, whose book Calling Sehmat inspired Raazi, looks back at decade- long journey of the script that travelled from SRK to Akki and finally, Alia Bhatt
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 2, 2018)

A quick Google search will tell you that Calling Sehmat, the source material of Alia Bhatt starrer Raazi, is available for pre-order now. The book was taken off shelves a few years after it released in 2008, at the behest of writer Harinder Sikka, who felt that his story was meant for a big screen experience.

"I bought the rights back from the publisher and reworked the narrative and grammar. Now, the book is being republished by Penguin," says Sikka of his creation, that took him eight years and two trips to Pakistan. "This was no easy feat. I could have been in jail had I been caught. This is a story that must be told. Kashmiris aren't terrorists as how the world perceives them because of a few misguided people. They are loving and warm; the kind who will go hungry to ensure there's food on your plate," he points out.

The book's genesis can be traced back to 1999 when he was covering the Kargil war as an embedded journalist and heard about Sehmat. His story, inspired by the bravado of a young Kashmiri girl who was sent as a spy to Pakistan, caught the fancy of many a filmmaker. Sikka recalls how Shah Rukh Khan's company was the first production house to show interest. "In 2009, Samar Khan [filmmaker] came to seek the rights for a movie adaptation. It was for Red Chillies Entertainment. I didn't know it was SRK's company. But Samar objected to my demand of Rs 2 crore for the rights. He also wanted to change the storyline, which I wasn't okay with. It was then that Samar made a distasteful statement -- 'In Bollywood, we can always make a film and give you a credit in the end.' I was so hurt that I wrote a letter to SRK and he was gracious enough to ensure that Samar Khan sent an apology within 10 days."

Sikka, who has produced Nanak Shah Fakir, then found a pillar of support in Akshay Kumar. "I met Akshay Kumar during the screenings of Nanak Shah Fakir and wanted to rope him [as a producer]. It was he who invited Meghna Gulzar for a meeting about this book at his home. Instinctively, I knew that I had found my film's director." Call it a twist of fate but Sikka's first choice for director was Gulzar, who had turned the offer down in 2010, saying he was devotedly working on children's stories. Though Kumar couldn't be part of the film, Sikka maintains that he has been "a constant emotional support".

Akshay and he couldn't work out the film because NSF's release pushed Sikka into bankruptcy. "I did not want Akshay's money, though he was more than gracious. Akshay had to give his dates to another film but remained a constant support for me emotionally. After Akshay pulled out, Priti Shahani (Jungle Pictures) called me to tell that she was tracking the book."

Initially, it was a rough ride with producers Junglee Pictures, where Sikka even considered pulling out of the movie. "They weren't happy with the conditions I was putting. They felt that the money I was quoting was exorbitant. Little did they know that I had promised whatever money I make from the book and the movie, will go for charity. The book was too strong and the story too good to be missed out. I was clear that Alia Bhatt had to play the lead and Meghna would be the director. At one point, Gulzar saab told me it was time I let go of the material. But eventually, the producers kept each of these promises." Sikka adds that he donated his fee towards charity.

Ask him why he was adamant about Bhatt and he says it was Sehmat's suggestion -- one that he would've honoured at any cost. "Sehmat's way of saying yes or no was through silence. When I suggested that Alia play her, she said a silent yes. She wanted Alia to play her," says Sikka, adding, " Meghna made me meet Alia at Dharma's office in Mumbai. Only I could have told her what Sehmat was all about. It was a long delightful meeting. To her credit, Alia is sharp and caught everything. It's a life-changing role and she delved into it without qualms. I saw that my book was being respected. When the film was nearly done, Alia Bhatt asked me if she had lived up to my expectation of Sehmat's part."

Finally, question him on Sehmat's whereabouts and Sikka says, "Like an angel, she went to sleep one day and didn't wake up. She was gone. She had visited Film City where the film was being shot. I was keen that she meet Alia and Meghna, but she didn't let me tell them that she was waiting outside the set. She'll live through Alia and Meghna for years to come."

Vicky Kaushal on playing an army officer in Meghna Gulzar’s espionage-thriller, Raazi, and interacting with the ‘cool’ Alia Bhatt
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 24, 2018)

Three years after Vicky Kaushal, 29, cropped up on cinephiles’ radar as one of the troubled protagonists in Neeraj Ghaywan’s 2015 directorial debut, Masaan, the actor is gearing up for the release of his first film with an A-list heroine — Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi alongside Alia Bhatt. Excerpts from an interview:

What was it like to play an army officer for the first time?
Meghna told me not to read the book (Calling Sehmat, on which the film is based) because of its expansive narrative. For the film, she chose a particular journey from it and wanted me to treat the script as the only blueprint for my character, Iqbal. It was a learning experience because there is more to Iqbal than just being a Major in the Pakistani army. It was important to understand his emotional side. Also, studying the hierarchy of the army, the significance of each medal, the maroon beret, it was all a first for me.

As a team, we all got to know of anonymous people who strive to safeguard us because that’s their top priority in life. It’s the riskiest, most thankless job ever. Like Meghna did with Talvar, which I thought was 2015’s finest film, she chose a subject that required its characters to walk on thin ice. Not many realise how huge a responsibility it is to even attempt making a film like this. Not many directors are capable of achieving this feat.

The Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions’ film revolves around Alia Bhatt’s Sehmat, an Indian spy who is the wife of a Pakistani army officer. Did you have any inhibitions or prejudices about working with an A-list actress?
Raazi was an experience like none other because I got to work with two of the most incredible women I know — Meghna and Alia. I don’t need to tell anyone how good an actress Alia is; her body of work speaks for itself. Sehmat is definitely the toughest character she has played till date and she’s pulled it off in an incredible way with immense hard work.

What I admire most about her is that even though she’s a leading star today, she doesn’t wrap herself up in a bubble. She is comfortable and cool, easy to bond with, and always makes sure to lift the performances of her co-stars.

Shooting in the Valley must have been equally exciting…
We had filmed the interior sequences in Mumbai and Patiala and were shooting exteriors across Kashmir, which was a first for me. The locals are hospitable, the sights mind-blowing and we were continuously hogging on local delicacies. On my only day off, I trekked to the Aru Valley, uphill of Pahalgam, and I want to go back there.

Buzz is, you’re taking off to Serbia for your next, Uri, after Raazi hits screens on May 11.
Yes, I immediately jump into my next based on the Uri attacks. It’s a story everyone should know about because it’s one of the Indian army’s best operations conducted with valour and efficiency. It feels wonderful to be working on another Ronnie Screwvala production after Love Per Square Foot brought me fan mail from Brazil and Argentina, among other countries where Hindi films are not popular but the issues of space constraints are. I connected with the film because of my father’s (action director Sham Kaushal) own struggles of finding a house in Mumbai. I rediscovered my city through the film. When it was made available online across 190 countries on Valentine’s Day, it felt great to be a torchbearer for Hindi cinema globally.

You have another love story coming up with Aanand L Rai’s Manmarziyaan, directed by Anurag Kashyap. The microphone changed so many hands before it finally went on floors the second time…
I was a part of this film right from the beginning and in every director’s version. Every film has its own destiny and we’re all happy with how Manmarziyaan has shaped up. The story is fresh, and even though it’s up Anurag’s ally, there is so much he’s doing for the first time. My character has shades of comedy, romance, drama...

You’ve also completed Karan Johar’s short as part of the Lust Stories anthology. What was the experience like?
When Karan directs, there is a rare energy on the set. It’s like a big mela — no stress, lots of excitement. No one’s worrying about production issues. Once, the DoP was going to take another hour to set up the light and the entire crew and Kiara (Advani, co-star) just hung out on set. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how strong Karan’s comic timing is. When he narrated portions of the film to me, I was bowled over. I told him he was hilarious and that he needs to direct a full-fledged comedy next. But he brushed it off with “ya ya”. He’s a lovely, modest filmmaker and that’s inspiring for a new guy like me.

For an actor who found acclaim with Neeraj Ghaywan’s indie darling Masaan, you’ve come a long way in commercial cinema.
I don’t believe in labelling myself, and I don’t want to set boundaries for myself. I want to be instinctive... my job is to perform with all my heart.

Actress Soni Razdan on working with Alia Bhatt for the first time in Meghna Gulzar’s next, Raazi
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 23, 2018)

Mirror (September 26, 2017) was the first to report that the talented mother-daughter duo of Soni Razdan and Alia Bhatt will be reprising their real-life roles for Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi after they were spotted shooting for the Junglee Pictures and Dharma productions film at Pahalgam’s Government Civil Hospital, the oldest and only hospital in the picturesque Kashmiri town. Soni herself was vacationing in Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand, last year when she had received a call from Meghna offering the part of Teji.

“I can’t tell you how excited I was to get this opportunity. At the time, I knew that Alia was in talks with Meghna too, but I didn’t exactly know for what. Alia takes her work quite seriously and we have to pester her to get things out of her. We both have been waiting to work with each other for a long time now and I didn’t really care how big the role was,” Soni reminisces, adding that she was so looking forward to the film that she took good care of herself before she reached the sets.

Raazi is based on Harinder Sikka’s book, Calling Sehmat, but Soni is yet to read the book. “It was a dream to work with Meghna and she was very clear about her vision for my character. At that point, I didn’t have the access to the book, so I depended entirely on the brilliantly written script, but I would like to read it after the release of the film. I’m sure it will be another journey altogether and I would like to enjoy it independently,” she says.

Ask her on how she prepped up for the role and she says that since she’s Alia’s mother in real life too, it made playing one on screen relatively easy. “I remember this one scene, where I give Sehmat her nani’s jhumkas and tell her that she can choose not to do what she is doing, and she says that nothing is more important than the country. After the scene, I wanted to hug my daughter. I was so proud,” the veteran actress says.

The last time Soni was in the Valley, it was for Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 1985 thriller Khamosh and she was happy to return with another film featuring her. “I had gone to Kashmir with Alia when she was shooting there for Student Of The Year, and while we are aware that a lot has changed there in the last few years, it was fairly peaceful when we were filming Raazi. I truly believe that it is one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Soni adds.

The actress who was last seen in Sanjay Gupta’s 2013 crime-thriller Shootout At Wadala seems to have become really choosy about roles... “Not at all, I was just busy with something that I wanted to direct and maybe because of that people thought I wasn’t interested in acting. But I will never lose interest in acting and am always open to good parts,” she says.

And what is the status of her second directorial after the 2005-released Nazar? “I am scripting something, but I wouldn’t want to elaborate on it until I am ready with it,” she says.

Meghna Gulzar on her Raazi heroine who lends vulnerability to even hard-hitting characters, her prep to play a spy in the Junglee Pictures-Dharma Productions film
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 16, 2018)

How tricky was it to portray a protagonist from the Valley who’s also a patriot?
There is a history there and an explanation. But as far as Raazi goes, it is important to keep the time period in perspective. The story unfolds in 1971, before insurgency and fundamental forces took root in the Valley. Yes, it may be unfamiliar today to see a patriot who is a Kashmiri-Muslim but I have visited the Valley three times in the last year for recce and the shoot and then went back with my family for a vacation in December. From my interactions with the locals, I can reiterate that the ordinary Kashmiri is genuine and completely affiliated to India. They have just become helpless pawns because nobody is interested in resolving their problems. They are always defensive, constantly asking you, “I hope you are okay? Aapko kuch galat to nahin lagta yahan?” It’s so unfair!

Many filmmakers who went to the Valley to shoot have had to grapple with disruptions and some even returned without completing the schedule. One hasn’t heard any complaints from the Raazi unit…
That’s because there were none, from us or the locals. Last February, we were shooting on a long road holding up the traffic and no one protested. Then, we took over a park stopping school kids from playing around while on a school picnic. They simply sat there quietly, watching us. When the vintage car’s door wouldn’t open or shut during a take, they would burst out laughing. It was like performing a play for a live audience.

They don’t have a film industry there, so when we needed junior artistes, the location manager would call family and friends over. They didn’t need to help us but they did. Kashmiriyat is still alive in the Valley.

Harvinder Sikka’s book, Calling Sehmat, on which the film is based, got away from you twice, before Junglee Pictures finally picked up the film rights. Tell us about your interactions with the author who had initially approached your father, Gulzar saab, to take Sehmat’s story to the screen?
Mr Sikka revers this lady whom he calls Sehmat having met and interacted with her. He was very cautious whom he entrusted his book to. We shared our script with him and while he had a few inputs and some differences of opinion with the way we had adapted his story, he eventually told me it was my call and he trusted me with the sanctity of the contents.

You’ve said you wouldn’t have made the film had Alia Bhatt not agreed to play the lead. Why did she feel so right?
Even before Bhavani Iyer (who wrote the screenplay with Meghna) and I had put a word on paper, I knew that a performance was needed to take Sehmat’s journey forward on screen. Also, the way I see her, she doesn’t suddenly turn into this indestructible superhero on a mission. There’s a vulnerability inherent in her character which she retains till the end and I’ve noticed that no matter how hard-hitting the characters she plays, there is a certain softness to Alia, physically and emotionally, that I was looking for.

Did she get stuck with any scene?
None. Once she connected with the character, she was consumed by her. Alia worked really hard on her prep — she took language sessions, learnt the Morse code and other training. By the time we sat for the readings, she knew all her lines and was even asking what I meant by underlined script cues like ‘gives a knowing look’, wanting me to explain what I meant by the ‘knowing look’.

Did Gulzar saab contribute with suggestions having lived on the other side of the border?
My father was born in what is Pakistan now, but after the Partition, the family moved to Delhi and by 1971 he was living in Mumbai and making films here. I don’t share my script with him till I have finished writing but I do go to my father for lyrics. For my songs, I don’t need to go to anyone else.

While on journeys, what has yours been like, from Filhaal to Raazi?
I have become a lot more patient now. I don’t know if it has to do with age, motherhood or my 18-year experience as a filmmaker, perhaps all three. Shooting is all about people management and I am getting better at that. All my five films — Filhaal, Just Married, Dus Kahaniyan, Talvar and now Raazi — have been very different and with Talvar, I discovered that I execute the darker side better than the soft, sensitive one.

Talking about the Talwars, Rajesh and Nupur’s ordeal isn’t over yet.
As the film showed, there can’t be a re-investigation as there is no new evidence to introduce. There can only be fresh arguments and how the information presented is processed, will depend on the mind-set of those trying the case. We have already had two different verdicts and though painful, the process of law will have to be followed right up to the highest court of the land.

Your next two films are bigger challenges, a biopic on Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and the real story of Laxmi Agarwal, an acid attack survivor.
(Laughs) I like making life tough for myself. Honestly, some of the current generation don’t even know who Field Marshal Manekshaw was. And in her own way, Laxmi too is a role model with a story that’s scary, horrifying and inspiring. I want to share these stories with the world but first I need a break after Raazi’s release. I’ve worked non-stop for 11 months. But even on a break I know the mind won’t sleep.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 10, 2018)

At 7.45 am today, the much awaited trailer of Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions’ Raazi, directed by Meghna Gulzar, will be live for the audience to see. The film, which will open in cinemas on May 11, is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s novel, Calling Sehmat, and stars Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in pivotal roles. Excited about the trailer launch, Alia spoke to us about the cinematic and emotional journey of playing Sehmat, an innocent Kashmiri girl who makes the transition to spying for her country after being married off into a Pakistani officer’s family.

What went into the preparation for Raazi, given that your character transitions from being a student and a dutiful daughter to an Indian spy in Pakistan, who puts everything, including her relationships, at stake for the sake of her nation?
For me, the best part is that this character is not a Lara Croft. She’s a young, naive girl, who decides to risk her life for her country. This was the most beautiful aspect, because I didn’t have to enact anything. Being brave doesn’t mean that you don’t get scared. The sequences were overwhelming, but I wasn’t afraid of holding on and going all the way. A lot of technical preparation went into playing Sehmat. I had to improve my Urdu and then unlearn what I had picked up, because I play a Kashmiri and I wasn’t required to speak chaste Urdu or Hindi. I even learnt the Morse Code by heart. It was something Meghna believed that I should do authentically, and I feel that it helped me get perfectly into the character. One could have argued that kisi ko kya pata chalega, but we had to be as authentic as possible. I also learnt how to drive a Jonga (a kind of jeep used by the armed forces). Emotionally, one would have never been able to prepare for the journey I set out on, because once we started shooting, it was relentless. We’ve shot nine scenes a day, and that’s something I have never done before. It was a lot of work without a minute to waste or think about anything else. It’s a blessing for an actor, because you just have to be in character all the time, without any distraction.

The trailer shows you playing a daughter, a wife and a spy. Which of these roles was the toughest to pull off convincingly?
The guilt that Sehmat feels as a wife was the toughest to portray. There were these points in the script where Meghna wrote, ‘Sehmat gives a knowing look’. I used to wonder what it means. We used to giggle about it, but when she explained it to me, I realised what she meant. Sehmat is around so many people, and she’s seeing and hearing so many things. She cleverly camouflages her true feelings with fake reactions that will go well with the people around her at that point. I wondered how I would give ‘that look’. Portraying a spy in the garb of a wife was difficult.

What was your reaction when Meghna narrated the story of Raazi for the first time?
It wasn’t a very formal discussion, and when I first met Meghna, Raazi was just an idea. I hadn’t read the book back then. I have never expressed interest in doing a film on the basis of a single-line narration. She returned to me with the film 18 months later, with Junglee Pictures on board. Coincidentally, by then, the film was also being backed by what I consider my home, Dharma Productions. It felt nice because this was going to be a beautiful collaboration with Vineet Jain (MD, Times Group), Priti Shahani, Dharma, Meghna and I. We set out with a vision to narrate a gritty, true story which everyone can relate to.

This film is set in 1971. How relevant is it as a story today, given how India-Pakistan relations have moved (or haven’t) since then?
The fact that it’s a true story will make it relevant whenever it’s told. I also believe that whatever time you choose to tell a good story, it will have the same impact. Whether it’s told today, or it was told in 1971, or even 10 years from now, a story like this will still find its way into people’s hearts. It’s important for people to know what happened. It will stir them emotionally. The trailer, and eventually the film, will be relevant in every country across the world. Everyone feels the same for their motherland. It doesn’t matter which nation you belong to, you will still love your country the way Sehmat loved hers, and I love mine. It’s like the love you feel for a person, which means the same to everyone all over the world. I wish everyone, all over the subcontinent and the world, watches the trailer and the film, because I think everyone will relate with the core emotion in Raazi.

In a career spanning six years, your choice of films has been diverse and interesting. Raazi joins the ranks of your brave and unconventional choices...
Yeah, I have run risks, but if I don’t do that now, when will I do it? I don’t want to live with ‘I could have’ and ‘Maybe I should have’ kind of thoughts. I don’t believe in weighing a film’s box office prospects before giving it my nod. If my instinct says that I should do it, I go ahead. Like I really wanted to be a part of Sehmat’s world because I’ve never narrated a true story. Of course, we all want to do films that do well, but I also have to live my life truly as an actor and for that, I have to pick different characters. In that sense, I am selfish.

What is it that you look for in films that are offered to you?
I have to surprise or challenge myself with the films I do. I know that it won’t happen every time, but I think I am attracted to that little fear, ‘Will I be able to do this?’ That forms the basis of my hunt for roles. Fortunately, that instinct hasn’t failed me on too many occasions and it feels great that whenever I have taken a risk, it has paid off.

What has been your learning while playing a layered character like Sehmat?
I learnt about the sheer selflessness of people and the willingness with which they would give up everything for their nation. Look at Sehmat in the trailer. Someone once said to me that there is no such thing as a selfless deed, but I don’t think that is true, especially in this case. I don’t think I could have played a more selfless character than Sehmat. A parent putting a child’s interest before his or hers is a great deal, but to put your country’s interest before everything else is even greater. The line in the trailer, ‘Watan ke aage kuch nahi, khud bhi nahi’ encapsulates a sentiment, which is difficult to emulate on screen.

Have you read Harinder Sikka’s book?
It’s an extensive book because it also talks about Sehmat’s parents, Teji and Hidayat, in great detail. So, I just read the portions, which formed the crux of our film.

Do you seek your parents’ advice while choosing films and working on them?
While working on a film, my director becomes my mother, father, boyfriend and friend. It wasn’t any different on Raazi. Meghna was everything for me and we had an unspoken understanding. We had really cracked something, which was so perfect.

Have your parents seen the trailer?
Yes, my parents have been very involved with Raazi. My mother (Soni Razdan) has even acted in the film. They’ve both seen the trailer. The first time my dad (Mahesh Bhatt) saw the trailer, he was sitting a little away from our dining area and watching it intently on his laptop. Suddenly, we heard a whistle. That’s how we knew he’s liked it. Though my mother has acted in the film, she had tears in her eyes when she saw the trailer. She said, ‘It’s very moving and gritty.’

Raazi, presented by Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions, and produced by Vineet Jain, Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta, releases on May 11, 2018.

Vicky Kaushal on working with the actress and filmmaker Meghna Gulzar, and Anurag Kashyap’s love story that kicks off on Thursday
Shravan Shah (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 14, 2018)

Three years after he earned rave reviews for his understated turn in Neeraj Ghaywan’s widely feted directorial debut, Masaan, Vicky Kaushal is ready to break into the big league opposite Alia Bhatt in Meghna Gulzar’s espionage-thriller, Raazi. “I got a call from Karan (Johar), who wanted me to meet Meghna as he thought I’d be apt for the part,” reveals the actor, who also plays the lead in KJo’s portion in the Love and Lust anthology.

Based on a real-life incidence as portrayed in Harinder Sikka’s novel, Calling Sehmat, the film showcases the story of an Indian spy who marries a Pakistani army officer to provide information during the Indo-Pak war of 1971. What’s prep like for a film like this, you wonder, and Vicky explains, “Even if a film is adapted from a real incidence, the director remains your one-point reference. As an actor, you have to surrender to their vision and that is what I tend to do with every film. I have learnt to give myself completely to the director and to essay the character assigned with utmost honesty.”

The film also marks Alia’s first collaboration with her actress-filmmaker mother, Soni Razdan. “They all such great individuals; I had a ball of a time working with them,” Vicky says, adding, “Meghna is one of the warmest individuals I have ever come across. Alia is one of the most amazing actors today. She is spontaneous and organic as an actor and really honest, humble about her work.”

After Raazi, Vicky is set to kick off Anurag Kashyap’s love story, Manmarziyaan, with Taapsee Pannu and Abhishek Bachchan on February 15. “We will be shooting in Amritsar in a start-to-finish schedule of 40-50 days. While most of the film is scheduled to be shot in Punjab, we will also be shooting for a week in Himachal Pradesh,” the 29-year-old actor signs off.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 3, 2017)

Fresh from a well- deserved break, Alia Bhatt is ready to sink her teeth into another meaty role. The actress is currently juggling her combat training and diction classes, which are part of her preparation for Meghna Gulzar’s next, Raazi. An adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s bestselling novel Calling Sehmat, the movie will see the actress playing a Kashmiri girl who marries a Pakistani army officer and helps the Indian army with crucial information.

When we sit down to chat with her on a rainy Saturday afternoon, the actress’ excitement is palpable. “I am learning how to drive a jeep, which will be my mean machine in this film,” she says. The actress is well-aware that this role will be a challenging one. “It’s based on a true story and it’s important to get the layers of the character right. I’ve been reading and re-reading the script for more than a month to absorb every bit of what the story holds. Meghna and I often sit and understand the character’s psyche, which will hopefully enrich my performance.”

Raazi marks her first collaboration with Meghna and Alia is all praise for the director. “She has such clarity on how she wants things; her eye for detail is amazing. She is running the show single handedly and is doing a great job. Her passion is infectious.”

The actress, who has collaborated with several A- listers, including Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra, will share screen space with indie film darling Vicky Kaushal in the thriller. “I find it ridiculous when people subject actors to a caste system. We are all here to act and the better the actor, the better the film will turn out. Vicky is fantastic. He might not have done many films, but I was sold when I saw him in Masaan (2015). He is a better actor than me,” she says simply.

Point out that Kaushal will play second fiddle to the actress in this woman-centric film, and she says, “I don’t need superstars to lean on. I need good scripts and co-stars who bring out the best in me. Cinema can’t be categorised into off-beat and mainstream. A masala flick or a niche film, at the end of the day, is just content for people. What is good, will always work as long as it’s made within the budget.”

The actress’ previous outings, including Highway (2014) and Udta Punjab (2016), have helped her showcase her acting prowess instead of merely putting on a glamorous front. Is the selection a calculated one? “My choices aren’t like chess moves. I do films for myself. I enjoy everything that appeals to my instinct. I want to be both sides of the coin, and effortlessly play everything that catches my attention.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 16, 2017)

Set to play the role of a Kashmiri spy who marries a Pakistani officer in Meghna Gulzar’s next, Alia Bhatt will soon start prep for her part. The actress has been paired opposite Vicky Kaushal in the upcoming drama set against the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

A source says, “The workshops will help them understand the milieu of the story and give context to the characters.” A unit hand informs that a series of sessions to help them understand the Kashmiri dialect are also scheduled: “Vicky will have to look bulkier. Alia, on the other hand, needs to become stronger. They have many stunts in the film and will start combat training from next week.”

Gulzar’s film is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s bestseller, Calling Sehmat.

Mohar Basu (BOMBAY TIMES; April 7, 2015)