Habib Faisal on foraying into the digital world with Home and the lessons he learnt as the captain of the ship
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; September 4, 2018)

Home marks your first web show. How different is it to helm a series vis-a-vis a film?
To me, a film is like a comic book, and a web series, like a novel. A comic book has to tell a story in 60-90 odd pages. In such a scenario, it's all about plotlines ­­— one incident leads to another. You can't explore the nuances because of the restricted time. On the other hand, a digital show gives you breathing space. Since it's viewing by appointment, you have the audience's unhindered attention. That allows makers to create things more cinematically.

What made you give a nod to the ALTBalaji show?
When I heard the premise of a middle-class residential society and their fight to save their homes after they are deemed illegal, I couldn't ask for more. My excitement stemmed from the fact that I have never dealt with a story that is set in Mumbai. Also, the setting of a housing society implied an ensemble of exciting characters. I love stories that allow me to play with people, whether it was the mohalla of Do Dooni Chaar (2010) or the warring families in Ishaqzaade (2012).

Is the series based on the Campa Cola case?
The case was a trigger. The point was that citizens found themselves on the wrong side of the law, and eventually, their hard-earned money was going to waste. But we haven't gone into the nitty-gritty of the Campa Cola case. Kalakruti is a fictional society.

What are the challenges you faced while making this show?
The show is written by Neeraj Udhwani, I am only directing it. Considering I am a control freak, it is a big challenge to direct someone else's work. Getting into a partnership with another writer has been a learning experience. Plus, this is my first web series. It's about making something cinematic on a smaller budget.

Producer Ekta Kapoor is known to be a control freak. How did you handle that?
I had my apprehensions until I took my first meeting with her. During the meeting, Ekta said that she wants me to have complete ownership of the show, and she has stood by that. Every episode was narrated to her. She would give me her feedback and if we disagreed, we'd work it out.

How do you alternate between the roles of writer and director?
When I wrote Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) for Maneesh [Sharma], there would be times when we would disagree. For example, in the last act, Shruti [Anushka Sharma's character] and Bittoo [Ranveer Singh's character] have a fight because she is engaged to another guy. I was not happy about the triangle. But since Maneesh and Adi [Aditya Chopra] wanted it, it was my job to service their vision. But as a director here, my job is to be half manager, half creative mind. The biggest plus here was that I didn't have to deal with myself as a writer.

What do you enjoy more — writing or filmmaking?
I miss writing when I am directing, and vice versa (laughs).

As Home gears up for release, society members claim show should've been run past them; writer says series not based on the incident
Mohar Basu and Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 30, 2018)

Karan Sethia, one of the residents of Worli's Campa Cola housing society, claims the promos of Ekta Kapoor's latest offering, Home, came as a rude shock to him. As the web series - which revolves around the residents of a housing society who are forced to vacate their flats after their building is deemed an illegal construction - gears up for release over the weekend, Sethia says that the makers should have sought the residents' approval, considering the show borrows from the real-life controversy.

"We had no idea about the show. We should have been involved during the making because it is an ongoing case, we can't afford to have the facts misrepresented," says Sethia, adding that the show's writer Neeraj Udhwani had reached out to him in 2016 to discuss the possibility of adapting the episode for the screen. "We took two meetings with him. I offered to put him through to other residents for research. But, he abruptly disappeared. We never gave him an approval."

Sethia says legal recourse against Kapoor is his last resort. "If the show depicts our fight, great. If there's any miscommunication about what we stood for, we may seek legal options."

When mid-day reached out to Udhwani, he claimed that the show reflects a problem that is rampant across India. "Home is not based on the Campa Cola case. I met a few residents of the buildings, but they were hesitant to share their stories. So I didn't pursue them further. There are many other societies facing similar issues and the show is loosely based on them."

Though director Habib Faisal had previously stated that his venture was inspired by the spirit of the Campa Cola case, Nimisha Pandey, head of content, ALTBalaji, said, "Though the situation is inspired from true events, it is not based on any real life story." The Campa Cola compound found itself mired in controversy after the Supreme Court ordered the demolition of 35 illegal floors housing around 100 flats.

The singer, who owns flat 802 in Ekta Apartments, tweets appeal to state government; says punishing residents for builders’ fault unjust
Pooja Kalwar & Chetna Yerunkar (MID-DAY; June 10, 2014)

Residents of the Campa Cola housing society, whose illegally constructed flats are set to be razed, received some much-needed support from none other than the melody queen Lata Mangeshkar, who also owns a flat in the 8th floor in the complex.

Tweeting last afternoon from her handle @mangeshkarlata, she said, “I just want to say one thing to the Maharashtra government about the Campa Cola case. Many people, including children and the elderly, will become homeless if the houses are razed. Three residents have died because of the stress. It is unjust that the residents will have to face trouble because of mistakes made by builders.” Mangeshkar owns an 8th-floor flat in Esha Ekta Apartments, which will also be razed. Despite repeated attempts, Mangeshkar was not available for comment.

Residents said they were pleasantly surprised by Mangeshkar’s tweet as they had not been able to talk to her and seek her support. They said they welcomed her intervention, even thought it may be too late. “We are grateful that someone of her stature is supporting us and can feel our pain,” said Vidya Srinivasan, one of the residents of the Campa Cola Compound.

Another resident, Nandini Mehta said, “ It is the happiest thing to see someone as famous as her trying to bring a change in our lives. I hope the CM listens to her and tries to find a solution.” Sharadchandra Ubale, assistant municipal commissioner of the G-South Ward said that none of the keys had been handed over and the civic body would take action as per the building proposal department’s instructions.

Residents, meanwhile, are planning to erect more tents if the BMC permits them. The tent which was put up last week has an area of nearly 1,200 sq ft but residents are aware that, with the monsoons coming up and 96 families set to vacate their flats, the space will not be enough. More tents are, therefore, on the cards.

The residents had received an objection notice by the BMC on Friday over the tent in the compound. The civic body had said the tent was illegal and had directed residents to remove it. This caused stress among the residents, who responded with an application to erect a tent. They have not heard from the civic body about that yet.

Vijay Mirani, a resident of Mid Town apartment in the compound, said, “We will stay in tents and silently protest against our houses being razed. The civic body should think about us before demolishing these floors.”

Srinivasan, another resident, said, “We have no option as 96 flats are going to be demolished. We obviously need a shelter. We are awaiting a response from the BMC on our application.”

“We will try to fit into a single tent but that won’t be possible because of the limited space. We will try to figure out a way or build more tents in the huge premises of the compound,” said Karan Sethia of Patel apartment.

LAST BUILDER PASSES AWAY
B K Gupta, one of the builders of Campa Cola, died last morning following prolonged illness. He was the last of the four builders responsible for the compound who was alive when the controversy over the illegal flats came to a head recently. Mid Town apartment and BY apartment were built by him between 1981-1989.