Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 31, 2018)

Mirror (October 7) was the first to report that after bagging three National Awards — best direction, best editing and best sound mixing — Rajesh Mapuskar’s Marathi comedy-drama Ventilator, is set to be adapted into Gujarati by filmmakers Falguni Patel and Lawrence D’Souza. We have now learnt that the makers have roped in Jackie Shroff to portray the lead, which was played by Ashutosh Gowariker in the original. “Finally, I have been cast in a film in my mother tongue. I hope I will live up to it,” Jackie, who loved the Marathi film, exulted.

Director Umang Vyas, who has begun prep for the film, added that the team had been looking for an actor to step into Gowariker’s shoes for a while. “We wanted someone who would understand the language and the culture. When we zeroed in on Jaggu, there was no looking further. He is a brilliant actor and immediately came on-board when we narrated the story idea to him. He is really fluent in Gujarati and will be playing a Hindi film actor in this one,” Umang informed.

The adaptation is being penned by acclaimed scriptwriter Niren Bhatt, who has previously written the National Award-winning thriller-drama Wrong Side Raju, Umesh Shukla’s Rishi Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan starrer All Is Well as well as the Salman Khan-produced Loveratri, that marks his brother-in-law Aayush Sharma’s Bollywood debut. “Niren is currently writing the script and we will retain the original’s satirical tone. It will be set in Gujarat and will roll in March,” Umang revealed.

Meanwhile, producer Falguni is looking forward to collaborate with “Gujarati Bhidu Jackie Shroff”. “In this interesting phase of changing cinema, we are simultaneously working on scripts that are high on content and will cater to a wider range of audience,” she promised.

Ventilator director Mapuskar will also be involved as a creative director on the film.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 7, 2017)

After bagging three National Awards, including best direction, best editing and best sound mixing, Mirror has learnt that the Marathi comedy-drama Ventilator, produced by Priyanka Chopra and directed by Rajesh Mapuskar, will now be remade in Gujarati by Falguni Patel and Lawrence D’Souza. A Gujarati play is also in the works. The play will be produced by actor Sharman Joshi and Kamlesh Oza and directed by Rajesh Joshi.

“I had seen Rajesh’s play, Code Mantra, and had loved it. So, when this offer came along, I was like ‘Oh he is the same guy!’ I’m fascinated to know how will they come up with a stage version but I am sure it can be done as the film is set in a single location and is about a man who you don’t see but everyone’s talking about him. I am really looking forward to this,” beams Mapuskar, who won’t be involved with the play but is the creative director on the film remake.

The 49-year-old filmmaker started working on Ventilator in February 2015 and admits he had never thought that it would become so popular and nor imagined it would make him travel so much. “Today, I am flying off to Poland with it for a festival and after that I will be going to Italy, South Korea and several other countries,” he exults.

Rajesh adds that there were offers to remake the film in Bengali, Gujarati and also down South even before they bagged all those National Awards. “This subject can be explored in any language and can be set in culture even if the dynamics of the relationships change,” says Rajesh.

Wouldn’t he want to direct the Gujarati version of the film? “No, I want somebody who understands that culture and its nuances to bring it into the film. Otherwise I would be copying my own film which I wouldn’t enjoy,” he reasons.

And will Priyanka be a part of it in any capacity? “I don’t think so as it’s not the exact copy. Everything will depend on the script,” he says, adding it would interesting to make the film in English as well.