Showing posts with label Human. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Human. Show all posts
Nothing we say in The Kerala Story will be without evidence-Vipul Shah
8:13 AM
As critics question authenticity of his next on Kerala women who were brainwashed into joining terror organizations, Vipul Shah says he will provide evidence in due course of time
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; December 26, 2022)
Vipul Amrutlal Shah bids adieu to 2022 with a smile. The filmmaker’s “most amazing year”, marked two decades since the release of his directorial debut, Aankhen, and also had him reinvent his style of cinema. He admits that while he enjoyed shifting his attention to production, he would have also taken pleasure in directing more films.
Discussion around the failure of his directorial ventures, like his last one, Namaste England, doesn’t perturb him. “I came back with the web series Human, after all,” he says of the show that earned acclaim, and featured his actor-wife, Shefali Shah. “Now, I plan to direct at least one film or web project every year.”
Incidentally, Human was initially planned as a theatrical release, before the pandemic. “But, the script turned out to be long, because in each draft, while we wanted to incorporate the medical scam, we didn’t want to leave out the personal stories of the characters. So, I thought it would be a better idea to make it into a web series.”
A second season, he says, is likely to be underway. “We are trying to write it. If we can crack it, it will become a reality.”
Meanwhile, the teaser of his upcoming production venture, The Kerala Story, which tells the tale of women who were trafficked and manipulated by a terrorist outfit, attracted controversy. Needless to say, the film’s subject invited criticism, with several individuals questioning its accuracy.
“We will address [the accusations] in due time. Nothing we say will be without evidence. When we present our facts and figures, people will get the answers. Whether they choose to accept them or not is their choice. Director Sudipto Sen has researched extensively for four years before starting the film,” he says of the Adah Sharma starrer.
Given that political organizations find sufficient fodder in cinematic offerings to stir controversy even when there may be none, will Shah’s film — which is directly linked to religion — categorize him as a pro-establishment filmmaker.
“We are making a film on a big tragedy. If I feel that I want to tell this story as a filmmaker, then, discussion on whether I am pro-establishment or not will only reflect an individual’s point of view. As a filmmaker, I only think of the story that touches my heart, and moves me enough to want to narrate it.”
Have you heard of female actors pulling each other’s hair-Shefali Shah
8:38 AM
Shefali Shah quashes the notion of two female artistes not getting along, says it’s ‘media hype’
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 21, 2022)
Shefali Shah has spent almost three decades in the film industry, infusing life into varied characters. Whether in her web show Human, alongside Kirti Kulhari, or web films Jalsa (co-starring Vidya Balan) and her latest, Darlings, with Alia Bhatt, the actor has been lauded for the camaraderie she shares with her female co-stars. But Shah admits she’s often perplexed about this notion that no two female actors can get along.
“The whole thing about women against women… I haven’t seen any of it yet. Maybe it is media hype. Have you heard of [female] actors pulling each other’s hair, or b*tching about each other? I mean, who have you heard fought like this? I really don’t know where this comes from,” she tells us.
The 49-year-old reveals there has always been a sense of unity in the industry: “When an actress does well or gets an award, it is a victory for every actress. All actresses are paving paths for each other, particularly in an industry that was once male-dominated.” Here, she is quick to point out that the industry is no longer male-dominated.
“I take immense pride in working with the women I’ve worked with till now. It has been a treat to work with them... This whole thing of two actresses fighting or having jealousy is bulls**t,” she asserts, adding, “It’s sweet that people are praising me for this (camaraderie with female co-stars), but I don’t need a medal for this. It’s the least we can do while working with each other.”
That aside, the actor is looking forward to exploring the highs and lows of a new case and unravelling a mystery in the second chapter of the web series Delhi Crime. She admits the show, which won the top prize at the International Emmy Awards 2020, will always have a special place in her heart. “My character Vartika Chaturvedi becomes a human from a hero, in this season,” she says.
Ask if the team feels any pressure to meet the audience’s expectations after delivering a hit first season, and she says, “The new season comes with a different case, a different director and a new narrative. So, trying to compare the two [seasons] is just unfair… It is not a competition with the first season. We have to make a really good show. Why should there be any comparison?”
What's a hit on OTT? Amid lack of any public data, makers and actors ponder the definition of success in web space
8:09 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 11, 2022)
The one major thing that differentiates OTT and theatrical releases is the absence of numbers. There’s no box office online, and the entire focus is on the kind of content. So then, what defines a hit project on the web? No data gets released regarding the number of viewers as well.
Filmmaker Shakun Batra, whose film Gehraiyaan released directly on an OTT platform, had told us earlier, “I have the same question. Given how the industry is moving forward, we will have to define a new metric of success for films on OTT. Now, it is generally word of mouth like, ‘Oh a lot of people watched it’. I wouldn’t be surprised if we soon get metrics [for web space] that can be compared.”
For now, however, that seems unlikely. And actors are only too happy that people will watch something not just based on the hype around how much money it has earned. Actor Maanvi Gagroo, who has done popular web shows, such as Tripling and Four More Shots Please! (both have third seasons coming up), shares, “I have to rely on audience reactions to know whether my show has worked or not. And that’s a big change that social media has brought about. Earlier, there were very few avenues, and we’d get to interact with our viewers only through middlemen. Now, I can talk directly to people, though it’s still filtered.”
Mozez Singh, who directed the medical thriller Human, says they do get access to internal data through the OTT platform, but it’s never released. “I can just can say that the amount of people who reached out to me, the way they reacted to it... it was utterly overwhelming. I never experienced such adulation for my work, so I can call it a hit,” he tells us.
There have been instances where makers had allegedly fudged box office numbers to show inflated figures for their films. So, Sharib Hashmi feels things are more “transparent” on web. The actor, who has done popular OTT shows such as Asur and The Family Man, adds, “The reactions on social media are enough to know how well a project is doing. It’s better than any numbers... No talk about collections is good. Hit ya no hit, baat kaam ki hoti hai.”
Rasika Dugal concurs as she states, “The audience is very smart today. They know what they like and what they don’t. It’s encouraging to see that they watch [something for] the content and don’t focus on anything else. That’s what makes a project hit on this medium.”
I credit my career today to the OTT boom. In films, they didn’t know what to do with me-Shefali Shah
7:22 AM
The actor is thankful for the varied opportunities presented by the digital medium, which, she believes, is here to stay
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 5, 2022)
Actor Shefali Shah marked her foray into the web space with the short film Juice (2017). Ever since, she has headlined clutter-breaking content on the web, including the International Emmy winning Delhi Crime, anthology film Ajeeb Daastaans, short film Happy Birthday Mummy Ji (both 2021) and recently released Human, which was based on human drug trials. Over time, she has carved a niche for herself, crushing stereotypes related to the sexist and ageist nature of the entertainment industry.
Shah credits web series Delhi Crime — which saw her as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi — for giving her a new lease of life as an actor, which many refer to as Shefali Shah 2.0. “I credit my career today to the OTT boom. In films, they didn’t know what to do with me, because in cinema, you either can play the heroine or her mother. But on OTT, I got full-fledged characters. I’ve to admit that Delhi Crime became the turning point in my career as somebody took a chance with me and put me in the lead,” the 49-year-old elaborates.
With no box-office pressure in the digital medium, the actor, who will be seen in Delhi Crime 2, feels that filmmakers have become more experimental, not only in terms of content but casting, too. She says, “I’ve been experiencing it since last year. Every other project I’ve done in the past year, I’m either the lead or the parallel lead.”
The past few months saw actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Kirti Kulhari talking about taking a break from web series. Ask Shah if the fatigue has set in for her as well, and she says, “Web series are exhausting, but that’s the fun of it. I thrive on work that completely consumes and drains me. Last year, I shot for Human and Delhi Crime 2, both very intense. But I loved it.”
With a multitude of new releases every week on OTT, across languages and genres, does she feel its novelty has waned? “The more, the merrier! Amazing stuff is coming out of India and other countries. There’s something for everyone. I don’t think OTT is ever going to dwindle away.”
It’s important to cast queer people in queer stories, but it’s also important to cast them in non queer stories-Mozez Singh
8:07 AM
Bringing a sensitive lesbian drama through Shefali-Kirti’s track in Human, director Mozez says authentic depiction of LGBTQiA+ community will boost inclusivity
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 22, 2022)
Human, at its core, is the story of human drug testing. But the Disney+ Hotstar thriller also has a poignant parallel track of queer romance. As one of the writers and directors of the show, Mozez Singh — who belongs to the LGBTQiA+ community — has sensitively told a lesbian love story through leads Shefali Shah and Kirti Kulhari. Recounting shooting the kissing scene, the co-director says it was imperative that both actors were comfortable, while also ensuring that they were honest to the moment.
“As someone who belongs to the community, I wanted to present a realistic kissing scene between two women without [overdoing] it to fit unrealistic fantasies. I am happy that I can represent my community in my capacity as a director, and I hope this will allow other LGBTQiA+ storytellers to make films that tell their truth,” he says.
Representing his community in an honest way is crucial to Singh. Through Kulhari’s character arc, he brought out the anguish of a closeted lesbian who is trapped in a heterosexual marriage. “So many people from the community told me that the lesbian story, which has been poignantly portrayed by Kirti, was done authentically. This shows that people have connected to it strongly. When the audience connects with this authenticity, filmmakers will be left with no choice but to be inclusive. This is the way ahead for the future.”
A conversation about queer representation, however, is incomplete without discussing the lack of queer casting in the industry. Singh weighs in, “It’s important to cast queer people in queer stories, but it’s also important to cast them in non-queer stories. The best actor for the part should be cast; whether they are queer or not should be irrelevant. The more normal we make this conversation, the more opportunities we will give to queer people to be considered for any role. I’m waiting for the day when a gay actor will play James Bond. If this ever happens, the community will finally have a seat at the table.”
Nobody knows that there is a humorous and wicked side to me. Darlings explores that-Shefali Shah
8:11 AM
Creatively satisfied after shooting for six projects in 2021, Shefali discusses why working on Paatal Lok co-director’s next, 3 Of Us, has been enriching
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; January 20, 2022)
Shooting six projects in a year can be quite a handful. How does one go from one film to another without feeling spent? If you’re Shefali Shah, you see each project as an opportunity to embrace a new character. “I did six projects last year,” she exclaims, almost surprised that she packed in Delhi Crime 2, Human, Darlings, Doctor G, Jalsa and 3 Of Us in the same year. “I have always been choosy. But after having such a line-up, I have to wait for something better. I am dying to go back on the set, but [the project] has to be as rich as the ones I have done till now.”
The actor, who began the new year with medical thriller Human, is now looking forward to Darlings. Alia Bhatt’s maiden production venture is special to Shah as it gave her the rare opportunity to showcase her comic timing. “I somehow have this serious image. Nobody knows that there is a humorous and wicked side to me. Darlings explores that.”
Where she can capture the essence of Darlings with a few adjectives — “It is wicked, dark and hilarious” — the actor chooses her words more carefully when describing 3 Of Us. “It’s complex, but the whole film seems so simple,” she reflects.
Director Avinash Arun, who is making his Hindi feature film debut after the much-acclaimed Paatal Lok (2020), has roped in Jaideep Ahlawat opposite Shah. “The story is so delicate. We shot in the Konkan region, which is stunning. The film is in Hindi, but has a Maharashtrian backdrop. It comes from the culture of Malgudi Days, but it’s not exactly like that.”
It is evident that she is impressed by Arun’s passion for his craft. “Avinash is an emotionally rich person to be able to create something like 3 Of Us. We both were completely in sync. If I would deliver a shot in a certain way, he would say, ‘Why don’t we try it differently?’ I would say, ‘I will do it, but I think the first one goes better.’ Sure enough, the moment he’d call cut after the shot, we used to look at each other and say, ‘Let’s go with the first one.’”
Human was originally written as a film by Vipul Shah many years ago-Shefali Shah
8:23 AM
Shefali, who counts Human among her most challenging projects, on why its subject can be best explored as web series
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; January 14, 2022)
Before she reports to a shoot, you’re most likely to find Shefali Shah reading the script several times over and “chewing her director’s brains”. It wasn’t any different for Human, the web series that sees her play neurosurgeon Gauri Nath. The actor says, “Gauri was written in a certain way. After re-reading the script, I told the directors [Vipul Shah and Mozez Singh] that I want to play her in a different manner, and they accepted my suggestion.”
The Disney+ Hotstar thriller sees her character Gauri heading a prestigious hospital that becomes involved in unethical human trials of a banned drug.
Instinctively drawn towards spirited characters, Shah says it was the different layers of Gauri that called out to her. “I can’t [box] her as good or bad, or black or white. She is complicated; she is a Pandora’s box, you don’t know what’s going on inside. Any character that pushes you out of your comfort zone is challenging. There were so many parts that went into making her — from her grief and pain, to the power-play and politics around her.”
The series sees her reuniting with filmmaker-husband Vipul Shah after 17 years. Human, she says, is the filmmaker’s long-cherished project that has come to fruition now. “Human was originally written as a film by Vipul many years ago. But a subject like this cannot be explored in two hours. So, it was the perfect decision to make it into a show.”
Shefali Shah speaks after reuniting with hubby Vipul Shah after 17 years for Human
8:14 AM
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 10, 2022)
Actor Shefali Shah is known for taking on unconventional roles and projects. Her upcoming web series, Human, is themed on the issue of human medical trials. “When I read the script, I was shocked, appalled and gagged because it’s very disturbing. Even as an audience, when you see something like a Human or a Delhi Crime, it shakes you up. These are very exhausting shows,” the 39-year-old says.
And what makes this series even more interesting is her collaboration with her husband, filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah, 17 years after Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005). “He’s a very good and chilled out director. And he understands that any kind of filmmaking is a collaborative process. We respect each other tremendously with what we do,” the Ajeeb Daastaans actor says, adding that they exchanged “contradicting and conflicting” creative opinions during the shoot sometimes.
Quiz her about why we didn’t get to see them work together more frequently and Shah says, “I would never tell Vipul to make something for me and he would never tell me to do a project that he’s producing or directing just because he needs me to be a part of it. We respect each other way too much for it. If it’s not worth our time and what we deserve, we’ll never do it.”
While it’s important for her to be a part of important stories that need to be told, she has no qualms about being a part of projects meant for sheer entertainment. “Any project I do has to really attract me and churn me inside out for me to want to do it,” concludes Shah.
Multi-city promotional leg of Shefali Shah’s upcoming series Human cancelled amid rising cases
8:47 AM
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; January 7, 2022)
The year begins with a pause. Owing to the spike in the number of positive Coronavirus and Omicron cases, many ongoing promotional activities of films and series have been cancelled. The makers — Vipul Amrutlal Shah and Mozez Singh — of the Shefali Shah-starrer Human had planned multi-city tours but have now changed their minds.
Plans for the Disney+ Hotstar series involved holding public events in Ahemdabad, Bhopal, Indore, Lucknow, Delhi, Kanpur, and Banaras. A source reveals, “Since the project is close to Shefali’s heart, she wanted to go all out for promotions. The cast of the show has now dropped all their city visits and on-ground promotions.”
The trailer, released on December 28, received “fabulous responses by the audience, fraternity, and critics alike”. “The show will remain close to my heart since it has given me the opportunity to play a character with interesting shades — complicated, unpredictable, and indecipherable. It’s unfortunate, but to ensure everyone’s safety we had to cancel [city-tours],” added Shah.
The thriller, starring Shah and Kirti Kulhari, explores the dark and twisted world of human drug trials. The series is set to release on January 14.
Human shows what happens when doctors, who are considered gods, start acting like gods-Shefali Shah
8:12 AM
Shefali, Kirti discuss playing “unpredictable, complicated” characters in the series, Human
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; January 5, 2022)
The genre of Indian medical dramas has found favour with the masses, with Shefali Shah and Kirti Kulhari’s Human becoming the second mainstream series to explore the subject recently.
The Disney + Hotstar series, which explores the dark and twisted world of unethical human drug trials, sees the duo play doctors. “The experience of wearing the skin of my character was a first for me. I have never met or heard of a person like Dr Gauri Nath. She is complicated and unpredictable, and among the most challenging ones I’ve played,” says Shah, glad to have got the chance to add her own sensibilities to the part.
“Had I played her the way she was written, I’d have been [tackling it] safely. But I chose to play her in an unexpected way. Thankfully, the directors agreed with my vision. The show opens our eyes to what actually happens when doctors, who are considered gods, actually start [acting like] gods.”
As a medical aspirant who lands a dream job in Bhopal’s premier hospital under the mentorship of Nath, Kulhari’s Dr Saira Sabarwal will be seen tasked with crucial decisions. “I have always found the genre of thrillers intriguing. [Working with] a veteran like Shefali Shah has been an honour. We would spend hours going through the script and trying to perfect the act before the shoot. The script demanded a lot of silence, where reactions and body-language played a vital role. Nabbing those complex scenes was hard,” says Kulhari of the show that will be released on January 14.
If there were medical terms in Human's script, I will pick up a dictionary-Shefali Shah
8:03 AM
Playing medical professional in web series Human and upcoming Doctor G, Shefali Shah on how the two offerings tackle different themes
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; April 23, 2021)
Shefali Shah has little time to bask in the praise coming her way for her heartbreaking performance in Netflix’s Ajeeb Daastaans. She is instead busy prepping for her next, the Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer Doctor G that sees her as a gynaecologist. Interestingly, Human, the medical thriller that she shot for till March, also has her playing a doctor. However, the actor says that the two stories have different themes, each demanding intense prep.
“In Human, my character is a neurosurgeon. So, when we were filming the surgery scenes that required me to handle prosthetics, there was a surgeon on the set to guide me through it. Similarly, we underwent a virtual training session for Doctor G. An obstetrician-gynaecologist [was brought on board] to teach us how to use the instruments,” says the actor.
Considering the Vipul Shah and Mozez Singh-directed drama probes the medical scams that surround human drug testing, Shah says her portrayal had to be backed by a fair amount of homework. “I haven’t dealt with a subject like Human before, so I needed to understand the technicalities. If there are [medical] terms in the script, I will pick up a [dictionary] to know what they mean. I will read up on the [specified] condition, its pros and cons because I need to know [as much as I can on the subject].”
Though she is known to be picky about scripts, Shah says 2021 is a packed year. “I usually take a lot of time between projects, but [due to the lockdown last year and the recent industry shutdown], the schedules have gone haywire.”
I like to be part of stories that simplify a subject for people-Kirti Kulhari
7:57 AM
Kirti Kulhari, who stars alongside Shefali Shah in Human, says medical thriller explores scams that surround human drug testing
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; March 16, 2021)
Before she dives headlong into the world of Four More Shots Please 3, Kirti Kulhari is shooting for Human, directed by Vipul Shah and Mozez Singh. While the gripping script was a big draw, one of the primary reasons she gave her nod to the web series was because it gave her an opportunity to unite with Shefali Shah.
“I wish to work with actors I look up to and have something to learn from. Shefali is one of the best artistes we have,” says Kulhari, who deeply respects the actor as much for the gravitas she brings to her roles as for her choice of projects. “She is relentless and a thinking actor. She is one of those intelligent artistes who [make a statement] with their films. When you have good actors around you, everyone adds value to the project with their craft,” she says, referring to the powerful cast that includes Seema Biswas, Ram Kapoor and Mohan Agashe.
In studying how doctors, medical researchers and pharmaceutical companies work in tandem to develop a vaccine, the thriller probes the medical scams that surround human drug testing. Kulhari, who plays a doctor in the series, dismisses rumours that it is set against the backdrop of the pandemic. “The theme here is human trial. The show has nothing to do with Coronavirus. The audience does not know much about medical trials; the job of cinema is to [enlighten] viewers about a subject that they don’t know about. I like to be part of stories that simplify a subject for people, and give them a 360-degree view of it.”
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