Showing posts with label Kushan Nandy interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kushan Nandy interview. Show all posts
Despite lucrative offers from digital platforms, we are looking at releasing Jogira Sara Ra Ra in theatres-Kushan Nandy
8:38 AM
Despite offers from two leading OTT platforms, Jogira Sara Ra Ra director Nandy says team has unanimously decided on big-screen release of Nawazuddin-starrer
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 31, 2021)
Slowly but surely, actors are returning to the big screen. After Akshay Kumar’s Bellbottom managed a respectable figure at the box-office, it has boosted the confidence of filmmakers to take the leap of faith. Among them is Kushan Nandy, whose Jogira Sara Ra Ra is nearing completion.
The director says the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-led film is set to be theatre-bound despite some OTT platforms vying for its premiere rights. Sources say that Netflix India and Amazon Prime Video had initiated talks with the makers over a month ago.
“We have got quite a few lucrative offers from digital platforms, but we are looking only at theatres. Jogira Sara Ra Ra is a fun, four-ticket film that families [will enjoy] on the big screen. Nawaz, producer Naeem Siddiqui, creative producer Kiran Shroff and I discussed it at length, and unanimously agreed on it. We are confident about the film doing well in cinemas — that’s the first and foremost reason we don’t want to take the OTT route,” says the director, who has reunited with Siddiqui after Babumoshai Bandookbaaz (2017).
He acknowledges that Bellbottom’s performance has strengthened their resolve further. “Kudos to Akshay Kumar, Vashu Bhagnani [producer] and their team for taking this step! It’s a courageous call and shows us the way forward.”
Luckily, the makers of Jogira Sara Ra Ra — also featuring Neha Sharma — have the advantage of time. While the director completed the talkie portions in April, two songs have yet to be shot. Nandy hopes that by the time he calls it a wrap on the slice-of-life movie, the situation will have further improved.
“We will shoot Nawaz’s song by the end of September, and the other, with Neha, in early October at a Mumbai set. The post-production and background mixing are underway,” says the filmmaker, hoping to reach the finish line soon. The makers will zero in on a release date after the songs are shot.
I braved everything for Nawazuddin's conviction in Babumoshai Bandookbaaz-Kushan Nandy
8:01 AM
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 22, 2017)
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz,
hasn't been an easy journey for Kushan Nandy. The filmmaker has
overcome many odds to ensure that his labour of love hits the screens
this Friday. The movie, in his own words, “was shelved several times,
at least in perception“. To begin with, they were forced to change
locations. Then, Kushan was forced to replace his leading lady Chitrangda
Singh after shooting a considerable portion. If that wasn't enough, he
even fought 48 cuts suggested by the CBFC to the Appellate Tribunal. In
short, he has seen it all in just one project. In a candid chat with BT,
the director talks about the challenges he faced during the making of
the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer and how the industry salutes only the
rising sun. Excerpts...
After all the hiccups, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is finally ready for release. Relieved?
Yeah. This film was a roller-coaster ride. I've had to fight a lot of tough situations, but as they say, all's well that ends well.
The film was nearly shelved a couple of times. What exactly happened?
If your last film hasn't been successful, the industry is cruel to you - stingy to give you another chance. I've made two movies earlier and since they hadn't worked wonders at the box office, it became difficult to even put this one together. Also, we had to combat difficulties in West Bengal. There's some kind of a political mafia, which supports the film federation there. So, we were forced to hire an entire group of technicians and junior artistes, the latter increasing in number everyday. We were blackmailed and almost put at gunpoint to pay what we didn't even owe them. The producers couldn't sustain that after a point. Ultimately, we filed an FIR and called off our shoot in the state. That was a huge setback. However, I continued making the film. Nawaz also believed in the script as much as I did. I braved everything for his conviction in the film.
You were also forced to rope in Bidita Bag after Chitrangda Singh walked out, citing the explicitness of the lovemaking scenes as her concern. Why did you stay mum at that time?
I was too shocked to even react to what was being hurled at me, as I don't speak in the way Chitrangda quoted me. It was a personal attack. Without delving much into the past, all I can tell you is that intimate scenes were the last of the reasons for her exit. Many issues kept creeping in while we were shooting, but I don't think they need to be highlighted because I don't want to pull anyone down. She made me look like a villain. I wish her luck, but I know for sure that I don't want to associate with her again.
It didn't take you long to cast Bidita. How did you find her?
I had met her while casting for another strong part in the film. I found her to be very real, unlike the zillion clones of make-up-smeared people we see all around us. She stood out in a jungle of plastic faces. Though she didn't fit in that role, she stayed on my mind. Then, when the fiasco happened, my team started communicating with her. Bidita is a bit of a crack-pot in real life too, which is what I was seeking in my heroine. She had to have that streak of eccentricity and uninhibited attitude.
The next jolt came when the CBFC asked for 48 cuts with an A-certificate. While the news garnered a lot of publicity, Pahlaj Nihalani, after his exit from office, said that filmmakers used him and the Censor Board to promote their films. What would you like to say?
It's a joke if he thinks that we publicize our films using him and the CBFC. The board functions on the basis of such an ambiguous act that anyone in power can interpret or misinterpret it conveniently. See, we could never have released our film with those cuts; it would have ruined the narrative. If I wanted publicity, I wouldn't have gone and met him to seek redressal, but he came across as autocratic and arrogant, which didn't leave me with a choice except appealing to the tribunal. I have not made an erotic film. The scenes naturally flow into the script, they are not for titillation.
Have you charted your legal recourse against him?
Mr Nihalani was trying to sabotage my film. Luckily, I had technical support which helped me prove that his allegations were baseless. I'm shocked with his vindictive attitude towards my film. My lawyer and I are working out a way forward.
Are you hopeful that after Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, the industry will be more accepting of you?
I don't know. I am not thinking about what the industry might do or say. I went out there and made a film despite odds. I want to enjoy this process. The responses have been good so far. Now, I want to know what the audience thinks. It's great if they like it; if they don't like it, I will pick up my lessons, and start working on my next project.
After all the hiccups, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is finally ready for release. Relieved?
Yeah. This film was a roller-coaster ride. I've had to fight a lot of tough situations, but as they say, all's well that ends well.
The film was nearly shelved a couple of times. What exactly happened?
If your last film hasn't been successful, the industry is cruel to you - stingy to give you another chance. I've made two movies earlier and since they hadn't worked wonders at the box office, it became difficult to even put this one together. Also, we had to combat difficulties in West Bengal. There's some kind of a political mafia, which supports the film federation there. So, we were forced to hire an entire group of technicians and junior artistes, the latter increasing in number everyday. We were blackmailed and almost put at gunpoint to pay what we didn't even owe them. The producers couldn't sustain that after a point. Ultimately, we filed an FIR and called off our shoot in the state. That was a huge setback. However, I continued making the film. Nawaz also believed in the script as much as I did. I braved everything for his conviction in the film.
You were also forced to rope in Bidita Bag after Chitrangda Singh walked out, citing the explicitness of the lovemaking scenes as her concern. Why did you stay mum at that time?
I was too shocked to even react to what was being hurled at me, as I don't speak in the way Chitrangda quoted me. It was a personal attack. Without delving much into the past, all I can tell you is that intimate scenes were the last of the reasons for her exit. Many issues kept creeping in while we were shooting, but I don't think they need to be highlighted because I don't want to pull anyone down. She made me look like a villain. I wish her luck, but I know for sure that I don't want to associate with her again.
It didn't take you long to cast Bidita. How did you find her?
I had met her while casting for another strong part in the film. I found her to be very real, unlike the zillion clones of make-up-smeared people we see all around us. She stood out in a jungle of plastic faces. Though she didn't fit in that role, she stayed on my mind. Then, when the fiasco happened, my team started communicating with her. Bidita is a bit of a crack-pot in real life too, which is what I was seeking in my heroine. She had to have that streak of eccentricity and uninhibited attitude.
The next jolt came when the CBFC asked for 48 cuts with an A-certificate. While the news garnered a lot of publicity, Pahlaj Nihalani, after his exit from office, said that filmmakers used him and the Censor Board to promote their films. What would you like to say?
It's a joke if he thinks that we publicize our films using him and the CBFC. The board functions on the basis of such an ambiguous act that anyone in power can interpret or misinterpret it conveniently. See, we could never have released our film with those cuts; it would have ruined the narrative. If I wanted publicity, I wouldn't have gone and met him to seek redressal, but he came across as autocratic and arrogant, which didn't leave me with a choice except appealing to the tribunal. I have not made an erotic film. The scenes naturally flow into the script, they are not for titillation.
Have you charted your legal recourse against him?
Mr Nihalani was trying to sabotage my film. Luckily, I had technical support which helped me prove that his allegations were baseless. I'm shocked with his vindictive attitude towards my film. My lawyer and I are working out a way forward.
Are you hopeful that after Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, the industry will be more accepting of you?
I don't know. I am not thinking about what the industry might do or say. I went out there and made a film despite odds. I want to enjoy this process. The responses have been good so far. Now, I want to know what the audience thinks. It's great if they like it; if they don't like it, I will pick up my lessons, and start working on my next project.
I refused to give in to Chitrangda Singh’s threats-Kushan Nandy
7:48 AM
Filmmaker Kushan Nandy says he’s had enough of his lead actress’s tantrums, continues shoot without her
Upala KBR (DNA; June 14, 2016)
Filmmaker Kushan Nandy has got himself embroiled in a controversy . He started his movie Babumoshai Bandookbaaz (which he is producing and directing) with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Chitrangda Singh in Uttar Pradesh, but last week, his lead actress walked out at the last minute. The actress has accused him of speaking to her very rudely while giving directions about an intimate scene in front of the entire unit. Apparently, Kushan was not happy with the first take and asked her to be more “in-your-face” while performing the sexual act. The actress is said to have left the set in tears and flew back home immediately.
‘It’s not erotica’
Kushan says, “My film is a thriller with a lot of black humour in it. It isn’t an erotic film the way it is being made out to be. The amount of intimacy in it is as much as in an Ishqiya or a Band Baaja Baaraat or any other regular film. The script of the film was lying with Chitrangda for over a year. Every single scene was explained in complete detail. There has been absolutely no change in her character from the beginning. Every time we met in Mumbai and discussed the film or even when we had workshops, not once did she mention having a problem with any scene in the film or the script in any way. But the moment she reached Lucknow, all her issues began to surface. She had a problem doing romantic scenes and said they were unnecessary. However, when I explained the need of the script, she decided she would do it only her way.”
Last-minute stalling
The filmmaker adds, “This sudden change in Chitrangda’s attitude took me completely off-guard. Especially, since it was really embarrassing to bring it up in front of the whole unit. I had to give in because if I didn’t, she would refuse to shoot. She knew there were kissing scenes right from the time we had signed her, but she refused to do it point-blank on the set. We were left with no option, but to listen to her every time. But things did not get sorted even then. On the fourth day, she said she was sick and shooting was stalled for four hours with everyone just waiting for her. At the same time, unit members overheard her laughing and joking with her staff in her makeup van. By now, we were really stressed about how we would complete the film on schedule and how her character was going to show in the film and also affect the film on the whole. Either she was not being able to grasp what her character should have been doing or she was deliberately acting the way she wanted to.”
The final straw
That wasn’t all. Kushan says, “My choreographer chased her for rehearsals for three days but her staff would not even allow a meeting with her. Eventually, the song was done with no choreography. She did it the way she wanted. All of this was now hampering the film on the whole. Her performance was suffering. When you are faced with an actor of the caliber of Nawazuddin Siddiqui, you have to be at the top of your game. I tried several times to make her understand what her character was and how it should have been played but she completely refused to see it my way. Finally, on the fifth day, when a scene was explained to her, she refused to do it unless it was changed. Once again, I was left with no choice but to go to her van and try to make her understand. The shoot was again stalled with the unit just waiting for her to step out of the van. She finally did the scene her way. By now, I was exasperated. I made it very clear to her that I was not going to take her nonsense anymore. She threatened to walk out, got into her car and left the set.”
The plan all along...
Kushan, who is now completing some of his scenes with Nawazuddin, says, “That night, Chitrangda called for a meeting which went on till five in the morning. It was here that for the first time she told me she wanted the entire second half of the film changed otherwise she was not interested in doing it. She knew very well how trapped the producers would be after having shot with her for five days. But this time, I simply refused to give in to her attitude and threats. She would have to stick to the script which was ethical. She asked me to look for a substitute and left the meeting. The following morning, her return tickets were booked and that was when she panicked and made her make-up girl call people on the set to find out if the shooting was stalled or if any panic had set in. When she was informed all was normal, she started calling and sending messages to those in the unit who she thought would convince me to change the script because she didn’t want to leave the film. I have seen these messages myself. And this continued even from the airport just before she boarded her flight. This must have been her plan for over a year to come to the set, shoot a couple of days and then start throwing tantrums over script changes. She is totally unprofessional. Anyway, I wish her luck. I am now only interested in completing my film.”
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