Anubhav Sinha, Hansal Mehta, Mayank Tewari, Gaurav Solanki

In the latest edition of Mirror Newsroom, filmmakers and writers speak on adapting from real-life stories, negotiating trolls, the CBFC, and the repercussions of having a political opinion
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 31, 2019)

Depicting stories inspired by real events on celluloid has become an accepted model in Hindi cinema. Tales of those who have been marginalised to horrific accounts of violence that have either been ignored by newsrooms or relegated to the inside pages of dailies has surely delivered as compelling ‘material’. In the latest Mirror Newsroom session, filmmakers and writers who have championed socially-relevant films, spoke about what drives their cinematic decisions. The esteemed speakers at the roundtable included filmmakers Hansal Mehta (Aligarh, Omerta) and Anubhav Sinha (Mulk, Article 15) and writers Gaurav Solanki (Article 15, Taandav) and Mayank Tewari (Newton, Delhi Crime 2). Here’s what they had to say:

What has sustained Bollywood’s obsession with real stories?
Hansal Mehta: We don’t have too many stories. So in real life, you’re finding all these stories. But Aligarh (right), for instance, wasn’t just a true story, it reflected ageing, loneliness and being marginalised on account of your sexuality. So it’s important that the real-life character resonates with you. It is finally your voice that is giving life to that real-life character. But it’s good that we are finding new stories in our world, of our times.
Mayank Tewari: As a society, we have become very affluent and self-obsessed and seek stories which are rooted in our realities.

Can filmmakers voice political views?
Hansal: I’ve not seen PM Narendra Modi or The Tashkent Files. But I knew it was going to be difficult for them because even before the film releases, they know that they will be ridiculed. And sometimes, the filmmaker’s reputation precedes him. In terms of a piece of cinema, The Accidental Prime Minister may be inadequate and it was the filmmaker’s first. But the things that you’re showing about the Congress Party during that period are coming to the fore now. They’ve reduced India’s oldest party to a joke. I should also be able to criticize the people I idolise.
Mayank: I watched Modi because I wanted to watch what a propaganda film is like and felt it was atrocious. When it came to The Accidental..., I was heart-broken because I feel a lot of people rubbished the film because of the subject.

Has the CBFC become more rigid?
Hansal: Sometimes, I’ve had ridiculous episodes with the CBFC. Once, they gave an A certificate to my film’s trailer just because of a certain word that conveyed that the film’s theme is adult. Then, there’s no way to promote the film because my trailer cannot be played with any other film. But then, they also gave a U/A certificate to Article 15 (left) which is wonderful. They are the industry’s favourite punching bag. My last film Omerta had travelled to festivals around the world before releasing in India. The CBFC objected to the scene where you see a guy peeing while the “Jana Gana Mana” was being played. I told them that it was the character who was disrespecting the National Anthem, not me. But they were worried about the backlash and that is something they have to account for. For Aligarh, the CBFC is still fighting a case, while I have made three films after that.
Anubhav Sinha: If you read the Cinematograph Act, 1952, five per cent of the films won’t release. It was written at a time when the Constitution was four years old and it’s based on interpretation. Those who judged Article 15, suggested just five modifications and I just shook hands and ran. Sometimes, you get lucky.
Mayank: Aside from the CBFC, the larger threat is that, as a society, we’re getting addicted to being outraged. And that is more worrying.

Has modern literature tweaked itself to be more conducive for adaptations?
Hansal: In recent years, a lot of books are written with the intention of becoming a film adaptation. Publishers pitch the ideas before the books hit the shelves. As a filmmaker, one has to be discerning and look for subjects that resonate with you. It may be a very mediocre book but you can make it into something wonderful. For instance, you can make a 3 Idiots from a Five Point Someone.
Mayank: I would like to adapt Shubhangi Swarup’s Latitudes Of Longing. Then, Jhumpa Lahiri’s first book Interpreter Of Maladies has some very interesting stories, particularly the one titled ‘Mrs. Sen’s’.

Is this the best time to tell stories?
Hansal: The thing about making movies is you make them when you feel strongly about something. If I would have made Shahid today, it wouldn’t be the same film. The fact that it is still relevant and resonates with so many, I feel it did its job. We knew that we were at a disadvantage then since no one knew who Rajkummar Rao was. I was returning to films after three years, having made a film I shouldn’t have made, perhaps. And despite all that, we made the film in Rs 75 lakh. Today, with the resources at my disposal, I may not make the same film. Shahid partly came out of that hunger and anger that was brewing inside me.
Anubhav: Long back, I had the privilege of spending some time with Shekhar Kapur and he had told me that filmmakers need to quit their obsession with the theatre. Some films are not meant for the theatre but they will have a much longer life. A distributor friend told me recently that the audience of Kabir Singh and Article 15 doesn’t overlap and yet, both did well. So there’s enough market for all kinds of movies. Now, the audience wants a big star, a big dhamaka that follows the big Bollywood recipe. For everything else, they have access to so many other platforms. The only other segment that remains, is our own stories…Malihabad ki kahani, Jharkhand ki kahani. There was no space to tell these stories and TV has always told the Karan Johar version of village stories. But the market that seeks realistic stories wasn’t catered to till recently.
Gaurav: There are also stories that the media refuses to follow. Some time ago, magazines and newspapers would do long pieces on them. But now, since no one covers them, people are deprived of that information. So feature films cater to that need gap by telling stories that news channels don’t want to tell.

How do filmmakers deal with trolls?
Hansal: When I won the National Award (2014, for Shahid), I was invited to a news channel. It was pre-election time, and they asked me why I had signed a document that stated I would vote for the secular candidate from my constituency and I had said, “Because I don’t want Narendra Modi as my Prime Minister”, and the trolls haven’t stopped ever since. Every time I say something, they say, ‘he’s a left-wing guy’. Interestingly, when I did The Accidental Prime Minister, I had left wing trolls after me who are equally rabid.
Anubhav: If I write ‘Hello’ on Twitter, there will be people who will have contrarian views. I find trolls to be like children stuck in a well. You don’t need to respond to them. After one film, I’ve had both, Brahmins and Dalits abusing me. 

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; January 8, 2019)

Akshaye Khanna has always made a mark with his performances. He started out as the quintessential leading man, but over the years, he not only impressed in supporting roles but also in characters that required him to play the anti-hero. Not one to follow the norm, when Akshaye’s films didn’t work, he took a break and took time off to find his way back,which he eventually did, but only with roles that challenged him as an actor. With The Accidental Prime Minister, the actor is all set to play a real-life character. In a candid chat with BT, Akshaye talks about why a political film needs to be made and released in India, why he never intellectualises acting and also elaborates on how acting is an insecure profession. Excerpts...

In The Accidental Prime Minister, you play Sanjaya Baru, media advisor to the then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh. The trailer of the film shows you saying, “I don’t work for the party, I work for the Prime Minister.” Also, your character comes across as a cunning man. Looks like you had a lot of fun playing this role...
Yes, I did. Through the years, I have realised that when you have had fun playing a role, it comes across on screen. Even today, if you watch Dil Chahta Hai (2001), you will sense that we had a blast making it. Talking about The Accidental Prime Minister, my character is like that ingredient — salt. Politics has friendship, enmity, intrigue and even humour.

This film also has a lot of humour, which mostly comes through my character. The time I spent making this film with my director Vijay (Gutte) was enriching, and I think that it has made me a better actor. It is a role that he wrote for me. Sanjaya Baru was not as well known as Sonia Gandhi or Manmohan Singh. So, this was the only character which the director could create. All the other characters are real people. Vijay is a visual director. He had a clear image of what he wanted me to look like and people have seen that in the promo. If people like my performance in the film, I would give a lot of credit to my director.

You have been part of romances, dramas, action films as well as comedies. As an actor, when you are offered a film that belongs to the genre of political dramas, do you feel challenged, excited and even scared? Do you worry about the repercussions it might have?
When I first read the script, I sensed that it’s an important film in terms of how and why we haven’t made authentic political films in our country for all these years, despite being the largest democracy in the world. Had we not been the largest democracy, this question would have been slightly less significant. We need to be able to make all kinds of cinema. We have made films on Gandhi in the past, even I have made a film on Gandhi (Gandhi, My Father, 2007). Our constitution gives us freedom of speech and expression, and it is about time films like these are made. People should have the freedom to watch or not watch it. However, I was very unhappy with that draft because of the way my role had been fleshed out. I had a meeting with Vijay and I told him that it’s a fabulous script... it is an important film and he must make it. But I also told him that I didn’t like my role and I won’t do it. He then asked me about my thoughts on the role, and then I explained to him that the way I see it, the role has far more scope and potential. I told him to take as much time as he wanted because I wanted to be part of such a film. Vijay and Mayank (Tewari, writer) reworked the script, and what they came back with was something that I loved. Having said that, its good to be on the same page with your director, but it doesn’t mean that he has to take my permission for everything, because he is operating on a much larger vision. One must respect that; it is that vision that allows him to make the film. If a director has not already seen the film in his mind, chances are less that he will make a good film.

Over the years, even when films have been panned, you have always been praised for your performance. Can you give us an insight into your craft?
I don’t think about acting. When someone starts a conversation about acting, I move back because I have never intellectualised it. Acting comes naturally to me. I read the script as many times as I need to read it. That’s about it, and then I am on the set. Till the clap is given, even I don’t know what I am going to do. I give myself a basic outline of how I will do it, but I don’t know what I am going to do. Whether it is magic or utter crap, it is for the director to decide.

You have acted in a war film like Border (1997), a romance like Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999), a film that explored friendship like Dil Chahta Hai (2001), thrillers like Humraaz (2002) and Race (2008),a comedy like Hulchul (2004) and biographical drama like Gandhi, My Father.Was there a method to the way you chose your films?
There has never been, but I can understand why that question is asked. There are some actors who have a method in the way they choose their films. If you see my filmography, the choices are random and there is no pattern to it. I don’t have a great body of work, but I have decent body of work. You can’t join the dots. My selection of scripts depends on instinct. Sometimes, my instincts are right and sometimes they are not. That’s all we have as professional artistes. We can consult others, but it’s only our gut that can tell us. After working for many years, that instinct gets honed.

Post Race (the first installment of the franchise), your films didn’t work. It was clearly a lull period for you as an actor…
Many of my films didn’t work. It was a lull period and there is no doubt about that. Why on earth would I even attempt to deny that? It’s a period that I wish not to dwell upon because it was a very unhappy one, but that is behind me now. When life throws tough challenges at you, then you need to sit back and absorb them. If you are unable to handle the situation, it’s unfortunate. Until a few days back, I was in a happy space. Life hits you hard again, but one has to go through it. Time is a great healer.

Do you think that today, because of the kind of films that are being made, you are getting the opportunity to play better roles as opposed to the 1990s, or even the early 2000s?
It’s a difficult question to answer. With time, everything evolves. As an individual too, one must evolve, especially being an artiste. Getting stagnant as an artiste can be dangerous. The tragedy of being an actor is that no matter how good or talented you may think you are, without a good script and director, you are nothing. That’s why it’s a unique art form in that sense. Filmmaking is a collaborative art form; individually you are zero, until everything around you is perfect. Acting is an insecure profession because you can’t do anything on your own. How a director uses an actor is the biggest gift that a director can give to an actor. See how Brian De Palma has used Al Pacino in Scarface (1983). Over the years, people have continued to allow me to be part of cinema. Every artiste has a lifespan. The artiste never knows when that day will come when the audience says, ‘We don’t want to watch him anymore’. I have gratitude in my heart because people still want to watch me.

You lost your mother last year. That must have a difficult period...
Losing both parents in a short period of time has been very tough. My mother was a very private person. If I speak about her on any public platform, she will not approve of it. So, I would like to respect that.

Akshaye Khanna on his upcoming political-drama, which he describes as a ‘mature entertainer’, the lack of desire to share his space with someone and being on a big high at the moment
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 3, 2019)

He’s agreed to the interview being pushed by half-an-hour. He will be there on the dot, we’re warned. He arrives 15 minutes earlier and is raring to go when you are shown into the hotel room. Here’s Akshaye Khanna, uncensored…

Your upcoming film, The Accidental Prime Minister, based on Sanjaya Baru’s 2014 memoirs of Manmohan Singh, has already stirred up much controversy. With the first spate of interviews, it has made it clear that it is a political film consciously coming in the election year. What’s your take?
I don’t have one. Yes, from what I’ve seen and read, I see a definite interest among the audience to see the film which from the outside and the way promo has been cut, may look like one that is out to court controversy, but when people see it, they will realise that it’s not true. Yes, we have made a political film, but it has not deviated from the book or from facts that are already in the public domain. We’re not showing anything new in terms of what people already know, have seen or heard. What we have made is a mature entertainer and I know people will come out of the theatre with a smile.

Vijay Gutte has said he approached you for the role of Baru because your family has a background in politics…
No, what he said is that Akshaye’s father (the late Vinod Khanna) was in politics so when I gave him the script, he understood it from the point of view of a film and maybe also a little bit from the political perspective. But that’s his opinion. I personally don’t agree with him. I read the newspapers, watch the news, but I don’t actively follow politics nor do I understand how it works. And I was not the first person he approached. He took the role to many actors. They all said “no” before he came to me.

What made you say “yes”?
Actually, when I read the first draft even I said “no” because my role wasn’t fleshed out. But I told Vijay that this was an important film and he should go ahead and make it, he had my support. He asked me some questions, then asked for some time to write something for me. Mayank (co-writer Mayank Tewari) and he wrote for quite some time before they called me for another narration. This time I loved what they had done with the role and instantly said “yes”. I didn’t want to miss out on this kind of writing.

From the initial promotions and the fact that it’s coming on the same Friday as the film on Uri attacks, it seems that perhaps The Accidental Prime Minister was made consciously to run down Manmohan Singh and the Congress Party.
If you make an authentic political film, which talks of real people and real events, in a politically conscious country like India, it is but natural that people will react to it in different ways and there will be a collage of opinions. That’s to be expected and if it didn’t happen, I would have been disappointed. But at the end of the day, it’s just a film, not an earthquake or a Tsunami, so let us not get too carried away.

Are you saying this political film will not shake public opinion given its timing? If it had come in another year it may well have been treated as just another film but not when it’s coming five months before the elections…
This question is a valid one and bound to be asked, but unfortunately, no matter what I say, opinions have already been formed and my statement will not make even an iota of a difference. Let people think what they wish. This is too in-your-face to defend. As much as I may want to defend it, it’s better to move on.

Given how choosy you are, what was it about the film that caught your attention?
The director... the way he spoke, his thoughts and interpretation of things, intrigued me. Vijay never sounded like a first-time director and proved that on the set. I read the book twice, then, read the screenplay again and was amazed with the way Mayank and Vijay had cracked the book. That’s exactly what I told Rajkumar Hirani when I first heard the narration of Sanju. He had the whole of Sanjay Dutt’s life to write about and he chose exactly what was needed to make for an engaging script. Ditto with this one! There’s a maturity in the writing, no chichorapanti or nautanki, and my character is incredible. There’s a fifth reason too…

And that is?
We’ve seen films on the Buckingham Palace, the White House and 10, Downing Street, but never about the office of the Prime Minister of India. And I was convinced that people would be interested in an inside peek into this world and given that we are the largest democracy in the world, the time had come to open a door that had many, many locks on it. I was impressed that a producer had the vision, confidence, integrity and guts to spend money on a film like this one. After The Accidental Prime Minister, with the correct paperwork and permissions, you can make a film on anything.

Can we make a film on Godhra riots and would it be allowed to peacefully release it at such a time?
Have we not watched hundreds of films on the Holocoust, the darkest period in human history? And it’s the Jews who made them.

But they were not made when the Nazis were in power...
Who cares when they were made? The fact is that films have been made on the Holocaust and on the two World Wars. Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi showed Hindus and Muslims killing each other during the Partition. I myself have made a film on Gandhi on how he treated or rather mistreated his elder son, Hiralal. Nobody asked me such questions during Gandhi, My Father, even though there was no bigger and more respected political figure than Mahatma Gandhi. He was the Father of the Nation and nobody raised objections.

Today, as an author I can write what I want. Sanjaya Baru told the Prime Minister he was writing this book and was asked, “Tu mere baare mein likhega? Kadwa sachh bhi likega?” And when he said “Yes,” he was allowed to write the book and publish it. Manmohan Singh himself has read it, and though the PMO issued a statement against the book, no one sent Baru a legal notice. Had they taken him to court, no one would have bought the film rights to the book.

Getting back to your question, if one can write articles on Godhra, discuss it and analyse it, why can’t one make a film on it if it was to be made honestly and authentically? It’s a human story that happened. People come on TV every night and give gaalis to someone or the other, no one has a problem with that. But when it comes to films, it’s a big problem. That’s unfair, that’s hypocrisy!

Your father was in politics, during the time did you get an insight into politics?
No, politics doesn’t interest me.

If you were asked to campaign for a political party during the elections or given a ticket? Would you be open to it?
I campaigned once for my dad and I was miserable. After that I told him not to call me because I don’t like it, it’s uncomfortable, and I don’t want to be there. And he never did. I hope that answers your question.

Will we see you doing more films this year?
If I had my way, I’d do two-three films every year. But God has not given me my way for a long time now. If the universe gives me three films a year or one film every three years, it’s not in my hands, I have to be patient, wait for the right scripts and be excited about what I am doing. Right now, I’m on a high because the best film of my career is up for release. It’s an incredible time for me. And to answer your question, I will have three films this year.

One of them is Section 375: Marzi Ya Jabardasti which I’m told is finally on course...
I’m starting the film this month. It’s my first courtroom drama, a tough role so I’m nervous, but it’s a good script.

Both you and your brother, Rahul, have always looked to do something different and with so many avenues opening up, this seems like a good time to come back?
I don’t like being clubbed with anyone, be it my father or brother. I am my own person. As far as opportunities go, it’s a fantastic time for creative people. Today producers have to book shooting floors months in advance because so much work is happening, be it films or TV, web series, advertising, theatre or stand-up comedy. The whole world is one with great crossovers happening. As long as I can speak the language, I would love to explore too.

What keeps you busy between projects?
I’ve been working since I was 19, that’s all I know how to do, so I don’t like it when I’m not working. But I’ve had several such bouts and have come to realise that it’s also an important part of an actor’s life as it helps one grow. I need my time-off when I enjoy doing nothing. I would hate a life in which I’m constantly busy. I salute those who when they are not working, are partying. I would collapse in 24 hours flat, I need my aaraam.

A few weeks ago, you lost your mother. Do you feel the vacuum that you spoke about when your dad passed away?
My dad was a public figure but also a very private person. My mother was a very, very private person. I never spoke about her when she was alive, she would not want me to speak about her after she is gone. It’s a terrible loss and the only way to console myself is with the thought that it’s 10 times worse for parents who lose a child in their lifetime.

Is there anyone you would like to share your life with?
No, I don’t want to share my life with anyone, I would like to keep it mine. Neither do I have the desire to share anyone’s else life. Many of my friends can’t be alone for even a few hours. It’s normal to want to have people around but it doesn’t bother me. People ask me how I can you spend so much time by myself. I tell them, “I can spend much more time alone, now go.”

Debutant Vijay Gutte reveals why he chose to adapt a controversial book, refutes rumours of censor trouble
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 17, 2018)

How did you come up with the idea of adapting Sanjaya Baru’s 2014 memoir of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, The Accidental Prime Minister, as your first directorial?
Sunil Bohra (producer) had the rights since 2014 and offered the film to me. I read the book and requested a meeting with Sanjaya Baru. We discussed it for seven straight days and by the end of this marathon discussion, I felt like I was working at the PMO myself (Baru, an ex-journalist and political commentator had been the media advisor and the chief spokesperson of Manmohan Singh during his first term in office from May 2004 to August 2008). I love the way this power game works and since I was always inclined towards politics, my interactions with Sanjaya convinced me that we could turn his bestseller into an amazing film.

What’s National Award-winning director Hansal Mehta’s role in the project?
He’s the creative producer and helped me stay calm. He taught me how to be patient on set and had an important role to play in the casting, which took nine months to lock. Hansal saw the journey through with me.

Was it difficult getting Anupam Kher, who is affiliated to the BJP, on board to play Manmohan Singh?
I gave Anupam Sanjaya’s book and showed him a poster I had conceptualised. He loved it and agreed to do the film on the condition that he liked the script. I worked on it for three months with Mayank Tewari (co-writer) and sent it to him. He instantly came on board.

And Akshaye Khanna?
Akshaye is a thinking actor and being from a family that has been in politics, he understood both the script and the rajneeti. But he took his time to give his nod. He wanted to know minute details of everything that had happened during Manmohan Singh’s tenure. I was careful not to show him Sanjaya’s picture as he was the only character I could play around with. I couldn’t fictionalise Manmohan Singh, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and others who are public figures, but people don’t know Sanjaya; I could give him a cinematic touch.

Wasn’t the film to open on December 21 with Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero. Why was it pushed to next year?
We were not able to finish the post production as I was working simultaneously on the Hindi and English versions. Also, there is a huge amount of VFX involved. We wrapped up the shoot on October 27 and I thought the final print would be locked in 30 days. That didn’t happen.

Buzz is, the film ran into censor trouble.
I am still locking the final cut after which we will go to the censors.

What if you are asked by the CBFC to get a NOC from Manmohan Singh and other political leaders shown or mentioned in the film?
There is no such law. We can go to the High Court and get the film released without getting a NOC. Did they ask for a NOC from Bhagat Singh during The Legend of Bhagat Singh? Manmohan Singh as a PM was a public figure, so no one can take away my right to make a movie on his tenure.

Following a resurgent Congress’s recent wins in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, won’t it be difficult for you to ensure a smooth release in these states?
These are just assumptions because I don’t know what is going to happen. None of us knew that the Congress would win in these states. If there are problems, we will face them when the time comes.

But it will release in the election year. Doesn’t that make you apprehensive?
Patriotic films release around Independence Day or Republic Day, action films around Eid. Likewise, releasing a film on politics in the year of elections is a well-thought-out decision.

But since the story touches on several scams that took place under the reign of Congress, you’re playing with fire…
Everything happened in the public domain, whether it was 2G, 3G, or the coal scam. There was something wrong which is why the Congress lost the last election by the biggest ever margin. It’s all there in the film but tackled sensitively. And at the end of the day, it is an entertaining film, not a documentary.

What next?
For the last year-and-a-half, I was only focussed on making an honest film. This is the first time a film like this has been made in India or even the world as it’s on people who are still active in politics and will soon go out to ask people for votes. So, I haven’t had the time to think about the next thing.