Showing posts with label Parveez Sheikh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parveez Sheikh. Show all posts
Janhvi Kapoor came after us, and there was no getting away from her-Sudhanshu Saria
8:09 AM
Revealing that Janhvi chased makers to bag Ulajh, director Saria says he chooses women-led stories to strike a balance in gender politics
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 25, 2024)
Some directors are a ball of nerves days before a film’s release. In contrast, Sudhanshu Saria enjoys this window, as his Ulajh is little over a week away from its release. “Right now, I feel the same joy that I felt when I first read the draft that Parveez Sheikh wrote. Ulajh belongs to a genre I have not worked in before. The setting of Indian Foreign Services [IFS] was so compelling. Bravery and patriotism come in all shapes and sizes; that was the idea of the story,” he smiles.
Ulajh revolves around a young IFS officer who becomes a pawn in a high-stakes conspiracy. While the spy thriller includes a fine cast of Gulshan Devaiah, Roshan Mathew, Adil Hussain and Rajesh Tailang, it puts Janhvi Kapoor front and centre. The National Award-winning director underlines that he consciously tells stories with women protagonists—be it his series Big Girls Don't Cry, or his upcoming film Sanaa.
“I like the idea of a balanced world when it comes to gender politics. In Ulajh too, this is her story, and yet little is affected by her gender. She is a hero who happens to be a woman. Parveez made the original choice, and I took it forward. The traditional notion is that action is about muscles, so, it is a male category. But spy films are about smarts. Movies like these expand the idea that there cannot be a gender lens in genres. All genres can belong to all actors.”
For Saria, the film’s highlight is Kapoor, who matched his passion every step of the way. “Janhvi got wind of this script existing. She came after us, and there was no getting away from her. I was excited that I found a passionate partner. When I met her, I loved that she was willing to be a part of my process; nothing scared her. We did extensive workshops to make sure the part and the film fit her like a glove.”
In a much-needed change, Ulajh also features names of all writers prominently on the poster. Saria credits the studio for taking that rare call.
“It’s wonderful to see Junglee Studios pamper their creative talent. We collectively felt the important thing in Ulajh is its story. I laud the studio for doing its bit in correcting the fact that historically writers’ work is undervalued.”
National Award-winning director Sudhanshu Saria to direct espionage thriller Ulajh
12:15 PM
BOMBAY TIMES (December 16, 2021)
After enjoying the box-office success with one of the biggest family comedy-dramas, Badhaai Ho, Junglee Pictures Limited, also known for producing high-concept and entertaining films like Raazi, Bareilly Ki Barfi and Talvar, is all set with its next titled Ulajh — a stylised espionage drama with high scale production.
To be fronted by an A-list actress, the film is a high-octane, female-led spy thriller and is expected to be an edge-of-the-seat, visual delight with twists and turns. The studio has joined hands with director Sudhanshu Saria who won a National Award for his film Knock Knock Knock (2019). Sudhanshu has previously directed the critically-acclaimed film Loev, and is currently working on two series, including the third season of Delhi Crime, which will stream on leading OTT platforms.
Ulajh, penned by veteran writer Parveez Sheikh of Queen and Bajrangi Bhaijaan fame, is a script that has generated a lot of excitement and anticipation within the industry. The film will be one of the few female-led espionage thrillers to be shot extensively in scenic international locations and will go on floors in 2022. The movie follows a female protagonist from a prominent family of patriots, who gets embroiled in a dangerous personal conspiracy while she is far from home turf on her first international posting.
Sudhanshu shares, “In a time of perfection and superheroes, it’s wonderful to have a script that dares to look at the themes of failure and redemption in a relevant and gripping way. Parveez has written an edge-of-the-seat thriller with a phenomenal female protagonist, and I can’t wait to bring it to life for audiences worldwide.”
A spokesperson from Junglee Pictures adds, “Ulajh is a high-concept script with a strong female protagonist, which promises to keep you gripped till the end. Action, drama and Sudhanshu’s flair for showcasing unique concepts is the perfect mix for this thinking thriller, and we are extremely excited to bring this stylised drama to the audiences.”
Junglee Pictures is set to enter 2022 with an exciting slate of films from various genres, including Badhaai Do, Doctor G, Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan, Dosa King and Ulajh, to name a few.
Blackmail is not Delhi Belly. It’s a tad darker perhaps because of the subject-Abhinay Deo
7:53 AM
Filmmaker has plenty on his plate, from a quirky comedy to a man-kid drama, a buddy flick, an action comedy and a bang-bang franchise
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 6, 2018)
What was the most amusing reaction to your 2011 black comedy Delhi Belly?
“Boss, after watching your film I can’t drink orange juice anymore!” (Laughs) When I was at Harvard University, some NRI students were excited to have a new words for laundry… ‘lundry’. But for me personally the biggest high was watching my then 85-year-old dad (actor Ramesh Deo) and my son who was 12 laugh together over the same film. Of course, my dad had been skeptical initially, wondering if I really wanted to show this film to my son while my son had asked, “You really want to show this to grandpa?”
Your father, Ramesh Deo, is in his nineties now and still active…
Yes till last year he was actively doing films and commercials. He’s younger than my brother and me put together and I feel so blessed to have parents like mine who are not just inspiring public figures but inculcated in us the right values. I wasn’t launched by my father, that was never an option. I had been told early on that I would have to work really hard for every opportunity and I’m happy for it.
It’s seven years since your first directorial, why haven’t you cashed in on its success with a sequel?
I was pretty gung-ho about a sequel and had even left the film open at the end. But the writer, Akshat Varma, couldn’t come up with an idea that would merit a Part 2. I’ve always wanted to direct another quirky comedy since but not rightaway. Blackmail was the 48th script I read. Actually I read both Force 2 and this one sent by my friend Parveez Sheikh almost simultaneously and knew instantly that I had to make this film. Even Irrfan (Khan) saw the potential in it and said yes immediately. It’s crazy, quirky stuff, with an instant connect with the new-age audience, yet Blackmail is not Delhi Belly. It’s a tad darker perhaps because of the subject.
Have you ever been blackmailed?
Never, emotionally or financially! But as a storyteller and a director, I like to play with emotions, reverse them for creativity and originality. There was this crazy Brit black comedy, Death At A Funeral which really tickled my funny bone even though it revolved around something as morbid as a funeral and a corpse.
While Force 2 was in the making John Abraham had revealed that you already had an idea for Part 3.
Yes, we do have a couple of stories in mind, but after that I got busy with Blackmail and John with Parmanu and now (producer) Vipul Shah, the third part of the Force franchise, will be tied up with his directorial, Namstey England, so Part 3 will have to wait its turn.
And what about another season of the TV series, 24?
We do have an idea for season 3, but today with the digital players in the market, TV is a different ball game altogether and I’m not sure if 24 on GEC (General Entertainment Channel) today would be wise for a channel but there are a lot of people involved, including Fox, and it’s their call.
So what’s the next big thing?
My life is all about movies so some scripts are written, some are being written… I’m working on a crazy action-comedy and there’s also a heartwarming drama revolving around a man and a kid. Then there’s a buddy flick that will make you laugh and cry and a totally Indian, lavishly mounted period-drama. Our weakest area has always been our script. It’s time to stop aping the West, give the world a story that is homegrown and engaging.
Interesting to see a guy who likes quirky comedies as much as action.
Yes, action and humour are not usually on the same platform but since I was a kid I’ve been a huge fan of Jackie Chan and John Woo and an avid gamer who’s played all the action games. And the sense of humour is intrinsic, I’m always cracking jokes on everything around and there was this persistent itch to do an out-and-out action film and Force 2 was born out of the desire. And I can promise you the third instalment of the franchise will be way bigger, the writing already is. I’m not afraid to take risks, rather I thrive on them.
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