Raj Kumar Gupta on what makes the Black Tiger fascinating, his journey with India’s Osama and why he is against taking creative liberties with translating real-life stories for the big screen
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 10, 2019)

Raj Kumar Gupta is at his office, waiting. And the first thing he says is, “I hope you have some interesting questions that I would enjoy answering.” And that sets the ball rolling. Excerpts:

For over a decade since Aamir in 2008 to the soon-to-release India’s Most Wanted, all your films have been thrillers. What’s with the fascination with this genre?
It’s something that comes naturally to me and is not genre-specific. Yes, Aamir, No One Killed Jessica, Ghanchakkar, Raid and now, India’s Most Wanted are high on thrills, and drama and humour too. Every film has different moments and I approach them in a way that all the elements come together in a thrilling manner.

When did you decide on making a film based on this lesser-known mission of the Intelligence Bureau which led to the capture of India’s most wanted terrorist?
I started researching the subject in 2013 and thought this story deserved to be told to a wider audience. I took another year to finish the script and then, I got busy with Raid. But right after that, around four years after being involved with the subject, everything fell into place. What kept me going was how unbelievable the story is, the information is not readily available, but I wouldn’t let it go. Imagine five unlikely people on a mission to capture India’s most-wanted terrorist without a single gun? If this doesn’t sound cinematic, I don’t know what would!

Arjun hasn’t played such a character, what made you opt for him?
I think it’s great to have unlikely actors playing roles of unlikely officers on a mission. Arjun and I have been talking about doing something together for a while, and after seeing the trailer of Raid, he called to congratulate. We got talking and he asked, “What are you doing next.” I told him I was working on something and was sending it across. “Just read the script and tell me what you think of it,” I told him.

Then?
The conversation took place at 1 pm, and at 5 pm, he called asking me to let him be a part of the film. What he brought on the table was a passion for the script and a love for the subject.

Tell me honestly, after working with Ajay Devgn in Raid, didn’t you think of casting him?
That’s a difficult question because we had a great time shooting Raid and the film did really well at the box-office. But I knew that as an actor, Ajay had different commitments and as the director, I wanted to start this film immediately after Raid. So, we never even entered into a discussion. Hopefully, we will do something together soon.

Next up, a spy thriller, Black Tiger…
Yes, my partner and I have acquired the official rights to Ravindra Kaushik’s life from his family. He is famously known as the Black Tiger and I have been wanting to make this film for a while now. The family trusted me enough with the rights and I am currently scripting the film.

Will it be a period film set in the ’70s or are you planning to adapt it to modern times?
It would be ridiculous to make a film on someone’s life and change the time frame. That would be an insult to the person who has done so much for the country. I want to be as authentic as possible in my portrayal of that subject, as I have tried to be in all other films.

How did you come across Ravindra Kaushik’s story?
My wife (No One Killed Jessica actress Myra Karn) played a role in getting me to this script. It took three years to research and will take another year to finalise the script.

Buzz is, you have spoken to Hrithik Roshan to play the titular role.
I am not one of those directors who would approach an actor without a script. Having said that, I would love to work with Hrithik in the future, but I can take the casting call only after I have a script in place.

Any plans of working with your wife as an actor in your film?
She has worked with me on India’s Most Wanted as a producer and helped me in other aspects of filmmaking. As far as I know, she is more interested in being behind the camera than in front of it.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; December 10, 2018)

After a decade of filmmaking, writer-director Raj Kumar Gupta, who is known for making edgy and provocative thrillers inspired by true-life events — Raid (2018) and No One Killed Jessica (2011) — will venture into production with his upcoming film. An espionage thriller titled India’s Most Wanted (IMW), it will star Arjun Kapoor. In a chat with BT, Raj spoke about his foray into production and shared his excitement about the eventful year that lies ahead…

2018 has been a good year for you. Not only did Raid (right) turn out to be a success, but you also managed to finish the shoot of your next — IMW. That’s two back-to-back films.
I finished the shoot of Raid in December 2017 and then finished IMW in November 2018. So, I have been lucky that everything worked out. After Ghanchakkar (2013), it took me almost four years to make Raid. When you are making a film, so many things can go wrong, but I am glad that didn’t happen this time around. Also, I could finish two films within a year, because I was working on IMW’s script for three years. During the post production of Raid, Arjun Kapoor called up and I gave him the script of IMW, and he totally loved it. I am thankful to the audience for appreciating my films over the years. I am ending 2018 on a happy note. It’s been fulfilling.

On the personal front, you got married this year to actress Myra Karn (who starred in No One Killed Jessica [pictured left]) ...
It has been a great year for me, personally and professionally. Thanks to back-to-back shoots, we weren’t able to spend time together, so now is the time for that. I came out of Raid, got married and right away started the shoot of IMW, so we deserved this break. We are off to Europe for a month.

Most of your films are based on real-life incidents and are an ode to unsung heroes. Are you more drawn to stories like that?
A story can be real or fictional, it has to inspire me. It’s not that I only dig reallife incidents or certain genres. It has to affect me enough for me to tell the story and compelling enough to evoke a reaction. Mostly, I write my own films so I look at it that way.

Writer, director and now producer, how difficult is it to don multiple hats?
It makes you more responsible. Writing and directing are two different processes. When I am a writer, I don’t consciously think about how a story will translate on the screen. Once I am done with writing, as a director, I hope to take the execution to a whole new level. When you do both, you understand the subject better. I am co-producing IMW with Fox Star Studios. This is my first feature film as a producer. It was great. I have a very efficient production team. They handle everything, while I just concentrate on writing and direction.

It took you three years to make IMW. That’s a long time...
Yes, it’s the longest that I’ve worked on a film. It is very close to my heart. One of the prime reasons was its story, which deals with the capturing of India’s Most Wanted terrorist, without firing a single bullet. This is the crux of the story, but other than that, there are various other facets to it that also inspired me.

What are you working on next?
I am writing two scripts at the moment. One will be a social drama and the other a biopic, which I am super-excited about. I have acquired the rights to make a film on the greatest RAW agent — the late Ravindra Kaushik (right), who was known as the Black Tiger. This is one film I have wanted to make for a long time. I have been working on its script for the past eight months. The casting will happen once I finish writing the script.

Your films are high on content and also entertaining. How do you strike that balance?
Human emotions are the same and we connect on the same level. So, if a story touches me, chances of it affecting others are also high. I always try and look at a story from a third person’s point of view to ensure that it has a universal appeal. I try to maintain integrity as a creative person. You have to be true to the characters and stories you write.

You started off in 2008 with Aamir. It’s been a decade of filmmaking for you. What has been the journey like?
Unless someone reminds me that, it doesn’t feel like 10 years. Filmmaking is not an easy process. You live so many lives with each film, so you don’t really get the time to mull over the years that have passed by. You get so consumed. The biggest lesson that I have learnt over the years is persistence. You have to keep going against all odds — budgeting, time constraint, etc. You have to be constantly positive and you cannot lose heart.