Actor Manav Kaul tells Chahak Mittal that Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai? represents the common man and how he is shackled by the injustice that corrupt systems impose on his daily life

Anger — it could be for someone whom you hate or even love, or for someone who doesn’t hold great importance in your life but has caused you inconvenience. The emotion is a mere result of something that affects your personal life, wreaking havoc, leading you to helplessness.

Manav Kaul’s forthcoming film, Albert Pinto ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai?, a remake of the 1980’s eponymous film, is a take on anger and helplessness of the common man. When Albert leaves his house one morning without telling anyone his whereabouts, his girlfriend Stella files a complaint with the police and when he doesn’t return after days, she begins to worry. Albert is traversing a road journey from Mumbai to Goa. His anger stems from his certain life experiences. It is this anger that is taking him on a journey to settle a score and enable him to lead a life of dignity and hope.

Manav explains, “Albert is fighting corruption, inequality and injustice in the society. The core emotion of the film is helplessness. The film represents the common or the middle class man, who is bound by the injustice that the corrupt systems do to his everyday routine and life. You keep looking at things around you, feel the anger and want to do something but what can you do?” He says that the film is about the journey of Albert and how he tries hard to bring about a change in the society.

And due to the changing scenario of the Indian cinema, he says this is an absolutely right time for the film to be released as it effectively mirrors the small things in today’s society. “It is very refreshing to see something which actually deals with anger, social issues and with the idea of how angry the middle class is. It’s about how angry the Indians are, and how rage is not the solution to the prevailing dynamic. It brings negativity. Even personally, I am  not so fond of this emotion. I don’t think anger is the answer to anything but the idea is it’s the core sentiment of this country. It’s a very interesting time to release the film because it’s an experiment different than entertainment,” explains the Tumhari Sulu actor.

It was after Soumitra Ranade, whom Manav has worked with earlier for the 2003 film, Jajantaram Mamantaram, read the script to him one day and he found it so “fascinating and engaging” that he couldn’t wait to work on it. “I messaged him the same night to tell him that this was the most amazing thing I have ever read. And later, everyone — Nandita Das and Saurabh Shukla — came together for this and we embarked upon the project,” he narrates.

He feels that when one understands the writer and his/her background so well, it becomes easier to understand the kind of emotions and humour they want you to bring into your character. “I had known him for more than a decade and I very well knew where his thoughts, anger or his humour came from. So it was easy to decode the script. We went through small workshops to know more what Soumitra wants,” says Manav.

The 1980 film starred legendary Naseeruddin Shah in the role of Albert Pinto, whose anger is against the rich and capitalists in Mumbai. Talking about the difference the two films holds even though they share the same title and character, the Ghoul actor explains that the film is just a conceptual remake and not like those which were made in the 80s and 90s. “The country has changed, times have evolved to a great extent. That time was different. Today, it’s about unemployment and corruption. The spirit of the previous film is still alive, the names might be the same, however the story, circumstances and even the script are completely different,” says Manav.

He continues to add that Ranade’s film is absolutely a fresh one with new ideas and content. He says, “Even though Albert Pinto remains constant in the film, the 1980 one was their interpretation and representation. You play a character not in the way it was played earlier by someone else. Currently, it’s my idea, my interpretation. I don’t even remember the old one. I had seen it a long time ago.”

The actor tells us that it is however, an honour for him to play a role that was once played by Naseeruddin Shah as he has been an “admirer” of him since many years. He says, “It’s been around 15 to 20 years in Mumbai and I don’t miss any of his theatre plays. It’s a treat to watch him on stage and even on screen. I am absolutely head over heels in love with him. He’s one of the most fantastic human beings, and it’s these small gestures of him like speaking with his mind that I adore him. This role will be my tribute to him.”

The actor feels that different roles do shape or influence a person as it is like “living someone else’s life.” Putting yourself into someone else’s shoes makes you view the world or perceive things like them. Well this role, says Manav, turned out to be therapeutic for him. “There are a number of things that influence you in your life. And it could be anything — a particular character in a book, your travel, or some film. With Albert’s character, all my anger has gone,” he laughs.

On the work front, Manav’s forthcoming film, Music Teacher is slated to release on April 19 on Netflix.

(The film releases on April 12.)