If Hansal Mehta ever makes a film on food it will be his most “expensive and pretty”, but for the moment the director of “Shahid”, “Aligarh” and the recent web series “Scam 1992” says he wants to chronicle the times for future generations through his stories.
The director seems to have overcome the debacle of his last two releases, Kangana Ranaut-starrer “Simran” in 2017 and “Omerta”, the 2018 crime drama on terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and is enjoying the opportunities thrown up by OTT platforms .
While “Scam 1992” chronicles the rise and fall of stockbroker Harshad Mehta and is getting rave reviews on Sony Liv, “Chhalaang”, a small town comedy drama, is Mehta's ode to PT teachers and will be seen on Amazon Prime Video next week.
Asked whether this is his best creative phase as a director, Mehta said, “I can't say the best but I am enjoying this phase, trying new things, attempting something fresh, particularly with ‘Scam 92' and ‘Chhalaang'. It is something I have not attempted or made before. That was exciting.”
He has learnt to fight back and survive over the years, Mehta said. The 52-year-old also said he is determined to keep working “until the last day” of his life.
“There is no other option but to bounce back. Adversities come and go. I know no other way of living. I am a survivor and a fighter. That's what I do. I survive, I fight back and I just pick up the pieces and get on with my life. I have learnt never to accept defeat. It is a decision that I have made that I will keep working until the last day of my life," Mehta told PTI in a Zoom interview.
Most of Mehta's projects have drawn inspiration from real, contemporary people. This, he said, is a deliberate choice.
“I am trying to chronicle our times for future generations through these stories. Future generations who might not receive a very clear version of the times... Hopefully they will have some reference material through my films.” Mehta, who started his journey with television show “Khana Khazana”, considers his passion for food parallel to his love for stories and given a chance would love to do something around food.
“The right script has not offered itself to me. I would like to make a film on a chef. I would love to make a biography on Sanjeev Kapoor and Vikas Khanna but I think their journey is still playing out. I would love to do something around food. That will be, perhaps, my most expensive and pretty film if I ever make it.
“Until then food remains a passion and is parallel only to my passion for telling stories, maybe bigger than cinema also,” the director said.
Mehta said there are international movies based on food that he can adapt for India but he should get the right people to back the project.
The success of “Scam 92” has led to an outpouring of positive reviews from social media to critics.
“I'm just grateful. There is no other word for the kind of love the show is getting. I am humbled because I took a lot of risks, cast new people, new technicians, the script was very complex. You feel vindicated to see it succeed but beyond a point you can't take it too seriously,” he added. “Chhalaang”, written by director Luv Ranjan, will see Mehta reunite with his favourite actor, Rajkummar Rao, for the sixth time. Rao is cast opposite Nushrratt Bharuccha. The Haryana-set drama, also featuring Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Saurabh Shukla, Ila Arun, Satish Kaushik and Jatin Sharna, will start streaming on Amazon Prime Video from November 13.
“It's a tribute to our PT teachers and emphasises that physical instruction is as important as studies. People don't give it much importance because it is not compulsory and you don't get any marks for it. Somewhere we are talking about that and also the importance of sports teachers in the education and growth of children,” Mehta said about the film.
Ranjan, who has made films such as the “Pyaar Ka Punchnama” series, “Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety” and “Aakash Vaani”, had already cast Rao and Bharuccha for the role when he narrated the idea to Mehta who was looking at doing something in comedy.
“I call it a new kind of Luv Ranjan film, which has been directed by me. The film has great nuances and sparkling writing.”
Rao, who hails from Haryana, helped Mehta understand the world better. According to Mehta, having the actor around is like “having your own child support you”. “ ‘Omerta' had taken a toll on both of us actually. It was a very taxing film mentally. We had to do something more mainstream, more entertaining. Our filmography is still evolving but the important thing is that we never stop trying new things.” he said.
Zeeshan played Rao's elder brother in “Shahid”, a film on the life of human rights lawyer Shahid Azmi, but he is pitted against Rao's PT teacher in “Chhalaang”.
“Zeeshan is a very special actor and person. They are apparently at loggerheads in this film but even in that confrontation, they both have a lot of chemistry,” he said. Baljinder Kaur is another actor from “Shahid”, who is returning for the film as Rao's mother.
