Producer-filmmaker Nikhil Advani spoke to D Kaushik about his next action thriller D-Day, after being awarded for an animation project
It seemed as though he was involved in a serious discussion over multiple rounds of chilled water and coke at the Park Hotel’s coffee shop. Nikhil Advani told us later that he and Shoojit Sircar were discussing how people often talk as if directing is easy as pie.
“They say ‘usko director bana dete hai’ and ‘wo director ban gaya’ like anyone can do it. It takes people like us over 19 years to direct. But some think it’s a glamour profession which anyone could enter,” laughed Advani.
It was the day of National Awards and the filmmakers were chilling in the afternoon. Advani won the award for his experimental animation film Delhi Safari.
“It was exciting to create a film of this level in India. And also fulfilling for a director to be able to explore a different genre and format. Delhi Safari for me is a process and idea that came to me and I couldn’t say no. I thought I would finish it in a year and a half. Once we began, it took six years. Compared to Hollywood films, it wasn’t a lot of time. Wall-E took nine years. Making animation is different from a feature film,” said the Advani, known for romantic flicks like Kal Ho Naa Ho, Salaam-e-Ishq and Patiala House.
He said that even after the success and national award for Delhi Safari, one could not say that Indian animation is successful. “In terms of business, Delhi Safari didn’t break records. But it created awareness. Indians are used to watching Hollywood animation and when something from India comes up they say ‘ye to wahi sab purana hai.’ So Delhi Safari in a way, broke the norm. It communicated to people that a film with good animation and an original story can be created here too. It was a simple tale of animals coming to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and ask why humans were encroaching on their territory. We needn’t always create animation based on the epics. And we added the element of fun. Credit goes to the producers, who put in passion, money and enthusiasm. We didn’t compromise on quality.”
He continued, “I hope the film opens doors of opportunities for creative talent, which is in aplenty in India. Many agencies and companies are doing great work. I hope the film conveys the message to studios to invest in such creative ventures. We are planning a sequel. There is already a serial.”
Advani loves exploring new subjects and has evolved with each film. “Kal Ho Naa Ho was a tide turner.”
His next project, releasing in July is called D-Day.
“It was the result of an exchange with my drive. He asked, ‘Jab wo log Osama Bin laden ko pakad kar maar sakte hai, to hum kyon baithe unhe saboot dete rehte hai. Hum kyon kuch nahi karteIJ’ (When those people could catch Osama Bin laden and kill him, why do we keep showing evidence instead of doing something). He was referring to the blast cases.”
D-Day is a, “realistic action thriller film shot in Ahmedabad. People who loved Rishi Kapoor as Rauf lala in the Agneepath remake might gawp at his avatar in D-Day. If Gangs of Wasseypur was realistic to some. This will be an entirely different experience,” said the filmmaker.
The director who studied chemistry, became a filmmaker because, “he didn’t want to be another of those guys who studied in America and ended up being a lecturer. My dad wasn’t supportive of the idea. But today he called up to ask when will the National Awards air on TV.”
For the next two years, his hands are full.
He has two other projects. After being a producer, writer and director, he prefers not to write. “It takes up too much time,” he wound up.