From being an assistant director for Namastey london to making his acting debut as a lead in Ragini MMS 2, Bollywood’s newbie Saahil Prem adds another feather to his hat with his directorial debut Mad About Dance (MAD). The film is an out-an-out international dance film loosely based on his life experiences.
“Mad About Dance is based on my personal experience and other real life stories of my friends who were studying with me at the Sheffield Hallam University. I was a part of the underground street dance group. It’s a free style dance platform where the winners are decided by the crowd. The story of my film revolves around an Indian boy who was sent abroad for higher education. In order to pursue his passion for dancing, he ends up lying to his parents and joins the underground street dance group. The story also showcases the lives of other Indian students who undertake many jobs to earn extra money,” Saahil Prem tells you.
Though this film was written much before Any Body Can Dance (ABCD), it took a lot of time to go on the floor. “MAD is my dream project and I had to struggle a lot before I could give it a concrete shape. I wrote this script four years ago. But being a new name in the industry, having no filmy background and making a film in a different genre, made it very difficult for me to convince producers and actors to be a part of it. They completely wrote-off the script,” Prem recalls.
Taking a road less travelled by, the 20-something actor decided to be the captain of the ship and make this film on his own. “I wanted to make this film on my own and prove it to those who felt I was not capable. Since no one was ready to join the starcast, I decided to do it myself. Amrit Maghera showed interest in this film and I immediately signed her. For me, MAD is an honest attempt which not only talks about dance but about various other facets of life as well,” he says.
How did he manage to get French award-winning dancer Salah Benlemqawanssa on boardIJ “Salah is a good friend and I requested him to join us in the film. He had prior commitments so he refused but after a couple of years he agreed to come on board. He is a great dancer and a value adds to the film,” he says.
Though films based on dance is still considered as niche in India, with MAD , Prem wants to change that perspective in the industry. Bollywood biggies like Farah Khan have also appreciated his effort.
“The dance I see in this film is something we have never seen on Indian screen before. What’s commendable is that Saahil has kept the dance form true to what it is. The film has not Bollywood-ised any of the dances.
“It’s an amazing thing that our country is starting to accept all cultural dances, all forms of dancing and not just Bollywood dance,” Khan told at a Press conference to launch the trailer of this film.
Prem is not expecting the film to barge into the Rs 100 crore club in the first few weeks itself. “I want the movie to strike a chord with the audience. It is a human interest story explored in a different set up,” he ends.