Hiten Paintal speaks to Shalini Saksena about his upcoming movie 30 Minutes and why it could be a game-changer
You must be disappointed that the movie’s release has been postponedIJ
No not at all. In fact, it is a great move. I am happy. At present people are more concerned with sensible spending in view of demonetisation. In such a scenario, one can’t really expect a family to spend Rs2,000 on tickets. As for waiting for the outcome of the film, I get more time to be more prepared for the release on December 9, 2016.
What is the movie aboutIJ
It is psychological thriller. It is about a boy who is tortured by his father. This boy is taught do things on time. He is given 30 minutes to complete a task if he doesn’t he is beaten, etc to be taught a lesson. When this boy grows up he has shades of grey and is on the brink of sanity-insanity. Sometimes he does things that are bad, due to the torment he through, but overall he is a good person.
It is good that Bollywood is experimenting with scripts.
Yes, it is good to know that the industry is coming up with stories that are interesting. The fact that there is an audience for such films is also great. This experimentation is fantastic.
Do you feel the pressure because you are Paintal’s sonIJ
There is some sort of pressure. This is because the audience expects certain things because your parent was a great actor. Some star children fall short of expectations, others do better than their parent. But I am my own actor and one has to understand that I can’t be him. The good part is that my father doesn’t put any pressure on me. He tells me that I should do my thing. But a lot has changed since the time when my father was doing movies. Comedy was loud then, there was a lot more melodrama then. Today, actors have matured because the audience has matured.
Do people ask you imitate your fatherIJ
Not all the time. But people ask me to replicate a scene from a particular movie like Satte Pe Satta. They take inspiration from him and hence ask me to do it. They see a younger version of my father in me and it is natural that I do certain things that my father did.
Does it bother you that they expect you to be like your fatherIJ
No, at all. All the films that I have done before 30 Minutes have been comedies. So it is natural that the director would want me to replicate a few things that my father did since a lot of his mannerisms of his has crept in me. Comedy is in our blood, it is a family thing. But like I said I am my own actor. While it is okay to imitate my father once in a while, I won’t go all out to be him in a movie.
How did TV happenIJ
When my first film was released, Tere liye, I got a lot of offers but none were satisfying enough. So I took it a little easy and then I started getting some good offers from TV. But even before my first film was released my first project was Yeh Hai Mere Apne for Zee TV. So I did a lot of shows since it was a good medium. But then in 2007, I started feeling a load and it was boring me and didn’t do TV.
What role would you say yes to without reading the entire scriptIJ
It is the role that I have done in 30 Minutes. The minute director Yesudas BC became with the script, I loved it. The character is good and bad at the same time. There is so much happening with the role and I immediately said yes.
Is this movie going to be a game-changerIJ
I am hoping that it does. I have heard it a million times that since I am Paintal’s son I should be given only comedy. But one should be given a chance to do something different as well. Some of the best comedians have been serious people in real life. I want to change people’s perception that I can do only comedy, hoping 30 Minutes will help do that.
What else is keeping you busyIJ
For now, I have nothing in hand. But this has been a conscious decision. We have really worked hard on this movie. I am not looking at BO numbers but hope people appreciate it.