Director-producer Anil Sharma speaks with SHAlINI SAKSENA about his latest film Genius and launching his son in it
What is Genius all aboutij
It is the love story of a genius who is hired by R&AW to accomplish a mission. Utkarsh Sharma (his son), who is the lead, plays a character who grows from a 17-year-old to a 23-year-old with roots in Vrindavan. The small town boy in the film has complete knowledge of the Vedas and Mathematics and uses it in his missions.
You are back after a five-year gap. What kept you busyij
I was spending time with family and identifying the right script for my son. Then we spent time looking for the starcast. We did a lot of recce and decided on the music and other details. I am so happy to see that whatever we conceptualised has turned out to be great.
How did you come up with the story ideaij
My son has been the inspiration to the character. Utkarsh has always been inspired by Hollywood trends and keeps me updated with what are the audience preferences worldwide. Since he has assisted me since childhood, he has good knowledge and inspired me to come up with a story.
Why did you choose your son as leadij
When I heard the story I knew he was the best fit for it. He has always been inspired by superheros and Hollywood films. We had been discussing his launch for a long time. The story suits Utkarsh and he has lived up to the role. We hope the audiences like his performance and the overall story.
How easy/difficult is it to cast your child in the lead and not appear to be favouring themij
He is a hard working man and that helps me do my job in a more detailed manner. He has assisted me for films like Apne and he also played a child artist in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. Shooting with him makes me work to my potential.
Most of your films have had patriotic tones. Whyij
I love my country and I express it through my films. My films speak about true emotions and all these emotions lie within me. My latest movie also revolves around a mission.
What made Gadar: Ek Prem Katha such a successij
It was a success because of a lot of things. A strong storyline with great actors like Sunny Deol and Amesha Patel. While the songs did their own magic, the core reason was that it was made with honest emotions. My true love for the country was shown in the film. I am glad the way it shaped up. In fact, not many know that Utkarsh played the role of Sunny’s son in the film.
Why is it not possible to replicate successij
Every movie has its own success level and replicating one or going over one is not one should aim at while making a film. A film should be close to your heart and you should be proud of it even years after making it.
Do you think that people still want to see period filmsij
The beauty of Indian cinema is that it has a place for everything and audiences for it too.
What is more important for you — the script, cast or something elseij
They all go hand in hand. A script without the right starcast does no justice to it. On the other hand, a good starcast with a not so good script will not be right for the film. For a film to be a good entertainer there is a need for a mix — good script with a good starcast and lively music because eventually everyone looks at the package.