Director Rajkumar Gupta talks to Divya Kaushik about his hunt for gripping stories that can stand out for their content and his forthcoming comic thriller Ghanchakkar
He sounded excited like a young boy, who just finished watching his favourite thriller. Only, he’s that young guy who has created the thriller. Creativity is the only field where even adults shriek at their accomplishments like young ones.
We spoke to director Rajkumar Gupta, while he was wrapping up his forthcoming comic thriller, Ghanchakkar. The director’s first thriller Aamir, was a surprise hit at the box office and his second, No One Killed Jessica, drew attention for the story, that it was based on, and also for its strong script. It is his subjects and the way his films hold the audience’s attention, that made Rajkumar Gupta a favourite among movie buffs.
The director said that more than the genre, it is the story that interests him.
“Only if the story is inspiring and interesting to me, I would turn it into a screenplay. It was the strong story of Aamir that impressed the audience and likewise in No One Killed Jessica it was the mass appeal of the story that inspired me to convert it into a film. The inspiration angle of the story inspired me, the case brought so many people together. I aimed at making a docu-drama, I added that required thrill and drama to the story. After doing films on serious subjects, like terrorism and crime, I wanted to do something that’s different and light-hearted. The idea of Ghanchakkar was conceived even before No One Killed Jessica. When writer Parvesh Sheikh came to me with the story I really liked it and thought we could turn it into an interesting screenplay and then a film. But the moment I read the story I knew that it can only be a comic thriller,” said the director, about his forthcoming film and added, “Today there are different kinds of comedies in Bollywood, but mine is not slapstick or very straight form of comedy. It has that quirky element and that makes it different from the rest.”
The film, produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur, has Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan in the lead roles. Both the actors, over the period of time, have proved their versatility and that’s what Rajkumar was looking for.
“It was challenging for both of them to transform themselves completely to do something different. Vidya is cast as a Punjabi housewife with a bizarre sense of fashion. She is loud and funny, while her husband, played by Emraan, is well sorted out and sensible. Vidya had to put on a few extra kilos to look like a healthy Punjabi woman. And I am impressed with her work. Emraan has a screen persona and a mystery element. Both of them were perfect for their roles. They very well understand that it is not a usual comedy, it is a comic thriller and they are required to maintain a sense of mystery throughout in the film,” added Gupta.
The director says that he doesn’t want to limit himself to any particular kind of stories.
“When I look at a story, I only try to find out how it’s different. It can have an emotional or comic element or can even be a thriller. Exploring stories of different kinds is what inspires me as a director,” he added. Gupta concluded by saying that he has some ideas in his mind right now, but he wants to focus on Ghanchakkar. The film is set for June release.