Writer-director Neeraj Pandey has not only carved his niche in the film industry but has also gone ahead to treat the audience with an intriguing book. By Team Viva
long before books were the only medium of finding new stories. We didn’t have films on our side. Even today, more than the films we watch, we often feel more connected with the character we read about on the printed pages.
Similar is the case with Neeraj Pandey, who is proud to have been a writer first before being a director. And now that he has made a mark in the film industry with critically-acclaimed films like A Wednesday, Special 26, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, andAiyaary, Neeraj has returned the Hindi version of his much-loved novel Ghalib Danger. It is the story of a cocky, young taxi driver trying to make it big in Mumbai. It revolves around his life events and how they take an upside-down turn when he saves an underworld don of Mumbai from being killed.
However, what does the title signifyij Why is it the perfect oneij Neeraj had an answer. “When I was writing the novel, I had every reason to feel that Ghalib Danger was the appropriate title for the book. My attempt was to make it a little unusual and bizarre because I am very particular about the titles. Whether its about films or novels, it should be captivating enough.”
Even though Neeraj has been a master of books both in English and in Hindi, he believes that writing a novel in the national language comes with more advantages and beauty, he said, “When I write my films, the script and the screenplay is always in Hindi, so getting the nuances and the details of this story in Hindi wasn’t a problem for me. It was great fun because there are so many things that you can do with a certain language. And when you write in Hindi you get the liberty to express it in a language that is close to the readers. It comes with much more impact and beauty.”
Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who is currently promoting his next films, love Sonia and Gali Guleiyan, was also present at the book launch along with the filmmaker. So Neeraj was asked if he ever produces a film based on his book, would he cast Manoj for either of the main characters, namely, Kamran Ali and Mirzaij To this, the proud writer replied in the affirmative. He said if he decided to make a film or a web series on Ghalib Danger, he would definitely want Manoj to be a part of it. “I am a greedy actor, I want to play both the characters, Kamran and Mirza (laughs),” Manoj responded with a snappy wisecrack. Both Neeraj and Manoj have worked together on six projects till now, from Special 26 in 2013 to Aiyaary and Missing in 2018.
Neeraj’s writing inspiration has been greatly derived from the legendary Mirza Ghalib, as he had been “an admirer of his poetry since the ninth standard,” said he. Manoj read the concluding lines of the book that quoted Mirza, “...Hui muddat ke Ghalib mar gaya par yaad aata hai/Woh har ek baat par yeh kehna ke yun hota to kya hota.”
Neeraj will soon be directing Chanakya, which will narrate the journey of the fourth century BC Indian scholar, advisor, economist and political strategist. The film will star Ajay Devgn, who will be working with Neeraj for the first time. Neeraj said, “I am sure the audience will love Ajay’s portrayal of the visionary genius.”
Photo: Pankaj Kumar