Anurag Kashyap (producer) and Rajiv Khandelwal (actor) in an interview with CNBC-TV18 spoke about their latest movie 'Shaitan' which released on June 10. 'Shaitan' is the story of a group of disaffected, reckless, feckless young people and how their lives unravel.
Citing about the response and the reviews for 'Shaitan' Kashyap said, "There is a good buzz, everybody is liking it. There are people who are liking the film, there is a good review and also one bad review. There are also some people who feel that it is little too much immorality. But, the thing is the purpose of the film is somewhere served.
Elaborating about his role in the movie Khandelwal said, "I always wanted to be part of good films. I approach a film because I want to be a part of the film which has a potential of having a shelf life. So, for me I always play characters. I have always said don't know how to play hero. I just know the how to play character, I played a character in 'Aamir'."
Below is the verbatim transcript of interview with Anuradha Sengupta of CNBC-TV18. Also watch the accompanying video.
Q: Happened to see the film. We are of course talking on Friday, which is when it released, what are you hearing?
Kashyap: There is a good buzz, everybody is liking it. There are people who are liking the film, there is a good review and also one bad review. There are also some people who feel that it is little too much immorality. But, the thing is the purpose of the film is somewhere served.
Q: You are the good guy in the film I hope that is not a spoiler, but you are not one of the Shaitans. How do you play a role like this and more critically why did pick a role like this?
Khandelwal: I always wanted to be part of good films.😃 I approach a film because I want to be a part of the film which has a potential of having a shelf life. So, for me I always play characters. I have always said don't know how to play hero.🤣 😆😆😆 I just know the how to play character, I played a character in 'Aamir'.
When Bejoy came to me with this script for the first time I had declined. When he came back to me after about a year, year and a half, I was quite impressed by his focus, sincerity. But, he still didn't have a producer on board.
Finally, when he came to me with the final draft, I just asked him who is the producer, he didn't have a producer then also. I always knew that the film like this needs a producer who is also a film-maker. Somebody who believes in the film, forget about the budgets and whatever.
But, somebody has to do this film with his heart. When Anurag called me up for me it was sealed there, because I knew that at least all said and done, the film will be made with the right intent which is what actually happened.
Q: I believe you have said in some interview that the good think for you is that the Hindi film industry still doesn't get it and that is why films like this go begging for the longest time. What is it that you saw? Was it Bejoy Nambiar's short films, or was it the script per se?
Kashyap: His short film, I knew before hand. And his short films were the reason why I was telling Kalki that you should work with this guy. At that time I was just a boyfriend managing his girlfriend's dates.
And then I knew the flim would happen. I knew Bijoy was resourceful and he would do it. But I had not read the script this very late. I read the script and I knew this film won't be made in this industry. For same reasons my films were not made at one point.
Today when go on twitter, the negative reactions of the film are extremely fluffy. The negative reactions that you get is, 'I want to see you make a happy film'. 'I want to see you make a film about happy people with a good message in the end'. They narrowed down the definition of cinema to that.
And I know, this is how the industry operates. I knew this film won't get made, because people just can't see beyond a certain thing. And a film like this, if the director crumbles under pressure, it will be neither here nor there. It will become a very wannabe film, which is trying to please everybody.
Q: You were the ideal producer. You are the producer you wanted.
Kashyap: Yes I was the producer I wanted and he just saw the potential in it and I saw the commercial potential in it as well. Because somewhere there is a connect, I know there is an audience.
I know there is an audience for this kind of cinema. This audience is not as big an audience as Salman Khan has or Shah Rukh Khan has, but there is an audience.
Q: I think you have decided that you are going to play character roles in movies and when I said character roles that are characters and not necessarily the hero in the conventional sense that we know it. Do you think there are more opportunities for this point of view today as an actor?
Khandelwal: I don't think in any way. I just follow my heart. I do things where I am comfortable to each his own. To me what suits me is playing a character where I know the back story, the present story and why a character is behaving in a certain manner.😳😳
Q: But legends of female fans of yours would be happy to just see you do a regular film,😉😉 forget the back story and the forward story.
Khandelwal: I don't work for them. 😲😲 😆😆😆
Q: They are the bonus. They are the happy bonus.
Khandelwal: They form a part of the audience. I cannot be making decisions keeping a certain set of audience in mind.😛😛
Kashyap: That is what I think plagues our industry. We, instead of giving them a new experience each time or we are just catering to them. It is like 'hum log har bar wahi cheez kar rahe hai, jo woh already kha rahe hai'. So, in this we don't grow. And for me it is personal growth that is important.
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