Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.

Humour has it

Image
Neha Bhatt New Delh
Last Updated : Jan 29 2013 | 2:16 AM IST

Welcome to Sajjanpur, says veteran director Shyam Benegal. After having given us exceptional cinema in films like Ankur, Nishant, Junoon and many more, he springs upon us a romantic comedy — a satire, rather — starring Shreyas Talpade and Amrita Rao.

What excites you most about this project?
The fact that’s it’s a romantic comedy and a satire. It’s actually based on a storyline that I had worked on several years ago. I asked Ashok Mishra to work on the screenplay because we have worked together many times, also in Samar, which won a national award. Welcome to Sajjanpur was just waiting to be made.

It marks a shift from films based on social issues to pure comedy. Did it take a great change in mindset to make?
Even Charandas Chor and Mandi had a touch of humour in their own way, even if in a dark sense. All my films, in fact, have a bit of humour. And in Welcome to Sajjanpur there are underlying social issues, but this time around they are dealt with in a funny way. It’s not slapstick, though.

Why did you pick Shreyas Talpade and Amrita Rao?
They are both excellent actors and they suited the roles completely. There are mainly three requirements that need to be met, in an actor. The first is an image that you already have in your mind, and a certain person fits right into it. The second is capability, and the third is ability. We have a variety of actors in this film, like Ravi Kissen and Ila Arun. It also has songs.

Why did you shoot the film at Ramoji Studios in Hyderabad?
We were to shoot it in the natural environment of Bundelkhand in Madhya Pradesh. But due to logistical reasons, we had to shift it to Hyderabad. It was a matter of convenience and it was also less expensive. I recreated the village of Sajjanpur in Ramoji Studios and built a whole village structure there. Also, it was helpful that we could check what we had shot immediately, as we were in a studio. In Bundelkhand, that would not have been possible.

You are also working on a musical based on Carmen, titled Chamki?
Yes, we are putting everything together for it, but I’m still waiting to find the right cast for it.

Will you make the serious, underplayed cinema you have been known for again?
I would not make it the same way, because I was in a different age at that time. My level of maturity and understanding has changed.

The actors that you directed at that time include Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil... Do you think you can find comparable talent in actors today?
I hope so. They were quite exceptional.

Also Read

First Published: Sep 14 2008 | 12:00 AM IST

Next Story