Director Rishav Kapoor: Jim Sarbh-Starrer 'Next Please' Is 'An Ambitious Story Of Love And Cynicism'

Director Rishav Kapoor's short film 'Next, Please' is a story of love and cynicism straddling both history and future.

The film, which stars actor Jim Sarbh, has quite an ambitious and innovative plot, as it explores modern dating in virtual reality, where a woman embarks on a quest for love and finds herself transported to a 1950s 'aunty bar'. 

An extremely topical film that deals with the complexities of modern relationships and virtual dating, as well as the problems that come with it, 'Next Please' is thematically something very different. 

The film has been written by Chaitanya Tamhane as well as produced by him. 

Talking about working with the 'Court' director, Rishav said that the duo has aimed to break new ground with their film. Elaborating on his collaboration with the acclaimed Marathi director, Rishav stated: "Bringing a Chaitanya Tamhane screenplay to life was an immensely exciting opportunity. It's an ambitious story of love and cynicism that straddles both historical and futuristic worlds. We've really endeavoured to break new ground with this."

The film's soundtrack features a hidden gem – an unreleased song by the legendary music director Madan Mohan, which is titled 'Kadamon Mein Tere Aaye Sanam', which is also beautifully sung by the legendary Mohammad Rafi". 

Originally composed for a film produced by Rishav Kapoor's great-grandfather Trilok Kapoor, the tapes of this iconic composition lay dormant for years as they were never used due to unknown reasons. 

Madan Mohan's son, Sanjeev Kohli, took on the painstaking task of restoration, and was successfully able to restore it to its original state in terms of sound design, the track is easily able to transport audiences to the enchanting world of the 1950s, thus perfectly complementing the film's narrative. Notably, this release marks the first original Madan Mohan composition since 'Veer-Zaara' in 2004. 

Starring Jim Sarbh, Shreya Dhanwanthary, and Shardul Bhardwaj, 'Next, Please' is Chaitanya Tamhane's first-ever live-action project as a writer-producer, and will make its premiere at MAMI2023 in the 'Large Short Films' on November 2.