His latest film "Afwaah" is set in Rajasthan, but its story is a cautionary tale about how rumours can create havoc in the lives of people, says director Sudhir Mishra.
Through "Afwaah", the filmmaker said he wants the audiences to go on a journey along with two individuals -- played by Bhumi Pednekar and Nawazuddin Siddiqui -- who are on the run because of a dangerous rumour.
"I don’t think there is one thing that I am trying to convey through ‘Afwaah’... Rumours are dangerous, sometimes more dangerous than what is real and it can create havoc in the lives of people. So, this world of alternative facts that we are living in, is going to lead us to bad consequences.
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"I am not a soothsayer, godman, philosopher or politician. I am a filmmaker, I am telling you a story. I don’t want you to feel passive or defeated, I want you to feel energised. That is what cinema does and that is all cinema can do," Mishra, known for "Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin" and "Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi", told PTI in an interview here.
The story of 'Afwaah', about two people whose lives change drastically due to a rumour, could be set anywhere and have the same impact, he added.
"This world could be anywhere (but) we have shot it in Rajasthan. Like, what is happening today, so it is all around. I thought it is an interesting basis to make a film where nothing has happened but something is concocted. Out of that concoction, something terrible happens and two people are in danger.
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"So, it became a basis for a thriller and it is a fast-paced kind of a film, which takes place within six or seven hours, in which we take people through a journey. It is an experience that you will hopefully take home with you and understand these two people," he said.
On a question about making political films, Mishra said everything is sociopolitical but what he is interested in is exploring the stories of human beings caught in "dilemma".
"Everything takes place in a society, everything has some political edge. Even those that claim that they don’t make political films are on the wrong side of politics. Everybody has a political view, either this side or that side.
"If you have a regressive view on women, and if your film reflects that, then you have a political view... You have to make a film about human beings caught in a dilemma and what they are going through. And, that is what you remember in a film," the National Award winner added.
It is the second time Mishra collaborated with Siddiqui after the Netflix film "Serious Men" and the director said choosing the actor for "Afwaah" was an automatic choice.
"I had worked with Nawaz on ‘Serious Men’ and I wanted to work with him again. When I thought of this role, I asked him and he said yes.
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"Usually, people don’t cast Nawaz in these kinds of roles. He is a new Indian, a man from a small town, who made good in the West and has come back," he said, adding Pednekar's casting was a happy accident.
Asked about theatrical releases facing challenges in the era of streamers, Mishra said he hopes "Afwaah" will be a game changer.
"I have not seen that many films so I can’t pass any judgment. But movie going habits got disturbed in the pandemic. The money that people have, the cinema rate (ticket pricing)... so many things have contributed to this. I think the industry needs to sit down unitedly and work at it."
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There was a time, the filmmaker said, when movies as diametrically opposite as "Sholay" and "Chupke Chupke" had both screens and audiences.
"In the West, a big star like Cate Blanchett does not take the kind of money from a Woody Allen film that she would from a big film. So, we have to figure out a lot of things. The industry needs to have a conversation and not be individualistic," he said.
"Afwaah", produced by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series and Anubhav Sinha's Benaras Mediaworks, also features Sumeet Vyas, Sharib Hashmi and Sumit Kaul in key roles. The film is scheduled to be released on Friday.
