After delivering the back-to-back hits Poshter Boyz (2014) and Poshter Girl (2016), Marathi director Sameer Patil was unsure about his next project. That is, until the engineer-turned-filmmaker met a policeman while travelling in a shared taxi from Mumbai to Pune.
“We think of policeman as serious individuals, of people with whom communication is difficult,” Patil said. “In our films, too, we either show them as ‘Singham’ or someone who is completely corrupt, not as human beings, which is what fascinated me about the story I heard. I could see the humanity in it and that lead to Shentimental.”
The movie inspired by the encounter will be released on July 28. It stars veteran Marathi actor Ashok Saraf as a policeman who travels to Bihar to investigate a case, and also features Raghubir Yadav and Upendra Limaye.
What is ‘Shentimental’ about?
The film is about a cop and a thief, but it also about so much more. No one is the hero or the villain in my film. I want to point out that people don’t behave properly with each other, there is a lot of unrest in society. And only if we respect each other will we be able to understand each other. That is the undercurrent of the film. The policeman is just a medium to tell a story with a humourous bent of mind, so that it doesn’t become preachy or jarring.
Why are you drawn to injecting humour into a message?
I don’t set out to give a message, I just want to tell a story. I look for the humour in all situations, which makes the story more affecting. It’s like if the medicine is sweet, it will go down much better, that’s why I prefer this kind of treatment.
You have a Hindi song in the soundtrack.
It’s the title song of the film and it is sung by Pavni Pande, who sang Laila Main Laila in Raees. It’s a cliche I don’t normally use, but it is an item song. All the policeman are going to Bihar and they enjoy this kind of dance performance. But it has a place in the screenplay. It hasn’t been used just for the sake of it. I am very proud that we have done a number that can be compared to Bollywood.
Bihar is treated like a character in your film.
I didn’t do it because it’s a new thing to try. In the story I heard from the policeman, the characters go to Bihar for an investigation. But I did see a lot of potential in the situation and took my creative liberty while reconstructing the story. Placing the characters in a foreign situation was one angle to that take.
You have cast the legendary comic actor Ashok Saraf in your film. What was working with him like?
We have grown up with him as an actor and have been following him since the past four decades, since he made his debut in 1967. He has completed close to 300 films, so you know what he can do, what is his strength. In my film, you need a funny bone, but you also need to perform a few scenes in a sincere manner, because my approach to comedy is very serious, I don’t like to make things farcical. And he was particularly suited for that, since he can do both.
I had him in mind while writing the script, but when I went to him, he was initially sceptical. He said, “Everyone always says that,” and pointed to a stack of scripts next to him and said, “These are all the scripts I have rejected.” Thankfully, after he read my script, he got convinced and signed on to do the film.
‘Poshter Boyz’ is getting a Hindi remake. Are you involved with the project?
I am not involved. It also got remade in Telugu a few days back. I am glad that my film will reach a wider audience. Hopefully they have mentioned my name in the credits. Jokes apart, I am very happy that it is being remade.
Do you get nervous when your work is adapted into another language?
Every person is different and will have their own perspective, so once it is gone it’s gone. With Poshter Boyz, the director has to walk a very thin line. It could become a sex comedy, or it could become too serious, and boring as a result. But the story is universal and I think it could take place in any part of India, in any community, so I am not really worried.
Your production company is called Engineers Combined.
I was an engineer before I started acting. In fact, for the first few years of my acting career, I continued my job in engineering. When I started directing, a couple of my friends from my engineering days came together and we set up this company.
What propelled your transition from actor to director?
When I wrote the script for Poshter Boyz, I was completely involved with the characters, in the situation and was very involved with the visualisation. Everybody told me that they were able to see it completely, and I realised that directing the film was a possibility.
What are you working on next?
Comedy is a very serious business, it drains you, so I want to try a different genre next. I have had a love story in my mind for the past four-five years and there is another sort-of suspense thriller about a psychiatrist. But again, it is upto market demand, based on what people want. If I get a chance, I’d like to try out these different genres.
Sometimes doing a serious film or an action film is easier, compared to trying to make people laugh.