Hansal Mehta on ‘The Buckingham Murders’: Telling my kind of story is still a struggle
Kareena Kapoor Khan and Hansal Mehta on the sets of ‘The Buckingham Murders’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements
When writer Asim Arora approached Hansal Mehta about the story in 2018 The Buckingham MurdersThe director, known for taking a sympathetic look at the lives of those living on the fringes of society, saw this as a move to tell a larger story of growing cracks in the salad by using the murder mystery as a relevant exploration of immigrant life. bowl of the world
With Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead, the film has garnered praise from critics and a section of audiences but the risk Mehta has taken in telling a thoughtful story about a star indicates that he has made it for an OTT audience. Denying the perception, Mehta said he doesn’t like to compare storytelling with the box office but admitted that the movie recouped its costs before its theatrical release, giving him an opportunity to make the film with integrity. “I can be as upset as ever,” Mehta said in a telephone call from London.
Usually, he explains, what happens when a Bollywood film is shot in London is that it doesn’t convey the feeling of the place because everyone speaks Hindi, clothes are waiting for them on the ramp and it’s far from the people who live there. In the country “the common perception is that Indian producers make films in the UK to get the country’s attractive subsidies. While we were subsidized, we made a great British film. It’s like a new age, crossover, diaspora film. I wanted to represent the common life in London. So there are no big palaces and forts. The story unfolds in small, murky and messy spaces, creating a very vivid experience.”
Hansal Mehta on the sets of ‘The Buckingham Murders’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements
Working with Kareena, says Mehta, was a “blissful experience”. “He’s instinctive and sharp. He’ll stay back to give cues to the other actors. It’s amazing how a star doesn’t play for the camera. He internalized the character so much that he was oblivious to the camera’s presence.
In a strange coincidence, Kareena is the third K, after Kangana Ranaut and Karishma Tanna, to step out of their comfort zone under Mehta’s guidance. “It would be unfair to compare them but stars or not, actors always have the hunger to go beyond a set image. I’m happy to be a vehicle to channelize that drive and showcase it to the world.”
Excerpt from an interview:
Kareena gets a shade overdramatic in her performance. How did you help him get the pitch right?
I think we were in sync. We read a lot together to find our answer to the melody and pitch. One of the things I told him when we first met was that one of his films that influenced me the most was Govind Nihalani’s. will give Where she made a big impact with her quiet acting despite being with Amitabh Bachchan and Om Puri. In the film, he lives in a chawl that is embroiled in communal violence. The scene where he goes to the police station and says he knows who did it was with me. Here’s an actor who can switch to a different mode and internalize the character very easily when the right director and story come his way.
Your stories resonate with the pain of immigrants and always accommodate the perspective of others…
Be that as it may Citylights, Dil par mat le yaar, Martyror even Aligarh, Displacement has been a constant theme in my work. A lot of it has to do with upbringing. Many of us spend a lot of time with immigrants but when we tell their stories we look at them through rose colored glasses.
My sister lived in London for 20 years and I spent time observing expats. Every society has two distinct parts: those who belong and others. I have always been interested in the stories of others – those who live in my city but others because of their socio-economic status or cultural differences. It is also because of my experience in the film industry. I was never part of any clique or camp. I have been part of the industry and still seen as an outsider. My kind of storytelling is still a struggle. I am a bad actor but I can live through my character.
Kareena Kapoor Khan and Hansal Mehta on the sets of ‘The Buckingham Murders’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements
But in ‘The Buckingham Murders’, you choose to tell the story through someone who belongs to others or less…
I wanted to explore what happens when you put yourself in someone else’s shoes. This is the true test of empathy. If you are a Hindu and the other is a Muslim, my question is, can you not love a Muslim? What a Muslim can not hate? A Muslim can not be angry? Because they are other, we think that they will not do what we do.
Do you share your socio-political concerns with your wife Safina Hussain?
Our morning-afternoon tea conversation revolves around what is happening in society. He is an economist who works in the social sector and travels to different cultures. I get a lot from the reality he feels on the ground. Citylights A great example of how his input informed my story. Deepak and Rakhi, the main characters, are in a village in Rajasthan where Safina’s ceremony is taking place. I have observed people out there, the remake of the film has gone down Metro Manila. Similarly, in The Buckingham MurdersPlot is just one way to explore social structure.
In the case of ‘TBM’, comparisons have been made to Kate Winslet’s ‘Mare of Easttown’.
It could be the other way around as well TBM Registered with Scriptwriters Association in 2018 Mare of Easttowncame out much later. A grieving mother is a common theme at the center of detective stories.
Kareena Kate’s performance seems to have said yes!
You have to ask him, all I can say is that he has seen 25 years of stardom. Now, he can take it to the next level. This is just the beginning.
Hansal Mehta on the sets of ‘The Buckingham Murders’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements
Tell us about your upcoming web series on Gandhi…
It is an adaptation of Ramachandra Guha’s book on Gandhi. Applez Entertainment acquired the rights to make it into a three-part series and cast Pratik Gandhi as the Mahatma. Many feel that I chose him for the role considering our fruitful association in the past but in this case, he recommended my name to Sameer Nair of Sadhubad.
How to present Mahatma to this generation?
There are two contrasting narratives about Gandhi; One sees him as a god and the other as a demon. I feel the reality lies in between. Human stories are important for our time because they remind us that there is a Gandhi in all of us. It is a common man’s struggle against injustice, a journey of self-discovery. The scale is epic, but essentially, it’s his personal story that I want to tell. The show will hopefully make people realize its relevance to our times.
has been published – September 25, 2024 12:18 pm IST
