The year 2018 was a great one for filmmaker Amit Sharma, with Badhaai Ho not only turning out to be a blockbuster, but also because the film received a great deal of appreciation from the critics. Before his directorial debut in 2015 with the Arjun Kapoor starrer Tevar, Amit has been making commercials for many years for his production house Chrome Pictures, his latest being one with the star couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. The Quint spoke to him about working with the two of them, what the success of Badhaai Ho has given him, and what he’s doing next.
Q. There’s of course a lot of curiosity about when Ranveer and Deepika will be seen together post their wedding. Was there any pressure while making the advertisement?
Amit Sharma: I have a good rapport with both the actors as I have worked with them separately as well, so getting them on the same set was exulting. They are very dynamic on the set. Once I am on the set, all I can think of is my film, and everything I do is towards making that commercial a reality. There was a certain expectation that the client had from us, and we wanted to deliver that.
Q. Ranveer has this palpable energy around him, while Deepika is seen as being the more calmer one. What insights did you gain about them as actors while filming the ad?
AS: Ranveer is a powerhouse; his energy is contagious, while Deepika is very attentive and calm. The environment on the set was very conducive, they had a lot of fun and so did my team at Chrome Pictures. Everbody was happy and excited. Both are a dream to work with. It was a pleasure working with them together.
Q. What’s the trick to telling a story convincingly in a commercial, in that short a duration?
AS: In order to convince others I need to be convinced myself first. And once that is done then it’s not that hard.
Q. What has the success of Badhaai Ho taught you? Do you feel free-er as an artist/ director? I ask this because stars for the longest time have been calling the shots, so do you think this is the age of the director/ good story?
AS: The success of Badhaai Ho gives me immense happiness; it was something we really put our lives into. I do believe the audience is more receptive towards good stories, and there is truly a shift in the perception of the audience. Content plays a huge role now, in the kind of films the audience chooses to watch.
I believe the success of Badhaai Ho is a testimony to the fact that the cinema lovers are willing to see different and entertaining content. I am happy to say that the times are changing, as there are producers, distributors and exhibitors who encourage content-driven films and give them the right amount of exposure.Amit Sharma, Filmmaker
Even as producers, we would like to associate with content-driven and progressive cinema. I firmly believe that a star’s caliber shouldn’t be judged by one bad Friday. They are stars for the amount of good work they have done in the past. We simply cannot pin down the success or failure of a film on an individual’s shoulders, as it is driven by multiple factors.
Q. Recently, the film was also embroiled in a controversy, with Jyoti Kapoor claiming that she had written the story. The current writers of the film also requested for their names to be taken off the nomination for Best Story at the Filmfare Awards. Your take on this, any clarification/ explanation?
AS: I have already given my explanation on the issue.
Q. What can you tell us about your next film with Ajay Devgn?
AS: We are working on a film about the greatest football coach India has ever seen, Syed Abdul Rahim. Ajay Devgan is playing the lead in the film. We are currently in the pre-production phase. It’s a period film. We are still gathering facts about that time. There is a lot of research work that is on at the moment, we are collecting and corroborating information. At this point I can’t reveal more, but the film is set to go on floors soon.
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