His last film, Fitoor, did not exactly set the box office on fire. Nor did it garner the kind of appreciation that an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations should have. But two years down the line, National Award-winning filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor is back with a yet bigger film boasting a unique story setup. Kedarnath that is set to hit the silver screens on December 7 is already creating quite a buzz.
Ask him about why this particular film, and the filmmaker says, “As a child I would often go to Vaishno Devi. But the last time I went, it was like an eye-opener. I was overwhelmed by the devotion that draws so many people—poor and the wealthy alike—to this place of worship. I started noticing how the porters carried people on their backs through the day, and mind you, most of these porters are Muslims. Then I read about the Uttarakhand floods and how the Kedarnath Temple was saved by a huge rock that stopped the water from hitting it directly. It was nothing short of a miracle. And soon, the idea formed in my head. This film is my pilgrimage.”
Talking about the star cast, Abhishek confesses that he always had Sushant Singh Rajput in mind. He has always been known to work with new talent. Be it Rock On! or Kai Po Che, and it was little wonder that he decided to give newcomer Sara Ali Khan a shot. “We did the screen tests and I found she was adequate. I now realise that I was right in choosing her. She has been very committed and is always on her toes, ready to follow my instructions. I’m a very demanding director and in order to work with me, one has to be up in the game,” he says.
The film has landed in a controversy thanks to some Right-wing leaders terming it a ‘love jihad’ story and demanding a ban on it. But Abhishek is far from perturbed. “Nothing has come to me yet. Once the film releases, people will realise exactly what it is about,” he says. Not many in the industry try their hand at the ‘disaster film’ genre, and Abhishek is sure that the effort that has gone into the film will be appreciated by all.
Talking about the effort put in, he applauds Sushant for going out on a limb to lend credibility and make his character look completely convincing. Sushant plays a Muslim porter in the film, who ferries Hindu pilgrims on his back to and from the shrine.
Says Abhishek, “It was incredible the way Sushant would attend to his scenes. He actually carried people on his back in and out over 10 days. Also, during the rain shoots, while we would be huddled in our jackets and caps, he would be there in a shirt, drenched to the bone, shivering uncontrollably, but the moment the camera would roll, he would deliver. He has been an asset.”
The filmmaker, who wishes that he could have made Bandit Queen, hopes Kedarnath is given its due at the box office. “It is a film that basically recognises Shiva within each of us,” he signs off.