Tell me about your film STAND BY.
STAND BY is basically based on a popular game – Football and then the internal politics that is played along with the game. Football is a game which is looked upon as a very dignified game in abroad whereas it has a dismal story to tell in our country (India). So, the story tells us the various reasons for it.
You are a well-known name in Marathi Film Industry with multiple superhits and also 4 times National Award winner. How did you think of making a movie in Bollywood?
Yes, STAND BY is my first Hindi movie. I won't say Bollywood. I mean I don't like calling Bollywood. I think Bollywood is the picked up word which originally comes from Hollywood.
I had got various offers for Hindi films before. But due to certain reasons it couldn't materialize. I had got three films offer earlier. And you know there is a saying in Marathi teen tighda kaam bighda. I guess STAND BY should work good as it's the fourth film offer which I got. (laughs)
Your films in Marathi were all based on social issues or controversial problems and you achieved a good success from it too. Then what made you do STAND BY which is totally a different subject?
Firstly, there are some movies that should be or can be showcased best in regional language only. And there are other categories of films that can be and should be done only in national language. Now my movies like SAAT CHYA AAT GHARAT, SUKHANT, CHAUKAT RAJA, AAI SHAPATH are those movies that have worked well because they were made in regional language. So, if I do a movie like STAND BY in Marathi I doubt if I could able to reach the audience all over the country. And this is the reason why I chose doing STAND BY in Hindi.
You have always worked with brilliant actors like Atul Kulkarni, Reema Lagu, Dilip Prabhavalkar and many more. Then why did you choose to work with fresh lot this time around?
Now, my movie wanted some fresh faces that would look like players and not actors. And I can't take actors like Dilip Prabhavalkar or Atul Kulkarni for a role of a young Football player. I mean obviously they are too mature for this role.
I had many options like Shreyas Talpade, Riteish Deshmukh who are young enough to look as players but I wanted my actors to look like Foot ball players and that attitude of a struggle of the players.
Tell me your experience with the actors?
Both the lead actors – Siddharth Kher and Adinath Kothare are brilliant I must say. While Siddharth Kher has worked with Amitabh Bachchan in TEEN PATTI, Adinath Kothare is liked by all. It was a unique experience working with them. They were given two months training before the film commenced. They have worked very hard for this. Let me tell you that the last two matches in the movie have been shot live. There were proper well trained players along with coaches.
John Abraham starrer GOAL was also based on the game of Football. So how is STAND BY different from it?
STANDBY as I said is based on Football game. But definitely its storyline is completely different from GOAL. DHAN DHANA DHAN GOAL was based on current fictional story of the South Asian community in the UK. Whereas STAND BY is more so to do with internal politics that has spoiled our sports administration for years and never allowed the sport to develop thereby ruining lives of young sportsmen.
Share your experience with BRC productions.
Well they were so supportive! Prakash ji (Prakash Choubey) never interrupted with my work, in fact he was always helpful and encouraging. He gave his 200% and personally took interest in my project. He is a great guy and I feel so honoured to work with Prakash ji and BRC Productions. I feel lucky to work with BRC productions who gave me enough freedom in my work.
Your future projects?
I am making a Marathi film-SANTA TUKARAM. You'll come to know about it soon.
