What’s his issue!
Jasmine Singh
His fascination for voicing the ills of society through films is not news anymore. But what is news is that when the day Punjabi film director Amitoj Mann released the trailer of his upcoming film Motor Mitraan Di, two hours later Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonitisation that Amitoj along with his cast saw, with quite a shock!
Now, promoting his film which is satire on the baba’s of today, Amitoj can, one make light of the situation, and two leave everything to god now! “I wish I had known our Prime Minister was .going to take this step, I would have held back my film release. Or if he had announced this step before the release of my trailer, I would have at least got a chance to add this bit as a satire in my film Motor Mitraan Di,” shares the thoughtful looking director.
Amitoj might have missed his chance to make a pun on demonitisation, but looking at the present scenario, it looks like he still has time to cash on the issue. The director laughs, “Well, if this lasts till next year as well, then I would certainly want to make a film on it. But you never know, what new issue crops up in between. We are nation full of issues, one coming almost every week.”
With so many issues spread across the country, does Amitoj has a soft heart for some, while others he finds them to be a dicey proposition? “You are asking, I like to make films on some issues, and steer clear from others. Ah no, not at all. My present film Motor Mitraan Di is a satire on the baba’s of today. Many say that my protagonist baba played by Yograj Singh looks like Asaram while others say he is looks l like Ram Rahim. Actually the character of Yograj is representative of all the baba’s that we have around. And let me ask you how many have taken up this issue in Punjab,”Amitoj throws an open question to the Punjabi entertainment industry.
Motor Mitraan Di stars Yograj Singh, Gurpreet Ghuggi and Happy Raikoti in lead roles. “I don’t understand why pade likhey people have to go to the Dera,”shares Yograj Singh who plays a fraud baba in the film. It is however, Yuvi Hazel’s marriage that invited more attention. “It was my personal decision to attend Yuvi’s wedding, and I wish they both live a happy married life.”
jasmine@tribunemail.com
