Familiar ground
Manpriya Singh
Titled Vaapsi, the upcoming Punjabi film’s pun is not lost on Gulshan Grover, who himself is making a vaapsi into Punjabi cinema after a long while. “I am doing a film in Punjabi after many years,” as expected, he starts off in Punjabi, but not before wishing everyone a very happy Baisakhi. “When I was offered the film, I heard just the title song and the story in four lines and I knew the script, the role; everything was right,” he shares of his movie, due for a June 3 release.
“But even before we start discussing the film any further, you have to hear the title song,” he attaches the microphone to his phone. “I have been making everybody hear the song, all my friends.”
So much so, even a chance meeting with Diljit Dosanjh in the flight earlier entailed the same exercise. He laughs, “I met him, told him about the film and made him hear the song.”
What badman?
Well, nobody risks saying no to a ‘Badman’ ever; even though his character Ajit in the film is of a good ordinary citizen suffering in the aftermath of terrorism. He plays a hockey player, who meets unfortunate circumstances unfolding in the wake of 1984 riots and is forced to settle abroad. Germany, in this case. Joining in is actor Harish Verma, looking fresh and promising in the promos in his turbaned avatar. He plays the younger Ajit, “Whenever I see any scene from the film, I get very emotional. The most important part is that this film has a script, a story.”
At this point cuts in director Rakesh Kumar Mehta, “The film is intense and emotional human story, as it narrates a man’s longing to come back to his motherland. We haven’t touched upon anything controversial pertaining to the ’84 riots.”
Nevertheless, the film is set against the backdrop of the black period, when Punjabi youngsters fell prey to terrorism and police atrocities, and had no option but to flee the country. The cast includes actress Samekhsa Singh, playing the protagonist’s sister and Ashish Duggal, the DSP, who unfolds the atrocities.
Decoding Gulshan
Ironically, coming up is a web series titled Badman, but where the bad guy plays the hero. He laughs, “Only my name is Badman, otherwise I believe I have done good work in films.” Right from being one of the first actors to make a foray into Hollywood with films like Prisoners of the Sun, Nephilim and Honour Killing! Last seen in Deepa Mehta’s Beeba Boys and having won a National Award for I am Kalam, he is open to Punjabi cinema, provided it offers something ‘challenging and different’. That’s the least it takes to keep the Badman home!
manpriya@tribunemail.com
