In Chandigarh, renowned director MadhurBhandarkar says OTT films are on par with theatrical releases

Sheetal

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Well-known director Madhur Bhandarkar was in Chandigarh for a panel discussion during a week-long film festival held at Tagore Theatre. But the director’s connection with the city goes back to 2007, when he first visited the City Beautiful.

Bhandarkar shares, “I love the city, especially in winter. My latest film Babli Bouncer was shot in a village near Mohali around February this year. I clearly remember how we held Babli Bouncer’s mahurat puja on Valentine’s Day. I have lots of friend in the city and usually come here twice a year. Food here is great and you can’t go back without gaining a few kilos. I am a shopaholic, so the hotspot during my stay here was a mall in Zirakpur. The positivity that you feel in the city can only be paralleled by your time in Europe.”

OTT route

After the appreciation that followed Babli Bouncer’s release, one wonders why it was not released in theatres. “From the outset, it was meant for OTT and also marked my digital debut. Disney+Hotstar and producer, Junglee Pictures, made sure we made a mega-scale original film. These days, if you observe every film or series that is being released on OTT, there is no compromise with the budget. OTT films are on par with the theatrical releases and that’s because the medium has come on par with the cinema experience itself,” explains Bhandarkar.

While Babli Bouncer is Bhandarkar’s 14th film, he promises never do a remake or an adaptation. “I have a journalist inside me, who likes to research on new topics. It has been the same procedure over the years, which comprises six months of research and writing, then six months of filmmaking.” The director is often referred to as ‘Celluloid Ka Journalist’!

Bhandarkar has no inner circle of favourite actors to cast in his films and has worked with diverse number of actors. “Mere sab ke saath madhur sabandh hain or main har actor ke saath dobara kaam karna chahunga. I try to work with new people each time, as it helps me in exploring more.” he beams.

Awards & accolades

Except for his debut film Trishakti, and three other films — Aan: Men at Work, Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji and Jail — Bhandarkar is one director who makes female-centric films. He has won four National Awards for those films, including Chandni Bar, Page 3, Traffic Signal and Fashion. On September 30, Bhandarkar accepted another National Award for Best Bengali Film, Avijatrik, with director Subharjit Mitra, at the 68th National Awards.

Bhandarkar is not a big-time advocate of workshops, as he believes many impromptu changes happen in the script while shooting. The rise of digital platforms and the opportunities these have brought along has excited Bhandarkar.

This is why his upcoming film, India Lockdown will also be released on OTT although the platform is yet to be decided. The film stars Prateik Babbar, Shweta Basu Prasad, Aahana Kumra, Prakash Belawadi, Sai Tamhankar and Kavita Amarjeet.