Crusade against cybercrime: Sonu Sood takes us into this faceless world with his directorial debut, ‘Fateh’

Nonika Singh

THE title of Sonu Sood’s upcoming venture, ‘Fateh’, might delude you into thinking it is a war film. Sure there is an enemy at hand, only it is faceless and nameless. The battle-cry evident in the name ‘Fateh’, however, has a different connotation. It brings to life a crusade against the murky and insidious world of cybercrime, tentacles of which are spreading faster than anyone could have ever imagined.

The Good Samaritan actor, who has written and directed the film and is essaying the lead role, shares how ‘Fateh’ definitely means victory but also happens to be the name of his character. On whether he plays a cyber expert, Sonu is tight-lipped and would like to keep the details under wraps as of now. Handling the somewhat technical issue of cybercrime and packaging it in a mainstream film can’t be easy. He agrees that audiences do not go to theatres for gyan, “but when entertainment comes laced with a message, they are receptive”.

Interestingly, ‘Fateh’ is also an actioner for which he has roped in noted action director Lee Whittaker, who was part of movies like ‘Fast and Furious 5’. His director of photography, Vincenzo Condorelli, has shot the film in five countries, including the US, Russia and Poland. On why he got the award-winning Italian cinematographer on board, Sonu says, “I wanted the lighting to be a certain way.”

Cybercrime and how it has affected people is something Sonu has seen up close and insists, “There is a mafia behind it.” Though he became a victim of a deepfake video recently, he had thought of including this plot point two years back when he was writing the script. The ‘Dabangg’ actor, who takes on a new avatar every few years, believes, “One should always be open to new challenges.” However, he also reveals that the writer in him was always alive and kicking. On the film sets, he often improvises his dialogues.

Wielding the directorial baton is an altogether different ballgame. But after he wrote the film on a subject close to his heart, he felt no one else was better equipped than him to be the captain of the ship.

Certainly, directing oneself is no cakewalk. However, he is not unduly harsh on himself, ‘no extra retakes, every frame has to be right,’ or other actors for that matter. Besides Sonu, the film will see the lovely Jacqueline Fernandez providing the romantic interest in ‘one of her best and, de-glam at that, parts’. The cast also includes gifted actors like Vijay Raaz.

So, how do you direct such great talent? He says, “Actors like him make your job easy. You just have to convey. See, actors are smart people. Once they know they are in capable hands, they deliver according to expectations.”

Sonu has invariably earned praise for his acting in more than one film. He is aware that his directorial signature may not be assessed as generously. Yet, he is not unduly perturbed about the critical response which could be favourable or not. “If you are in a ring, you have to be ready for the punches,” he observes. In case you are wondering, he has seen the web-series ‘Jamtara’, also about the phishing racket, and rates it highly. But ‘Fateh’, he insists, is on a very different keel, and comparisons can’t be drawn.

Looking back at his journey with gratitude, he says, “God has been kind. Imagine a boy from small-town Moga with no connections whatsoever is today directing, producing, writing and acting in a film.”

Whether the industry has given him his due, he shoots back, “No one gives you anything. You have to create your own space. You don’t come in the industry to impress others or win brownie points, only to find your voice and create your niche.”

As ‘Fateh’ is likely to hit the screens this year, he is more than confident that the film will hit the right note. Since his philanthropy work has earned him real admirers and not fans who fawn over the manufactured reel image, he dedicates the film on a very real issue to people. ‘Fateh’ is a people’s film and their voice, he says. How well it resonates with them remains to be seen. But we have seen Sonu, who set out on a mission impossible during the testing times of Covid-19, is not the one to make empty promises. 

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