Gaurav Rana is happy that his film Mai Ladega is generating a positive buzz

Vikrant Parmar

For director Gaurav Rana, whose debut Hindi movie Mai Ladega saw a theatrical release and a good one at that, there are two types of people in the film industry — ones who want to be seen on screen and ones who want to show on screen. He claims to be steadfast in the latter category!

Gaurav is known for Punjabi projects like Seeto Marjani, Channa Ve, Chithi and Rihaa. But first up, Mai Ladega. “It is a movie that is based on a beautiful relation between a mother and a son. The core around which the whole plot is based is that sometimes in life we forget the greater purpose and get stuck with the situation at hand. That leads to our downfall. The film highlights that whenever life puts you down, one should stand up and fight back,” says Gaurav, Chandigarh lad who is currently based in Mumbai.

The plot having been picked from real life, the film has been shot in Hardwar, Nainital and Mumbai. “It is about how sports, boxing in this case, teaches you a lot in life — how to overcome hurdles and forge a will of iron. Another factor that it underlines is the importance of mental well-being. Often ignored in our part of the world, mental health is something that needs care. A young lad in this movie faces an abusive father, but stands firm besides his mother. Their emotional bond is amplified through a song, Mai Meri, sung beautifully by Sonu Nigam,” he adds.

The cast, including Akash Pratap Singh, Gandharv Dewan, Jyoti Gauba, Ashwath Bhatt and Vallari Viraj, is fairly new, barring Bhatt, who has essayed a few noteworthy roles in Bollywood. “We decided to pick fresh faces as being newcomers in the industry, we did not have much backing. There were budget constraints as well, but we got good actors who fit into our space,” he says.

Fruitful journey

Gaurav, whose childhood interests lay in reading and storytelling, completed a course in animation from Chandigarh before moving to Mumbai. As a director, he anchored as many as 200 episodes of Hindi show Crime Patrol from 2010 to 2015. “I have a keen interest in visual effects too and was part of Hollywood film Clash of the Titans. In Bollywood, I have been part of the visual effects’ team of films like Raavan, Housefull and more,” he beams.

It’s a world where OTT is ruling, and Gaurav is happy the space has generated a lot of healthy competition. “OTT has provided a gamut of options for good actors, who earlier used to waste away due to lack of opportunities. Now, they can showcase their talent and be applauded across the globe. Also, content is king and OTT has challenged the big screen in this regard. The audience monitors everything, has an array of choices and, therefore, relevant stories don’t go missing. This competition that OTT provides to the film industry augurs well for the future times. The narrative of filmmaking has surely changed,” he opines.

Up next

As for his upcoming projects, there is a Punjabi web series and another Hindi film in the pipeline. “Youngsters don’t train enough, but want immediate fame in today’s world. Any budding filmmaker should first focus on short films and hone their craft, before jumping into the deeper end. Give yourself time to train,” is his advice to aspiring filmmakers.

Makes a whole lot of sense!

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