There was no social message in my mind for 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha': Sharat Katariya

With his story-driven Dum Laga Ke Haisha generating positive buzz among industrywallahs, critics and audiences alike, we got director Sharat Katariya to take us behind the scenes. With no big stars to boast of, and relying on strong word-of-mouth publicity (and a lot of good wishes from the industry) the unconventional Dum Laga Ke Haisha has managed to hit the '10-crore mark at the box office. A day before Holi, the film’s director Sharat Katariya visited The Asian Age office, in Mumbai and shared his thoughts on what may have worked for the film and how Bhumi Pednekar who is receiving much appreciation, wasn’t his first choice for the lead role. Excerpts from the conversation:

What are your thoughts on the response to DLKH?

One critic told me that (we) don’t matter; it’s the people sitting in your own house, watching the film, who matter. When they tell you that it’s good, they are the real critics of your film because they push you to do or not do a certain film.

What did your mother say?

My mother saw the film and said ‘It’s nice. So will you find a job now? Like a regular job with a monthly income?’ [Chuckles]

What was your inspiration for the story?

At a friend’s house I came across a calendar that had pictures of festivities from across the world. In one photo, a girl was carrying a guy and it struck me — what if the reverse happens and a guy is carrying a fat girl? I felt it would be an interesting concept.

Do you prefer writing or direction?

I enjoy writing more, because you are sitting alone in a room. You don’t have any deadline or any stress of handling the production work. You do what you want without getting influenced by other people. Direction is more of a team effort while writing is a personal journey.

Was Bhumi’s depiction as a strong-headed woman an attempt to send a social message?

No, there was no social message in my mind. These are the kind of women I know in my life — whether it’s my mother, my wife or my friends — they are all very strongly opinionated and have a mind of their own. That’s where it comes from.

Was Bhumi as overweight when she signed the film?

No, she gained 15 kg just for the film. I ordered fat-rich meals for her on the sets. So during the course of the film, she gained more weight.

Do you think Bhumi overshadowed Ayushmann?

For the media, Bhumi makes a good story and since Ayushmaan is an actor he is not making any story. I feel that he has done a far better job; as a director, I can say that. While I like them both, his performance was more evolved even when he is not the plot driver of the film. His emotional turmoil in the film is also important but I was surprised that he agreed to do a film which is so heroine-centric and so anti-hero.

What’s your take on the censor board issues? Four words had to be replaced in the film…

I really don’t know. I have made only two films, but in my view, people should be allowed to say what they want to say. If there is a clear articulation and norms, that this film will have such kind of scenes, then it is the audience’s prerogative if they want to watch the film or not. The words that got deleted in my film were not adding anything to the dialogue, if that would have been the case then I think I would have fought.

What’s this we hear about you being caught red-handed by Aditya Chopra?

Adi was waiting to see the film and the protocol is that he sees the film first and shares feedback with the director, writer or editor. Then, the film is shown to other people. What happened was that I was showing the film to one of my friends and we were caught red handed! Adi was standing at the door. Later, when I asked him to see the film after all the cuts and editing, he asked me ‘Why should I see it now after everyone else has seen it?’ But I told him that his opinion matters the most. So he asked me, ‘Is this the final film?’ and I said yes, and after he saw the film, he really liked it