Director Nitesh Tiwari is currently busy adding finishing touches to the post production of his upcoming release, Dangal, and he’s working at breakneck speed. “It’s like the baby is ready, but we’re very greedy and want to make it look more attractive. We’re thus finishing the work of decorating it with the right colour of dress, make up and more,” he says with a smile.
In awe of the perfectionist lead of his movie, Aamir Khan, Nitesh confesses he admires him greatly. “It’s very difficult to find any weaknesses in Aamir,” he says.
We interrupt and ask him if the perfectionist can get a tad too involved in the process of making the movie. Pat comes the director’s reply, “No. That indeed is his strength. In fact, he takes everything so serious, that the ‘too much involvement’ turns out to be for the good of the film. Otherwise, Aamir’s a non-interfering guy. He doesn’t try to make changes unnecessarily.”
Nitesh adds, “I must confess, Aamir has always given ample respect to the writers’ penning. This is only because of the experience he has gained after working for so many films. He indeed has all the right strengths required to make a successful film. Undeniably, having worked in innumerable films, he has hoarded all these strengths from his own learning.”
Hailing from IIT, did Nitesh’s Engineering lessons come in handy while making Dangal? “More than lessons, I think all the pranks and masti from college added to our creativity,” he laughs. “Surprisingly, Aamir and my sensibilities match a lot. He liked the very first narration for Dangal. That was shocking for me, and at the same time it made me very happy. While working with him I realised hum dono ek jaise sochte hain (we think alike.) And thus our union proved fruitful.”
Women empowerment is another cause that Nitesh feels strongly about. “I’m very sensitive to the cause. Not that I would beat a drum to prove my wish of bringing equality, but through my films I always make a conscious decision to opt for a story that will bring up the cause of the girl child to elucidate my point. Even for Dangal, if I wished I could’ve taken boys. But I preferred casting girls,” he says. “Recently for Kaun Banega Crorepati, we showed a girl child presenting a car to her father. We want people to learn having a progressive mindset. These stories are impactful, yet not very preachy, giving away this message to parents in remote India through subtle messages. Such things will not only bring a change in society but also make us realise the importance of equality among girls and boys,” he concludes.
