For nearly five years now, RS Prasanna’s mind has been pre-occupied with one subject, one that is not often spoken about. With Kalyana Samayal Saadham ( KSS ), those South of the Vindhyas got to know it was possible to deal with a sensitive subject with sense as well as humour. Nearly four years after that comes its remake, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan ( SMS ).
The film, bankrolled and hand-held by Aanand L Rai, hits screens on September 1. And, with less than a month to go, Prasanna is waiting to see how audiences there react to this slice-of-life film. “For me, SMS is all about the journey. From the time I screened the Tamil original to Aanand Rai, to ideating the remake, the year-long search for a writer rooted in the local milieu till we found Hitesh Kewalya, pre-production, the making, and now, the wait for the release… it’s been a wonderful journey,” says Prasanna.
Those who’ve seen the trailer are speaking about how the film feels completely different, in terms of tone. “If KSS was set in the world I grew up in, this is rooted in the place it is set in. Hitesh has lent it sparkle.”
The film, shot over 53 days, stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar as Mudit and Sugandha, who are all set to get married, but end up confronting a peculiar problem. Prasanna says that while the theme remains the same, the way SMS was treated ensured it never felt like a remake. “It was literally a whole new film, with its own quirks.”
The film is set in Uttar Pradesh, a belt that Aanand Rai is familiar with. “Also, if you notice, the characters are even more middle-class than in KSS . So, it allowed a whole new interpretation.” What Prasanna wishes is that even someone who has watched KSS will find SMS interesting. “I loved the process of creating something with Hitesh. The rapport between the written word and what finally emerges on screen is vital. And, because of Hitesh, I was able to focus on direction.”
Prasanna says he was lucky to get Ayushmann and Bhumi on board. The actors already have a hit together in Dum Laga Ke Haisha . “Five minutes into meeting them, I knew this was a dream cast, like Prasanna and Lekha Washington.”
The director, who also made the meditative On A Quest , about Swami Chinmayananda, says goodwill and cheer matters a lot to him. “Before anything else, I ask if the person is a nice guy or girl — that’s the joke on the sets. But, for me, it’s very important that people are happy on my set. It should be a creative space, but also a sensitive, happy place.”
Once the film releases, Prasanna, who’s near-effortlessly managed the long journey from Saligramam to Andheri, will consider exploring other options. A couple of scripts are in the pipeline; some in Hindi, some in Tamil. But, whatever happens, he’s very particular that his ability to delight in basic joys never changes. That’s something he learnt from one photograph — of Steven Spielberg smiling on the sets of one of the Jurassic movies. “I decided then, that ‘Dude, this is how I want to be as a director’.” After SMS, he’s added Aanand Rai to the list. “I will never forget that this film happened because one man — my producer — stood up for love.”
Published - August 03, 2017 03:20 pm IST
