Dream takes flight

As Friday morning jitters make way for jubilation, the director of Hawaizaada, Vibhu Puri, compares his dream of making a film to that of making the world’s first-ever aeroplane by an Indian inventor

No shortcuts to fame: Vibhu Puri

It wasn’t a rom-com. It wasn’t a “realisitic” crime drama set in India’s heartland, nor was it a run-of-the-mill wedding comedy. For Vibhu Puri, a former assistant of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, there were no shortcuts that could lead him to his debut film. Even when veteran directors think twice before setting out to make a period film, this award-winning short filmmaker chose to make one with the added challenge of it being a biopic about a character on whom precious little has been written about.

“Unfortunately, most of our history wasn’t written by Indians. They were written by the British, and from their perspective. The story of Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, the Indian inventor on whom the film is based, is from those missing chapters of Indian history. About the cinematic liberties taken, I feel there is no harm in a bit of fiction when talking about the trials and travails of a great man who was hidden for the past 120-odd years,” he says.

With research material scant, he pored over whatever was available apart from meeting family members of the forgotten scientist and historians to add dimensions to Talpade’s character. “At different stages of research, his story proved to be an inspiration to me. He is the guy who had the courage to create an aeroplane in the 1800s. Compared to that, making the film seemed smaller; we didn’t need shortcuts but just honesty,” he adds.

While Ayushmann Khurrana might seem like an odd choice to play the protagonist, Vibhu says his inherent charm is unmatched by his peers. “I wrote the film even before I watched

Vicky Donor . I saw something in him even then, but producers felt he didn’t suit the script. They felt he should play a Delhi lover boy with a guitar in hand. The role was in stark contrast to this image, but he has charmed us all with his performance,” he says.

With a special emphasis on visuals throughout the film, the director proves he’s a chip off the old block, considering he has assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali. “We are similar in terms of the love we share for visuals. Both he and I would have no issues murdering 100 men to get the perfect shot. Even my student film was made with a lot of emphasis on visuals; this love for imagery, I believe, stems from my love for paintings. Apart from that, Sanjay sir has instilled in me this belief that no amount of ambition is dangerous as long as I follow my heart,” he says.