I’m not a victim for sure, says Neeraj Pandey

Neeraj Pandey’s name has always been associated with quality cinema. Mindless or masala movies are just not his cup of tea. Here, the filmmaker talks about his new film Aiyaary, and handling sensitive subjects with ease. Excerpts:

People have certain expectations from your films. Does that bother you?

I’m not a victim for sure. And honestly, if people expect content from my films, then that’s my earning. I love the fact that people are pre-conditioned when they watch my films. It’s not a burden, but an asset.

Have your sensibilities changed from the time that you began your career?

We’re a little older now. So there’s more maturity and experience. You tend to be conscious of the fact that you can’t let your audiences down. For me, they are of paramount importance. When they’ve liked my films, there has not been a bigger gratification and that’s what has kept us going as a creative person running my company. I hope that continues.

What triggered a film like Aiyaary?

I was working on Baby when this started. I was meeting a lot of people from the armed forces and in one specific interaction that I had, the idea of the story germinated. Then, obviously, I went on to do MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. Post that, we were figuring out what to do next. That’s when the thought of that idea came back, I started doing my research and wrote the script.

With the Dhoni biopic raking in such numbers, is there a pressure to make a bigger film now?

Not at all. I always knew this film will not be as big as the Dhoni biopic. I don’t expect it to achieve those numbers because it’s a very different film. That film had more mass appeal. As a storyteller, it was a safe film. I am not running down the work on that film, but conceptually, it was easier. We just had to execute it well. We had to just surprise the audience. Aiyaary is not a very ‘massy’ film, but at the same time, it’s an interesting movie. You will get to see things you’ve never seen before or that people don’t want to talk about. Aiyaary is closest to my first film, A Wednesday, in terms of its tone and tenor. This was a difficult film because it’s like getting into a dark tunnel as there were no references. You have to find a way. We loved the fact that the journey was unique for this film.

Were you ever apprehensive about Aiyaary, given that it’s made on a sensitive topic?

I wasn’t apprehensive, but there’s definitely an unwritten rider, which I’m very conscious about, as a writer. You have to say things in a certain manner. We have spoken about several issues since our first film and the reason why we have got that acceptance is because of the fact that we aren’t jingoistic. We aren’t running people down and we are not into just sensationalism. It’s never been our approach. It’s not that these things don’t happen, but have they been spoken about? No!

Which is why we are making the film. The army is an institution that we have tremendous respect for. Baby was our way of showing respect to them and Aiyaary is also in the same league and spirit.

But people get easily offended today. Does that curb a lot of cinematic liberties?

A film’s journey always starts two years before it is actually released. Do saal pehle haalaat kuch alag the. Now, with something suddenly happening to one film, a lot of our perspectives also get muddled and clouded. Yes, I do agree that suddenly people have become too sensitive. We all get put off by anything. At the end of the day, if you have a problem, don’t watch it. Then, there’s the CBFC, which is responsible and takes good care of what’s right and what’s wrong. So, that should be respected.

Sidharth Malhotra has never explored this space before. Was he your first choice?

Yes, he was. I wanted someone who’s vulnerable but can also come across as a strong person. We wanted that combination and Sidharth was a natural fit for that. He is playing a young major in the film and he was the only choice in the film.

Are you happy that content-driven films are not given the tag of unconventional cinema anymore?

That’s the reason we’re here. They have accepted and embraced such films. It’s only getting better for all storytellers. If a film is executed properly, it will do well. That trend is very healthy.