Hitesh Kewalya, who made his directorial debut with Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, is on a high. The rom-com, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Jitendra Kumar, based on same-sex love, is getting a nod from the audience - it has collected Rs 30.75 crore since its release last Friday. The Woods caught up with Hitesh before the film's release…
What was the genesis of Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan?
When we were writing Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), that was about erectile dysfunction, it was talking about a part of a man's sexuality. When I finished writing it, people were liking the script and we thought, 'What if we extend this to a franchise?' We were thinking what kind of story would do justice to the second film. That is when Himanshu Sharma, who writes Aanand Sir's (L. Rai) films, came up with this one-liner - 'What if it's about two men and the conversation in the film is between a father and a son?' I instantly jumped at the idea because it was like a natural extension of the first one. It still dealt with the topic of sexuality, this time a man being in love with another man. So, I would actually call this a thematic sequel.
How would you define this franchise?
It'd be a film about sexuality where we break the topic of sexuality down from a pedestal into a family element. I'd say that is the broadest term.
As a writer and director, what did you keep in mind in order to portray the topic of same-sex love with sensitivity?
The biggest thing was to be aware. Sometimes it's not about what you portray, sometimes it's about what not to portray. If you're aware of this, you go back and forth and re-check. I studied at NID (National Institute of Design) in Ahmedabad, so my first brush with the LGBTQ community was there. And they were friends. I have interacted with them a lot. I have heard their stories, their struggles, how they came out to their families and what they still have to face in the society. An understanding was always there. When I was writing this, I made them read the script, narrated it to them to check again and again. Being a straight person, there are some biases we are not aware of and they come out when you're writing. So, it was very important for me to not take it lightly. The film can be talking about it in a lighter manner but it's a very heavy responsibility. So to bring anything to that level where people can understand it and yet you're sensitive, was the biggest challenge.
It has an interesting ensemble cast. How did you visualise each character while writing?
It was very important for this film to be seen by families. In the trailer also, the last dialogue is, 'Bohot ladai ladte hai hum, but jo family ke saath ladai hoti hai woh sabse badi hoti hai'. So I knew how difficult it is for a person to come out, first to their families. Their acceptance is most important for anyone who is coming out. That's why the family and its characters were very important to me. I needed a feminine force in the mother, I needed a masculine force in the father who's a patriarch and I needed the extended family members - there's a brother, there's a sister. To normalise same-sex love, I needed a reference point of other kinds of love, that is the hetero-normative love. The struggle for love has always been there, maybe because of different caste, religion, economic background and in current times, it's sexuality. I wanted to bring that through my various characters. Every character stands for something in the film. They have a story, it's not just about a gay romance. It's about a family dealing with this news.
And how did you go about with the casting?
n It was very important for this film to have actors or faces who people are willing to see. When Gajraj Rao comes on screen, we find him endearing. It was very important that every actor looks endearing to the audience in some way or the other. That's why Neenaji (Gupta) and Gajrajji came in because they are accepted, people want to watch them as a couple. So they were the perfect parents for me. Similarly, Manu Rishi Chadha brings a sense of warmness through his comedy and his presence. Ayushmann, who's a mainstream actor and the first cast member to say 'yes' to the film, has given seven hits in a row. Him playing the protagonist will reach the maximum people. It was important for this film to take a stand with such endearing actors that it reaches a large number of people.
The kiss between the Ayushmann and Jitendra (Kumar) is being much talked about...
This is the first time I've seen two grown men looking cute (kissing)! It was important for both of them to be very comfortable. There was nervous laughter but we got it right. It was very important for me as a director to not just focus on the sensuality of the kiss. These characters are vulnerable characters, the way they're coming out with their sexuality in the film, they need to connect with the audience. It was very important for the vulnerability to come through in this family set-up, the comic set-up, the kiss, the sensuality and everything. I was glad that it came through very well.
Any fun anecdote from the long outdoor schedule in Benaras?
I needed a huge aangan in the house we were shooting in. I got that in one of the ghats in Benaras but to get there was through a narrow lane. So, no vanity vans could go inside. So where to put up the cast? We put up tents on a large patch of land. It was literally like a comfortable camp site where each family member had their own tent. When we were not shooting, like when it'd rain or lights were being set up, everyone would gather. In the night, there would be a different romantic feel and everyone would listen to songs. The family that I was trying to create on screen, it had become a family off screen too.
How is Ayushmann to work with?
He has a great internal process which we never get to see. Despite that process, he's not fixed on things. He is willing to listen and he's very open to what the scene needs. From Shubh Mangal Saavdhan to Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, I've literally seen him owning his characters much more. He's so confident with his body, his expressions, his eyes... it has become like an instinct for him now. Despite the quirkiness of the character, he fits in. He owns and uses his body, those subtle looks he gives really adds on to the character.
This topic is still mostly taboo in India. Do you worry that you might alienate a chunk of your audience?
It doesn't worry me because I think we have done our job properly. You can see a lot of white hairs, this happened in the last two years (laughs). It took me a year to write this, normally I take six months but this took double the time. It was a responsibility, it was a challenge but because we have taken great pains to portray it in a certain way, I'm very confident that this is a family story. The entire family can sit and watch without being uncomfortable. The idea is not to change anyone but at least get a conversation going. I'm pretty hopeful that the film would do that and also entertain while doing that.