Previous year was one of the best years for Bollywood in terms of box office with films like Pathaan, Gadar 2, Jawan and Animal creating history at the ticket window. This year, however, has been quite disappointing as far as films starring some big stars is concerned. Filmmaker Raj Kumar Gupta, known for helming successful films like No One Killed Jessica and Raid, shared his take on this in an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama.
EXCLUSIVE: Raid 2 director Raj Kumar Gupta on 2024 being disappointing for some big stars at the box office, “There is no solution to this except…”; also says why Riteish Deshmukh was his first choice for Pill
He said, “It’s true that it has been an unusual time (at the box office). There is no solution to this except making good films. As filmmakers, we can only try doing that. That is the only thing I can think of from a filmmaker’s point of view. Nobody knows what will work and what wouldn’t. I think we all should do our best and just hope that we make good films and people come to the theatres.”
Just last month, Gupta made his web series debut with the JioCinema show Pill. It revolved around corruption in the pharmaceutical sector and starred Riteish Deshmukh in the lead. He is happy with the response for the show from critics and audiences.
Coming to the challenges of making his first web show, Gupta said, “The challenge was that this was my first long form. We keep doing films and we know the grammar of films. But long format has a different grammar. So, how you take a story and turn it into a six-hour series (was a challenge). Then how you shoot it in all the real locations was a challenge. And executing it is always a challenge, whether it’s a film or a series.”
Gupta said that Riteish was his first choice for the central character in Pill. “Firstly, he is a brilliant actor,” he said. “Once I had finished writing, I was thinking whom I should cast. He was the one who came to my mind. We chatted and we met up. And when I gave him the script, he really loved it.”
Gupta has the keenly awaited Raid 2 in the pipeline. Starring Ajay Devgn in the lead, the film is the second in the series after the critical and commercial success Raid (2018). When asked how he chooses his subjects and stories, he said, “Aisa kuchh soch ke nahin karte ki main ekdum dhaakad subject sochunga. Aisa kuchh nahin hota. It’s about which story inspires you and whether it is also entertaining and engaging because we are not making documentaries. Then I start research and after writing, I send it to the cast to make. The most important aspects are that it should be entertaining and engaging.”
A look at Gupta’s filmography shows that, barring Ghanchakkar, all the projects helmed by him – Aamir, No One Killed Jessica, Raid, India’s Most Wanted and Pill – have something to do with crime. Does he have a soft corner for stories dealing with crime? He answered, “If you look at all my films, there is also drama and humour. But I get the point you are trying to make. But this is never a conscious decision. I go ahead with whatever story I find inspiring.”
Gupta made his film debut with an out-of-the-box take on terrorism in the form of Aamir (2008), which starred Rajeev Khandelwal in the lead. The film is being appreciated even after 16 years for its theme and narrative. This writer also felt it still looks fresh when he saw some of its scenes recently. When this was pointed out to the filmmaker, he said, “I don’t know how but everybody tells me that. I am really glad and happy. I also saw it after all these years a couple of months back. It has probably aged well.”
Gupta’s next Raid 2 was earlier all set to release on November 15. But recently, the makers of Singham Again, which also stars Ajay Devgn, postponed their film to November 1. As it won’t be right to release two films of the same lead actor in a span of 14 days, the makers of Raid 2 decided to release the film early next year. Bollywood Hungama was the first one to report this.
Interestingly, Riteish, who played a positive character in Pill, will be playing the antagonist in Raid 2.
Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: “Ajay Devgn starrer Raid 2 to release early next year”, confirms director Raj Kumar Gupta
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2024 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.
Source Agencies
