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EXCLUSIVE: Sui Dhaaga or Dum Laga Ke Haisha: Which movie is director Sharat Katariya closer to?
In an EXCLUSIVE tête-à-tête with Pinkvilla, Sui Dhaaga: Made in India director-writer Sharat Katariya got candid about the success of his latest outing, working with Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma as well as which movie is closer to him - Sui Dhaaga or Dum Laga Ke Haisha.
September 28, 2018, saw the release of Sui Dhaaga: Made in India which starred Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma as a small-town couple with big entrepreneurial dreams. Sui Dhaaga marked the second outing of director-writer Sharat Katariya, whose Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), pulled at many heartstrings as well. Not only was Sui Dhaaga critically acclaimed, but even commercially, the movie was a success. It earned an impressive Rs 76 crore at the box-office, much to the delight of its makers.
As we say goodbye to 2018 and say aloha to 2019, Pinkvilla sat with Sharat Katariya for a quick tête-à-tête about the year gone by, the success of Sui Dhaaga, which movie the director is closer to - Sui Dhaaga or Dum Laga Ke Haisha and more. The director also talks about how happy he was with Varun and Anushka, who toiled very hard for the film and got candid about how he compressed Varun's larger-than-life personality to fit into the innocence of Mauji. Read below for the full excerpt from Sharat Katariya's interview:
Did you expect such tremendous box-office success for Sui Dhaaga?
"Not really. One is just busy making the film that one intends to make and whatever the result is always a bonus. What you're hoping is that it breaks even for the producers. And it does well and gets your appreciation. That's the maximum you're expecting from a film, as a filmmaker."
How impressed were you with Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma's performance in Sui Dhaaga?
"I was very moved by their sincerity and gratitude towards the character, towards the film. I felt that they really believed in it."
How was it to compress Varun's larger-than-life personality to play an innocent character like Mauji in Sui Dhaaga?
"This new crop of actors, whether it's Varun or Ayushmann (Khurrana), Anushka, even Ranveer, they all know that they have to go with the vision of the writer and the director. They have to come on the same track. That's a great thing that respect for the filmmaker is what actors believe in."
The most precious compliment or review you have received so far for Sui Dhaaga?
"The most precious one is when I got a call from someone and they told me that right now, the film is being screened in small tents in rural areas. I got a few emails and tweets about how Sui Dhaaga is changing their perception towards aspiring for something. That was very heartfelt and the fact that the film is still reaching out to people. No, we're not making money on it but it's reaching more people."
Dum Laga Ke Haisha or Sui Dhaaga - Which film are you closer to?
"Both of them for different reasons. Dum Laga Ke Haisha is closer to me because that was the first time that I was doing a film where there was a big studio attached to it. The first film I did was not Dum Laga Ke Haisha. There was another film that I had made which released only in 20 odd screens in the country. This time, we were hoping it would reach out to more people. Both films are close but there are no paticular reasons as such why they are close. It's close to me because there was a thought attached to it, which I strongly believed in and I was able to translate it on-screen. That was the joy of it."
With simplistic stories such as Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Sui Dhaaga which pull won many hearts; where do you get your inspiration from?
"Mostly from life. Just from seeing the people around me and that is inspiration enough for me."
With Sui Dhaaga and Dum Laga Ke Haisha, is it a conscious effort to base your films on rural India and the problems of the common man?
"There was a conscious effort because sometimes, whenever you travel to the interiors of the country, you feel for them. If you can do something for them, in whatever little way, bringing enlightenment and hope; one only is trying to do just that with the film. Even if it's going to change the thinking of one person, of the thousands and lakhs of people who watch it, I think that's the success of a film for me."
Would your next movie have a rural setup as well?
"I'm writing a few stories and the choice is not based on rural or urban. You think of the stories and where they belong."
How do you balance the content and commercial aspect of your movies?
"One is trying to be true to the story and that's about it. Even while writing, one is trying to write as simple and as honest as possible."
Given how mediocre 2017 was, Bollywood in 2018 saw a paradigm shift. How would you say 2018 has shaped up for you?
"One can only talk about oneself and your struggle is constant. Your struggle is with yourself and not with anyone else. The good thing is that films of all kinds are doing well but I would also say that this happens every year, not just in 2018. When Dum Laga Ke Haisha released, that year too had Badlapur, which did well amongst others. It's a hope that bringing newer stories on board would always find takers whether it's the actors, producers or the audience."
What can fans expect from Bollywood in 2019?
"Newer content, newer kinds of films and out-of-the-box stories. I hope the audience likes them as much, in 2018."
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