JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
INTERVIEW: Neeraj Pandey on Operation Romeo, Vikram Vedha, Special Ops 2 and Chanakya
Neeraj Pandey believes that the Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan starrer Vikram Vedha is one of the best scripts he has come across till date. Read details
Neeraj Pandey is one of the most celebrated directors of Hindi cinema having helmed films like A Wednesday, Special 26, Baby and MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. He made his foray into the digital space with Special Ops, which is among the most viewed OTT originals till date. His next as a producer, Operation Romeo is all set for a theatrical release on April 22. It’s an official remake of Malayalam hit, Ishq Not A Love Story.
Opening up about the idea of adapting the Malayalam film, Neeraj says, “One of the producers of the original film wanted us to make it in Hindi. It was interesting, we were flattered and at the same time, we loved the film. So that’s how it all started.” He insists that the script has been tweaked for the Hindi speaking audience. “The language demanded a certain approach. So, the team tweaked it a bit for the Hindi audience, but I was not involved in the writing process.”
Neeraj believes that it is essential to live up to the expectations of the audience. “We are accountable to the audience and it’s our job to live up to the raised expectations. We try and I think, our audience knows that we don’t take them lightly,” he informs. And how do they ensure to do that? “We always chase good stories, unique stories that have not been told before. It’s not genre specific as we wish to do everything,” he answers adding further, “You need to be prudent with the times we are living in and the definition of good stories can never change. We just have to keep serving the audience with stories that they have not seen before.”
Neeraj is also one of the producers on Vikram Vedha fronted by Hrithik Roshan with Saif Ali Khan. It’s the remake of a Tamil hit by the same name. “It’s very exciting. It’s one of the best scripts that we have come across. The film is shaping up beautifully,” he promises. Neeraj also confirms that the second season of Special Ops fronted by Kay Kay Menon is in the pipeline. “It’s due next year, bigger and better. We will go on floors by early next year,” he keeps it short.
And what’s happening on the feature film front for Pandey as a director? “Working towards that, we will make an announcement soon.” And is it going to be Chankaya with Ajay Devgn or some new film? “You will know that in the due course of time,” he signs off.
Latest Articles
