Mainstream Goan filmmakers in Bollywood – The Navhind Times

He is known for his short film ‘Aaba Aiktaay Naa?’. Goan filmmaker Aditya Jambale, who won national awards for his films “” and “Kalvas”, is set to release his first feature film “Article 370”, which is packed with politics, action and drama, on February 23. NT BUZZ talks with young director before movie release

Kalyani Jha | NT Buzz

Many films have already been made about Kashmir. But you say the aspects you touched on are new. How are you trying to express your story?

Article 370 was one of the biggest historic decisions taken in India. It was a mission carried out in secrecy, with only speculation abound. One aspect of this mission was the secrecy, but another aspect was that the mission had to be accomplished without losing a single innocent life in Kashmir and the entire valley, and the Considering its history, this was a masterpiece70. Years of conflict, rebellion, terrorism,
And everything.

It wasn’t entertainment, so we had a responsibility. It was important for us to stay close to reality and tell the story as it is. People are still ignorant about Article 370. Before that, Kashmir had a separate flag and a separate constitution. Through the film, we get to understand the epicenter of the problem, its historical context, and its mission through the eyes of a bureaucrat and an NIA official played by Yami Gautam and Priyamani.

What research was done to ensure the authenticity of the story during the making of the film?

Once we started, Aditya Dhar, Monal Thakral, Arjun Dhawan and I met. As writers, we all started doing research. We spoke to journalists and people at the National Investigation Agency and tried to obtain as many documents as possible. The main question was whether sensitive information obtained from many sources could be deciphered. After sifting and organizing the data, we found that approximately 90 to 95 percent of the information is not available in the public domain. The public does not know what happened on August 4, 2019. He of abolition does not even know what happened 15 days ago, or even six months ago. It took about 5-6 months to compile all the data and create the screenplay and script accordingly.

As a director, do you find it difficult to focus on these kinds of themes that remain untouched in the political realm?

completely. When I started thinking about this film, I knew it was political and there was going to be a lot of friction and sides would be taken and there would be doubts. I also knew that before the movie was released, even before people saw the movie, people would have opinions about it. But I think when you have a story, it becomes a soul. So as long as you’re true to your story, true to your subject matter and the intent of creating it, nothing else matters. So as a director, I have to have an opinion. As a director, I try to bring a story to the 70mm screen simply because I believe in it. You can’t do it if you don’t believe in it. So that element was very important to me as a director.

When I pitched this story to Arun Govil, the oldest actor on this cast list, he said you’re too young to direct this film. He inspired and appreciated my work and was happy that I came from Goa to do a feature film in Bollywood. He called it courage. I knew what I was capable of and tried everything.
It’s up to the audience to decide when to go see the movie on February 23rd. The audience can decide how and what they feel about it.
they react.

Was it difficult to take a neutral position given the complex socio-political situation in Kashmir?

I think truth has no place. I have taken a lot of photos in Kashmir over the past year. We must speak the truth without making any fabrications. Facts are the basis for a director’s opinion. There are also aspects. There is also the complex nature of how these institutions function, and the complexity of the socio-political structure can be seen in the film. There are gray areas and not everything is black and white. But at the same time, you can see why they took such a clear stand.

What was it like filming in Kashmir?

Filming in Kashmir was the longest period of production. We shot the Yami scenes downtown, which is the epicenter of the whole mess. Area for throwing stones. The local people were also very cooperative. CRPF and police were very cooperative there. There was nothing to worry about. We received love and support only from Kashmiris. Now I have so many friends in Kashmir that I don’t even need to go to a hotel when I go back.

Please tell us about the cast of the movie. There is no noticeable male face. Was that intentional, or was it not necessary to the story?

The character played by Yami, Zuni Haksar, is inspired by a real person. Rajeshwari Swaminathan is a bureaucrat played by Priyamani, both of whom are inspired by real-life characters who are women. So there was no need to listen to the logic of the market, trends, and box office and change it, or do anything that the original story didn’t call for. We believed in this idea and assembled a great cast. Besides Yami and Priyamani, there were also Vaibhav Tatwawadi, Mohan Agashe, Kiran Karmarkar, Iravati Harshe and Raj Zushti. The idea was string actors acting out the story with honesty and conviction. They are stars in their own right. The support from this cast is a very important aspect for a debutant like me and it helped me a lot.

Are you making anything in Goa soon?

I have made one Marathi film and two Punjabi short films. The whole idea of ​​doing it was to get out of my comfort zone. Goan films are in my blood but it will take me some time to do another film. The Goa-themed stories I work on need to have a certain impact factor and attract a global audience. I don’t want to make Goan films just for Goans or Goans. I want to make gore movies in a way that everyone can notice them and take them seriously. I want India to watch this movie the same way we watch Iranian movies or Bengali or Malayalam movies. Otherwise I don’t want to make a gore movie. I want to tell the story of Goa to the world.
I’m taking it slow right now, so there will be a good time.