Director Anushree Mehta on Mrs. Undercover, “My first film as a director….– Exclusive

MUMBAI: ZEE5 released the trailer of its latest direct to digital film ‘Mrs Undercover’.StarringRadhika Apte in and as Mrs. Undercover, the film also stars Sumeet Vyas, Rajesh Sharma and Saheb Chatterjee in pivotal roles and is an entertaining spy comedy with Radhika in lead. Directed and written by debutant director, Anushree Mehta and produced by B4U Motion Pictures in association with Jaadugar Films and Knight Sky Movies, the ZEE5 original film is set to premiere on 14th April 2023.

As seen in the trailer, Durga (played by Radhika Apte) is a clumsy housewife who moonlights as a spy in this hilarious film. Recruited by the Special Force, she is called back on the job after 10 years. However, in these 10 years, she has forgotten all about being an undercover agent as she dedicated all her time to being ‘just’ a housewife, taking care of her mother-in-law, father-in-law, son and a demanding patriarchal husband.

Infact, when her husband (Saheb Chatterjee) is asked about what she does, he replies that she doesn’t do anything and that she is just a housewife. Via Durga’s character, the movie conveys an important message and ends with a realization that a housewife is a superwoman in the truest of senses and is never ‘just’ a housewife as she efficiently multi-tasks her various responsibilities while fighting off the patriarchal norms that are deeply rooted in an Indian society. 

We recently interacted with Anushree Mehta, and spoke to her about Mrs. Undercover & more…

With so much content on OTT these days, what do you think will set this film apart? Give me the name of one film on OTT that is a spy comedy with a female protagonist. I think my trailer answers your question. From the time the trailer has dropped, I've been hearing 2 key words in all appreciations ‘different and exciting.’ I'm very confident that my film is way different than most other films releasing on OTT platforms and otherwise and that is what sets my film apart.

This is your first film as a director. How was the experience? And any hesitations / setback which you overcame? What would be your advice for other first-time directors? My first film as a director has been a very long but extremely fulfilling experience for me as a director. Earlier I have produced my business partner Abir Sengupta's first film which was a Bengali film so I was aware of the kind of challenge that a first-time director faces while making his/her film. So somehow, I had prepared for everything and since this time the roles were reversed and Abir stepped into the shoes of being a producer of my film, I knew he will have my back. That’s very important for a director to have the right producer backing them and with Abir being there I knew my film was in safe hands. Now that I'm awaiting the release of my film in a few days, I can say that this was a lifechanging experience for me. I realized a lot about myself as a filmmaker. Before you direct something, you will have notions about what you want to direct or what stories you would want to tell but after making one the clarity you would have in your head is unbeatable. Most people advise first time directors to choose the right script or writing your own script or doing your homework well. I feel all this goes without saying. My advice to first time filmmakers would be to choose your producer wisely. A producer is not someone who puts in the money wisely or arranges the money, a good producer is someone who enables you to achieve your vision.

‘Mrs. Undercover’ will exclusively stream on ZEE5 from 14th April!