MUMBAI: - Bhaiyya Ji delves deep into themes of revenge and justice. Is there a particular scene or narrative in the film that you feel captures these themes most powerfully?
There is a scene where Bhaiyya Ji visits Chandra Bhan’s place. Because Bhaiyya Ji has stopped being a violent person, he knows that violence has no conclusion—you and the other person only lose your loved ones. So Bhaiyya Ji visits Chandra Bhan and asks him to give back his son, saying there is no need to shed blood over this. This is one scene where it states that it’s not necessary for a person in power to always use his power to get things done. Even if that powerful man folds his hands in front of someone and asks for something, it will still look powerful. This scene justifies the whole film and Bhaiyya Ji’s understanding of why he is so powerful and why people love him so much. Even though his brother is dead, he still visits Chandra Bhan and folds his hands to get back his son. This scene will stay with me for life."
- Bhaiyya Ji is described as a larger-than-life character with a mix of raw intensity and grand charisma. What was your approach while directing Manoj Bajpayee in such a dynamic role?
Manoj sir and I had a discussion when we were doing Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai. When we do such kind of films, Manoj sir knows how to deliver his dialogues. Banda had a lot of craft-driven dialogues, and the film was totally dependent on Manoj sir. On the other hand, Bhaiyya Ji was more dependent on me—the kind of shots I take and how I showcase the larger-than-life aspect. It depends on how you are shooting the scenes. You can shoot one scene in different ways, but that won’t necessarily look larger-than-life. Shooting him in a larger-than-life manner was a challenge, and I had discussed it with Manoj sir. He always used to say, “Wherever you say, no matter how many times, I will come and stand there. The rest is in your hands.” So, when he said this, I had to work harder. I had many discussions with the team and the action director Vijan master, who has done a lot of commercial films—some 400 films. He contributed a lot and helped me shoot and give that larger-than-life feel. It was a team effort, and that’s how we moved forward to shoot Manoj sir. "
- Given the success of Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, how did you manage the expectations and pressures while working on Bhaiyya Ji?
Actually, I don’t take such pressure. I came to this industry a long time ago—it's been 14 years. I always wanted to do different genres, and the only reason I didn’t choose any other work or industry for myself is because I didn’t want to do the same things every day. That goes the same with films as well. After Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, a lot of people expected me to do another hard-hitting story or another courtroom drama, but I don’t want to do that. If you ask whether I would like to do a courtroom drama again, why not? But that would be another time, another script, and another powerful story. For now, I wanted to do this very passionately, and that’s why I did it. I don’t think I felt any pressure because I love it, and I always wanted to shift genres, and I will keep doing that. The only criteria is that I should feel like doing it from within. "
Add new comment