‘This movie is not a statement. It’s a perspective’

‘There is a bigger threat to freedom. It is like you are trying to write something, but your thoughts are getting edited,’ says Aanand L Rai.

The filmmaker is confident that nothing in Mukkabaaz would offend “sensible people” even as it tries to expose “a few people who are wearing certain masks”. In fact, Rai feels that controversies over movies, such as Padmavati, are not about the film. “You have to see what is hiding behind such controversies. Such episodes are more like an opportunity that someone is using. It is much more than a film getting affected. There is a bigger threat to freedom. It is like you are trying to write something, but your thoughts are getting edited,” says Rai.

Even though his production house, Colour Yellow, is behind light-hearted movies such as Happy Bhag Jayegi and Shubh Mangal Savdhan, the last two films — Newton and Mukkabaaz — cast spotlight on the state of Indian democracy. “I am happy to be associated with films that have a certain effect on society and the audience. Newton reached a wide audience and did profitable business. I’m proud of Mukkabaaz. I won’t call it a game changer but it is very progressive,” says Rai, who turned producer with Ashwini Iyer Tiwari-directed Nil Battey Sannata (2016). Previously, the Delhi-born computer engineer had assisted his brother, Ravi Rai, in making television shows such as Gardish. In 2007, he debuted as a feature film director with Strangers, followed by Thoda Life Thoda Magic.

As producer, he is aware of a director’s requirements. “The challenges I encountered as a director, I don’t want others to face. As a director, I always wanted to be away from concerns like what’s the budget and how will we sell the film. So, once the story is locked, I step aside and I take care of all those concerns while the director focuses on the filming. I get involved again after the principal shoot is done,” says he.

After Mukkabaaz, Rai and Kashyap will team up again for Manmarziyan, which th e latter is directing. Meanwhile, Rai is also shooting his next directorial project, an untitled film with Shah Rukh Khan. “I don’t know how do I find time to handle production and directorial responsibilities. But a group of happy and like-minded people coming together for a project makes it easier,” he says. The film, which features Khan as a dwarf, is slated for release next year, on December 21. Though Rai describes it as “an emotionally tough film”, working with Khan for the first time has been “lots of fun”.