Caught in the rain

July 26,2005: Two men caught in a flash flood make a promise: If we ever survive this and get out alive,we’ll make a movie on it. Four years later,as Kunal Deshmukh and Emraan Hashmi tour ten cities in ten days,they relive the day,through their film,Tum Mile. But wait a minute,shouldn’t have this been made four years back? “I wanted to,but no producer was willing to take such a huge risk with a new director,” says Kunal,whose prayers were answered when Vishesh Films post Jannat,backed him for his dream film – Tum Mile. So,it didn’t have the budget of a Titanic or 2012,but Kunal managed to pull it off,all this in 40 days and 40 nights,in a watertight shed,with waist deep water.

His second film,Kunal wanted to try something new,something which was away from the masala,the clap-tap,song and drama of a typical Hindi film. “I’m a very serious guy who sticks to serious,emotionally rich subjects,” says Kunal,losing and finding love,in the rain. “It just ushers in a mood of romance,doesn’t it,” he smiles,happy to take a seat amongst the audience and gauge their reaction. “Vishesh Films doesn’t believe in premieres. They are a waste of time for all you get is a melee of fake people and fake feedback. It’s for the snaparazzi who are looking for a spread on Page 3 where for me,a connect with the audience is more important,to know what’s going on in their mind,what’s their reaction,whether my film,the dialogue,the subject is working,” Kunal has made a habit of this ‘silent learning’. He feels that when a director watches his film with the audience,it’s a like a quantum leap in his way of thinking,perspective and knowledge. “You know,Juhu Versova is like the Sunset Boulevard of Mumbai and unfortunately,people there believe that if the buzz happening in this stretch,the film’s hit. That’s not the case. You can’t be a frog in the well. Mumbai gives you a much more muted response,and there’s a bigger world outside Mumbai.”

A Vishesh Films loyalist,Kunal’s pretty much at home doing films under this banner. “As long as they fund my ideas and back them,I’ll continue,” says the director who is at the centre of the change the industry is going through. “Change is a way of life and Bollywood is changing…the younger lot is in because the older lot is failing,at box office and critical corner. It’s heartening to see that people are trying new ways of storytelling,meet braver,more fearless bunch of newcomers who are breaking away from commercial mainstream formula.” For Kunal,a director starts getting better after the age of 35-40,when he finds his own voice and cements it. “And I’ll get there,sooner or later,” he signs off.