Swinging into Action

While he prefers to remain tight-lipped about the details of the storyline,the inspiration,he reveals,comes from his hometown,Kanjhawala,located on the outskirts of Delhi. Predominantly a Jat area — notorious for its unemployed youth and failing civic administration,the village forms the visual landscape of the two-hour feature. “I have turned to my roots and have narrated stories that were part of my childhood,including my observations as a teenager,” says Dabbas.

The narrative revolves around four youngsters from the village,who are forced to choose between their conscience and money. However,their lust for greed could give their village and its elders a bad name. “There are a lot of misguided youngsters in Kanjhawla,who believe that indulging in wrong actions is a quick way to acquire fame. They are unmindful of the repercussions,” adds Dabbas,who was born in Kanjhawala,and stayed there till the age of three,before he was sent to a boarding school in Toronto,Canada. He revisited the village a decade later,when he moved to his parents home in Vasant Kunj. “It was a culture shock. I could hardly recall anything about living there,” says Dabbas,who continued to frequent the village in his teens. “There is a typical sense of humour that every Jat inherits. It is understated,yet effective,” he adds. Even the script of the film,that was written over a period of eighteen months,is reflective of the humour.

Starring an ensemble cast of fresh faces like Ashish Nair,Kuldeep Ruhil,Udit Khurana and the experienced Anupam Kher and Yashpal Sharma,the movie has been shot in several locations in Delhi,including the India Habitat Centre,Tihar Jail and Hansraj College,his alma mater. “It is not a tribute to my roots,but I have showcased my roots abundantly… I don’t intend to be preachy. The story has to be entertaining enough to deliver the message that wrong actions have equally bad implications. Serious issues are better conveyed in a light manner,” he continues.

Though the actor has been commissioning writers to pen down his ideas for long,Dabbas did not take any help for this project. “I am a control freak and could not trust anyone with writing or producing this film,” says Dabbas,who has launched his own production house,Very Fishy films,with his wife Preeti Jhangiani,for this project. The name,he says,“symbolises that they take work seriously,and not themselves”. For now,he is back to the editing table for post-production. Acting is not on the backseat either. With Alibaug due for release next year,Dabbas has kept open his options.