Growing Up

However,like with most debut directors,Lal faced his own share of problems while he was on his way to realise his dream project. “There was a policy shift at NFDC and they started focussing on regional cinema,” Lal rues. But he didn’t give in. “I took my film to no less than 12 producers,but none of them had the guts to make it the way I had envisioned it. After a three-year-long struggle,I managed to find a producer. Sushma Kaul was on the same page as me,” recounts the director.

As opposed to the norm of approaching known actors,Lal chose newcomers for his film. He explains this: “I have always believed that stars make for a great style statement,but actors get into the skin of the characters. For this film,I needed people who looked real and portrayed their characters convincingly. I couldn’t have had Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif playing parents; it just wouldn’t have worked.”

Even though the film is ready and set to release today,another set of challenges awaits Lal. Bubble Gum releases amidst a season of big ticket films,such as Singham and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,which are currently running housefull. But Lal remains optimistic. “I always knew that making a film is a tough task,but releasing it is tougher. With so many films releasing every week,it is very difficult to find the right timing. But if the audience connects to the story,Bubble Gum will not be affected by the big-budget movies.