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It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that comedian-scriptwriter Varun Grover’s middle name is ‘gentle.’ While he may have won accolades for Gangs of Wasseypur and Sacred Games — featuring guns, blood, violence, at his core, he wants to tell subtle stories of hope. Take Masaan, for instance. The film is all about tender moments, depicting human emotions in the most organic way. Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the lyricist and comedian chose a film like All India Rank as his debut film as a director.
In a time when films with hyper-masculinity, blood and machismo are becoming roaring successes at the box office, choosing to release a film like All India Rank may seem like a bit of a risk, but Varun is hopeful. While speaking with FM Fever, the writer joked, “If we had called our film ‘Animal 2’ without changing anything in the script, I think more people would come to watch it. Many would be flocking to the theaters in the hope of seeing someone running with a knife.”
Recently, when Anurag Kashyap extended support to Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the filmmaker faced criticism from his fans and former colleagues, including Neeraj Ghaywan and Varun, too. In response, Ghaywan commented “Cringe,” while Varun wrote “No.”
The film, set in the ‘90s, is a story of a young boy, Vivek, who is pressured by his parents to get into an IIT. It portrays the challenges of leaving home, starting a new phase of life, and facing the intense competition among teenagers striving to become IITians. Presented by Sriram Raghavan, the film is set to release on February 23.
The comedian revealed that right after the year of angry men on screen, releasing the film was not his choice, but getting a theatrical release for a film like All India Rank is a big deal, given that it almost took him a decade to make it. “This is the kind of film that I want to see. I have no qualms admitting that I love Pathaan and Jawan. I absolutely loved these films, but I feel theaters should have space for gentle films. Films based on narratives woven around us, our day-to-day lives, drama, comedy, simple rom-coms sans any fancy elements should be shown in the theaters too. I believe the reason why cinema halls exist is so that all kinds of films can find a space,” he said.
High on nostalgia, the trailer of the film transports the audience instantly to the good old days of the ’90s. The filmmaker revealed that the reason why competitive exams became such a huge phenomenon in India is closely tied to the ’90s era. “The ‘90s is a character in the film and not merely a period shown in it,” said Varun, adding, “There was liberalisation, not just in the economy and politics but also in our lives. The advent of cable television, phones, etc., happened in the ‘90s. A lot of new things came into our lives. In an age of STD and landlines, computers came to India, and things like Channel V and MTV entered our lives. It was the first time I saw who Michael Jackson was. AR Rahman became such an integral part of our lives, and there’s a crucial sequence featuring his music in the film. It took us a long time, but we got the rights for it. The film features a PCO booth, which plays an integral part in adding drama to ‘All India Rank.'”
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