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When you think of Vishal Bhardwaj, you think of magic being created on screen. His characters, music and cinematic creativity are unmatched in today’s time. It was thus a happy surprise to watch him pack all his offerings for a short film that’s shot on an iPhone. Titled Fursat, the film stars Ishaan Khatter, Wamiqa Gabbi and Salman Yussuf Khan, and has been shot entirely on iPhone 14 Pro. At the screening of the film on Thursday, Bhardwaj spoke about his experience and how he feels this could start a revolution in filmmaking.
Speaking to the moderator, the director said that he has seen films being shot on an iPhone, naming Chinese films Nian and 3 Minutes. Thus he needed no convincing from the Apple team as he was keen to experiment. He shared that they had zeroed upon two facts — a love story and their meeting on a moving train. Bhardwaj added that they wanted Fursat to be a ‘typical Bollywood film’ at the core, but have its own layer and depth. “We also wanted to have it in a musical format, something like we have seen in films like Chicago. Where once the song comes, the cast moves to a stage to perform. That gives a wider canvas to play with the inner emotions. I have been wanting to do a film like this and was looking forward to it. Hence, the question should be – how did I convince Apple for this?” he said.
Watch Vishal Bhardwaj’s short film Fursat here:
The 30-minute short film is the story of a young man, who can see the future through his magical device called ‘Doordarshak’. However, his quest to control the future leads him to risk his present and lose the love of his life. Talking about the title of the film, the director said that ‘Fursat’ for him means freedom or leisure. “We are all running after what will happen next or pondering over what happened in the past. Amid this, we are losing our moment of leisure, our freedom to live the moment.”
Apart from a riveting storyline and impressive performances, the short film also treats the audience to some breathtaking dance acts. Choreographed by Shiamak Davar, the songs uplift the story and leave a lasting impression. However, it’s Vishal’s music, and especially his vocals, that stir the heartstrings of the audience the loudest. A special mention to the song “Kal”, which beautifully captures how we forget to live while worrying about yesterday and tomorrow.
Echoing the emotions of many in the audience, Vishal Bhardwaj shared that there are times when he has to remind himself that the film was shot on a phone. While the team was not used to functioning with such a small device, he shared that they could approach a scene or location that they could never have done with a big camera. Calling the experience ‘very liberating’, the Kaminey director said, “Also, the features, be it action or the cinematic mode, that helped us enhance the work so much. I was really impressed by what the iPhone could do.”
The director further spoke about how while he was trying to find a footing as a filmmaker, hiring equipment meant burning a big hole in the pocket. “It was out of my reach. Cameras were so expensive, and then you had to hire a team and it was a lot of money per shift. Today, you have a gadget in your pocket, and all that you need is a good script. You can work on the content and it absolutely liberates you from all the jhanjat. Now one cannot say they have no money to make a film, you have your phone. It’s just an amazing time for filmmakers.”
“We are sitting here and thus cannot judge, but when we look back at this, we’ll know it started a revolutionary phase. Now, I can shoot any film I want. There are many subjects where you don’t find a producer, they don’t want to spend money. But now I can shoot as many films as I want without seeking a producer.”
Fursat is available to stream on Apple platforms, Disney+ Hotstar and YouTube.
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