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What has been the response to Gang Of Ghosts and what have the people liked about the film?
I have been getting mixed responses. I don’t get affected by reviews and like to watch the audience reaction instead. I am just back from Delhi where I went to see the film in a theatre and was quite happy with the result. People present there told me that generally ghosts are portrayed as scary creatures, but they liked the unique concept of ghosts who were human-like and faced the same problems as people do in the film. Actually, it was this concept which prodded me to make the film.
What is your reaction to the comparisons that are being made, since Gang of Ghosts is the remake of the successful Bengali flick Bhooter Bhabishyat?
My film, Gang Of Ghosts also has the same plot and follows the screenplay as the original. But if I were to use the same political references or food references which were typically Bengali in the original, then it would not have been understood in other parts of India. One must also remember that in Bengal Bhooter Bhabishyat was the first black comedy to be made which attracted the audience. This was one of the reasons it was appreciated by the audience.
Do you think you could have done away with the songs, which really did not add to a horror comedy like Gang Of Ghosts?
Music is an integral part of Hindi films. Having said that, except for Aala re aala which is featured during the credit roll, Gang Of Ghosts has the same number of songs that the original Bhooter Bhabishyat had. The title song, the celebration track, and the song picturised on Mahie Gill who plays the ghost of an actress, are all there in the Bengali version. Like I said, except for certain references which were typical to the Bengali culture, I have stuck to the original plot.
At the end of the film what did you want the audience to walk away with?
Basically, the film is an entertainer, but with several issues related to the estate business, where land and heritage buildings are being pulled down to make way for monstrous structures. The film released on a day when the Indo-Pakistan match was going on, which subsequently affected the collections. I am hoping that it picks up. Anyway, once I make a film, I let go of it after the release. Whether the response is positive, moderate or negative, I have had too long a career in the industry to be affected by success and failure.
Everyone is talking about the flawless performances of actors like Anupam Kher, Parambrata Chatterjee, Sharman Joshi, Saurabh Shukla, Mahie Gill etc. But it was felt that certain things like Anupam Kher’s protruding teeth were not really appealing.
Remember, every actor wants to do something different which also includes looking different. So, when I explained my concept to Anupam Kher about the teeth, he was game for it, as they made him look funny. Trying new looks always adds to an actor, but it can be tough too. In the case of Anupam, it was quite difficult for him to talk with the teeth and it was uncomfortable when he had to keep them on for long spells. The rest of the cast were also very supportive. An ensemble cast tends to get divided, but for Gang Of Ghosts we all worked in complete harmony with each other. That’s the reason, the audience enjoyed our journey too.
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