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Journalism of Courage
Virsa,an Indo-Pak Punjabi film,deals with the expatriate Punjabi community. The team, comprising of all debutants in Punjabi cinema,director Pankaj Batra,hero Aarya Babbar and Pakistani supermodel-turned-actress Mehreen Raheal get talking about their ambitious project that releases on May 7
You began your career with Hindi films. Why did you opt to do a Punjabi film instead of trying your hand in Hindi movies?
Pankaj : Being a Punjabi myself,I always saw that nothing great seemed to be happening in Punjabi cinema. That is why I thought I should make a film that will enhance Punjabi cinema.
Aarya : When I read the script I was very excited. Since Punjabi is my mother-tongue,I was happy to do it. It is not a run-of-the-mill story. Even the production value is very high. It is only the language that is different from a Hindi film.
Is Virsa an Indo-Pak collaboration? What was the idea behind it?
Pankaj : The story talks about relationships between two communities.
The film has a supermodel from Pakistan as a lead actress.
Pankaj : Mehreen was perfect to play the female lead character of Mahi.
Aarya : Mehreen is beautiful. She is a fine actress. For her first film,she has done a good job.
Tell us more about your star cast.
Pankaj : I have Aarya Babbar,Gulshan Grover,Kanwaljeet Singh,Mehreen and Numan Ijaz in the main cast. They are all mindblowing actors and I had a great experience working with them,especially Aarya. He is a surprise package in Virsa.
Aarya : In fact,Pankaj is techno-savvy. He is superb at editing. He has a perfect vision when it comes to cinema. Gulshan is like a pal on the sets.
Besides directing Virsa,you have even penned the story. What is the story based on?
Pankaj : It is based on human emotions. I guess that since I have gone through a lot of ups and downs,I want to communicate on different matters through my writing.
What is your character based on?
Mehreen : I play a very head-strong girl,who has been brought up abroad. Although she has spent most of her life away from her culture,she is very strongly connected to her roots and values her culture more than anything!
Mehreen,you are multi-talented,having done scriptwriting,dance and drama as well as being a columnist and writer. How do you manage all this?
Mehreen : We have just one life to live and there is so much to do. I try and make time for things I like in my life!
Do you think this exposure will benefit you as an actor?
Mehreen : Its a very beautiful film. I feel very blessed to be a part of such a soulful project! I have already done some TV plays. Doing this film was like a perfect opportunity to test the waters. Punjabi is a beautiful language and the script had my attention completely.
How was it working in an Indian set-up?
Mehreen : There are no words to explain how incredible it was.
Do you plan to do Hindi films?
Mehreen : Yes,I want to.
Do you recall any memorable incidents while shooting the film?
Mehreen : So many. Doing the film itself was a memorable experience.
Pankaj : Thats right. The entire film was a great experience for me.
Hasnt Virsa been doing the rounds of festivals?
Pankaj : Yes. It has been selected at Dallas Film Festival America and we are planning to screen it at more festivals in future.
Did you face any problems while shooting in Australia,considering the what Indians are facing over there today?
Aarya : 40 per cent of the film was shot in Australia and fortunately we never faced any problems. In fact,the Australians went out of their way to help the unit.
Pankaj : Frankly speaking,there is no such problem related to racism. I am not saying that there is no racism in Australia but every Australian doesnt think like that. There are good and nice people also.
Mehreen : Yes,everyone went out of their way to make us feel at home.
Would you say that it is easier to shoot abroad than in India?
Pankaj : Yes, because in India we have to handle crowds and it is difficult to get permissions to shoot on locations. Shooting in Australia was a good experience.
How long did you take to complete the film? Is it releasing internationally?
Pankaj : It took me almost one year from writing the script of the film till its release on May 7. I plan to release it worldwide,in countries like USA,UK,Australia,India,Pakistan,Singapore and Canada.
What did you learn from Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Kalpana Lajmi whom you have assisted in the past?
Pankaj : It was their passion for filmmaking that has rubbed off on me as well. They believe in always putting their best efforts in every project.
What are your expectations at the box-office?
Mehreen : We have all worked very hard in Virsa. And I have faith in my team. I know it will be a hit.
Pankaj : I hope that it becomes a super-hit.
Aarya : The film is close to my heart. So I hope it does very well.
