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Gurmmeet Singh is truly the man of the moment. He directed Mirzapur The Movie, a rare Indian film based on a web series. The experiment worked big time as Mirzapur The Movie crossed the Rs. 200 crore mark and continues to run in cinemas. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Gurmmeet Singh spoke about the success of the film and a lot more.
Mirzapur The Movie has stunned everyone with collections crossing the Rs. 200 crore mark. Before release, what was your prediction about the film’s lifetime numbers?
The good thing is that we didn’t focus on the box office numbers at all. Also, since the time we announced the film, we have been constantly working on it at breakneck speed. Our entire focus was to get the film ready in time, so that it could release it on the scheduled date. As a result, we never got the time or chance to discuss the box office or what should be the ideal collection of the film. Moreover, we also got educated as we moved along while making the film. We were told by experts, ‘Yeh number accha hai’, ‘tracking acchi ho rahi hai’. Slowly, we started learning about it.
Jitendra Kumar has done an exceptional job as Babloo. However, it was Vikrant Massey who played the part in the web series. Was there an apprehension about whether the audience would accept Jitendra in the role?
Most of the credit for it goes to Jeetu. We have been fans of his work and knew that he would make for a great Babloo. Ideally, we should have made him feel comfortable in this world. Instead, he made us comfortable. He told us, ‘You guys know what needs to be done. Aap meri chinta mat karo. Aap karte chalo. Main ghul mil jaunga’!”
He’s probably the bravest person in this film. After all, he was the only one who had to essay a role which was earlier played by somebody else. Kudos to him for the ease with which he did it. He brought his own individuality to the role and collaborated with us beautifully. We couldn’t have been happier.
Have you spoken to Vikrant Massey after the release? Has he seen the film?
No, I haven’t had the chance to speak to him.
Mirzapur The Movie looks quite cinematic, especially the Rajasthan portions and the car chase sequence. Was that a conscious decision to ensure that audiences saw it as a big-screen film rather than an extension of the web series?
100%. It was a challenge as we had set a pattern in storytelling in the 3 seasons. Hence, from the writing stage, we were clear that it needed to have a film-like narrative structure. Accordingly, we decided to approach it as a big-screen venture. We wanted the audience to experience the world and not just get immersed into it. The efforts of the makers and every unit and cast member was in that direction.
The visual storytelling had to be leaps and bounds above what we had done until now. Hence, at Puneet Krishna’s suggestion, we brought Rajasthan into the picture. We went to Jaisalmer and its Sand Dunes, so that we get a distinct visual texture. Since season 1, people drew parallels with Western films or shows. This time, we decided to go into the world of Spaghetti Westerns like The Good The Bad And The Ugly (1966). Hence, we shot with extreme wide lenses. A lot of ambience and atmosphere was used within the film. For example, we set the action sequence at the beginning in the spice factory. So, we could see the colours of spices flying. We also made a lot of use of water and fire. Our set pieces were bigger. Our action was a lot more explosive. We came up with things that audiences would enjoy. Mirzapur The Movie was like an adventure rather than the gritty storytelling that you’d see in the show.
Also, it was great that you didn’t divide the film into chapters…
Absolutely. Chapter aur episode wala zone toh hamare show mein chalta hi rehta hai. Hence, we took a call that it needs to be as fluid as possible with the film. We wanted to enjoy it like a hardcore old-school film.
The CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) cut 35 seconds of intimate scenes, muted cuss words in 4 places and replaced abuses in 6 places in Mirzapur The Movie. How did you react to these cuts?
We knew that we would have to cross this hurdle at some point. We were also cognizant of the fact that personal viewing is very different from community viewing. From the very beginning, we realized that the characters and the fun associated with them were the biggest draw. We knew that on the big screen, some other aspects might have to take a backseat.
Before the film’s release, we were a little apprehensive about how audiences would react to the cuts. Thankfully, they responded very well. They enjoyed the camaraderie, dialogubaazi, adventure and action, all within a more hyper-real space. They felt that the language and every other aspect remained organic. Hence, I don’t feel that the guidelines hampered our storytelling.
Also, the CBFC viewed Mirzapur as a piece of pop culture. They acknowledged that Mirzapur has its own legacy, deals with adult and mature themes, and that audiences know what to expect from it. They were supportive and were clear that the filmmaker’s vision should not be hampered. On our part, we also understood the guidelines.
Ours is a vast country and, despite an ‘A’ rating, there are times when under-18-year-olds enter cinema halls. It’s difficult to completely control that aspect. Hence, we understood the CBFC’s point of view. They were collaborative, and we were able to find a middle path where they felt the film stayed within the boundaries of what they considered appropriate, while we felt that the fun and the world of Mirzapur remained intact.
Thankfully, the audience also responded well. So, I guess we managed to achieve that balance.
What’s happening next with Mirzapur?
With every season and now with the film, the world of Mirzapur has expanded. In other words, the number of stakeholders has also expanded. We are still in the release month and we are waiting for the hype to calm down. Everybody in the team is enjoying the hard work that they have put in. Very soon, we all will collectively sit down in a room. The plans are already in place. Everyone wants to come together and decide which direction we want to move in.
At this point, I can commit that Mirzapur is definitely coming back. Kaunse shape ya form mein hoga, we’ll let you all know soon!
Tell us about your production house, Cheetah On The Moon…
My partner, Vishal Bajaj, and I started Cheetah On The Moon a couple of years ago. Vishal has worked on more than 20 shows and films and brings with him vast experience. Our journey together goes back to 2006. We have been friends and have worked together since then.
As a director, there are only a limited number of titles you can work on in one lifetime. We want to tell more stories. That’s why we started Cheetah On The Moon, so that we could collaborate with the right people and other producers and create films and shows that build worlds like Mirzapur.
We also want to create IPs that can travel across different sections of society, from the deepest heartlands to South Mumbai. We’ve been working towards that for the past couple of years, and you’ll now start seeing our projects come out.
One of our films is completely ready and should be released this year. We have two shows on floors, and we also have one film that we’ll be shooting soon.
Also Read: Mirzapur: The Movie makers are aiming for an ‘A’ certificate, reveals director Gurmmeet Singh
