‘Rajma Chawal’ is a hopeful film, wherein both generations reach across their gap to overcome it. Emotions are much more powerful than emoticons! Personal interaction and exchanges cannot be replaced by a machine always. We live in challenging times where connectivity is better than ever before, but also there is a growing sense of isolation and loneliness. And now technology is another barrier in that expression. This becomes a burden not just on their relationships but also for them individually. Culturally in India, men are taught to be ‘tough’ and to hold back on the feelings front. If we are surrounded by expressive parents and friends, we often become expressive. Expression of feelings is something we learn at a young age. I cannot make a generalisation about this as it is at one level a very individual thing. Is this a cultural ramification in India, particularly for men?
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I wanted to find new aspects of story-telling and the best way to do that is to change the genre, which also helps you explore a newer side of yourself.ĭuring the film’s climax, Rishi Kapoor confesses to his son that he never learnt how to express love. To challenge myself as a filmmaker, I wanted to explore a completely new territory, a new space emotionally and also content-wise. What led you to change gear from a fantasy elegy like ‘Parched’ to something so different and seeped in the very real world of Delhi? But yes, in Old Delhi the juxtaposition of technology with the old structures and lanes makes for some interesting visuals.
So this introduction of technology is unique in its own way, not only in Old Delhi but anywhere in the world today. In the remotest villages, people are watching all kinds of content on their smartphones. I think technology as of today has seeped into places we can’t even imagine. Surprisingly, most of the older people in the film are adept at using smartphones and technology, albeit in their own peculiar way. Rishi Kapoor and Leena Yadav on set with the cast and crew of 'Rajma Chawal' He has this child-like ability to constantly adapt, not only as a person but also as an actor" "The most enduring quality about Rishi Kapoor is that he never lets the child inside him fall back. Food was a source of great bonding during the entire shoot. And then, we always had rajma chawal and tasty food to bridge any gap on set. And both the young actors stood their ground with extreme sincerity. He was really generous with Amyra and Anirudh on set. He has this child-like ability to constantly adapt, not only as a person but also as an actor. The most enduring quality about Rishi Kapoor is that he never lets the child inside him fall back. How was the dynamic on set, between the very seasoned Rishi Kapoor and the two young actors Amyra Dastur and Anirudh Tanwar? And then Aparshakti Khurana walked right into the role and created an amazing Baljeet in the film.
I must have seen the maximum auditions for this character. The other challenge was finding the perfect Baljeet, one of my favourite characters in the script. After meeting and auditioning many actors I finally found the perfect Seher in Amyra Dastur. For 'Rajma Chawal', I realised that there are two characters that are going to be difficult to find the right fit! The first was of the lead girl, Seher. But, like in any film, some characters are challenging to cast. It’s also my favourite food, so I’m happy making a film with that name!Ĭould you tell us about the casting process? This dish features as a very important story thread. The popular North Indian dish ‘rajma chawal’ has a timeless emotional quality attached to it. And Chandni Chowk is a part of Delhi that has a timeless quality - a kind of time warp, like things, have always been a certain way and will continue to be. At any point in life, you revisit these places and it transports you back into the past, to the time which is relevant to that place. I spent my college days in Delhi and there are certain places which bring back a flood of memories the moment you visit it. And yes, I do share this nostalgia about Delhi especially. Places where you spend different phases of your life become witness to your story at that point in time. Do you share this nostalgia and can you define it?
The film is about people’s connection to a place, in particular, Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. It’s also my favourite food, so I’m happy making a film with that name! The film is mainly about the rapidly changing communication gap between the generations told through a father-son drama, in which the popular North Indian dish rajma chawal has a timeless emotional quality attached to it. What does ‘Rajma Chawal’ mean for the film and to you? 'Rajma Chawal' will have a worldwide Netflix release on November 30, 2018, following its Asia premiere at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star.Īctor Rishi Kapoor and director Leena Yadav on set