It has just been a day since Anurag Kashyap’s Dobaaraa was released on the big screen, and the film has already collected a lot of praise from critics and audiences alike. Starring Taapsee Pannu and Pavail Gulati among others, the film is the official Hindi remake of the Spanish film Mirage. Showering praise on the director was not just the viewers but also one of his cast members, actress Vidushu Mehra who played an important role in the mystery drama. Vidushi, who is also an acting coach shared with News18 Showsha in an exclusive chat that the film is something Kashyap has never tried before and the result is a ‘Christopher Nolan kind of film.’
Sharing her reaction after watching her film for the first time during a private screening session, she said, “When we were shooting it in Pune last year just before the second wave of Covid hit, we ended up being on the set for a long part of our schedule even for the scenes we were not a part of. Even then, there was no way of knowing what the film would look like. That is the genius of Anurag Kashyap. I had a visual of the film in my mind because I am a visual person but even for someone like me, I could not have anticipated what I saw. It really is fabulous- the plot, the story, the twists and turns, the complexity of the script, and the complexity of the narrative. It’s coming together and stitched very well to take the story forward. It is a very well-made film like a Christopher Nolan kind of Hollywood film. The kind of treatment Mr Kashyap has given to the film.”
The actress continued, “He has not had a release in the theatre for so long so I think this is his comeback answer to all his critics and all his fans who have missed his work in the theatres. This is a kind of cinema he has not done before.”
Talking about her work experience with the director, Vidushu shared that Kashyap is one of those rare directors who knows what he wants and can communicate that to his actors. “Anurag is one of those rare directors that we are left with unfortunately in the industry. I hope lots of directors follow his path because he’s somebody who really takes pain in explaining what he needs from his actors and there are very few directors like that. He’s somebody who is of the opinion that if your supporting cast is strong, your leads look automatically great. He’s not somebody to spoon-feed you, he will make you think. He didn’t want any acting from me, he just asked me to be how I am in real life with my children. He said this film is already so gimmicky with the sets and narrative, twists and turns, that he wanted the acting to be very minimal, very subtle.”
While talking about how experimental the film Dobaaraa is, the actress also opined that the superstardom era in the industry is gone now and the audience does not have the patience to wait for stars anymore. “The pandemic has hurt the industry badly for the last two years. You can see the fate of big films like Laal Singh Chaddha, they just flopped and it goes to show that the superstardom era has gone. Now people don’t have the patience for Aamir Khan or Salman Khan (laughs). The superstardom era has flopped big time. Now, even when you want to connect to fantasy-oriented films, they still have to be real. I think a director like Anurag comes in there where he makes the acting so naturalistic against the backdrop of a sci-fi film. And that’s his winning streak. That’s how he’s able to balance.”
She also shared that Dobaaraa is a movie where if one blinks, they will miss major details. “You have to be super focused and go with people who do not distract you. Dobaaraa requires your brain, not your body. I don’t think there’s been a film in a long time from our industry where you really have to crack your brain. It is a complicated plot so I think you have to be aware of it, you have to watch it intensely. The response during the screening was outstanding, now we just hope it is a commercial success at the Box Office. I think the industry needs one, especially after Laal Singh Chaddha doing so badly.”
Vidushi signed off by saying that there are several artists in the industry with whom she would love to collaborate and she has already asked Anurag Kashyap to cast her again as an opportunity like this does not come every day. “I’m very grateful for having worked with Mr Kashyap because it’s an opportunity that doesn’t come knocking on your door every day. And I told him after the film that, ‘dobaaraa cast karo’ (cast me again) because I’m so spoiled. I don’t know if I want to work with anybody. He’s somebody who really takes care of everybody from the technician, to the spot boys to all the actors. There’s no hierarchy, everyone is responsible for the film. He doesn’t make any prejudices. He gave everybody a warm hug. Every single person gets a hug from Anurag. And he gives these big bear hugs. He’s a really wonderful person,” Vidushi signed off.
Read the Latest News and Breaking News here
