After helming actor Madhuri Dixit’s Marathi film Bucket List (2018), filmmaker Tejas Deoskar is all set to work with Rakul Preet Singh in Chhatriwali. The film marks his first Hindi film. Interestingly, this will be his second film which stars a woman as the lead.
Speaking with News18.com, the filmmaker revealed that while it is merely a coincidence that the film is yet again female-driven, the films are starkly different from each other. “It is an absolute coincidence but has been a refreshing experience. Madhuri’s (Dixit) character Madhura and Rakul’s (Preet Singh) character Sania are from two different worlds. They are not the same. Women by themselves are a great mystery and it becomes even more challenging to portray them on screen. When you are working with a woman she always brings a different aspect and novelty to the character,” he said.
TOP SHOWSHA VIDEO
He added that when he talks to his leading ladies, it always brings a new layer from their perspective. “I would love to do another film with a female lead. My life has always been influenced by my mother (Prabha) and I have idolized her. I owe everything I am today to her. So, I consider it a blessing to be directing women.”
Tejas is all praise for Rakul and admits that he first thought she was reserved. “I first met her on a virtual call and she came across as a reserved person. But once we began the shoot, on set she was a completely different person. It was a breeze to work with her. She was always prepared with her lines, she had everything ready from the word go. She comes up with questions, ideas, and suggestions that ultimately help the movie. I find her extremely sincere, hardworking, and talented. What she did in the film was beyond my imagination and I would love to work with her again.”
Elaborating on bagging his first Hindi film, he said, “Chhatriwali is a pandemic miracle. It all fell in place between the first and second waves. It was a cold call to Ishaan Phadnis (creative executive, RSVP) and within three weeks I signed the film.” He added that having a strong script ready really helped.
On his forthcoming projects and Bollywood dreams, he said, “It’s not like I will never direct a Marathi film again. But my eye has always been on the bigger picture. Your thought has no limit in Hindi cinema. I want to tell different stories with every film. I want to treat every film as my first and enjoy the process of research, cinematic journey, and meeting new people.”
