MUMBAI: In an IANS exclusive interview with ‘Ground Zero’ director Tejas Vijay Deoskar shared his approach to storytelling. He explained that his film choices aren’t driven by genre or theme but by the strength of the story itself. “Whether it's Chhatriwali, which addressed a socially sensitive topic, or Ground Zero, rooted in patriotism — I don’t make conscious genre-based decisions,”
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00:00Sir, you will know that in your filmography, you have span across languages and themes from Marathi to Hindi and from taboo topics to patriotic thrillers.
00:12So what drives your choice of stories?
00:15Basically, I want to have as much variety as possible in stories that I want to tell the people.
00:21And not that I have actually thought about it that I want to have a particular subject like Kshatriwali which was a taboo topic or this one as a patriotic thing.
00:31I usually select a story on the face of it.
00:34If the story comes to me and if it is interesting, I just grab it.
00:38And that's the way I look at the films.
00:42I don't look at it from the genre perspective via the way the stories are.
00:48They should be interesting enough to be told.
00:50How do you adopt your storytelling while directing for different languages and audiences?
00:55See, mainly I have done Hindi and Marathi.
00:59So being a Marathi, I understand the kind of audiences that we have in Marathi speaking society, especially in Maharashtra.
01:06And we have a certain type of understanding.
01:09We have a certain type of culture.
01:11So when I am doing a Marathi film, I usually try and make something which is connected to the soil of the Marathi audience, Marathi state.
01:22And when we talk about Hindi subjects, we also need to understand that pan India, we have a diverse culture.
01:30We have many languages, many cultures, but there is something which is common and which is the fact that we all belong to one nation, Bharat.
01:38So that way I keep that in mind and try to talk about subjects which are common, which have some common points for everybody.
01:49So usually that is the difference.
01:51Also the scale that we talk about, that also is a different in both in Marathi and Hindi.
01:58So I think you have to just adapt to the situation and make a film accordingly.
02:02Sir, I think that in Marathi cinema, especially talking about Marathi cinema, regional cinema,
02:08is there something more different than there?
02:14Storytelling is different in every language.
02:17I think it is different in every language.
02:19It is different in every story.
02:22It is different in every filmmaker.
02:24So I think it is different in Marathi.
02:27I think it is different in Marathi.
02:29We also have the original films.
02:30We also have the Tamil and Telugu.
02:32The Telugu are also regional.
02:33But the Telugu's budget, its scale is very big.
02:37In Marathi, you have many limitations.
02:40But as I say, I will say that the filmmakers are very smart when making film is very smart,
02:45and they are looking at the treatment as well as the way you can find it.
02:47That is the concept that you can be very effective.
02:50So I think that ultimately, the budget or its way it becomes the effect of everything.
02:58how effectively you reach people to your story.
03:02Whether it is this way or that way, if it is effective,
03:05then your film will become good.
03:07Sir, Chhatriwali was a bold move, especially for a Hindi director W.
03:11Taking the subject of Condom and Sex Education, what inspired you to choose this subject?
03:15I think that was the need of the hour.
03:17Today, we are in a world where information is available on your fingertips.
03:22Anybody, any child is accessing internet very easily.
03:27Sometimes you don't even know what exactly that child is watching.
03:31So, it's always better to give a correct information at a correct age.
03:35And there is no harm in talking about matters which are extremely important for everybody.
03:42So, I think Chhatriwali was based on that thought that the entire family should sit together
03:48and talk about certain things which we thought as taboos, but they are not.
03:54They are very essential matters of our life.
03:56Sir, talking about Bucket List with Madhul Ekshet sir, with Magdha, Marathi film debut,
04:03was it directing such a celebrated actress in a mother tongue? How was it?
04:08It was a delight because when you are actually working in your mother tongue, I think you are the most comfortable.
04:17And with such a big actor, such a celebrated actor, you also have different energy.
04:25You feel elated, you feel happy about it. And also the kind of actor she is, the person she is.
04:32She is a very fine actress. She is also a director's actor.
04:36So, I never had a problem communicating with her, reaching out to her, sharing my ideas and getting the work done as a director.
04:45So, I think it was wonderful to work with Madhuriji.
04:48Sir, how do you approach making a personal emotional story like Bucket List resonate with a wider audience?
04:54I think emotions are everywhere, right? So, all the audience, they are emotional somewhere down their minds and hearts.
05:04So, I just had to think about what a common factor I can find.
05:09And when you talk about emotions, the intrapersonal relations or the dynamics of a family,
05:16mostly we find all those emotions in every household of India.
05:20So, I just try to be on that connect.
05:27Sir, Ground Zero stars Imran Hashmi and his shot in Kashmi.
05:30So, tell us about the prep that went into the syntax spirit.
05:33See, whenever you have a subject like this, the actor needs to go through certain level of training.
05:39So, definitely Imran and other actors also went through that training.
05:43BSF helped us a lot in that.
05:45So, they trained the actor for 3-4 days.
05:48They told them how to hold the gun, what is the stance, what is the code of conduct, how to salute and all that stuff.
05:55So, as an actor, he had to sort of understand a BSF soldier's life from the point of view of doing the duty.
06:06So, definitely that went in.
06:08But more than that, he also tried to understand the psyche of the character.
06:13So, we talked about it a lot and Dubeji whose character he is playing in the film.
06:19He was also instrumental in giving us more details of the character.
06:23I could actually take the details from Dubeji and give it to Imran.
06:27We had a lot of discussion about portraying certain elements of the film, certain parts of the character.
06:34So, that way he prepped himself and he got into the shoes of Dubeji and eventually he carried it on his own.
06:40So, he understood the character but he did not imitate.
06:43He is not a mimicry artist.
06:45He is an artist who actually blended the real life character into his own.
06:50And he carried it with him.
06:53Sir, you can explain the character of Dubeji's character.
06:56So, you can explain the character of Dubeji's character as well.
06:58Yes.
06:59So, how do you explain the character of Dubeji's character?
07:03See, this image of Dubeji's character is now on the screen.
07:08And according to which he is made of the film, I am very happy that Imran has not the character of his character,
07:13but the character of his character is also on the stage.
07:15And he is a fine actor.
07:17He is a very good actor.
07:18So, he knows everyone who knows.
07:19Now, the character of Dubeji's character is still on the stage.
07:27He has the same character.
07:29He managed to do this one instead of the film.
07:31But he is also an interesting actor.
07:33So, he is also an amazing actor.
07:35So, I was confident that in this kind of role,
07:38which I have never done.
07:40But because he is a very good actor,
07:42they will provide a very good character.
07:44That is how he did.
07:46So, I am very happy with this character.
07:48So how was it shooting in Kashmir
07:50Both from a cinematic and emotional perspective
08:18The valley is so beautiful that you can't hide the beauty of that beauty
08:22So definitely it was a very nice thing
08:25And the people of there are so much love with you
08:29They get so good to see you and help you
08:32So we don't think that we are shooting at such a place
08:36Which is very difficult
08:38We get the most support there
08:40And I am happy that we are shooting there
08:43And I think that we are shooting there
08:45And I think that there are very few films in this story
08:48That will probably be the beginning of the film
08:51And I would like Ground Zero to do that
08:54Sir, you have two films
08:56Ground Zero and Dev Banos
08:58On the same day sir
09:00That's quite rare
09:01How are you navigating the excitement and pressure?
09:03Do you want to vote for me?
09:05I want to vote for both films
09:07So I want to vote for both films
09:10And I think that maybe people will see it
09:12Because when they will see one film
09:14They will know that this film is one film
09:16Maybe they will see it first
09:17Or Ground Zero
09:19They will see it in the second film
09:20They will definitely see it
09:21That I have confidence
09:23And I don't have to give a number of films
09:26Both films are in my heart
09:28And both of my films are in my heart
09:29So I would like that
09:30Everyone should see both films
09:32Although pressure
09:34The pressure
09:35The pressure
09:36The pressure
09:37The pressure
09:38The pressure
09:39Another light
09:40The pressure
09:41The pressure
09:42The pressure
09:46Even if I got a lead
09:47The pressure
09:48The pressure
09:50The pressure
09:51The pressure
09:52I think both the films are completely different. There is nothing common other than the fact that the director is the same.
10:12The story is different, the treatment is different, the language is different and the narrative is different.
10:20There is nothing common in it. I will say that the two films are very interesting and it will be fun to watch the audience.
10:30This is definitely common.
10:32Ground Zero will be screened in Sheenover at a red carpet event. Something that has happened in a long time.
10:39What does the movement mean to you personally and as a filmmaker?
10:43I think this statement is the first time that there is a red carpet event in the cinema in Shrinagar.
10:53This is a very common thing to hear, but behind this is a big era that we have read in media or news.
11:07But the era was the one where we have a basic thing, which we are in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Bangalore,
11:14we have a basic thing that is called cinema hall and there are films.
11:17This is a very common thing.
11:19The common thing is not common in Kashmir.
11:23It is not luxury.
11:25It is a blessing for them.
11:29It is not a bad thing.
11:31It is a bad thing.
11:32It is a bad thing that in 38 years, there is no film premiere.
11:36But it is a very happy thing.
11:38It is a bad thing that we have started with my film Ground Zero.
11:42And I want to say that we have 100 films premiere.
11:46And there is one theatre.
11:48There is a place where there is 100 theatre.
11:50And we are the same in Kashmir as well as we see it as well as the other regions.
12:00And that region is the same.
12:01I have a very confident that it is the same in Kashmir.
12:04Do you feel that the screening in Kashmir can be a turning point in how cinema is consumed or celebrated in that region?
12:11I hope it does.
12:13We are all hopeful that this event will mark a different, you know, start of a different era.
12:18And if it does, I will be the most happy person.
12:21And I would love to go and watch other films also.
12:25In Kashmir, Srinagar, Baramulla.
12:27There were theatres earlier also.
12:28But unfortunately, now there is only one theatre in Srinagar.
12:32I am hoping that it multiplies into 2, 2 to 4.
12:35And just the numbers should increase.
12:37Sir, usually war films are seen as well as the actresses' role.
12:44The role of actresses' role is very low in war and war.
12:47So what do you think about this film?
12:49How many actresses' role in this film is?
12:51I would like to differ from this.
12:53I would like to say that it is less than the screen time.
12:58It would be less than the screen time.
13:00But it would be more impactful.
13:02Look, the length of the length is more than the impact.
13:05It would be more than the female characters.
13:08If you see the film, you will realize that it would be very important.
13:11One is Zoya Hussain.
13:12One is the right character.
13:14And the two roles are very much helped.
13:19It's a integral part of the film.
13:22So it's not a way to say that the female characters are just for the names.
13:26It's a very important part of the story.
13:29What do you want to say to fans?
13:32I want to say fans, fans, fans, fans, will make this film.
13:38The film will make it for themselves.
13:39In the 25th century, there are two films.
13:41Ground Zero and Dev Manus.
13:43If you want to see the film in the theater, you will enjoy it.
13:47I have a wish.
13:49The two films are stories.
13:51The trailers are already out.
13:52We have a lot of love with people from the trailer.
13:55People have said good things.
13:56All the people want to see the films.
13:58I want to see the number of them.
14:00People want to see the movies.
14:02People want to see the stories.
14:04They enjoy the stories.
14:05If you think about this story,
14:08if you think about this story,
14:10if you think about it,
14:11if you think about it,
14:13you will go forward to your life.
14:15Sir, one more question.
14:17I mean,
14:18if you talk about the theaters,
14:20there are so many films that come out,
14:23but they don't work.
14:24What do you think about it?
14:25What do you think about it?
14:26What do you think about it?
14:27What do you think about the myths?
14:31It's not a myth.
14:33It's true that people are less than in the theater.
14:38But there is a very big reason that in the theater,
14:44the cinematic experience of the theater is missing.
14:49So if you talk about the movie or the Pushpa 2,
14:54which is unprecedented,
14:57if you watch the film,
14:59it's a cinematic experience.
15:04This is why people like to go to the theater.
15:07If you don't have the experience of the film,
15:09then people will not go to the theater.
15:13Ground Zero,
15:14our story is based in Kashmir.
15:16If you watch Kashmir,
15:18there are beautiful mountains,
15:21so that's why our film is made for the theatrical experience.
15:25If you watch the trailer,
15:28you will realize that we have tried to make it on the scale,
15:32which is a cinema in the theater.
15:36The best experience you will get in the cinema in the theater.
15:40That's why I feel that when the film is released,
15:43then the audience will realize that the film is made for the theater.
15:48And it's the most valuable and enjoyment in the theater.
15:53Lastly, what is the future projects?
15:58Yes, I have tried to make a good film.
16:01There are some movies in the pipeline.
16:03Now it will be a bit faster to talk about it,
16:07but I can definitely tell you that the film is working on it.
16:11There are good stories.
16:12And if you watch the track record,
16:14I will try to make two stories like this.
16:18I will try to make two stories like this.
16:20I will try to make two stories like this.
16:24I will try to make the film.
16:32It's the end for us.
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