Amit Sharma is all set to make his directorial debut in Bollywood with his upcoming film — Tevar. Rohit Pramar caught up with the erstwhile ad filmmaker to talk about the film
How did you make your foray into Bollywood?
I’ve wanted to make a film for a while now. However, I didn’t want to rush it. So, even though I got several offers, I took my time to decide which project I wanted to pursue.
So, what was it that made you accept Tevar?
I was intrigued by the idea behind the script. Tevar was first offered to me around three years ago, but at the time, I didn’t take it up. However, the concept of the film stayed with me all these years. I liked the fact that it was a film about a guy who becomes a hero by chance, and not by choice.
The film is a remake of the Telugu blockbuster Okkadu. How different is it from the original?
We just took the basic idea behind Okkadu — of a guy who becomes a hero by chance — to write Tevar; everything else is different. It took us around seven months just to polish up the script. Also, if you directly translate a film into a different language, several things get lost in translation. So, I looked at the central idea behind Okkadu, and interpreted it in my own way.
What difficulties did you face while shooting Tevar.
One of the most difficult aspects of making this film was shooting the outdoor scenes. I was certain that I didn’t want to shoot these scenes in a studio right from the start. So, we shot on location in Agra and Mathura, and since Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Manoj Bajpayee are all popular stars, there would always be a huge crowd outside the sets, making it difficult for us to manage the shoots.
As you mentioned, Arjun and Sonakshi are popular stars. Did you have to deal with them throwing any tantrums?
They threw no tantrums at all. As an ad filmmaker, I have worked with several stars and so, I understand what you mean when you ask me about popular stars throwing tantrums. But, Arjun and Sonakshi were completely dedicated to the film. If I called them at 5am for a shoot, they reached on time without questioning me. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Arjun, Sonakshi and Manoj.
Are you nervous about the release of the film?
I have been so busy that I don’t think I’ve had the time to feel nervous. Having said that, I’m really excited about the film. I hope everybody likes it.