Wednesday, July 27, 2005

A lot have been talked about the film Seher as it is a depiction of Real Life incidences of Uttar Pradesh with key inputs from the Special Task Force (STF) personnel. Kabeer Kaushik, an Ad Filmmaker is making his debut as a director with his first 'unconventional' creation Sehar. Here are the excerpts of his interview....

What is Sehar all about?
Sehar in Urdu means Morning or Dawn. This is a film on the Mafia of UP, based on factual incidents and characters. Sehar is a film inspired by real-life incidents. It marks out the journey of a newly appointed 31-year old SSP of Lucknow Ajay Kumar played by Arshad Warsi, instrumental in bringing together a group of committed police officers under the aegis of Special Task Force. The force, bequeathed with a single agenda, succeeds in challenging the might of organized crime in Uttar Pradesh. And in the process, what unfolds is the ever-changing dynamics of Uttar Pradesh's Siyaasat: railway contracts, ISI involvement, politician-Mafia-police-builder nexus, pro-activism of criminal gangs, sophisticated yet rigid red tape and criminalization of University students.

It is a very serious subject. What prompted you to make a directorial debut with such a serious subject?
As a filmmaker, when I once heard about the STF and its operations, I realized the potential to make a good film based on its activities ...it had all the commercial ingredients that contribute to a good film. It also brings forth issues that eclipse the cultural heritage of the beautiful city of Lucknow. I have written the script of the film, and it has been extensively shot in Lucknow to bring in the real essence of the place. The subject is very close to reality, the officers who have been involved in the recent Mumbai stock broker's son rescue and Ayodhya have given our film the basic key inputs. Arshad Warsi has given a tremendous performance. This film is a serious attempt to show the reality in UP from the STF perspective.

What is Arshad Warsi's role in this film?
Arshad plays the role of SSP Ajay Kumar who heads the Special Task Force in Lucknow. He will be seen in a hardcore serious role breaking his comedy image. He will not make you laugh by his tongue and cheek comedy but will get you to the edge of your seat by his intense power packed performance. Arshad's plays a sharp intelligent character of the Special Task Force. A committed officer with a macro perspective and an incisive understanding of the system, he believes in the political theory of individualism.

Arun Kumar, who is now DIG CBI in Delhi, was a key layer in setting up the STF under the Kalyan Singh government. The film is based on real life incidences with whole lot of research from real people involved. Arshad has justified his role completely.

What is Pankaj Kapur's role in the film?
Pankaj Kapur represents the changing face of technology in the criminal arena. The use of Sim cloning technology, tracking down their calls from various locations, the crucial role of mobiles phones in the criminal activities etc. Pankaj Kapur a reader is a University who is very tech savvy and helps the STF in their daily operations.
 
Why did you choose Uttar Pradesh as the epicenter of the movie?
Some how in the Indian Film Industry we have always portrayed the Mafia and the underworld in Mumbai. I have tried to draw attention to the role of Mafia operating the Uttar Pradesh and its effect on national criminal activities.
 
What is the message you want to convey through this movie?
Crime can be tackled if we have the will and determination to do so. I require concerted effort and Government support. One of the highlights of the movie is the title track of film sung by Street Kids along with Alka Yagnik
 
Tell us about your background
I am an MBA (Finance) from Lucknow University. I come from the ad world, have worked as the creative director of Vainetya Communications (P) Ltd. I have done more than 250 corporate ads, TVCs and Music Videos. Then I moved on to Amity in August 2001. With Amity I have made a number of commercials, I did a corporate 40 seconds commercial, then I did an ad film 'Aspirations' followed by Amitasha, a birthday film and an Independence film. I have directed a music video with Shubha Mudgal for the song 'Sapna Dekha Maine'. Prior to this I have been an assistant director with Muzaffar Ali, Neena Gupta and have worked with Shyam Benegal for Suraj Ka Saatavan Ghoda in 1992. Thereafter, I was associated with the critically acclaimed television programs like The Pritish Nandy Show (DD1/1992-93) and The Spotlight (DD2/1993). Now I am debuting as a director with my movie Sehar.

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