‘Saif Ali Khan Is Angrez, But When He’s Performing…’

‘He is 500 times better than you think he is.’

As someone who prefers a mononym on screen, I curiously asks Director Pulkit about it, to which he replies in true Shakespearean style: “Naam me kya rakha hai, dost!“

He is a filmmaker whose stories often pack a layered social commentary, but when you speak to him, he comes across as a romantic filmmaker. He describes going to his film set as “meeting a lover”, and it’s a sentiment that perhaps reflects in his work environment as well. The star of his latest film Kartavya, Saif Ali Khan, would vouch for that.

You can see how that romanticism also forms the emotional core in his films, which he crafts with his wife and co-writer Jyotsna Nath. In Dedh Bigha Zameen, Pratik Gandhi’s dignified man finds his strength in the unwavering support of his wife, played by Khushalii Kumar.

In Maalik, Rajkummar Rao’s feared mafia king is deeply in love with the woman of his life, portrayed by Manushi Chhillar.

Even in the hard-hitting Bhakshak, the everyday marriage of Bhumi Pednekar and Surya Sharma gets moments to quietly shine.

In his latest Kartavya too, Saif Ali Khan’s character finds his emotional anchor in his wife, played by Rasika Dugal.

After the box office disappointment of Maalik last year, his first ever theatrical release, Kartavya marks Pulkit’s return to OTT that ticks off a thing from his wishlist: Working with Saif Ali Khan.

“I watched Omkara in my childhood. Then I kept waiting, thinking why didn’t anyone take him to the village? Because no director took him to that world. When I saw him, I wanted to go to him and take him into that world,” Pulkit tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff in the first of a two-part engaging interview.

While watching The Devil Wears Prada 2 recently, I was briefly reminded of your film Bhakshak.

Oh wow. How?

Both films are tonally very different, but I could recall how Bhakshak highlighted the importance of journalism in society. We rarely see that in Hindi films.

Thank you.

Kartavya seems to be in a similar zone. It is about an honest policeman, who is navigating a morally complex space. What draws you to these socially and politically charged stories?

I think every filmmaker, every writer, when he is growing up in a certain way, a lot of questions start building there itself.

As a filmmaker, you don’t choose your subjects. You don’t say that I want to tell this story, I want to tell this idea, I want to focus on this narrative or this genre.

Stories come very naturally to you. That’s when you get excited and make films. I never try to make a social commentary film.

But while growing up, I’ve seen so many things around me that were not right. And I’ve never seen people questioning them. I’m not talking about inter-family relationships, political relationships, or the crime world, or something like that. But overall, society.

I think, as a filmmaker, I very strongly feel that film can be both very positive and very negative. And it can have an impact on society because people take films and heroes very seriously in India.

When I have a medium, and when I’m able to say something with bigger actors, then I just go ahead and do that. (But) I’m not consciously choosing social commentary films.

Let’s talk about the genesis of this story. How did the idea first take shape?

When I was growing up, I got a chance to go to a boarding school in Haryana. That world was quite fascinating to me.

There was a question in my consciousness that wherever we go, people talk about everything in life — be it money, religion, karma — but no one is talking about what your kartavya is, which is your duty as a human being.

Your duty as a human is much wider than all the superficial things we have. But unfortunately, when I was growing up, even my parents never told me what the duty of a human is.

We all know what it is to be a father, what it is to be a son, what it is to be a brother. But that question haunted me, insaan hone ka kartavya kya hain? That pushed me to write this film.

I created a fictional world where there’s a cop. He is a husband, a son, a brother, and a father. Something goes off on his duty as a policeman, and he is forced to figure out his things. In figuring it out, he realises what his kartavya is, and how to fulfil his duty.

As a director who writes his own material, how difficult is it to keep your voice unfiltered today, especially when you are attempting social commentary through your films?

The first version of your script is unfiltered. After that, if people feel I should tone it down because it might offend people, or it won’t work on streaming, or it won’t work in theatres, then I have to listen. There are market forces.

If I make a biscuit and sell it, I will have to do the packaging, no matter how good the biscuit is. I have no complaints about that.

Some people know their work better than mine, and if they advise me, I listen to them. It’s not that I follow everything they say, but I do avoid things that I feel will make a difference negatively.

Like there are films that get stuck with the censors. It may be an amazing film, but what is the use of it if no one is able to see it? So you make it in such a way that it is consumable, so that people will watch.

Let’s talk about your actors. The protagonists in your films are played by names with the right mix of star value and talent. How do you choose them?

I don’t know. This is a big thing for me.

Pratik Gandhi is a big thing for me. Rajkummar Rao is a big thing for me. Bhumi (Pednekar) is a big thing for me.

I don’t understand stars. I don’t think like that. I usually do my own casting, including the lead cast.

I am lucky that I have met amazing actors every time. No one has ever given that attitude of ‘treat me like a star’.

Take Saif Ali Khan — He has more experience in the industry than my age. He is just so amazing to work with.

And yes, face value is needed. Otherwise, how will the story reach people? Because you won’t get money to make it, that is a bitter truth of this business. No matter how good the film is, you need some kind of face value to sell that film. Otherwise, who will buy it?

Saif Ali Khan said in our interview that he still doesn’t see himself as an ‘expert performer’ yet. What would you say to that?

I will tell you why I went to Saif.

I watched Omkara in my childhood. Then I kept waiting, thinking why didn’t anyone take him to the village? Because no director took him to that world.

When I saw him, I wanted to go to him and take him into that world. So that was on my bucket list, and luckily, he did it.

But I will tell you something about him. I don’t know what his process is, because that man is Angrez. He thinks in English. He talks in English. And I’m very Hindi.

I don’t know what process he follows, what method he follows. But when he’s on set, when he’s in the look, when he’s performing there, he’s not Saif Ali Khan at all.

He’s very humble, and a fantastic, fantastic actor.

He is 500 times better than you think he is.

Unfortunately, I feel Saif Ali Khan has not been fully utilised. I want to work with him again and figure out more.

‘Maalik Was My Fault, But I Am Not Regretful About It’

Your films often have a very rooted, grounded sincerity. But with Maalik, you leaned more into mainstream elements like over-the-top action, item numbers, songs and dance. The film ultimately didn’t work at the box office. Have you analysed why?

When you are making a film for theatres, you have to consider various commercial aspects. I made Maalik keeping all those things in mind. And this proves that formulas don’t work. There is no formula for filmmaking.

If you tell a story with honesty, people will watch it.

With Maalik, it wasn’t like there was no craft or money or a strong story. But the film still didn’t work. People didn’t like it, and there were mixed reviews. My wife has never seen the film even though she is a co-writer. I felt I had messed up because I followed a formula.

It’s no one’s fault. No one asked me to compromise. It’s just my fault. I’m not regretful about it because it was an experience. Only experience teaches you.

If you watch Maalik, all the scenes are good. Every scene works well on its own, but when you watch them all together, they don’t come together as a cohesive overall narrative. Next time I will come back to theatre to prove that formulas don’t work.

Did Maalik‘s failure affect your equation with Rajkummar Rao?

No, no, no. I’ve known Rajkummar since the time he was Rajkummar Yadav, before he became Rajkummar Rao. He even came to my wedding and stood by me.

He is an actor later, he is my brother first. I love him a lot, and he loves me as well. There has been no change in that bond.

He has never blamed me though I would like to take that blame.