Amit said – ‘Dhurandhar’ deserves success, but felt jealous: Praveen Sisodia said – If the casting is perfect then every character is remembered like ‘Mughal-e-Azam’

The film ‘September 21’ is not just a story on Alzheimer’s, but is an emotional journey of those caregivers who start breaking down from within while taking care of their loved ones. Director Karen Kshiti Suvarna and co-producer Preeti Ali have brought this sensitive subject on screen by connecting it with real life experiences. Praveen S in conversation with Dainik Bhaskar. Sisodia, Priyanka Upendra and Amit Bahl said that the film brings out the pain of the patients as well as their families. The casting of ‘Dhurandhar’ and classic cinema like ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ were also discussed in the interview. Question: A sensitive topic like Alzheimer’s in the very first film…how did this story touch you so deeply? Answer/Karen Kshiti Suvarna: When I wanted to make my first feature film, I had decided that I would not make films just for the sake of entertainment. I wanted to tell a story that would give something to the society. This is the real life story of our writer Raj Shekhar. He was a caregiver to his brother, who had Alzheimer’s. Our producers’ mother had also struggled with this disease. When I went to the Alzheimer’s Care Center, I realized that people talk about the patients, but no one understands the plight of the caregivers. This film started from there. Question: That means this is not just the story of the patient but also of those people who keep breaking silently? Answer/Karen Kshiti Suvarna: Absolutely. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s yet. Only care can be taken. But no one has shown what the caregivers go through. They become mentally and emotionally broken. Our film shows the same pain and struggle. Question: Praveen, when you heard the story for the first time, did you immediately feel that you have to do this film? Answer/Praveen S. Sisodia: Yes. Such films are not found every time. An artist always wants to do something new. When Karen Kshiti narrated the story, I felt that it was not just acting but a responsibility. I immediately said yes. Question: Priyanka, how difficult was it to handle the pain of a caregiver? Answer/Priyanka Upendra: It was very difficult. Because just changing the look was not enough. I had to understand his feelings. It’s one thing to hear about Alzheimer’s, but to think what that person and his family would have gone through… it was very heavy. There was a lot of pain inside my character, but from outside he had to look strong. This was the biggest challenge. Question: Why was the film named ‘September 21’? Is it also connected to Covid? Answer/Preeti Ali: Yes, the Covid period is a part of the film. But ‘September 21’ is not just a date, it is a deeply emotional part of the story. I won’t tell much right now, because the audience should feel it in the film. Question: Amit, did the story of this film touch you personally? Answer/Amit Bahl: Very much. My father was my teacher and I took care of him for about two and a half years. When I watched the film, I realized that this is not just the story of the patient, but also the story of the people who live with them. The film also shows that not every caregiver is the same. Every person has his own limitations and struggles. Question: A lot of research has also been done on the medical aspects of Alzheimer’s in the film. How important was this? Answer/Amit Bahl: It was very important. People often mistake Alzheimer’s disease for just being forgetful in old age. But this is a serious disease. The film shows how this disease progresses and what changes occur in the patient’s behaviour. This is not only an emotional film but also quite educational. Question: The film is made in both Hindi and Kannada languages. How difficult was it to take this risk in the very first film? Answer/Preeti Ali: It was very difficult. But when we decided to support the film, it was decided that we will make it in both the languages. The entire team handled it with great effort. Question: Recently there was a lot of discussion about ‘Dhurandhar’. How do you view his success and casting? Answer/Amit Bahl: ‘Dhurandhar’ is really an amazing film. His success is thoroughly deserved. And to be honest, there is a little bit of jealousy too, but that is very natural. His casting was so perfect that it became difficult to recognize many characters. Every actor was completely fit in his role. Question: Praveen, did you find any character in ‘Dhurandhar’ that you would like to play? Answer / Praveen S. Sisodia: See, it always comes to the actor’s mind that “I could also have done this role.” But the truth is that the casting of that film was brilliant. Every actor was absolutely spot on. I felt as if every character stood in its place with full honesty, like in old classic films. Just like people remember the characters of ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ till today, similarly when a film is made with right casting and true acting, its impact lasts for a long time.



Source link