Aug 12, 2017
Nitesh Tiwari might have said that he
was willing to wait for a few years for superstar Aamir Khan to be part
of his blockbuster "Dangal" and showed interest in casting actor Varun
Dhawan in his next, but the filmmaker says he doesn't write scripts
with an actor in mind.
"I don't write keeping an actor in mind. Only after I have finished my
writing, I start to think about who would be the best person to play
that role. And if he or she is willing to play that role then he or she
is definitely worth the wait," Tiwari, who bagged the Best Director
award for "Dangal" in Melbourne, told IANS.
"Because good scripts are hard to come by. So, if I am in love with my
script, I would look for an equally exciting option, if plan A doesn't
work out," he added.
At the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, where he won the award on
Saturday, he will also discuss the "finer aspects" of what went into
the making of "Dangal", based on the life of wrestler Geeta Phogat and
her family.
"This will also be open to questions from the audience," he said about
the chat session, which will be held on Sunday.
How helpful is it to host an Indian film festival abroad?
"More and more Indian films are finding global acceptance in a big way.
So a festival of this nature and stature goes a long way in solidifying
our standing in foreign markets as well," he said.
But if we go by his films, they are deeply rooted in Indian culture,
and are mostly shot in India. Does he plan to shoot a film abroad or
work on a story with an NRI angle?
"Why not? I am open to all kind of ideas provided they fit into my
style of story telling," said the director, who has made children-based
films like "Chillar Party" and "Bhoothnath Returns".
He said he doesn't make a "conscious effort" to write around children.
"I guess, it's because of my love towards children that they somehow
find a seamless fit in most of my films," he said.
So, which one is more challenging - fiction or a biopic?
"Fiction is all about creating something interesting out of thin air
while biopics are all about recreating something that's already
happened and presenting it in an interesting manner. Both are equally
difficult," he said.
There are many filmmakers who make movies based on tragedies in the
country, whether it's a terror attack or someone's murder. Would he
ever turn a tragic event into a film?
"As a writer, I would not want to put any restrictions on myself.
However, I naturally tend to gravitate towards stuff that provides hope
and happiness," said Tiwari, whose wife Ashwiny is also a director.
Does he ever see her as his competition?
"I celebrate her success more than mine," he said about Ashwiny, who
made a successful directorial debut with the 2016 film "Nil Battey
Sannata".