‘Sunny paaji suggested that I should direct’
Shreyas Talpade is happy with the audience’s response to the trailer of his directorial debut Poster Boys. The film starring Sunny Deol, Shreyas and Bobby Deol in lead roles, is a remake of the Marathi film, Poshter Boyz that released in 2014. On what made him don the director’s hat, Shreyas says, “We couldn’t find a director, so I had to direct it. Jokes apart, everyone around me and especially Sunny paaji suggested that I should direct the film. He said, ‘You have a vision and you have seen the film, so why don’t you show us the film through your direction’. It was his and my producers’ confidence in me that made me take up direction.”
On working with Sunny, Shreyas says, “He is a reserved and a shy person, and that makes him unpredictable and intimidating. However, he treated me as a younger brother, and was very protective about me on the sets. He was supportive and listened to my directions. I would be skeptical about explaining a scene to him, but he would readily agree to do it. He never questioned my abilities or my potential as a director. He believed in me and that helped me a lot.”
Direction worked as a stress buster for Shreyas and he admits to having had a great time behind the camera. “I am a huge Hrishida fan (Hrishikesh Mukherjee; late director). I have always looked up to his films and works. Also, in my career, I have worked with varied directors, starting from Nagesh Kukunoor to Farah Khan and Shyam Benegal. So, I have tried and incorporated whatever I have learnt from these great directors into my work. Like Nagesh’s particularity in every aspect, Farah’s 70mm vision, Rohit’s knack of making family entertainers, and Shyambabu’s freedom to express. I have been fortunate enough to have worked with people from different schools of film-making.”