Cinema not just about dancing around trees; real stories matter: Rahul Bhat
Actor Rahul Bhat is all praises for directors Sudhir Mishra, Anurag Kashyap, and Abhishek Kapoor. Having worked with all three of them in his past few films, he finds their brand of cinema “honest and inspiring”.
“I’ve worked with Anurag in Ugly (2014), Gattu (aka Abhishek) in Fitoor (2016), and now it’s Sudhir in Daas Dev. I’ve realised how they have their unique styles. While Anurag puts in an honest effort whether he’s focusing on the darker or the brighter side of society, Gattu understands what is expected out of him and prefers playing it from the gallery. Sudhir belongs to a league of his own,” says Rahul.
Talking about the making of Daas Dev, based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Devdas, Rahul recollects, “Sudhir told me that there is nothing called original. In fact, Mahesh Bhatt had once said that we all are copies of something. Devdas has been adapted several times. It boils down to how you adapt it again. What Sudhir has done is that he has moved beyond the emotional aspect and reversed Dev’s journey.”
Rahul adds that the director had tried exploring aspects such as what if Dev chose career over love? What does Paro want for Dev? “Though the context is similar but the characters are twisted. It’s still a love story, with a political angle which is an important factor in their lives,” he says.
Asked if he is expecting backlash given that their adaptation of this popular text is different, Rahul replies, “This is a growing problem in the country. People are protesting against almost everything. I hope people soon realise how directors like Sudhir, Anurag, Vishal [Bhardwaj], Imtiaz [Ali]... are making interesting films. Their kind of drama focuses on small towns and middle class issues that show real stories. Cinema isn’t just about romancing and dancing around trees.”