Neeraj booked for a big screen outing!
When he isn’t calling the shots — as a film-maker — behind the camera, chances are, he is busy writing his stories and even novels. That’s how Neeraj Pandey came up with his first novel, Ghalib Danger in 2013. And now, the Special 26 (2013) and Baby (2015) director has come out with the Hindi version of the same book. “Now, the next logical step is to either turn it into a web series or a two-part film,” reveals Pandey, as he talks about his book, working with Ajay Devgn, and having lived with Ghalib Danger for three-four years.
Ghalib Danger is back in your life. How excited is the author in you? I am very excited. It seems like only yesterday when the English edition came out. But I am sure the Hindi version will cater to a much larger audience. At the heart, it’s a Hindi story and that’s why any content [based on it] was also supposed to be in Hindi. So, I never thought that an English film could be made on it. Also, I’ve worked very closely on the Hindi translation. So, it’s a good feeling.
We have heard that you plan to turn your novel into a film or web series. True?
Yes, because I won’t be able to tell the story in one film, and making a three-part movie will be a bit too much. So, the logical thing is a two-part series, and even the structure is conducive for that as it’s about two generations of gangsters. Or, there can be a web series, wherein I can unravel the story at my pace. But I am yet to take a call. We will see how the book is received, and let’s see how far it reaches.
Many a times, things get lost in translation. In that sense, did you face any challenge?
I don’t think we had that problem. This is one material that I breathed and lived for the last four-five years. Also, Hindi is a language that I write my films in and since I was closely associated with it, I made sure that nothing gets lost in translation (smiles).
All your films have a real touch. Does the same hold true for your characters in the novel too?
Yes, there is a bit of this and that in it! It’s not inspired by any one particular person but it is rooted in reality. Every character including the protagonist is real. Once you have that ‘real’ touch, you give them some unique traits. In my book, I have used Mirza Ghalib’s poetry, which acts as a cornerstone for my main protagonist. So, basically, it’s a fictional character set in the real world.
I won’t be able to tell the story in one film, and making a threepart movie will be a bit too much. NEERAJ PANDEY, FILMMAKER