ON A QUEST FOR THE BEST!
Sameer Sharma talks about his recent award-winning short film, challenges post helming Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, and more
Director Sameer Sharma, who had earlier written films like Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swades and Ram Gopal Varma’s Bhoot, marked his directorial debut in 2012 with Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana. It starred Kunal Kapoor and Huma Qureshi in the lead roles. Sameer has recently won the Silver Spike at the prestigious Spikes Asia 2022 awards for his direction in Master Ji. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive conversation.
Sameer reminisces his journey and shares, “After Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana released, people used to walk up to me in cafes and compliment me for my work. For me, it was always putting myself out. I was discovering Punjab. It was all about food and family. India and Indian films are about families. I worked on the film for about two and a half years since I grew up in the cities and not in the pind. My writer Sumit Batheja was Punjab for me in a way. He got everything right.”
Talking about his recent award-winning film Master Ji, Sameer reveals, “I spent so much time with my father during the lockdown seeing him walking up and down, his restlessness and concern. I started working with a company called Dora Digs in 2019, and they deal in advertising. Through them, I got introduced to my writer for this film, and that’s how it happened.”
Elaborating further, he adds, “I feel after Swades, Luv Shuv… and Master Ji, stories from the real India and small towns narrative gravitates towards me. It has become my thing. As a director, I feel Master Ji is my best work.”
Sameer opens up about the roadblocks he faced after his first film. “The journey is always difficult whether you are from a film family or not. It’s not like my journey is any easier than my grandfather, who was the legendary singer Mukesh. I believe, whoever you are, it’s only you who has to work. I am glad that it is difficult since it pushes me to discover the right things. It’s been 25 years in the business, but still, I wake up every morning and find good stories. I have been working on a book for the last two years, and it is as difficult to make a film. There are directors who make three films in a year, but I can’t do that. I am okay making five to seven films in my career, but those should be quality based films,” he explains.
Spilling the beans on his favourite genres, Sameer avers, “I like drama and romantic comedies a lot. I am desperately dying to do a pure comedy. After Bhoot, I also got interested in horror. I don’t have an understanding of science fiction, but I love watching them.”
On a parting note, he reveals which actors he wishes to collaborate with. “I would love to do something with Alia Bhatt, Akshaye Khanna and Manoj Bajpayee. I think their best is yet to come,” he concludes.