SATISH ON TESTING OUT BIOPIC GENRE

Besides being an established actor, Satish Kaushik is also known for his skills behind the camera. And he recently spoke about his next Bollywood directorial starring Pankaj Tripathi. This is the first time he is directing a biopic, and obviously, he is quite keyed up about the project. “This space is completely new for me. Attempting something [new] is both exciting and at the same time gives you a sleepless night. Real-life stories have always inspired me and I had been thinking about making one someday. So, this film is close to my heart,” says Satish.

The film is based on the life of Lal Bihari Mritak, the man who was declared dead as per government records and it took him almost two decades to prove otherwise. The movie went on floors earlier this month and is expected to release next year.

Four years after his last film, Gang of Ghosts (2014), Satish is wearing the director’s hat, so the story had to be special. Asked what took him so long, he says, “I was busy with my films and working on the script. In between, I had other stories in mind too.”

Gang of Ghosts was a remake of the successful Bengali film, Bhooter Bhabishyat (2014), but the Hindi version failed to make a mark. Satish admits it was a “wrong decision” to make the film in Hindi. “That culture did not connect with the Hindi speaking viewers... But then one needs to take a risk. And I’m happy about taking it.”

Satish Kaushik