He has a vision, he has originality, he is optimistic, he has the willingness to switch between genres and styles, and he is none other than Bollywood director and producer Vikramaditya Motwane. Udaan, Lootera and now Trapped, Motwane is coming with films that truly set him apart. In an exclusive interview with Business Of Cinema.com, the director speaks about his upcoming film Trapped, on wishing to work with Amitabh Bachchan, Censor Board and much more.
‘Trapped’ is a survival-drama-thriller about a guy trapped in his own house in a high rise building with no escape routes. Starring Rajkummar Rao, ‘Trapped’ was screened at Mumbai film festival and it received a standing ovation for the film! Trapped is going to hit the theatres on March 17th.
Snippets from the interview:
How did you come up with the concept of Trapped?
It didn’t come to my mind it came to someone else’s mind. So, Amit Joshi, the writer sent me the idea early in 2015 and then, after that we worked on a screenplay.
Initially, did you had any other actor in mind for the lead role or was Rajkummar Rao always the first choice?
No, Raj was one and only had in my mind for the character. No one can pull off character especially when you are watching only one person from beginning to ending. Raj is humble and he looks like a bichara (helpless) type I mean in a good way and that probably helps in the character and besides him, no one will succeed in bringing the character like he did.
While making a film like trapped which is within a confined of an apartment. So, what are your challenges as a director?
I think the important thing in this film was not so much of space but the person. It is moreover a journey of the protagonist like how can he succeed. Hardly space matters after a point as only matters is the guy and I guess that was our focus throughout with story perspective, direction perspective, and cinematography perspective was that person who is stuck.
Who got the idea of putting Rajkummar on a special diet?
It’s his own idea.
Is Trapped concept inspired by any survival film?
This genre is not so wide to become a larger influence. I think especially the urban space. I don’t think any film is been made like this one. The Room is very different than this film it is more of a post-survival film. That is a different kind of survival film. So, No, we haven’t made something like that.
Actors you wish to work with?
I will love to work with Mr. Bachchan, Ranbir, Deepika and much more (smiles).
So you are more to break out as a performance from an actor like you did with Ranveer who is praised for Lootera and even in Udaan with Ronit Roy. Comment!
I trust my actors that they will give their best performance and it is for you to find the best way so you can guide them. Sometimes we have to strike sometimes we have to fight the actor and tell them that do it this way or do it that way most of the time I have discover that you just have to guide them by just explaining that do it this way so that the way. There are different actors like there is a one-take actor so make sure everything is prepared so you can give them one go and they will give their best shot. But there are actors who give that one shot in there 4th or 5th take so he/she will work up. Somebody are second take actor like Sonakshi she is a second take actress. So in the first couple of days, you will figure it out and build your relationship. I think actors and directors have very honest and open relationship I don’t think there is any kind of diplomacy which is happening there we have very straight relation if it is wrong we say it as we are all professional on set and what we are expecting from each other is an honest feedback.
Views on censor board?
It’s called the central board of certification so I don’t know why it is a censor board in first place. So why you are censoring stuff you just need to give it a certificate that’s your job. It makes no sense it is something like a British rule. So, it is one point of view of director that, I want to express something and you are stopping that and first of all who are you to stop anybody from watching anything. If you are saying it’s an adult film that means it is for them let them decide what they have to watch or not if they can take life changing decision and decision like doing sex or not on their own then why can’t they watch a movie on their own and it’s like they are paying money to watch it it’s not like they are going in for free. They are paying a fair amount of money to watch a film they like then why don’t they have freedom to watch what they want to watch. But the government thinks that we should be treated like kids. I believe that audience is much smarter and I also blame the industry for that too they think that audience is dumber but they are not as people are changing.
