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Hansal Mehta on actor Rajkummar Rao: He is a gift; never fails to surprise me
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has collaborated with Rajkummar Rao again, this time for the web series Bose: Dead/Alive. He says the actor has been brilliant as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta is a fan of Rajkummar Rao. Mehta, who has collaborated with the actor in films such as CityLights (2014), Aligarh (2015), and Omerta, says the actor succeeds in surprising him with every performance.
“I have always said that Rajkummar is a gift. We have been working together for quite some time now, and every time he works with me, or plays different characters, he has always surprised me. And the experience of working with him again, for Bose: Dead/Alive, was no different,” he says.
The director has also been excited about being associated with the web series, which highlights Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s life and contribution to the cause of Indian freedom. One is understandably curious why Hansal chose a subject that has so far been guarded, and controversial, but he clears the air on it. “I think controversy is in the minds of people. It’s a perception. And it is because of ignorance that people see controversies. We have made a web series for the digital medium which is being consumed heavily by so many people. Our intention is to highlight the fact that the freedom that we enjoy today is because of people like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and their passion, and it’s been an exciting exploration on the man, the legend, and the mystery,” he explains.
But does the possibility of a backlash at all bother him? “If after watching the show people want to discuss and debate, I am open to it but I can’t tolerate controversy for the sake of attention. It is the work of the ignorant. We have put in a lot of research and Ekta [Kapoor] and her team had worked really hard. More importantly, the show is for the younger generation who are far more removed from what has given them the freedom they enjoy today,” he says.
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