Shakun Batra on Gehraiyaan’s OTT release: I didn’t want to keep holding this film for long, it was ready

Director Shakun Batra talks about the decision to release his next film Gehraiyaan, directly on an OTT platform.

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012), his debut directorial, thenKapoor & Sons (2016) , and now Gehraiyaan- all of them have had on thing in common- they have all been about families. And Shakun Batra, the director of all three, says it has been sub-conscious.

Director Shakun Batra’s next film is Gehraiyaan.

“Family dynamics provide a great fodder for story telling, the internal dynamics between people. There’s always a past history. When you make stories about people who recently met, there’s no history. I have always enjoyed characters that share a common past and background, that makes for interesting viewing. Those are my thoughts, and I sit down and work consciously on them,” says the 39-year-old.

Starring Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday and Dhairya Karwa, the film was anticipated to release on the big screen. However, the makers decided to release it directly on an OTT platform. Ask him the reason, and Batra says, “I grew up on films I absolutely loved and admired, and which made me want to become a filmmaker. I have watched all of them on TV, DVDs and my laptop. I have always felt a good story will connect regardless of how and where you watch it.”

He is calling the genre of his film domestic noir. Ask him to explain, and he says, “It is tough to classify a genre, that’s why I called it that. I am interested in day to day lives, and this film does have the element of thrill. Whether Indians have seen it or not seen it, the audience can decide that when they watch the film.”