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Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai director Apoorv Singh Karki: Can’t repeat myself, want to try all genres
Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and Aspirants director Apoorv Singh Karki says he is not keen to ride the success wave
Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai director Apoorv Singh Karki says the success of his film has not changed the way he looks at things.
“Success surely adds the pressure to deliver, and expectations becomes high! Comparisons will also be made but I don’t let all these trouble me. Instead, I am just focusing on good scripts as half the battle is won if you have a well-developed subject. Kahani hi film ka hero hoti hai,” says the filmmaker on the sidelines of shoot of his next film, Bhaiyaaji with actor Manoj Bajpayee, in Lucknow.
“I am getting several offers for courtroom drama. I like them but can’t repeat myself, and if in the future, I get a great script then I will surely do it again. But not for the sake of riding the Bandaa success. I want to try every genre, expect horror,” he says.
On working with the same team from last project, he says, “Manoj sir had this story and he shared with me during the shoot of Bandaa... He is a poster boy of independent films, but I have a fantasy to see him in full-on action commercial hero! So, I again asked Deepak (Kingrani, writer) to develop the film and we made it a rooted yet out-and-out commercial film. Others too (same producer and some actors) came on board and here we are with the revenge drama Bhaiyaaji.”
Last month saw the release of the second season of his popular series Aspirants. “It’s a world that I have created with writer Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish. The second season is always a bigger challenge, but we had faith in our research of the subject and actors. It’s overwhelming when the audience likes your work,” says the director.
Kargi tells his backstory. “When Pitaji (Gopal Singh Karki) was posted in Lucknow he used to watch a lot of films and we used to discuss films a lot. I remember, he took me to Independence Day (1996) which was probably the first English film that released simultaneously in my hometown Nanital. So, mujhe film ka keeda unihi se mila. I completed BSc and tried other things but then dad suggested if films is an interest then give at least 15 years to it. His golden words kept me kicking...ki time to lagega hi. It took me 14 years to make my debut film!”
He came to Mumbai in 2009 and stayed for five years but things did not work for him. “I fell ill and came back to Delhi and started preparing for civil services in Rajendra Nagar. I could not get through but in the same period TVF opened an office in Delhi and I joined them. I made lot of sketches, Aam Admi Family and then Aspirants happened in 2019 which changed things for me,” says the Flames (2019) and Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt Ltd (2022) director.
His next venture too, will be a film. “I will start with a film again and have a web-series with Kaala Paani director Sameer Saxena, my film mentor,” he adds.
