Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam starrer HAQ is receiving positive response from the audience after its release. Inspired by the Shah Bano vs Ahmed Khan case, HAQ is directed by Suparn Verma, who previously proved his mettle with Just Ek Banda Kafi Hai, The Family Man Season 2, Rana Naidu and others. In an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, Suparn Verma expressed her excitement for The Family Man Season 3, sharing insights on the nuanced performances of Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi.
Excerpts from the interview:
Shah Bano case is such a big topic that it can easily be adapted into a web series. It would be very difficult for you and your team to compile all this into a 2 hour 16 minute film. So, how did you decide what to keep in the film and what not?
We went with the heart of Shazia Bano (character inspired by Shah Bano). To me, it was the story of a marriage gone wrong. A domestic dispute which grew into a national dispute. And when I took that path, it became a very personal story for me. For me, Shazia and Abbas (a character inspired by Ahmed Khan) were two singular characters around whom the entire world revolved and revolved. One is fighting for her right to respect. The other was fighting for what he believed to be the right of faith, but he misinterpreted it for his own use. So, they came from completely different spectrums, and she was trying to fight the system that was normalized in that period.
And the more we dug deeper, we realized that nothing has really changed for women in these centuries or decades. Women still live in a man’s world. This is the same gender bias. This is the same glass ceiling. These are the same struggles, the same issues. And maybe there is more awareness percentage wise, but that’s it.
How did you maintain a balanced approach towards the characters of Bano and Khan?
The truth is that I don’t see the world in black and white. I see the world in grey. Everyone acts in a certain way given the time. You can do the right thing at the wrong time, the wrong thing at the right time. You can be a hero one moment and a villain the next. And when you get into the story, you see it as it is. For example, you might see a man saving a dog’s life and then going on to love someone. Now, if I change the order of events, he could be a hero or a villain.
So, it’s a matter of perspective. So, my job as a filmmaker is to interact with my audience. And that’s what I’m doing with Banda and Haq: talking about people explaining things for you. It doesn’t allow you to think or make decisions for yourself. Similarly, if a filmmaker is deciding what is good and bad for you, what conversation is he or she communicating with you as an audience? He’s telling you stuff. He is selling you stuff. This is a different genre. Here, you need to understand all sides so you can make the best decision for yourself instead of painting people in binaries of black and white, which doesn’t work. The only way to have a conversation is to give you two people’s perspective. So, there are three versions of the truth.
Be it Yami or Imran, both the actors did excellent work. One can imagine Yami in such a difficult role, but the audience has a different perception for Emraan. How did you decide he would fit the role?
The first thing is that Yami has never played a character like this before. I mean, nothing that intense, something that requires diving into the depths of emotional intensity.
When it comes to Emraan, it was also breaking his image and forcing him to reinvent himself as an extremely dramatic actor. And I have seen the intensity in Imran’s work over the years. He plays things with enthusiasm and charm. I wanted to use that charm and that intensity of his in a way where it was appropriate to what he was going through in his mind.
Haq is getting appreciation from the audience. However, there are some voices who are opposing the film and are even demanding to ban it. What would you like to say on that?
Till now, the voices speaking about or against the film were only in its favor, with no mention of a ban or anything like that. He believes there is a different kind of agenda. And my point is that I speak the truth. What was the agenda of Mere Ek Banda Kafi Hai? nobody. Haq doesn’t have any agenda either. I come from a place of honesty and truth and emotional balance and a lot of research. And those who have a problem with this, please watch the film. Questions will be answered.
I heard that you shot this film in Lucknow and nearby places like Hardoi and Sitapur. How was your experience shooting there?
We shot the entire film in 32 days, mainly in and around Lucknow. I shot in Sandila, Kakori and Unnao and shot for two days in Lucknow. We were shooting for 3-3 hours every day during the journey. In fact, we used to go in the morning and return at night. But for me, for authenticity’s sake I had to shoot the entire film there. So, it was like no set of things in the world could give me that.
My production designers, Abhijeet and Sonam literally transformed the dilapidated havelis and created a whole world for me in and around Lucknow in the most beautiful way. They gave it a sense of realism and authenticity that it didn’t really need, and it brought it to life visually.
You also directed Family Man Season 2 with Raj and DK. And now the third season is coming soon. Were you involved in the third season in any capacity?
No, I was not involved at all in the third season. I was shooting Rana Naidu 2, and then shooting HAQ when they were making The Family Man Season 3. But I’ve seen the trailer, and I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait for the Tiwari family to get into more trouble. And then Srikanth and JK had to prepare him.
You have been active in the industry for such a long time. Before becoming a director, you worked as a screenwriter. What is closer to you, writing or directing?
Both are close to me. Both are forms of creation. Writing is more painful than directing because writing involves staring at a blank piece of paper and then bleeding over it. But both are fun. Both are funny in their own way. That’s why I enjoy it. As long as I get to create, I’m happy.
You are also a producer, so what is more important to you: box office success or critical appreciation?
Box office, always. Critical appreciation is a bonus. At the end of the day, this is the business of filmmaking, and you must think of yourself as a stakeholder in this business, where you need to generate returns for your producers, studios, exhibitors, and distributors.
Have you made any plans for your next project?
For the next four-five weeks, as long as Haq is running in theatres, I am promoting it. After that I will think further. (I’ll be promoting HAQ for the next four or five weeks, while it’s running in theatres. After that, I’ll think about the future.)
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author/speaker and do not reflect the official policy or position of Pinkvilla. Any statements made in this article are not intended to defame, harm, or discredit any person or entity.
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