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Anubhav Sinha, once associated with the world of Bollywood, has in recent years emerged as a bold chronicler of events that have threatened the idea of India. with Country, Anubhaav raised the voice of the socio-politically deprived Article 14, many And lamb, The film is still remembered for its action packed Sea Hawks This week on Doordarshan, the veteran director dives into the streaming space IC 814: Kandahar hijacking.
Based on Captain Devi Sharan’s book, the six-episode Netflix series puts one of independent India’s biggest intelligence and security failures in perspective. Anubhav says that in 1999 he was in Mumbai and making music videos. “It was a phase of my life when I was busy making money and I don’t have any sad memories of that period. But my director friends Sudhir Mishra, Anurag Kashyap and Hansal Mehta say that I was politically aware even at that time. I had to be aware, having grown up in Banaras and studied at Aligarh Muslim University in UP, Siyasat (Politics) This topic is discussed at tea shops and I visit them frequently in both cities.
The six-episode series features personalities who are still part of the security apparatus. Was he conscious? Anubhav says, “I am not in the business of protecting or glorifying people. Something happened, I did my research as authentically as possible and here it is.”
Excerpts from the interview:
The IC 814 hijacking is not exactly a success story; how have you approached the subject?
When I was approached, Netflix already had a script based on the incident by Captain Devi Sharan. However, when I read it, I could not agree to the project because the captain’s perspective was limited to what happened inside the plane. I wanted to explore and tell more. So I rewrote it with screenwriter Trishant Srivastava, who was part of the writing team before I joined. We contacted passengers and officials and cited news reports. Then (journalist) Adrian Levy came up with interesting information from outside India.
We must understand that this kidnapping happened just a few months after major incidents like Pokhran II and the Kargil intrusion. It was not easy for the government. Two hundred lives were at stake and there was a coalition government in power. If you know about that time then you will be able to understand the film better, but even if you don’t, you will get an idea of the complexities involved.
What happened in Amritsar still touches the heart. Were you aware of the sensitivity of the incident in allowing the hijacked plane to take off?
sensitivity, Government Or otherwise, it’s like the audience – you can’t guess it. One of the problems was that our response in Amritsar was slow and this is something that many bureaucrats of that time have admitted publicly. I believe that one should not have malice in mind while telling a story. If the story is based on truth, one should try to remain as true as possible. I have removed all the veils of the incident. You can put your camera wherever you want; you will see only the truth.
Anubhav Sinha on the sets of ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
How do you understand the essence of bureaucratic politics and obscure language in those rarefied rooms of the secretariat?
I have never been inside those rooms. I don’t know many bureaucrats, but I enjoy exposing their basic human instincts. The crisis management group is full of personalities with different frequencies, but they are working towards a common goal. One is from a small village in Bihar and went to a government school, while the other is the son of a former IFS officer who grew up in Europe. They look at the same problem differently. Their reactions are different and it makes for a fascinating mix.
During my research, I met a bureaucrat who said he liked my work. He said he would not share any information but would love to meet me. I sat with him for three hours. After an hour I felt he was talking to me; I could see he was sharing information in very subtle layers but he didn’t really say anything. It’s unrealistic to explain, but I got something important from him.
How was the experience of directing such high calibre actors under one roof?
It wasn’t our goal to do anything like that Bitter enemy! There are many important characters in the story. Arvind (Swamy) was the first to agree to it; he said he wanted to work with me. When I write a script, somehow one character starts behaving like Manoj Pahwa and another starts acting like Kumud Mishra. Even if I try to stop them, they slip out of my hands.
Then two big roles came up. So, I approached Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) bhai and Pankaj (Kapoor) bhai. Naseer bhai agreed without even hearing the script, but surprisingly, Pankaj bhai, with whom I have a relationship since then, also agreed. Ten, It took time. They said they didn’t want to be part of the crowd and wanted to read the entire script before saying yes. Of the nine actors in the room, six wanted to rehearse and three worked on instinct. This arrangement is curious but luckily, they give me a lot of love. When I said we’ll go for a take, even the one who wanted one more rehearsal agreed.
Pankaj Kapur, Arvind Swami and Manoj Pahwa in ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ | Photo Credit: Neeraj Priyadarshi/Netflix
Whose performance surprised you the most?
VFX team. The beauty of good special effects is that you don’t notice it. Ra One, We had a lot of time and money; here we worked with vendors to recreate that era. Except for Iran – which is facing sanctions – the plane, the A300, is no longer in service. Then it took time to get the color grading of Kandahar right. Historically and politically, it is probably the most important city in Afghanistan, but very little is known about it in recent times.
Is the pace of the series also dictated by time?
Before the shoot, my DOP Evan Mulligan asked if we were recreating 1999. I told him we were sending our camera and crew there. It was being recreated through today’s technology and not an old version of the event.
Having seen both the satellite and OTT phases, what kind of movements do you see in the entertainment sector where data analytics is driving decisions?
The problem begins when you start understanding success in terms of numbers. Art is an act of rebellion. The story of two brothers taking different paths has been told many times before, but the story of Salim-Javed has made it even more interesting. Wall Yet it became a game changer. Gandhi has been sketched millions of times, but artists try to find new ways to express his ideas. If you limit his vision by throwing some data, you are turning art into an FMCG product. You cannot process data unless you have enough data. I don’t think analysts in the entertainment sector have enough data.
Anubhav Sinha | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
It seems something changed in you when after ‘Tum Bin’ and ‘Ra.One’ you suddenly started making socially and politically conscious films…
I was reacting to the situation, but inadvertently documented the period. Having lived in Banaras and Aligarh in my formative years, I have a strange advantage. I love Girija Devi as well as Guns N Roses! The disturbance in the social fabric was bothering me and so the sound came out. Thankfully it did. Now I don’t think I can ever make a film without sound.
Will you continue on this path despite limited box-office collections?
I have made more money making small films than big films, but now I am going through another turmoil. Christopher Nolan’s oppenheimer It surprised me that a political film could be great. I connected with the format and realized that if you want your films to have a voice, they don’t have to be small.
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack premieres on Netflix on August 29
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