Apurva Asrani On 12 Years Of Shahid: Film Was Made On Budget Of Rs 80-90 Lakh, But It’s Impact Is Invaluable – EXCL

Rajkummar Rao‘s Shahid turned 12 on October 18. Directed by Hansal Mehta, the biographical film won the Best Actor Award and the Best Director Award at the 61st National Film Awards ceremony. Apurva Asrani co-wrote Shahid with Sameer Gautam Singh.

As Shahid turned 12, Zoom spoke to Apurva about writing the film and touching the hearts of the audience with an honest story told with conviction. Read on:

Where do you place Shahid in your writing repertoire?

After Satya, it is Shahid that holds the most special place in my heart. Rajkummar Rao broke the mould with his sensitive portrayal of Shahid and the film had that rare dream team that was hungry and passionate. I will always remember it for the fantastic bonding that our team shared and how it pushed us all to give more than our best. But it’s the sheer courage and conviction of Hansal Mehta that made Shahid what it is. He made the film in just 80-90 lakh rupees, and yet the lasting impact of the film is invaluable.

Shahid is very special?

Well, I debuted as an additional screenplay writer in this film, so it’s very special for me. We were able to take very limited footage, shot on different cameras, and stitch up a new screenplay. There were scenes that couldn’t be shot, so we had to think on our feet and reimagine the narrative on the editing table. It was very exciting and the end result was very fulfilling.

Do you think it would be possible to make a Shahid today, considering the volatile political scenario?

I think it would be possible. But it is going to need a do-or-die attitude, like we all had back then when we made Shahid and Aligarh. Sometimes success and comfort get in the way of finding the courage to tell uncomfortable stories.

Do you feel you are creatively unfettered to write what you want?

I feel a bit stifled. Not because of the political climate, but because of the corporate control over creativity. It is hard to come up with something original when you have at least 12 people from studios, production houses, legal and marketing, getting involved in your creative process. Development takes so long and is so overcrowded, that it kills the joy of creation. I would say that most content today is simply passable and platforms primarily resort to the star system to simply sell the show/film. Very few have the lasting impact that content did before the OTT boom. But I sense that this model will crash and makers will have to start making a healthy investment into their writers/writing process.