2024-09-10 06:14:06
Filmmaker Amar Kaushik of ‘Stree 2’, which is making waves in theatres, narrated an incident from his childhood, saying- We used to live in Arunachal, my father used to bring back 4 cassettes from the market while going to buy ration. It used to take four to five days to watch them, because the power kept coming and going again and again.
Amar Kaushik, who grew up in the interior of Arunachal Pradesh, was fond of films since childhood, but he never thought that when he grows up, he will not only give a new genre to Bollywood but will also create a stir at the box office. We are talking about ‘Stree 2’ filmmaker Amar Kaushik. Amar, who has made films like ‘Stree’ and ‘Bhediya’, has made ‘Stree 2’ which has crossed the 700 crore mark at the box office worldwide. A special conversation with him.
Your father was a forest officer and your mother a school teacher, so they had no connection with cinema, how did the passion for cinema arise in you?
To be honest, he was the one who contributed to my initial phase of cinema. He gifted me a VCR (video cassette recorder) in my childhood. When we lived in Arunachal, there was often no electricity, but my father would definitely bring 4 cassettes from the market while going to buy ration. When we played a film, it would take four to five days to finish, because the power kept coming and going. Memories of films like Maine Pyar Kiya and Khoon Bhari Maang are still fresh in my mind. The credit for watching all the films in my childhood goes to my father. On the other hand, my mother was a teacher, so she used to read very interesting stories to me. She was very fond of reading. She had a storehouse of books. When there was no electricity, I would listen to stories from my mother and when electricity came, I would watch films on the VCR. In this way, my interest in cinema and stories was aroused because of my parents.
Is it true that your first short film ‘Aaba’ was based on your mother’s story?
Yes, absolutely. After studying Mass Media Communication, I came to Mumbai. I was an assistant director for a long time. I was the assistant director of director Rajkumar Gupta in Aamir and later I worked as a co-director in No One Killed Jessica and Ghanchakkar. This is from the time when there was a trend of short films on YouTube. In those days, my mother also came to Mumbai to meet me. During our conversation, my mother started telling me about her childhood in Arunachal. On that, I thought that this is very interesting and I thought of making a short film on what my mother said. I did not have a budget. I borrowed money from my director friend Rajkumar Gupta and Vipul Dixit. I went to Arunachal and gathered the students there. Worked with them. Got an aunty to cook food. I took actors from there who had never faced the camera. I found an 80-year-old grandmother, an 85-year-old grandfather and a granddaughter and made a film with them and edited it. When I showed this film to people, they liked it very much. My film Aaba was screened in 67 festivals including Toronto. Now people realised that at least he knows how to tell a story.
Talking about your film Stree 2, it rained money at the box office. Did you expect this?
No, I never thought so. To be honest, while you were saying this, I also said touchwood. I never thought that the film would get such a response, but it was certain that people would enjoy it. For the last 6 years, wherever I went, people would ask the same question that when is Stree 2 coming, so there was a pressure. But then I did not take that pressure as pressure but started writing like an energy. Now the film has been released and the kind of love I am getting from people is very overwhelming. To be honest, now the pressure is what will I make next? But I have decided that I will make something new.
Horror films have always had a niche audience, but you have introduced a new genre like horror-comedy?
Coming up with a horror-comedy was not a well thought out strategy. I had to make my first feature film as a director. But I have always had a flair for comedy. Even in the early days of my career when I was an assistant, the directors used to put me forward in comedy scenes. I think that as a viewer, I like comedy-filled cinema. When I was making Stree, people said that I should not start my career with a horror film, but the humour in horror came to me on its own. Those characters came on their own. I had never planned that I was making a new genre like horror-comedy. People just gave it this name. I just wanted to make a story with humour.
Your other two films Khel Khel Mein and Veda had big stars like Akshay Kumar and John Abraham, but what about the overwhelming response your film has received in comparison to those films?
I think both the films that came with us were good, but we don’t have an answer as to why our films were appreciated so much. Only the audience knows. If the audience was in our control, we would have been blowing money every Friday. As far as big stars are concerned, Akshay Kumar is also in our film. Actually, all of us makers thought that the weekend of 15th August is very big and everyone can get a chance. I was busy delivering the film till 13-14th August. I had no idea what was happening in the outside world?
In ‘Stree 2’ you brought Varun Dhawan of Bhediya and also Akshay Kumar as a new addition, now what will be new in the horror-comedy universe?
I just want people to beg to go to the theatre. I remember my childhood and how eager I was to watch a film, I just had to watch it. I want that desire to be rekindled in people. Tickets should be black. If that atmosphere comes back, it will be fun. I want to make films that make people happy. As far as the universe of horror-comedy is concerned, I am myself excited about what I will make. It may have all the actors till now or it may not have them or there may be a new addition. But one thing is certain that I will not force any actor into it.