“Johnny Sharma was not intended to be funny”

It was 8 am. My phone beeped suddenly. The reminder for the interview served its purpose as I had unabashedly forgotten the appointment. After a quick bath, I took a sharing rickshaw to Kalaghoda. Manubhai Towers was at a walking distance. Knowing the fact that the office of Foreshadow Pictures was on the 5^th floor, I pressed the elevator button. When the contraption did not give a propitious response at my incessant button-pressing phenomena, I took to stairs. May be this was my punishment for skipping the morning exercise. After reaching the fifth floor, well, first of all I caught my breath, and then moved towards the place where I believed the office was. But I was puzzled to find a hoarding displaying ‘Nine Enterprises: Study Abroad’. I was impressed that Foreshadow Pictures had taken to advertising to such an extent. I plodded myself into an open door. There I found 2 genial men working diligently on their computers below a board displaying all the film-posters of Foreshadow Pictures. All of a sudden, Paritosh Bhole conjured up and greeted me gently. He invited me to an air-conditioned room where I sat on a reclining chair. Ordering some sandwiches from the neighboring Hot Bite restaurant, he himself set in the front of the table - a standard set-up for an interview.

Well, first of all, hearty congratulations at the opening of the Foreshadow Pictures’ own office- a long cherished dream…

Oh yes, of course. But I think I am the wrong person to get congratulated. The entire credit for this remarkable feat should go to Rahul (Bhole), Vinit (Kanojia) and Parikshit (Marathe). It became possible because they realized that the moment was ripe enough for Foreshadow to go professional. Initially, I was cynical about the idea. But with nearly 7 projects in hand now, I think, their stand has been vindicated.

Currently you have been working on a script called ‘A Beautiful Image’ which has caused many to speak enthusiastically about it. Tell us something more.

Well, nothing is yet decided. The script is still in its inchoate stage. Even the name ‘A Beautiful Image’ is not yet fixed. All I can tell you about it is that it’s based on an absurd but novel idea. I still need to work hard on the script but I am afraid I have been facing a blank wall. Let’s see what happens. (Chuckles)

You faced a similar kind of blank wall in retrospect. And then you gave us Johnny Sharma…

No, there was never a blank wall while writing Johnny Sharma. Its complete structure was decided in one seating. The thing that media hyped as ‘blank wall’ was that in draft-1, Johnny Sharma was not intended to be funny. Neither was it intended to be gloomy. I just thought it to be an amusing concept. But when I approached Deep…

You mean Deep Panjwani?

Yeah… He enriched the script with some really innovative and funny inputs. Even then, we did not put it under the comic genre. We used to call it a smart tongue-in-cheek film. But when we witnessed the deafening gales of laughter during the competition(Hot shorts), we saw each other and concluded that we had made a smart tongue-in-cheek “comedy” film, if I am not bragging too much. (Laughs)

You have been noted saying, “Jack Anand is better than Johnny Sharma”. Do you really feel so?

I might have said that but my implications were different. While making Jack Anand, we were better equipped and had an incredible management experience. Thanks to Ganesh (Rananavre). I think the unique feat was to complete the production of such a hefty project in just 2 days. Honestly speaking, I thoroughly enjoy watching both the movies. But I never want to compare them.

That was the cliché answer of every director.

(Uproarious Laughter)

Then what went wrong with Jack Anand?

For me, it is still a fully satisfying film. I still get the goose bumps at the scene of denouement. The most positive thing about the film was that it was a ditto manifestation of the script. We were able to portray what we envisaged. However, I capitulate to the accusation that the language was indeed a problem. I think it could have been translated into a good hindi. I humbly take the entire responsibility for that discredit.

What’s the fuss about Hemlo? Some say that you have been kept away from the project?

No, I would like to clear the air on this matter. I have not been kept away from it. On the contrary, I myself have not shown any prying interest in the project owing to my busy schedule these days. Apart from that, I believe that the very idea, of making a film on a renowned book and hence to read the book then, is ill-founded. It should be the other way round. If you enjoy a book immensely then if you feel to make a movie on it; it’s perfectly all right. Let’s just not make a film because 'V' has made a film on Macbeth and 'B' has made a film on Othello. But I heard some rave reviews about the initial scripting process. The incipient script has been proclaimed by many as being outlandish and promising. If that’s the case, then keep it up! I am with you.

What do you feel about the future of Foreshadow Pictures?

I feel that we are at par with the contemporaries in the technical aspects. Also, we are enthusiastic and passionate. Vinit has been working on an animated film. Ostensibly, Deep is also planning to do so in his summer holidays. Rahul has been working on Hemlo as well as other professional projects. Deep, Vineet(Shah) and Meet(Thakar) have been assiduously working for the betterment of our website. So everything should probably go on smoothly. The only thing that concerns me is that many of us, including me, are very shallow readers. I think every member should be encouraged to read more and more meaningful books. Every good director is a voracious reader. It is an imperative and prerequisite trait. If you are a director but not a good reader then there are very probable chances of you being a Vikram Bhatt or a Michael Bay. Moreover, all the films that we’ve made until now were concept-driven. A good director does not just rely upon the novelty of concept but it is his own perception which counts. If we succeed someday in telling an ordinary story- a story that does not merely depend upon the concept but also upon the human emotions- then we can call ourselves good filmmakers. I think we’ve yet to prove ourselves on those grounds.

Paritosh Bhole

paritoshbhole@yahoo.co.in

FORESHADOW PICTURES