Vishal Bhardwaj on Sajid Nadiadwala pushing the budget of O Romeo: It was beyond my capacity as a director
Mumbai Ja, n 23
Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj has lauded producer Sajid Nadiadwala for believing in him and his project. He also stated that while he tried hard to save money while shooting, Sajid went all out without worrying about the budget while Vishal felt that the entire budget was 'beyond his capacity as a director.'
"As the project progressed, the vision kept growing, and it wasn't me increasing it, it was Sajid Bhai," said Vishal.
He elaborated, "I would suggest shooting in places like Georgia to reduce costs, but he would say that it wouldn't have the same impact. When locations like Portugal and Spain were discussed, I worried about the expense, but he reminded me that cost should not limit the vision."
Vishal modestly highlighted that the budget of the movie went beyond his capacity as a director. "I am sharing this difficult journey because the budget of this film was beyond my capacity as a director. I did not have the ability to raise that kind of money."
He added, "It was Sajid Bhai's strong belief in me and in the project that made it possible. He kept telling me that I would get the money and realise my true capacity, but honestly, even then, the budget required was more than what I had envisioned."
He added, " In many ways, we tried to make a five-rupee film in one rupee, which is why the journey became so challenging. One thing we all realised through this film is that every film pushes you to discover and grow into a better version of yourself."
Earlier, Vishal who is all set for O Romeo, during its trailer launch had went onto
defend the open usage of slang and 'gaalis' (swear words) in movies without them being censored.
"I feel that gaalis in movies shouldn't be 'beep, beep, beep.' It should be said fully, exactly as it is meant to be spoken" said Vishal.
"As a society, we are very hypocritical. We accept these abuses on the streets, but when they appear in cinema, we say that cinema is doing something wrong, cinema is corrupting you, cinema will reform you. That's not how it works. Cinema, according to me, is a mirror of society and it reflects exactly who you are!" Vishal added.
He further elaborated, "If today there is violence shown in cinema, then this violence exists in our society. And as for abuses, I think there is poetry even in abuses, if they are used properly. So go ahead and use them; there's no problem."
Talking about the O Romeo that stars Shahid Kapoor, Tripti Dimri, Vishal said, "The film's name is O Romeo, and it is actually a love story, with a violent backdrop. It is an unrequited love story of this character, and is a strong love story."
O Romeo releases on February 13.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Respect for Vishal's honesty. It takes guts to admit that a budget was beyond your capacity. Most directors would just take credit. His point about cinema being a mirror of society is spot on too. We need to stop being hypocritical about language.
Shooting in Portugal and Spain for a Bollywood film? Wow, the scale sounds massive. Hope the story justifies the lavish spending. Sometimes these big budgets just lead to style over substance. Fingers crossed for O Romeo!
As someone who loves world cinema, I appreciate the ambition. But I also hope the film retains its Indian soul. An unrequited love story with a violent backdrop by Vishal Bhardwaj sounds incredibly promising. February 13 can't come soon enough!
While I admire the vision, part of me worries. When budgets balloon, the pressure on the film to be a blockbuster is immense. What happens to mid-budget, content-driven cinema if every film needs to be a visual spectacle shot across Europe?
"Trying to make a five-rupee film in one rupee" – that line resonates so much! It's the story of every creative professional in India, constantly battling resource constraints. Kudos to Sajid Bhai for breaking that cycle for this project. More power to such collaborations! 🙌
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