Raaj Shaandilyaa, one of the well-known writers on television, is making his directorial debut with Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer Dream Girl set to release on September 13. The trailer was recently released and people have been loving it.
Raaj, who has co-written the screenplay along with Nirmaan D Singh, says the film is inspired by the fake profiles created on social networking sites like Orkut and Yahoo Messenger. “Many men make use of these fake profiles and chat with women on Orkut and Yahoo Messenger. Nirmaan approached me with the idea of a man posing as a woman and interacting with other men. I presented it in a new story,” he says while promoting the film, which also stars Nushrat Bharucha, Annu Kapoor, Manjot Singh, Vijay Raaz and others.
Along with the concept, Ayushmann’s performance has been appreciated. While writing the character and story, Raaj says that Ayushmann was always his first choice. “We thought that we would narrate the script to him and if he refused to sign the film, we would approach somebody else.” But was it difficult to convince him to sign and Raaj says, ‘No’. “You need to convince someone when the other person is unable to understand the concept. He not only understood the story but connected with it. He agreed in 10 minutes,” shares Raaj.
Dream Girl is the kind of film that could have ended up looking like a caricature if not handled properly. “It’s not an extraordinary story but a simple one and I have kept it that way. The audience does not need to think too much about the story. They just need to come, watch and enjoy,” says Raaj, who has worked as a scriptwriter for TV shows like Comedy Circus and has been associated with films like Welcome Back, Freaky Ali, Bhoomi and Jabariya Jodi.
The debutant director says that directing a script which has been written by you is easier but the pressure is a lot more. “Just because you are telling your own written story, there is a fear that you might leave behind something,” he says, adding, “Even though you could be making your first film in the genre (comedy) you have been working in for many years, you could still feel the pressure. I keep worrying if people will find my film less humorous or may not understand it at all because their sense of humour could be different. However, I am less worried now because the trailer has received an amazing response. I am sure when people will watch the film, they will like it.”
Raaj also has the responsibility of keeping Ayushmann’s track record intact. “When I signed him, he had back-to-back hits so I am quite nervous now (laughs),” says Raaj adding that comedy doesn’t have a soul of its own as it emerges out of emotions. “People should be entertained — that’s always been my focus. I always wanted to make a comedy film, which will be entertaining and Dream Girl is that kind of film,” says Raaj, who himself enjoys comedy.
Lately, Bollywood has been making comedy films, which are either slapstick or has below-the-belt kind of humour. Raaj, however, says that filmmakers have to make films, which are not only situational but also high on content. “People are liking such stories. There might be a dialogue or two, which could be naughty or below-the-belt but overall they are family entertainers. Sai Paranjpye and Hrishikesh Mukherjee would make such situational comedies,” says Raaj who has been inspired by the writings of writer-actor Kader Khan and is a huge fan of directors Anees Bazmee, Rajkumar Santoshi and Sai Paranjpye. “I have learnt watching their work and want to follow them in the future,” Raaj adds.
Dream Girl is an out-and-out comedy but the film gives out a message about ‘loneliness’. This is because the taste of the audience is changing. “This is not happening now but for many years. If you look at the gags I used to write for television, it was satire. Many films are created from my gags. This is important in storytelling because if you can give out a message along with comedy, it can be very effective. People are not ready to listen to serious gyaan that you share,” says Raaj.
Though he has been writing for more than 15 years, it took Raaj some time to get into direction. But he says that he started writing the film in 2013. “I have worked on the film for five years, which isn’t a very long time. In fact, I would have taken longer but Ayushmann and Ekta (Kapoor) agreed to collaborate on the project,” says Raaj before signing off.
