Kapil Sharma and director Rajiev Dhingra go back a long way. Not only are the two childhood friends but they have also been professionally associated. Rajiev was the creative director of The Kapil Sharma Show and also the director of Comedy Nights With Kapil. Together they are geared up for the release of their first feature film collaboration — Firangi, which releases today. While Rajiev has directed the film, Kapil has produced it, and plays the lead role as well.
“The script is special. It’s a story based in the pre-Independence period. Usually when we talk about the dark side of that era, but we wanted to show the light side of it. The problems faced then still continue to exist. Earlier we were ruled by the British, and now by multinational companies,” says Rajiev.
He shares that the biggest challenge was writing the story. “It was tough because we were touching a sensitive era. I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s sentiments. So we had to respect everyone’s emotions while writing the story and dialogues,” he adds. He calls Firangi “a serious-fun film”.
The director is confident that those coming to watch the film won’t be disappointed. “It’s not the kind of film which will make you laugh out loud but it will definitely make you smile from starting to end. It’s an entertaining story with undercurrents of humour,” he says.
The Love Punjab director says that he always had Kapil in mind while writing the script. “While writing the character, I had added nuances of his personality to it. I wanted only him to play the character of Firangi,” he says.
And has Kapil’s popularity changed the equation between them? “Not at all. I have known Kapil for about 25-26 years. We don’t have fights or arguments, but we talk things out. In friendship, such things don’t matter,” he says. When asked about the rumours regarding the rift between Kapil and him after he left The Kapil Sharma show midway, Rajiev says, “We are working together in the film, do you need any other proof that things are fine? Such false news is manipulated by those who have issues with us. We are, and will, remain friends forever.”
Rajiev calls Kapil an emotional guy and says that his straightforward attitude works against him. “He is a rooted man. He just speaks whatever he thinks, which might sound wrong to others at times. He is not manipulative, and is not used to any kind of manipulation,” he says before signing off.
