If one had to list out some of the best modern Hindi thrillers with human drama at the core, A Wednesday, Special 26, Baby and Naam Shabana definitely stand out, and the man who helmed these films, Neeraj Pandey’s latest, as a creative producer, is Operation Romeo that releases in theatres this Friday, 22 April.
Operation Romeo is the official remake of Malayalam hit Ishq Not a Love Story directed by Anuraj Manohar which is said to be inspired by true events. The romantic suspense thriller encapsulates harassment and fear faced by a young couple who is traumatised by people pretending to be policemen (played by Sharad Kelkar and Kishore Kadam) with the aim of moral policing to the point of near breaking their spirits.
“Producers of the Malayalam film offered us the film while it was running in theatres there. They wanted us to see the film and explore the possibility of a Hindi remake. We loved it because of the premise. Nobody has touched upon this subject before. It is a very cathartic and intense film at the same time. All of us undoubtedly have gone through moral policing in some way or the other, sometimes not as disturbing but yes, disturbing to a certain degree for sure. The film is adapted to Mumbai. These things happen everywhere and you can even put it in context to what happens in the West and so many places in the world. People will definitely find it relatable. It is a very strong film and for me the climax, the end is the key. I don’t think we have seen an ending like this in a long time. It is unique,” says Pandey.
Debutants Sidhant Gupta and Vedika Pinto who play the traumatised and gullible young couple say that they had to undergo very detailed and rigorous auditions to bag the role. One of the most challenging parts for both was to sustain emotions for a very long time, for an almost 35-minute tension-ridden sequence. “This film really required me to play with imagination and create my own dark world. I had to sustain that world and that was a tough part. The scenes were really long and you had to carry that emotion every single day. I couldn’t snap out of that. I used to go home and feel this is torture I am doing to myself. But the next day I would kind of release my emotions once the director called for action,” says Gupta, who chose not to watch the original.
“I wanted to go into a brand new world and not get influenced. There are so many other things already on your mind, you are dealing with other conflicts and you don’t want another world messing with you. When I first heard the story I could relate to the person, I have lived that innocent, vulnerable life because I am from this small town Jammu. I had to go back in time and it was really interesting to find that space. The film starts when things get really intense," he adds.
For Pinto, the intensity at times was unbearable. “We shot that 35-minute long scene at a stretch for 10 to 12 days, most of it in South Bombay. Filling your head with negativity and discomfort was challenging. We have shot only at night and so many times going home in the morning I was left confused whether Vedika was feeling things or my character Neha was experiencing. Also, this is my first film and I was alongside learning how to get used to cameras and that there is a thing called continuity. But now in hindsight, it couldn’t have been a more special experience. I also learned a lot about myself while prepping for Neha,” says Pinto.
Not just the newcomers and aspiring actors but Sharad Kelkar who plays the crucial role of the villainous cop mentioned that he was disturbed for days during the shoot, to which Pandey justifies saying, “Usually the actors get to play different moments, different emotions, different moods in the film but since this film is based on only one incident and whatever happened that one night and you are turning up on the set thinking about that one incident, you are stuck in that time loop and a particular frame of mind. You are living that particular incident day in and day out and there is no other shade apart from that incident. Over that entire shooting period of those couple of months, the actors were reliving that particular moment again and again, there was no relief. But if they were not able to detach themselves, it goes on to prove the actors were focused.”
Bhumika Chawla, who plays Kelkar’s wife, has seen the original flick and she says, “We have tried to maintain as much authenticity as we could. Shashant (Shah, Director) has made the film as real and relatable as he could. It is good that we have come up with a film like that, it is an eye-opener. Many of us go through this harassment in the name of moral policing. It could be anything, it could be about the clothes you are wearing, or at what time you are getting home, why you are single, why you are having late-night parties, why people are coming to your home so late in the night…” says the actress, who gained recognition in Bollywood with Tere Naam (2003), her debut opposite Salman Khan.
Though the tragic romance was a massive success it didn’t help Chawla’s career take off in Hindi film industry. “If your film does really well then people notice you. I did sign films post Tere Naam but those films didn’t happen and my gap became longer and then I got busy in the South. Also, I want to do films for two reasons, one that I have not done before, secondly, whatever I play in the film has to take the film forward whether it is one day, five day, or 20 day work. It can’t be that you just come and go. I am not desperate to be seen. Probably that is the reason I don’t do so many films. I have also been refusing films because I have to connect with those scripts. Only if I connect, the audience will connect. It should look real. I love my work and like it is said once an actor always an actor. That hunger will always remain. But just because you are hungry to work you cannot make any wrong decision. You can’t make a bad choice. You wait for good work patiently,” says the actress.
Meanwhile, commenting on the current scenario wherein South Indian films seem to be dominating the Indian cinematic space, Pandey, on one hand, acknowledges and lauds the efforts of South filmmakers and on the other hand, doesn’t feel necessary in changing his approach toward filmmaking.
“Universal stories will always click and travel everywhere. Our films have been remade in South, for instance, A Wednesday was remade in Tamil and Telugu, Special 26 was remade in Tamil"
"It is a good thing what is happening as it will force filmmakers to think in a certain manner. We have always chased good stories so that doesn’t change in our case. The fact that talking to a certain kind of an audience, if your objective is to make that film which is pan India then it is their call. We don't look at subjects that way. We believe in making different kinds of stories. We don't chase audiences, we are chasing stories, stories will attract audiences, so there are different approaches. Our approach will remain the same. If it is a good film chances are that it will travel. Different people will look at it differently,” he reasons.
Operation Romeo is all set to clash with Shahid Kapoor's sports drama Jersey on 22 April. However, Pandey welcoming the decision of Jersey makers believes both films will be well received by the audience since both films belong to different genres. “There are absolutely no jitters. These are two totally different films and if another film is releasing on the same day that doesn’t mean that this film is any less. And two good films have worked in the past. Operation Romeo will draw a little different audience. We have a smaller release compared to Jersey. Anything good that happens to Jersey is actually good for all of us. You don’t perceive that their good is going to be bad for us. And then, we are all aware of what has happened in the last two years, so there are a plethora of releases lined up. It will be difficult to keep space between films and the more that you keep a film which is ready the subject goes stale. It is better to come out and let the audience decide,” concludes the filmmaker.
Seema Sinha is a Mumbai-based mainstream entertainment journalist who has been covering Bollywood and television industry for over two decades. Her forte is candid tell-all interviews, news reporting and newsbreaks, investigative journalism and more. She believes in dismissing what is gossipy, casual, frivolous and fluff.
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