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OH! BROTHER
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Sanjay Suri shares a few things about the making of "My Brother... Nikhil".
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Sanjay Suri in "My Brother... Nikhil".
IF YOU hear the statement `I did not want to turn producer' from a debutant producer, it makes you think why he turned one in the first place? "I had a nice script and I wanted to make a film on that. I went to many producers but each time, every producer tried to incorporate changes in it according to his own whims and fancies. Some said, is mein gaane dalo, some even suggested an item number, some advised to take its core subject HIV as a subplot. So its integrity was getting lost. Finally, I decided to produce the film on my own. And my old friends Vicky Tejwani, Onir and Raj Kaushal (of Shaadi Ka Ladoo fame) joined hands with me. We divided the budget of Rs.2.5 crore among ourselves and made a film that we wanted to," says a beaming Sanjay Suri about his film My Brother... Nikhil, released to encouraging response across cinema halls this past week.
Sanjay being a man of substance and sensitivity with a positive approach towards life, his film can be expected to incorporate these elements in plenty. It is the story of swimming champion Nikhil, played by Sanjay, who, when he discovers he is HIV positive, finds his family's attitude changing towards him. His sister, played by Juhi Chawla, is his only emotional support.
"The research part was a revelation in many ways," relates Sanjay. "I got to know truths like a woman when found HIV positive in Guwahati, was killed by her in-laws and so on. So I deliberately tried to get across a message to the audience, that is, `what if it happens to me'. I have shown the period from 1987 to 1994 when there was very little awareness about HIV."
Emotionally draining
Portraying the HIV positive protagonist himself was another testing phase. "It was physically very taxing. I lost eight kg for the film. It was not easy to portray a terminally ill patient. I shaved my head to look ill and went through the intricate details that would form an emotionally charged scene. For instance, I had to transport myself to a position where I felt emotionally drained, thinking, what if somebody in my neighbourhood gets to know of me (Nikhil) being HIV positive, how will he react? Or, will I live to carry the stigma for the rest of my life, will I lose my job, etc. I got so involved in the project that I didn't need glycerine in any scenes in which I had to cry. I must say, the hangover remained for quite a long time," he recalls.
The film got a boost when stalwarts like Victor Banerjee and Lillete Dubey immediately agreed to work in it without bothering about money. "Their acting skills brought more respect to the film," says Sanjay.
He chose Juhi Chawla for the role of a sister though she played his wife in Jhankaar - Beats. "She exudes warmth, looks supportive, endearing and yet vulnerable. And when Shah Rukh and Aishwarya can play lovers (Mohabbatein) in one film and brother and sister (Josh) in another, why not us?" he questions.
This "high on effort, low on budget" film, he says, is meant for urban audiences. "Even if it makes one family in each city think, my purpose is solved," he declares.
RANA SIDDIQUI
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