Express at IFFI | ‘Not making the Meena Kumari biopic’: Manish Malhotra

Malhotra’s accumulation venture, Saali Mohabbat, is simply a gripping thriller directed by Tisca Chopra and featuring a talented ensemble cast, including Radhika Apte, Divyenndu, and Anurag Kashyap. The film’s communicative is its strongest aspect, and Malhotra is arrogant to person backed a task that pushes boundaries and challenges accepted storytelling.

When asked if helium sought proposal from manufacture friends, particularly Karan Johar, Malhotra reveals that helium chose to trust connected his ain instincts. “When I told Karan astir Saali Mohabbat, helium was precise surprised. But helium besides knows if I’ve said yes to something, I volition bash it. I didn’t inquire anyone anything. I conscionable wanted it to beryllium mine, beryllium it good, bad, oregon ugly.”

Malhotra’s modulation into filmmaking whitethorn person raised eyebrows, but helium is assured that his passionateness for cinema and his knowing of storytelling volition service him well. “All manner designers don’t person a movie sense, but immoderate do. With me, it was integrated due to the fact that I was successful emotion with films since childhood, watching the works of Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, oregon Mehmood Khan. I emotion the ’70s, their songs, and costumes. I americium steeped successful films. That’s wherefore I get however it works.”

How did filmmaking travel up successful the archetypal place? Manish says, “It was during the pandemic (Covid-19), the clip erstwhile we each sat and introspected due to the fact that we had the clip to. I kept wondering for however agelong volition I support making apparel for people? I besides wanted to archer stories…”

With Saali Mohabbat marking his debut arsenic a producer, Malhotra has respective different projects successful the pipeline, including Bun Tikki starring Zeenat Aman and Abhay Deol, and Ul Jalool Ishq starring Naseeruddin Shah, Fatima Sana Sheikh and Vijay Verma. When asked astir the presumption of the Meena Kumar biopic, which helium was initially acceptable to nonstop with Kriti Sanon, Malhotra revealed that helium is nary longer attached to the project. “I’m not doing the biopic. I’ll nonstop thing else. Directing is 1 imagination that remains unfulfilled.”

Manish had confirmed that helium was going to helm the Meena Kumari biopic successful an earlier interrogation past year. When helium was asked astir the reports of him directing Meena Kumari’s biopic, helium said, “I don’t cognize however it got retired but it is happening. We are inactive moving connected the script. The publication is key, always. I person been speechmaking her books. The movie is based connected her books. I person ever been fascinated by Meena Kumari.”