Sejal Shah was searching for the right story to kickstart her directorial career, when she, in 2019, stumbled upon the story of Customs officer Costao Fernandes, who displayed courage in the face of corruption. Six years on, it has taken the shape of Costao, the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer that releases next week. “We spent almost a year on the research. I’ve been a journalist, so research is very important to me. We went to Goa where Costao showed me his house; I also met other Custom officers. The scripting took another two years,” she recalls.

Costao Fernandes