As they reunite for the short film, Dobaara, actor Manav Kaul and director Bejoy Nambiar discuss what makes their creative collaboration tick
A still of Dobaara
Even as Manav Kaul played his grey character to perfection in Wazir (2016), director Bejoy Nambiar knew he was yet to fully tap into the actor's potential. Understandably then, Kaul was a natural choice for the lead role when Nambiar conceived and wrote the script of Zee5's short film, Dobaara. "I have known Manav since his theatre days and have always been a fan of his craft," says the director.
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Considering he is relatively new to the romance genre, Kaul reveals he was surprised when Nambiar envisioned him as a romantic hero. He says, "It was strange when Bejoy offered me a romance drama, especially since I played a negative character in Wazir. He is the reason I came on board. Bejoy gives his heart and soul to a project, and I like to work with passionate people."
Bejoy Nambiar
The short film, featuring Kaul and Parvathy Omanakuttan, showcases how two people grapple with love and loneliness in an arranged marriage. Nambiar admits that the mature love story is one he holds close to his heart. "I had written this story as a Malayalam feature film, but it never really took off. Fortunately, the Zee initiative came along and things fell into place."
The film has a mix of Hindi, Malayalam and Bengali. Nambiar, who has earlier helmed multilinguals — including David and Solo, says language has never been a barrier. "Language is not a criterion, the script and story excite me. While making any film — bilingual or otherwise — every filmmaker only works towards presenting it the way he had imagined. If the film manages to connect with the audience, your job as a filmmaker is complete."
On his part, Kaul was happy to pick up different dialects that would enhance his act. "I loved it considering we are part of a country where every 15 kilometres, the language changes and so does the way of life."
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