Nitesh Tiwari: Best way was to have Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi speak about it

Stating that Paes-Bhupathi split left many questions unanswered, director Tiwari discusses getting the duo and their friends’ accounts for Break Point

It’s not a comforting feeling when you are pouring your heart out in the open,” begins Nitesh Tiwari, acknowledging that it could not have been an easy decision for Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi to come on board Break Point. The ZEE5 series would, after all, make the tennis champions revisit the chapter they had left behind — their glorious years of partnership in men’s doubles tennis that resulted in many Grand Slam wins and major titles, before it all unravelled. But a meeting with Tiwari and filmmaker-wife Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari quelled their fears about the project. 

“We planned to approach it through the eyes of a common friend who also happens to be their fan. He [assured] them that it would be a neutral perspective. We said we’ll present facts to the people; that gave them a lot of comfort,” says Tiwari, grateful that his subjects laid their lives bare for the series. “Leander and Mahesh allowed us to be better storytellers by opening up to us.”

Also Read: Bhupathi says Lara involved in Break Point since day 1: Better half of the court

Nitesh Tiwari

Presenting a dramatised version of the events was out of the question for the director duo. Through the series, they intended to address the reasons behind the Lee-Hesh split. “As a fan boy, I was heartbroken [when they parted ways]. A lot of questions were left unanswered. If we told the story as a creative version, those questions would not be answered. We thought the best way of telling the story was to have both Lee and Mahesh speak about it. [We also included the accounts] of their friends and families, their partners and rivals, thus giving a balanced perspective.”

While Tiwari and Iyer have worked together in various capacities, Break Point sees the couple share directorial responsibilities for the first time. “We share our duties at home where each knows what s/he should be handling. For instance, I teach math and science to my children because of my engineering background, and Ashwiny handles social science and arts. Similarly, at work, we [divided the responsibilities]. If someone is taking care of a particular department, the other person has the right to give his opinion, but the final call will rest with the person handling the department.”

Also Read: Ashwiny on 'Break Point': This is one of the biggest productions we have done

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