Shakun Batra shares the things he would have done differently looking back at Gehraiyaan.
Films by director Shakun Batra are renowned for displaying the complexities of human emotions and inner conflicts. The director launched his career in 2012 with Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, and in 2016 he helmed Kapoor & Sons. Gehraiyaan, his most recent film, was released in 2022 to mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Shakun recently thought back on the film and admitted there were a few things he could have done differently.
Deepika Padukone, Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Dhairya Karwa all had prominent parts in Gehraiyaan. Intricate connections, greed, deception, and betrayal were all addressed in the movie.
By putting the multi-starrer movie on an OTT platform, Shakun Batra took a risk. The director claimed recently in an interview that the movie’s theatrical release would not have altered the reviews it garnered. He did not regret making this choice, but he did regret how the movie was marketed.
“I mean, it went to OTT so there is no box office attached, but I would change it for creative reasons, not for numbers,” he shared.
There were several plot twists in Gehraiyaan. The dramatic passages emphasised Deepika and Sidhant’s relationship, yet they came off as rather hurried. What began as a convoluted love tale turned into a crime drama over time. When discussing it, Shakun Batra stated,“It was perceived as a certain kind of film and then it surprised people in not such a good way. I would prepare the audience differently, but at the same time tell the story differently, starting from the very beginning. So that when they arrive at the surprise, they would be a little more in for it, prepared for it.”
One of the most eagerly awaited movies of 2022 was Gehraiyaan. Shakun had high expectations for the movie, much like the audience had. He was initially perplexed by the conflicting views on the drama, but he eventually came to terms with it. He stated:“As a filmmaker, I have to embrace whatever a story becomes. I have to first ask myself some questions: Did I do everything that I wanted to do with it? Did I put my heart? And if I didn’t make the film for the wrong reasons. Then I have to accept the views in totality.”
He adds, “I can’t be like those who have written good things about the film are right people, those who have written bad things are wrong. I have to accept that a film is capable enough of creating both these reactions.”
The director is exactly correct, and we are confident that he will use these lessons more effectively in his subsequent work.
