History has taught us that biopics in Bollywood can turn out to be an exercise in vanity and self-indulgence.
The subject of the film is usually irreverent and their flaws are judiciously justified in those biopics (Remember Emraan Hashmi’s flawed turn as tainted former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin in Azhar).
But Indian National Award-winning director Neeraj Pandey has sworn not to fall into any such traps with his venture M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, out in the UAE on Thursday.
The director behind spectacular films such as terrorism thrillers A Wednesday and Baby, claims he has attempted to show the real side of the Indian skipper, who is popular for his calm demeanour under pressure.
A profile on a sports website reads: “Aggressive without being brash, successful without being arrogant, and seemingly possessing a Midas touch, Dhoni is the perfect blend of a role model and pin-up star.”
“It is a heroic story. The only trap that you don’t want to fall into is that it doesn’t stay true to its spirit. I knew we needed to show the real side of M.S. We are human beings and we make mistakes. There will be wrong decisions that he would have taken and that’s what we are all about. I didn’t want him to be all good. It has to be realistic,” said Pandey in an interview over the phone.
Had these claims come from any other filmmaker, it would have been advisable to take it with a pinch of salt. But Pandey has an impeccable track record. His films are crisp and rich in content. There are no songs or unnecessary love stories diluting the pace of his thrillers either.
“As a filmmaker I can speak for myself, I have never resorted to sensationalising. Being sensational in your films have a very short shelf life. That route has an expiry date. I want my films to have residual value and memories,” said Pandey.
tabloid! brings you the excerpts from our conversation with the director, writer and script writer of M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, starring Sushant Singh Rajput in the title role.
Why should we watch your film?
It’s an inspiring story and will motivate you. It’s a tale about resilience and tenacity. It sends a message that if you believe in your dreams and you are willing to work hard, then anything is achievable.
How do you ensure that this biopic is not an exercise in vanity and self-indulgence?
Firstly, you must understand that when you are picking up a subject like this, it’s a topic that will be invariably talked about across India and beyond. It is a heroic story. My biggest challenge was to condense his life into a movie’s running time. ... We have tried not to sensationalise his life. There’s a sequence where M.S. takes charge of the Indian side and he takes the decision of dropping a few players from it. It’s there in the trailer. But we decided not to reveal those three names. It would be misconstrued. It would merely sensationalise and it would cast a shadow on those three players who have served the nation. That revelation would invite unnecessary conjecture, speculation and just become good fodder for conversations. My intention in that scene is to show that M.S. was taking charge, so there was no reason to go into who those players were.
How involved was MS Dhoni in the creative side of your biopic?
While he was sharing his story, he was playing a lot during those day. He had nothing to counsel on the process of my filmmaking. He had seen my films and therefore was confident about it.
Will this biopic be formulaic?
I have tried my best to take the formula out of this equation. I don’t know of any film template.In fact, we have chosen to be subtle in several scenes and it requires the audience to reach out to us. Even at the time of scripting, I wanted to get the tone of the film right without overemphasising or over-dramatising the events that took place in M.S.’ life. This film is as understated as the person himself.
Plus, I don’t believe in templates. Stories are meant to be explored. Why would anyone want to be restricted by a rule book? I just have a simple rule: There should be no rules to filmmaking.
Do you need to be a fan of cricket to enjoy this biopic?
No, you don’t have to be a cricket fan to enjoy this film. It’s a story of a person who chased his dreams successfully and went after it with all his might.
This has been a year of extremes in Bollywood. If you have a fantastic film such as Pink to watch, there are some poor ones also being rolled out. Why do you think that’s happening?
You have to remember that the films that are being released now were planned a year and a half ago. It just so happens that they converged at the same time. It’s not like we started making bad films at the same time. Some films work and some don’t. Scripts have an important part to play here. As a writer I can safely say that if you are starting out with bad material, you will end up with a bad film.
Hindi filmmakers have been asked to boycott Pakistani talent following terror attacks. Do you think such a cultural boycott is necessary?
Globally, terrorism has to be condemned. It’s happening all around us and I have expressed my views through my films. There’s nothing else to say. I am not on social media and I don’t want to express my views on a public platform if I can’t do anything about it.
Don’t miss it
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story releases in the UAE on September 29.
