In a world where terrorism is a defining factor of our day-to-day lives, it is refreshing to have films that attempt to cock a snook at it in real life, replacing fear with black humour and satire.
The best antidote for fear is laughter, and Bangistan, releasing this week, attempts to do just that.
The film, by first-time director Karan Anshuman and produced by the successful duo Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s company Excel Entertainment, holds great promise of raising a riot. It is a satirical take on fundamentalism in which two unlikely terrorists — played by Ritiesh Deshmukh as Hafeez Bin Ali and Pulkit Samrat as Praveen Chaturvedi — switch religions in an attempt to establish their own brand of terrorism. Praveen changes to Alla Rakha and Riteish switches to a new persona of Ishwarchand Sharma, and the two go through a series of misadventures in the mythical land of Bangistan that is defined by the gun and bomb culture.
Swapping identities and religions is what makes them realise that what we really think about another individual is not so much about them but has got a lot to do with our own perceptions and biases.
Speaking to tabloid!, Akhtar elaborated. “At the heart of the film is this issue of aimless youth of today and how they are easily misguided. Appearances are not what they seem and at the end of the day people on either side of the religious fence are human beings. One needs to take a leap of faith to understand the person on the other side.”
Akhtar said that he had watched the film a number of times during the trial shows and found it entertaining and hilarious. “In the process of storytelling, the journey of the film is entertaining and engaging, even as we slip in a lot of subtle messages.”
Akhtar was all praise for the performance of his lead stars Samrat and Deshmukh. “They really have to be watched to be enjoyed as they bring in their own brand of humour, which is really going to rub off on the audience.
“Riteish makes you roll with laughter with his deadpan expression with which he pulls off some really funny situations and delivers his lines. Pulkit is an animated person with his own charisma and has amazing comic timing. The chemistry between the two is perfect for this kind of humour.”
Deshmukh, a seasoned Bollywood actor who has done all kinds shades of comedy from situational and slapstick (think Housefull) to erotic and double entendre-driven films such as Grand Masti, is looking forward to the release of Bangistan. “This is a satire with a serious message. The challenge was delivering the message while making the audience laugh.”
Deshmukh, who is known for his comic timing, brings his own interpretations to his roles and is inventive on set. “Each role is tough and challenging and what I really do is find my balance while I remain passionate about it and faithful to the character. I did indulge in improvisations on the sets and tweaked the role, but all that easily went with the flow of the film.”
Deshmukh was all praise for his co-stars Samrat and Jacqueline Fernandez, who has a cameo in the film. “Pulkit is a talented actor with great comic timing. We had great fun doing the film. Jacqueline was a live wire on the sets. Over time she has become a better performer and a great dancer,” he said.
