Director Nikhil Advani’s claim to fame has been Dharma Productions Kal Ho Na Ho in the year 2003. But his directorial skills had received a jolting setback with the failure of damp squib’s like the Imran Khan – Kangana starrer Katti Batti and Suraj Pancholi – Athiya Shetty starrer, Salman Khan Productions Hero. But of late he was back in the saddle, this time as a producer with the thumping success of the Akhshay Kumar – Nimrat Kaur starrer Airlift which was directed by his good friend Raja Krishna Menon. These days he is neck deep in directing a patriotic saga for the small screen namely Star Plus’ show P.O.W Bandi Yudh Ke. Caught up with Nikhil Advani at the launch of the show in JW Marriot.
At present you are busy directing a small screen show for Star Plus Channel. So give us more insight about it.
I am bringing to the small screen, an untold story of the war. It will be about the repercussions of war but more of its aftermath reactions on the family. It will question the society at large, “Who are the real prisoners of war?”. The show is called P.O.W. Bandi Yudh Ke. It is a Pan Indian adaptation of the acclaimed Israeli Television series named Hatufim directed by Gidan Raff. It has a refreshingly ensemble cast comprising of Sandhya Mridul as Nazneen Khan, Amrita Puri as Harleen Kaur, Satyadeep Mishra as Squadron leader Imaan Khan, Manish Chaudhari as Retired Major Vikram Singh and above all Purab Kohli as Nayab Subedar Sartaj Singh.
Please narrate the gist of the plot!
I have Indianised the plot and based it on the aftermath repercussions of the Kargil War in which 527 Soldiers were killed and 1363 Soldiers were wounded and from thereon it is all about the 4 lives interrupted and 2 familes shattered. The Soldiers return after 17 long years after being held as Prisoners of War. It is an emotionally intense, gripping, fresh and edge of the seat story. The return of the Soldiers to their interrupted lives after 17 long years will keep the viewers at a razor’s edge as their whole story unfolds in the most unexpected manner. Now this is what makes the entire storyline of P.O.W. Bandi Yudh Ke a unique combination of family drama in a thrilling way. It is all set to be telecast on Star Plus Channel in this festive season.
Kindly elaborate about the actor’s respective roles!
Nazneen Khan (Sandhya Mridul) hails from Delhi who is the wife of Sqaudron leader Imaan Khan (Satyadeep Mishra) who believes that heroism is not just demonstrated on the battlefield. It brings us closer to the extraordinary heroism of the wives of the war heroes, everyday of the war and even after the war is over. Her life is stuck between the past and the present thereby leaving her like a pendulum unable to make her own choice in the wait of her husband’s return. She braves the emotion everyday as her husband still remains missing in action. No doubt she has moved on to seek companionship and support in the absence of her husband. On the other hand
Harleen Kaur (Amrita Puri) hailing from Punjab has grown from being a 17 year old girl with dreams in her eyes of a newly wed to a woman who has not lost her hope of being able to see her husband Sartaj Singh (Purab Kohli) who had left for his call of duty at Kargil War on their wedding night itself. But 17 years since war, she has turned into a strong, resilient and independent woman and she is now the pillar of Sartaj’s family still in waiting for her husband’s return.
Please go on!
While Retired Major Vikram Singh (Manish Chaudhari) has undergone 17 years of torture in captivity by Pakistan. He starts wondering whether the war heroes have been converted into terrorists? He strongly believes that 17 years is a long time and can change anybody, even an Indian Soldier for that matter. On the other hand Squadron leader Imaan Khan (Satyadeep Mishra) is a captive Indian Soldier in Pakistan for 17 long years. While imprisoned, he lived each day with just one hope that is to reunite with his family. But his patriotism was tested in Pakistan everyday and now his loyalties are being questioned everyday after his return to his own nation and then there is Sartaj Singh (Purab Kohli) who also undergoes the trauma of a prisoner of war and his story is also emotionally heart wrenching as the damage done by now is beyond measure and his scars remain for a lifetime.
By the way to what would you attribute the failures of your last two films in the recent past namely Katti Batti and Hero?
I have no misgivings at all of the failures of Katti Batti and Hero. I take the sole responsibility of the failures of both the films. Nobody else is to be blamed for the debacle of these two films. Actually speaking whatever directorial praise I had earned for the other hit films like Kal Ho Na Ho and D-Day to name just two, I lost it all with these two above mentioned films. I think Katti Batti literally failed to live up to cine goer’s expectations. Perhaps they could not identify with the film. I still believe Katti Batti was a beautiful film. My heart and soul was in it. I would still say that Imran’s performance in Katti Batti was his best till date and I don’t regret taking Imran in the film. I would still want to work with him. None of us could fathom why the film did not work because we all loved the film so much.
Whereas I think Hero was not a film made only for the purpose of earning rave reviews. It was obviously made to launch Aditya Pancholi’s son Suraj Pancholi and Sunil Shetty’s daughter Athiya Shetty. Hero was an orthodox story and had a conventional treatment, which had worked in the ’80s. It had great music. In retrospect, I should have treated it the way I wanted to. I also agree that while Sooraj Pancholi won notice, Athiya Shetty received mixed reactions. We were aware that Athiya is not a conventional looking girl. She is statuesque and has model like features. We did not know whether she would be accepted by Indian sensibilities. But we were sure she would confidently pull off the role, which she did. I don’t think both Suraj and Athiya could have got a better launch than this Salman Khan vehicle. Now in their second film, they both will have to prove their mettle even more.
Ok what are the future projects that you have lined up for yourself?
I am indeed working side by side on two directorial projects at the moment. One is Bazaar, a story based in Mumbai about the stock market. The film is about the abuse of power and the intoxication of wealth. It’s a rags – to – riches and a riches – to – rags story. The other one is based on the Hollywood film namely The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which is currently being written. But I won’t make these two films simultaneously like Katti Batti and Hero. I do not at all wish to repeat my mistakes.
