“The Marathi film industry welcomed me with open arms. It says a lot about a fraternity when they accept members from different origins & ethnicities.” – Producer & Director Vidhi Kasliwal

Vidhi Kasliwal began her career as an Assistant Producer in ‘Woh Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki’ and went on to assist Sooraj Barjatya as an Assistant Director in ‘Vivah’ followed by turning Chief Assistant Director in ‘Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi’. She is best known as the Writer & Director of ‘Isi Life Mein’. Vidhi Kasliwal, the founder of Landmarc Films & the Producer of documentaries ‘Block By Block’ & ‘Saathi Haath Badhana’, ‘Building For The Future’ & Marathi film ‘Sanngto Aika’ has set her feet firmly in Bollywood and is now growing from strength to strength.

Excerpts from an interview with the woman of substance…….!

You began your career as a director with ‘Isi Life Mein’. What made you take up production with ‘Sanngto Aika’ and now 3 more Marathi films?

From the very 1st day I stepped on to the sets of ‘Vivah’ a decade ago as an Assistant Director, I fell in love with movie making and every aspect of it. I was fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to direct my own film at quite a young age. That only added to my hunger of being a creative part of as many films as possible, hence the natural progression to producing. I wasn’t exposed to Regional cinema growing up, but when I did start watching regional films, I was drawn to Marathi films, because of several reasons. Firstly, the language was more familiar, being born & brought up in Amchi Mumbai. And most importantly, the kinds of meritorious subjects being made and doing well was very heart warming & encouraging. That’s when I decided that I just had to be part of such a meaningful industry. We were lucky that we kicked off our very 1st production ‘Sanngto Aika’ working with stalwarts like Sachinji (Pilgaonkar) & Satishji (Rajwade). The experience of working with such esteemed artistes & technicians, spurred me on to take up further Marathi projects and as a result we have an interesting line up of 3 more to look forward to in the coming year.

Your production house landmarc films is into documentary films as well. Tell us about them…….!’

The transition from Director to Producer was not an easy one. I spent the 1st year just meeting with people, trying to get them to trust in my creative vision & ability. During that time I kept getting approached by some known individuals to make documentaries. My schooling & experience was hardcore fiction & feature films, so I was sceptical of this alien genre – if I’d be diverting my energies, if I’d be any good at it. It was my father who convinced me to not turn away work that was coming my way. And I’m thankful to him, because had it not been for his advice, I may not have explored & learned this fascinating genre of filmmaking. Documentaries are quite a different discipline all together. They are research heavy and can be quite unpredictable. We made 2 documentaries in the span of 1 year (in 2013). ‘Block by block’, depicting the lives of Construction Labourers in India, was showcased on several Satellite channels and was officially selected for many Film Festivals and we won a few awards as well. This gave us quite a boost. We went on to make a short film on the Engineering marvel of the Tallest Residential building in India, which was quite an enlightening journey as well. The greatest reward about making documentaries is the in depth learning on such varied topics and putting to use innovative filming techniques & equipment. Since then we have been researching & shooting for 3 documentary films that should hopefully be released over the latter part of this year & the next.

Are Hindi films in the pipeline or would you 1st like to explore Marathi cinema?

Hindi films are most definitely on the horizon, but they take longer to put together. We have been working on developing compelling scripts for the past 4 years and are aiming to take at least 1 on floor by early next year.

Being a non – Maharashtrian, how difficult or easy is it?

I thought being a non – Maharashtrian would have been a road block, but quite to the contrary, the Marathi film industry welcomed me with open arms. It says a lot about a fraternity when they accept members from different origins & ethnicities, all working for a common cause to take the Marathi language & cinema forward.

Tell us about the genre of your films and the kind of movies that you like making as a producer?

My guru & mentor – Soorajji (Barjatya) always taught me that when we direct we should draw from a place of reality & familiarity, this adds to the authenticity of the characters, script & the film. So I’m trying to produce different genres, which I may not be able to necessarily direct. This way I get to be part of diverse kinds of films and get a chance to widen my creativity. Our upcoming films range in genre from Slice of life to Thriller, from Action comedy to Coming of age. It’s a lot of fun working on all these different genres.

What about direction. We are looking forward to Vidhi Kasliwal the director as much…….!

Directing is my 1st love. In fact, I’ve more often than not been “accused” of thinking 1st as a director and then as a producer! Some people may think of it as a weakness, but I think it’s a strength. It helps me understand, take care of & protect my director and his / her vision and needs better. After my 1st film, I couldn’t wait to start my next, but I decided to take some time to find my voice and what exactly I wanted to say with my next film. My script is now ready and I’m very happy & excited to start approaching actors with it very soon.

Are you looking at small budget films or mega budget ones?

I’m taking it one step at a time and working more on Small & Medium budget films in Hindi. Once I strengthen my foot hold, I would like to take on the Mega budget ones. Our strategy in Marathi is slightly different – where we are looking at making one tent pole film (big budget) along with a couple of small budget films a year.

*You began your career with Rajshri. Is your film a musical as well? *Rajshri films pay a lot of attention to music, and I’d like to think of myself as quite a musical person as well. I’ve been playing the Santoor for the past 18 years and I train in Indian & Western vocals too, consequently I can’t imagine anything, let alone my films without music. There is music & rhythm in everything we do and I’d like to use music imaginatively in all the films I direct whether it is in the making or otherwise. I remember while shooting 2 sequences in ‘Isi Life Mein’, I’d had songs play on loop for days on end to evoke & retain the correct mood in the actors. Such is the power of music.

Are you open to directing for other banners?

Yes, why not. It is the age of collaboration and I’d be open to working with other banners, producers, co – producers who believe in my vision and can help me realize it.

Whom would you like to work with in terms of actors & directors in mainstream Bollywood? And why?

Oh, so many names come to my mind…….I look forward to working with all kinds of actors & technicians – old or new, stalwart or debutante.

But if I have to name a few: Directors I’d love to work with:

Anand Rai: I love the way he carries his films on all characters grey; especially the complexity of his women characters.Sameer Sharma: I think he has a very interesting & quirky take on life, and I’d like to see a lot more films from him.
Shimit Amin: The way he gets the top actors to underplay their stardom and actually live & portray the characters is enviable. I’d love to be part of his process. And so the list goes on…….Actors I’d like to work with:
Tabu: She is the most natural actor I can think of. And I’m happy to see that we, as an industry, are able to offer her roles worthy enough for her.
Nawazuddin Siddique: He has been a revelation and can carry a film on his shoulder. Would be interesting to see him in some urban roles as well.
Ranvir Singh: Love the madness & mayhem he brings behind the scenes, yet carrying off the intensity & innocence on screen.
Parineeti Chopra: She is a bundle of talent & adrenaline and I’d love to see her explore herself more.
Saif Ali Khan: The timing of his comedy & romance is unparalleled and it would be a great honour for me to get to work with him.
Irfan Khan: I don’t think there is any role that he can’t portray with ease & naturalness. It takes calibre to not show the hard work he puts into bringing a character to life. It would be such an enriching experience to work with him. These are just to name a few…….!