EXCLUSIVE: ‘Gour Hari Dastaan’ is a mirror of modern India that concerns each one of us’ – Ananth Mahadevan

Director Ananth Mahadevan will unfold the story of a revolutionary freedom fighter Gour Hari Das in upcoming film ‘Gour Hari Dastaan’. The film which releases on August 14, was a part of the Indian Panorama at the International Film Festival of India (2014) Goa, the International Film Festival of Kerala IFFK (2014), the International Film Festival of Bangalore, and the International Film Festival of Chennai (2014). The National Award winning director spoke to PINKVILLA exclusively and he lets us know why the life of Gour Hari Das needed to be portrayed on the silver screen and how Vinay Pathak and Konkona Sen Sharma were chosen to play lead characters. Read here:

Why story of Gour Hari Das?

When I read about Gour Hari Das, an unsung freedom fighter, having been made to fight for 30 years for a freedom fighter's certificate, because he was being accused of a fraud and manipulating the system, I felt that it was a story waiting to be told....a mirror of modern India that concerns each one of us.

Were Vinay Pathak and Konkona always in mind to play the lead characters?

Stars don't make the fortunes of films like these which go beyond the formula. The stars are the performers like Vinay Pathak, Konkona Sen Sharma, Tannistha Chatterjee and Ranveer Shorey who give the film a feel that is in keeping with the characters of the story. Big names distract from the real issue and these actors I chose because they bring real people alive on screen without drawing undue attention to themselves. I was clear from the start that thinking actors are what I am looking for. Actors whose images I wanted to break.

Konkona plays an aged character, was it difficult to convince her?

Konkona is very selective about scripts and was apprehensive that she was not playing the title role. But her comprehension of the script went beyond the spoken word and she saw the essence and significance of the character that was the conscience keeper to the film. And she has a full gamut to play, from the age of 30 to 60.

Vinay Pathak plays a serious character. What was his reaction when you narrated the script?

Vinay Pathak was constantly on the prowl for subjects that would break him from his typecast mould. So when I narrated the true story of Gour Hari Das, he felt that this was the role of a lifetime that he couldn't afford to miss. The role called for a subtle understated performance and Vinay was quick to see this. He worked hard on the role that won him the best actor award in Paris.

How did Vinay and Konkona prepare for their characters?

Both Vinay and Konkona attended workshops with the rest of the cast. They also spent quality time with both Das and his wife Laxmi, imbibed a lot of ideas from them, studied their mannerisms and lifestyle and gradually merged into the parts they were playing. It was a highly systematic and scientific methodologists adopted.

How was your meeting with Gour Hari Das?

Das was pleasantly surprised to know that a film maker wanted to meet him and make a film on him. The initial amusement changed into seriousness as he realised that the film being made was not a typical Bollywood style biopic. And when he saw my four National award winning biopic ‘Mee Sindhutai Sapkal’, he was convinced that the film would do justice to his life.

Many films are being made on lesser known people who created deep impact in lives - Hawaizaada, Manjhi...was it a conscious decision?

After Sindhutai Sapkal, I was on the lookout for a subject as good, if not better. And Das' story was just what the doctor prescribed. Here was a subject that would push my boundaries as film maker and also turn into the most significant and relevant film Indians would see. So my decision wasn't influenced by others making biopics but the inspiration that Das' life was.

What’s next after Gour Hari Dastaan?

My new film ROUGH BOOK, a stunning look at the education system in India is my next. It is a film that is already garnering critical acclaim in international festivals and is a rage among principals and teachers of school and colleges in previews.