‘Paatr’, a short film directed by filmmaker Chand Mohammed, has been the subject of discussion among fans of psychological thrillers recently. The 14-minute-long short film, featuring Sahil Anand in the lead role, has received a lot of appreciation from the large number of people who have seen it. The young filmmaker had earlier received accolades for ‘Mehsoos’, another short film he had made in the past.
In this interview, he speaks about the film, why he likes psychological thrillers, working with Sahil Anand and more.
The film largely revolves around just one character. How did you get the idea to make this film?
For years, I had hearing about actors going to extreme lengths to get into the skin of a character. A lot of actors believe in method acting and there are times when they go too far while trying to understand the psyche of the character they will be portraying. One has also heard about actors losing their sanity or worse, their life, in this process. That inspired me to write a script around it and make this film.
What made you rope in Sahil Anand to play the lead role?
This was not an easy part to play and I needed an actor who could do justice to this complex role. Sahil is a dear friend of mine and someone who I have a lot of respect for as an actor. The audience had mostly seen Sahil in fun and breezy roles but he is an actor who can play any character with complete conviction. He had once auditioned for a very intense character and had shared the clip of the audition with me. His performance blew my mind and when I wrote this script, my first and only choice was Sahil. He loved the script and supported me completely as an actor. We did one-week workshop for the film.
How long was the shoot?
We had booked a bungalow in Aamby Valley City for the shoot. We were supposed to shoot over three days but I decided to rehearse with the actors for a day and shoot for the next two days.
Just like your earlier short ‘Mehsoos’, ‘Paatr’ also dealt with the psychology of a character.
Yes, that’s right. I love watching psychological dramas and thrillers. There are multiple facets to a human being and the world gets to see only a few of those. Our mind has a world of its own and it’s quite fascinating to explore the various things that play out in an individual’s mind. I am a big fan of David Fincher and have been hugely inspired by his style of filmmaking. I want to keep telling complex stories.
Do you plan to make a feature film in the future?
Yes, definitely! Cinema has changed vastly in the last couple of years and it’s a great time to tell stories. Whether I make a film or a series next, my goal is to make good quality content.
‘Paatr’ is currently streaming on Pocket Films’ official YouTube Channel.