A couple of years ago, Pushpdeep Bhardwaj arrived in Mumbai with dreams in his eyes. To pay his bills, he worked as an associate creative director in television and as an acting instructor before luck smiled on him and Mukesh and Mahesh Bhatt gave him the opportunity to write and direct his first feature-length film ‘Jalebi’, which was an official adaptation of the Bengali film ‘Praktan’.
While the film received mixed response from the audience, Pushpdeep was signed on to direct ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’, the first web-series produced by Vishesh Entertainment (Vishesh Films’s digital arm). The eight-episode series, which came out a couple of weeks ago on Voot Select, has emerged as a success and the young filmmaker has received accolades for his sensitive portrayal of human relationships.
In this interview, he talks about the process of writing and directing the series, how he has benefitted from its success, association with Mahesh Bhatt, struggle as a filmmaker and more.
Apart from directing the show, you have also written the screenplay of ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’. The series was based on several real-life incidents from Mahesh Bhatt’s (credited as the creator of the show) life. What is the kind of contribution he had as a creator?
I have been working with Vishesh Films since the last couple of years. After ‘Jalebi’ (2018) released, Bhatt saab asked me whether I have another script ready. I told him I have many ideas with me but I haven’t decided on what I want to do next. Bhatt saab gave me five pages to read. He said that some of the life-altering events of his life have been documented on those five pages. I read those pages and created the screenplay for an eight-episode series out of them. Bhatt saab read the screenplay and really liked it. We pitched the show to Jio Studios and they gave us the go-ahead to make it. I didn’t take any inputs from Bhatt saab while writing the screenplay. He gave me absolute freedom and allowed me to tell this story the way I wanted to.
The show was set in the 70s. What is the kind of research you had to do to recreate the era in an authentic manner?
I told my team to see the Amol Palekar – Vidya Sinha starrer ‘Chhoti Si Baat’ and try to recreate the kind of look and feel it had. I wanted my world to look like that. The team worked very hard and everything was done in a very detailed manner.
How different was the process of directing a series from a film?
There are many differences. Firstly, you have to write a lot (laughs). It was an eight-episode series, so we had almost six hours of footage. While making a series, you get to play around with your story and characters a little more. You can have many tracks or subplots running parallel to each other. When it comes to films, you have to tell the story in a more concise manner. Apart from the three primary characters, there were many characters like Jagmohan, Ganesh and Watchman who contributed greatly to the series. Since I had more time to tell the story, I could flesh out these characters properly.
Mahesh Bhatt had made a couple of films in the past that were based on his life. This was the first time a series was made on some incidents from his life. Do you think the longer arc of the series helped you explore this particular aspect of his life better?
Yes! The films were based on small chapters of his life. With ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’, I got the opportunity to tell this story in an elaborate manner. Of course, there were many fictional characters and incidents. The encounter between Aamna (Amala Paul) and Anju (Amrita Puri) had never happened in real life. Bhatt saab had never slapped a producer in real-life. I wanted to strike a balance been realism and drama. 60-70% of the story was fictional.
The performances were one of the highlights of the show.
I was fortunate to get such wonderful actors on board for the show. They worked very hard during the workshop itself. I never start a project before doing a workshop with the actors. During ‘Jalebi’, too, I had conducted a workshop with the two lead actors. The shoot also becomes easier and more economical when you do workshops. For ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’ we had planned a schedule of 65 days but we managed to complete the shoot in 57 days.
The show had a very good soundtrack. How was the process of creating it?
Aabhas and Shreyas are relatively new. They had met us a long time back and made us listen to some of their songs. I am glad we could work with them on this show. Out of the six songs, they composed five. ‘Ya Ilahi’, a beautiful qawalli, was composed by Prasad Sashte. I wanted the songs to be an integral part of the story and contribute towards taking the narrative forward.
Did you shoot the show before the lockdown?
Yes, we were lucky to have finished the shoot before the first lockdown happened. We started shooting the series on 7 January 2020 and wrapped it up by March 10. Shortly after that, the lockdown happened. We did some patchwork after that but the principal shoot was done.
You grew up in Delhi and studied at the National Institute of Fashion Technology. How did you get interested in films?
I was always a huge film buff. I had a keen interest in acting and did many plays in Delhi. After a point, I realized that I enjoyed working behind the scenes more. I studied fashion communication design in NIFT. I learnt all about filmmaking by watching films. I came to Mumbai and worked as a creative associate in television and as an acting instructor. I kept honing my skills and ended up making 20 short films. I went through my struggle but enjoyed all the experiences that came my way.
Have you experienced any change in your life post the success of ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’?
My life has largely remained the same. I still go to the market to buy groceries and take my dog out for a walk every morning (laughs). I delivered the show long ago and was working as a script doctor for Jio Studios after that. I am still working with them. I am happy about the fact that the audience has liked ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’. When a film or a show becomes successful, it does make the process of telling the kind of stories you want to tell easier. Now, more people are interested in the ideas and scripts I have.
Do you plan to make a film next?
At the moment, discussions are happening for two films that I want to make. I hope I keep getting opportunities to tell stories on different mediums. Directing a film and making a show are two different experiences. I am aware of the fact that films generate a lot more hype than shows but a series gives you the freedom to explore a story better. I would like to keep making both films and shows.