Mumbai: In an exclusive interview, Director Kussh Sinha opens up about his thrilling film ‘Nikita Roy’, starring his sister Sonakshi Sinha. Then, he was drawn to the story's strength and characters. Kussh opened up on how he learned direction from working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Abhinav Kashyap, and had creative freedom on set. After that, he shared that the film features a strong visual atmosphere and emotional depth, thanks to Director of Photography Anshul Chaubey. Kussh aims to craft real characters that resonate with audiences.
00:03First of all, you would like to know what was the first reason of Nikita Roy's film?
00:11Because in the story of Nikita Roy, the world that we have seen in Nikita Roy,
00:17there is a lot of things that will feel good or new.
00:21The other thing was that Nikita Roy, Jolly, Amardev, Freya,
00:27all the characters in the film are very developed, good characters.
00:33So I knew that when your characters are developed,
00:36then your film can also become good,
00:38because the story becomes made of those characters.
00:41So that's why.
00:43Sir, Nikita Roy, what was the biggest challenge of this film?
00:49We had to rework this story.
00:52We had an original script, which was a good script,
00:54Pavan Kriplani had written,
00:56but we had to work on it again.
00:59So this was a challenge,
01:00because we already had a good script,
01:02how we made it better,
01:04how we understand how to make it better,
01:06so that it will be better for us.
01:08So this was a challenge,
01:09but okay, there are challenges in the creative process.
01:12So if you're talking about the start-ups,
01:15then we're seeing that there are Sunakshi Ji.
01:17So how do you see Sunakshi Ji's chain?
01:19How do you see Sunakshi Ji's chain?
01:21How do you see it?
01:22How do you see it?
01:23How do you see it?
01:24How do you see it?
01:25My Sunakshi was perfect fit,
01:27because he is a very capable actor,
01:30and he has a lot of experience in our industry.
01:34You know the films they have done,
01:36such as Akira or Lutera or Dabang,
01:39they have done so much work.
01:42I knew that Nikita Roy is a perfect fit for Nikita Roy.
01:46Slow burn thriller is a very niche genre, sir.
01:51Do you think the Indian audience is ready for this?
01:56This term you said slow burn,
01:58maybe I won't agree with that,
02:00because my film is very fast actually.
02:03It's a film of 1 hour 43 minutes,
02:06excluding credits.
02:08So actually we thought that
02:11maybe Indian audiences,
02:13or audiences sometimes,
02:15sometimes when things are fast move,
02:18it feels good for them.
02:19So we designed the film like this.
02:21But this is not just because people are fast,
02:23we also want to make a film fast-paced,
02:26or fast-paced.
02:28Sir,
02:29how do you think the work of a director's dream
02:30and how do you think the work of a director's dream
02:32and how do you think that this journey
02:34is going to continue?
02:38No,
02:39I was confident that I will become a director,
02:41because I also studied it,
02:43I did assist it,
02:44it was a lot of work.
02:46But yes,
02:47sometimes,
02:48sometimes it's the same thing that your dream
02:50doesn't fail at your speed.
02:53Sometimes,
02:54it's a little bit more time for your dream.
02:57But no,
02:58I don't trust.
02:59Look,
03:00when my father came,
03:02he had no connection,
03:04no background,
03:05he had no time.
03:06Maybe he had no time.
03:07Maybe he had no time,
03:08because
03:10he was an actor,
03:12his work was looking forward.
03:14I felt a little bit more time,
03:15because I'm a director,
03:16my work was behind the camera.
03:18But no,
03:19I never have trust in my dream.
03:21You've never been a dream,
03:22Sanjay Dila Bansali,
03:24and Abhinav Kashyap,
03:26so what are the two different things?
03:32Sanjay sir,
03:33I always know that
03:35it's a lot of detail.
03:37I mean,
03:38there's a lot of time,
03:39that's enough for that.
03:41So,
03:42I learned the detail,
03:43wherever I can learn.
03:45As I said,
03:46I won't say this,
03:47because it will be wrong,
03:48that I'm able to get to the level of detail,
03:51but not now,
03:52because I have a new director,
03:54I have a little time for set.
03:56But I learned this,
03:58but I learned how to learn how to work,
04:00how to work with the actors.
04:02Lakar also brings his thoughts on the set,
04:04they also have ideas.
04:05It's better for the film,
04:07it's better for the film,
04:08but now,
04:09let's do it.
04:10So,
04:11in the industry,
04:12how do you get creative freedom in the industry?
04:15Do you have any creative freedom in the industry?
04:16Does the studio pressure,
04:17or the storytelling effect?
04:18I was lucky,
04:19that our producers,
04:20Nikki,
04:21Vicky Bhagnani,
04:22Ankur Takrani,
04:23Dinesh Gupta,
04:24they gave me a lot of freedom.
04:25Yes,
04:26they gave me a lot of creative input,
04:27sometimes,
04:28but,
04:29because they believed in the story,
04:30and they believed in the story,
04:31they believed in the story,
04:32they gave me a lot of freedom.
04:34And,
04:35because that was the freedom,
04:36we all made a good film.
04:39Sir,
04:40in your filmmaking,
04:41the visual atmosphere,
04:42and emotional depth,
04:43is clear.
04:44Where is the sensibility of the eye?
04:46So,
04:47I have also been a photographer,
04:48and this will also give me credit,
04:50our director of photography,
04:51Anshal Chawbeji,
04:52he is also a senior DOP.
04:55So,
04:56when he came to our film,
04:58before my film,
04:59he left 1,
05:00then he left 2,
05:01then he left 2,
05:02then he left 2,
05:03then he left 2,
05:04So,
05:06our film is also,
05:07that's what you think,
05:08it's a new look,
05:09or a fresh look.
05:10Sir,
05:11you see grounded and balanced characters,
05:14who are nowadays,
05:15in the OTT landscape,
05:17loud and formula driven characters,
05:19are in the demand?
05:20Yes,
05:21actually,
05:22I am saying real characters,
05:24grounded or loud,
05:25is an adjective.
05:27But,
05:28the character that happens,
05:29will behave as a personality,
05:31will behave.
05:32So,
05:33Jolly,
05:34he is a little over the top,
05:36in our film,
05:37because he is a social media influencer,
05:38also.
05:39So,
05:40Naakshi,
05:41at that time,
05:42his character,
05:43is a little serious.
05:44Amar Dev,
05:45who is a character of Parish Ji,
05:46he is a little bit,
05:47he knows how his heart is,
05:48how to speak,
05:49how to speak,
05:50so that he can listen.
05:51So,
05:52he is a real character.
05:53Now,
05:54he has got emotional states,
05:55he will behave.
05:56So,
05:57I,
05:58what was your question,
05:59I don't think that,
06:00I'm writing a platform,
06:01or a medium,
06:02I'm writing characters,
06:03I'm writing characters,
06:05I'm writing characters,
06:06or I'm writing,
06:07so that,
06:08they can reach you,
06:09so that,
06:10you think that,
06:11yes,
06:12it's real.
06:13Sir,
06:14Google resonate stories,
06:15with Indian heart-gear balance,
06:16maintain,
06:17or,
06:18do you think,
06:19that,
06:20in Google,
06:21it depends on the story,
06:23it depends on your story,
06:24if you have a story in Bihar,
06:26or Bombay,
06:27or Delhi,
06:28then,
06:29there will be a lot of realness,
06:31but,
06:32if you went to Mumbai,
06:33from London,
06:34from America,
06:35then,
06:36you have to make both environments,
06:37according to your own film,
06:39I remember,
06:40that,
06:41when there was a film,
06:42that,
06:43that,
06:44that,
06:45that,
06:46that,
06:47that,
06:48that,
06:49that,
06:50that,
06:52makes people think,
06:55in India,
06:56or in Tamil,
06:57so,
06:58that,
06:59another,
07:00this is,
07:01it is,
07:02there is a requirement,
07:03that you,
07:04through the environment,
07:05have to keep it alive,
07:06this is,
07:07we always want,
07:08as a Indian,
07:09we're Hindi filmmaker,
07:10but,
07:11if,
07:12someone needed something,
07:13something like you said,
07:14you said,
07:15that a global flavour,
07:17then,
07:18we will put it.
07:19So,
07:20What role do you have to do with the connection and do you have to do with your doors or do you have to do with your doors or do you have to do with your doors?
07:50So this is something that happens every person, maybe I will have a different experience, someone else will have a different experience, someone who is not from Bombay or from Mumbai, they will have a different experience, because I have been living here, my family's house, so my experience will have a different experience, but it happens every person.
08:08Sir, critics say that your storytelling to an artistry or a mass audience, do you agree with this label?
08:17It has to be seen when the film is released, we will have to talk about it.
08:22Right now, no one has seen the film, the ones who have seen it, they feel that the film is good.
08:27There is a little mystery, horror, supernatural, so we will have to talk about this film.
08:35Sir, you have directed the film, and you have directed the film?
08:40It was not nervous, but it was a responsibility.
08:45Now, all of these actors are my films, if I say that Sunakshi, Parish Ji, Arjun sir, Suhail Nair, Kalli Roy, Prakhar Saksena,
08:54all of these actors are capable, but this is my responsibility, because they have said it for the film.
09:00Now, my responsibility is that the work I am giving them, or what we are writing, that we are making a film, that we are making a good film.
09:07Because all of these actors have no choice for the film. If they are connected with you on this journey,
09:14then it becomes my responsibility that I am doing a good job, and I am doing a good job with them.
09:19Sir, what do you think about the sets? How do you think about the sets?
09:23Usually, we see that in real life, there are a few brothers and sisters who have been involved in the process.
09:28Yes.
09:30So, how do you think about the sets, Sunakshi, the professional relationship?
09:35Completely professional.
09:36Completely professional.
09:37No, no, it was completely professional.
09:38No, no, it was completely professional.
09:39I also told that there was only a small debate on the color of the ice cream,
09:44that in one scene, both of the characters are eating ice cream, Sunakshi and Suhail,
09:49and Sunakshi had the color of the ice cream.
09:52I was thinking that it will be very distracting in the scene.
09:55So, we talked a little bit about it, but then when we realized that it is so warm,
09:59that it is so warm, that it is going to be on the ice cream,
10:01then the ice cream is removed from the scene.
10:02So, the ice cream is cut off the scene.
10:04Okay.
10:05Usually, we see that in the social media,
10:09there are many people who ask questions about the other people.
10:13Yes, yes, yes.
10:15How many effects do you have to do this?
10:16It doesn't affect me much.
10:18I know my true.
10:20So, I do not need to justify anyone.
10:23Yes, if my true and the true is different,
10:26then it is different.
10:27But if I know my true, I do not need to justify anyone.
10:30Otherwise, I will not have to justify anyone else.
10:33Yes.
10:34Sir, being a new director, sir,
10:36you are a new director, sir.
10:37And who are actors?
10:38Sir, do you have any films?
10:39Yes, sir.
10:40Yes, sir.
10:41Yes, sir.
10:42Yes, sir.
10:43Yes, sir.
10:44Yes, sir.
10:45Yes, sir.
10:46Yes, sir.
10:47Yes, sir.
10:48Yes, sir.
10:49Yes, sir.
10:50Yes, sir.
10:51Yes, sir.
10:52Yes, sir.
10:53Yes, sir.
10:54Yes, sir.
10:55Yes, sir.
10:56Yes, sir.
10:57Yes, sir.
10:58Yes, sir.
10:59Yes, sir.
11:00Yes, sir.
11:01Yes, sir.
11:02Yes, sir.
11:03Yes, sir.
11:04Yes, sir.
11:05Yes, sir.
11:06Yes, sir.
11:07Yes, sir.
11:08Yes, sir.
11:09Yes, sir.
11:10Yes, sir.
11:11Oh, I have no respect.
11:12First it seems like there is a light comes in this film,
11:14you must listen toize.
11:15I think it will the HDMI theta will be best,
11:17yes, sir.
11:19yes, sir.
11:20Yeah, .
11:23Yes, sir.
11:25Yes, sir.
11:27When it comes in Hollywood,
11:30it shouldn't be right choice for it,
11:31because it is doesn't matter in their budget.
11:35if there are people, let's say, 50 million dollars for a film,
11:40then the idea is that 50 million dollars can be enough, you can understand.
11:46Our film's budget is not even reached there.
11:49Let's say, if we have 10 million dollars for a film there,
