Why does Anup Bhandari work with his brother Nirup on all his films?

Rangitaranga and Rajaratha were written for Nirup, says Anup, but the role in Vikrant Rona went to him because he suited the character and is highly dedicated to his craft

Anup Bhandari and Nirup Bhandari

Actor Nirup Bhandari has been a part of all of his brother Anup’s films so far. While Rangitaranga was a launchpad for both of them, Rajaratha was a follow-up effort. The collaboration on Vikrant Rona, though, was not pre-planned.

“Well, the first film that we worked on together was a conscious together because Nirup wanted to become an actor and I, a director. I had written a few scripts that I wanted to do with Sudeep sir, but those did not materialize, and when I wrote Rangitaranga, I did it for Nirup, because I wondered why I was looking for someone else to star in the film when I have somebody right in front of me who is a theatre artiste and has got everything that a hero requires. Nirup was also a part of the writing process; to date, every time I write something I discuss it with him. That is how Rangitaranga started. As for Rajaratha, well, we had just come fresh off a successful film and I had this story that I had written with Nirup in mind. This was actually written before Rangitaranga, so, in that sense, it was a conscious decision to work with my brother on both my films,” says Anup.

With Vikrant Rona, though, that wasn’t the case, says the filmmaker. “I did consider Nirup for a role in the film, but when we decided to go on floors, there was a discussion about the casting because it was going to be a multi-lingual project. The idea was to get a popular Telugu or Hindi actor for the character of Sanjeev Gambhira. At some point, Sudeep sir said that Nirup would be perfect for the role, based on how the character is and the kind of physical traits he is supposed to have. That is how Nirup came onboard Vikrant Rona. Of course, I loved the fact that everybody felt he is well-suited for this character. I am very comfortable working with Nirup. He understands what I need and we don’t need long discussions to crack a scene. Most importantly, he is extremely dedicated, like, for instance, during the making of Rajaratha, when he continued to shoot for it with a broken arm. Even for Vikrant Rona, Nirup’s reported to set even when he had high fever and was literally shivering during outdoor sequences. We are very conscious about making sure that production costs don’t overrun. I like that about Nirup,” he signs off.

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