Exclusive - Devanshu Kumar: I want to follow the footsteps of Stanley Kubrick

Devanshu Kumar latest comedy-drama film 14 Phere revolves around a couple who has to get married twice due to their family issues. 14 Phere is his second film of Devanshu, while ZEE5's Chintu ka Birthday marks his first film as a director. 

In a candid chat with OTTplay, the two-film-old director spoke about 14 Phere and the connection he shares with Vikrant Massey and Kriti Kharbanda. Devanshu also shared his opinions about the censorship on OTT as well as his future projects and more:

Speaking about choosing Vikrant and Kriti, the filmmaker said casting, in general, is a very long process. A director has to wait to get the right cast. To cast Vikrant we waited for good six-seven months while he was finishing his prior commitments so that after that he could completely indulge in the project and become my Sanju (Vikrant’s character). However, Kriti was available at that time and she was kind enough to do a screen test for her part and in real life, she is very much like Aditi (Kriti’s character).” 

Gauahar Khan’s character was a big surprise for the audience, how did you rope the actor for the film? “Honestly, at first I was very sceptical because for me she was the Gauahar from Bigg Boss, but when I met her and she did the screen test, I got to know that she is a malleable actress. She is a thorough professional, the actress nailed every look and accent which we needed her to adapt for the part.”

Speaking about the connection and relationship he shares with Kriti, Devanshu said, “Kriti and I have a very, very special bond. I never really thought about it but we share a close bond. Because there is something very special about her, she doesn’t keep anything inside and speaks her mind.”

You’ve directed more than 100 ad films before directing films, did that experience help you in making movies as well? “Of course it does. You’re shooting a film in COVID-19 with a heavy wedding crowd, but just because of having those experiences it made it effortless.”

It's often said that the director is the captain of the ship when it comes to cinema. Do you agree? “He is not just a captain of a ship, he is also the water, the body of the ship, he is also the deck of that ship. The project is like a kid to the director and it’s a boon and a curse and I love it.”

Speaking of his views on censorship on OTTs, Devanshu said, “Fortunately and unfortunately, every move that is being taken by the IMB ministry is political. Our audience knows their choices and I think we do not need censorship over there.” 

“Our film, 14 Phere is also lightly touching the topic of casteism and dowry but that doesn’t mean that we are propagating these social issues,” he added.

Does having an OTT release ease the pressure of box office numbers? “Of course it does. At this level as a director, I don't want to take that stress that my film didn’t do very well commercially. This is my second film with Zee Studios, and my first film- Chintu ka birthday was not commercial but gladly it did great on OTT. So, yeah, it's a big boon.”

When asked how he came up with a story like Chintu Ka Birthday, Devansh replied, “It was born out of many things, the first reason is because of our love for different cultures and languages. Chintu Ka Birthday is one out of our world views and Satyanshu (Singh) and I believed in that.”

When asked about his upcoming projects, Kumar replied that he cannot reveal much about it but it’s going to be a show full of music and emotions.

Devanshu would like to explore all kinds of genres by making films except sex comedy. “I’ll make one of the most violent films in the coming years as well as a sports-drama, thriller and horror. In filmmaking, I want to follow the footsteps of Stanley Kubrick, who made films in multiple genres which include films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut,” revealed the filmmaker and signed off.