You want to always try and do some relevant stories. India has so many people, it is such a populated country, so value for human life is kind of minimised. So, when the floods in Kedarnath hit, it was such a massive catastrophe. So many thousand people died and it just shook me up. I felt that someone has to address that and it also gave me the opportunity to do Bholenath ke darshan, which was the best part of the film. I got to know him, I got to feel him and today I have a very unique relationship with him.
I have so many fond memories. It was such an incredible experience. Log pure desh se, chhote chhote gaanv mein se aate hain wahan pe, itni kathinaayion se aate hain, itni aashayein lekar aate hain ki wahan pe pahunchenge. And they all have so much to share with their god – koi kuch maangne aata hai, koi shukriyada dene aata hai. For so many almost thousands of years, people have been going there with such vibrations and depositing it over there. I mean when you’re there, you can feel it. So, it’s just a blessing to have the opportunity to make the film. But having said that, it wasn’t easy at all. Because the weather, the conditions, the terrain are unforgiving. So, you have to be relentless and it was like a yatra in itself.
When I cast Sushant in Kai Po Che, I had never seen any of his work earlier. He was just an absolutely brand-new boy for me. He was so sincere. He spoke very little and he gave so much. And he was very generous. And he was not entitled. I’ve worked with all kinds of newcomers but he did not have an iota of entitlement, that many other newcomers do seem to carry.
Making, telling stories gives me great joy. I’ve worked very hard on my scripts and my characters. And so it becomes very imperative that I get good actors. Sometimes actors are already established, seasoned actors and sometimes they are new actors. And when an actor comes in and shines, that’s pure joy, it’s almost a paternal feeling. It’s like your child has delivered.