Kapil Sharma Interview: Firangi focuses on the life of the common man in pre-independent India!

After making a smashing debut with Abbas-Mustan’s comic-caper Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon, ace comedian Kapil Sharma is returning to films with his upcoming home production, Firangi. Also starring Drishyam fame, Ishita Dutta, the film is based in pre-independent India and revolves around two fictitious characters Manga and Sargi. Before the film hits screens, BollywoodMDB correspondent, Mohnish Singh, catches up with the actor-producer Kapil Sharma and tries to find out more about the film. Excerpts….

Q. Brief us about your upcoming film Firangi?

A. Most people might feel that Firangi is a period film. Well, it is not a period film. We have woven a plot which is based in the pre-independence era. According to me, all Hindi films which revolved around pre-independence era focused on the dark side of the period. They showed atrocities, wars, and massacres. But our aim was different. We wanted to make a film which focuses on the normal life of people of that period. It is a story of those commoners who were more concerned about their daily bread and butter than the departure of the British from the country.

Q. What is your character in the film?

A. I play a character called Manga. He is looking for work. After much struggle, he finally lands a job in the British police. He is elated beyond words. After getting the job, Manga is more than sure that now there will be no hurdle in his marriage with Sargi, a girl he is madly in love with. However, things get worse when her grandfather, who is a staunch supporter of Gandhi Ji and believer of his ideologies, rejects the marriage proposal saying that he cannot give his granddaughter’s hand to a boy who is working for the British. He says he would like to marry his granddaughter with an unemployed boy rather than a British employee. Manga thinks that he should have tried marrying Sargi before trying for a job. He is confused and clueless as to what to do next.

Q. So, Firangi is basically a love story, right?

A. It’s not just about the love story. The film starts off on a very light note where people are enjoying themselves, young girls and boys meet in marriages and fairs and fall in love and all. But how the whole atmosphere of the film turns patriotic with a number of twists and turns is something you will see in the film.

Q. How did Ishita come onboard as the leading lady of the film?

A. Ishita was the choice of my director and casting director. When she was cast, I was out of India. When I returned, I came to know that she was doing the female part in the film. I was very happy because I had seen her work in Drishyam. The only doubt that I had in my mind was that she played a schoolgirl in Drishyam, so will she be able to pull off Sargi’s character. But when I met her and saw her audition, I was convinced that she was the perfect cast for this role.

We always wanted a girl who looked natural and innocent, and Ishita is like that only. She is a very natural actress. Everyone liked her in the first go – from our director to production team. It was a wonderful experience to have her onboard.

Q. You are involved in this project as an actor and producer. What was the most demanding job while making this film – acting or production?

A. Frankly speaking, there was no pressure as such. When you are the producer of a film, many things are under your control and you can manage them accordingly. The only pressure that I had was that I was also doing a show simultaneously. Since I was the producer of the film, I had the liberty to manage shifts according to my schedule. Had I been working in some other producer’s film, he would have put pressure on me to complete a certain amount of work before leaving. But here there were never such issues.

Q. How did you manage shooting for The Kapil Sharma Show and Firangi at the same time?

A. That was definitely a task. After shooting for the show, I would fly to Jaipur and from there to Bikaner by road, because the set of our film was erected in Bikaner. But I enjoyed the whole process. I like traveling, so that was fun. I had to miss out on my sleep though while shooting for my show and the film.