13 years of Vicky Donor: Shoojit Sircar recalls, “I still think it’s a miracle that I could make a film like this”

By Subhash K. Jha -

April 21, 2025 - 12:01 PM IST

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor was based on the life of a sperm donor, yet it was narrated and presented in a family-friendly manner. The film also gave us Ayushmann Khurrana and Yami Gautam Dhar, who made their debuts. As the film completed 13 years yesterday, Sircar looked back at it in an interview with us.

13 years of Vicky Donor: Shoojit Sircar recalls, “I still think it’s a miracle that I could make a film like this”

Shoojit, your most loved film is now 13
Yes, it is still hard to believe. I still think that it's just a miracle that I could make a film like Vicky Donor, against all odds, because, you know, my two earlier films couldn't see light of the day for various reasons. But... and then a subject like this of sperm donation, and to take that possible step or a risk at that time, I mean, I can’t imagine how I thought I could get away with it.

Maybe because you had nothing to lose?
Now when I think back, I don't know, will I be able to make that again? We started writing this film in 2010, me and Juhi Chaturvedi, and at that time it was just something we wanted to do. We were quite blind about where we were going to go with it, because we just had this little idea of this doctor who is chasing this boy from Lajpat Nagar. But one thing really helped while writing.

What was that?
I am from Delhi and we placed the film, you know, the characters and the world was Delhi, especially Lajpat Nagar and the Bengali colony, CR Park, and whoever has lived in Delhi will know how iconic these both places are.

Now when the film is back in the theatres, do you feel a sense of retrieved pride?
It just gave me a lot to smile about, this re-release, after thirteen years… I just smiled back at that film. Of course, I accept that along with the good things that I've done in that film, there are some flaws. But all in all, I think it was just a very beautiful experience. I feel nostalgic about it. In such a particular time in my career that, you know, it was quite unexpected.

Vicky Donor remains relevant even after thirteen years
The fact that it's Dr Baldev Chaddha played by Anu Kapoor, his clinic is in Old Delhi and there are certain clinics there which were always there, but they're all infertility clinics. But they were adult doctors, and their ads and hoardings and their lines were quite funny in terms of... they were so hardcore real, but on the other hand, they were so funny. So, that world of Lajpat Nagar, CR Park, Bengali, I mean, I knew it first hand and also Juhi was also used to it because, you know, she also lived in Delhi. So, that helped us with the lingos and with the basic characterization of Vicky from Lajpat Nagar or Dr Chaddha or Dollyji (Dolly Ahluwallia who played Vicky’s mother).

All this added to the film’s authenticity…
Yes, all that was really quite real in terms of the Delhi ambience. The people would ask me, how do you know Punjabi so well? I've grown up with a lot of Punjabi friends, so I know their world.

The casting was pitch perfect
Ayushmann was absolutely brilliant in that film. I think from the word go, the camaraderie between him and Anu Kapoorji was extraordinary. They played against each other so beautifully, so well, that everything became so real and believable. Anuji also, in terms of the tonality, because this doctor's tonality was so important. I think our brief was that you've done medical from a proper college, because your lingo is a little Punjabi from Delhi, but you are actually a man of science. Whatever he said in the entire film or the logistics that he gave for sperm donation, it was all very scientific. So, that really brought a smile also, the way he got it and the way his tuning was with Vicky.

Yami Gautam Dhar has become quite an actor
The casting of Yami or Dollyji, Kamlesh Gillji as Biji, or Bupesh Pandya as the assistant doctor… everybody. I think in terms of casting, I'm so thrilled to talk about it now, it was absolutely magical for me. Especially the small kids who were there in the last particular sequence, where we show Vicky’s 53 kids.

That ending with those 53 children was magical
So, all that was really beautiful. We had a hard time shooting that particular sequence. How to get so many kids in one place and mothers and fathers, everybody. Execution of this film was really hard, but we never felt it because, you know, we were enjoying every scene, we were laughing in every scene, so many emotions were there in every scene.

Why was the shooting of Vicky Donor difficult?
The shooting, the execution was difficult because we were shooting in a film format and that was the last film I shot in film format. Then we had a very limited budget because we were working with an absolutely fresh cast and also the kind of subject which was so taboo at that time. So we shot for, I think, 42 days or something but we had to cover so much. So, in that sense, it was a challenge. But, you know, when you are in Delhi and, there's a lot of, you know, makeshift arrangements, lot of jugaads that we had to do. But we managed to go through it successfully.

Why do you think Vicky Donor is still relevant?
I guess it is still relevant because, you know, infertility is still a big, issue and a social issue. So, I think in that sense, I believe it's still relevant. But I think what has changed since the release of Vicky Donor is that people are willing to talk openly about it. Maybe, earlier there was a little hesitancy that, you know, couples and families won't discuss infertility. But now this discussion is quite open and there are many fertility clinics and there are many prospective parents willing to visit them. I got to know from a lawyer friend because he was a specialist, dealing with such cases, and he said that the clientele has really gone up hugely at infertility clinics.

So, proud of Vicky Donor?
Of course! This film helped a lot of people to open up and the response to this film was absolutely phenomenal. First day itself, overnight…. we were so sceptical and scared. We didn't know how people were going to react. But overnight, this film made us, the whole team, relevant. And that the love that it got. I mean, it was exceptional, absolutely.