Bejoy Nambiar is a director known for his sharp storytelling and technical finesse. This has been evident right from his directorial debut, Shaitan (2011). In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, he spoke about his upcoming film Tu Yaa Main and a lot more.
How did you or the makers come up with such a title? The film deals with a crocodile and influencers. Did you all ever think of a title centring on that aspect as well?
Tu Yaa Main was always the title, even when I was offered the script. I suggested that we come up with a different title. However, the makers were very sure that they wanted to go with Tu Yaa Main. As I progressed working on the film, I realized that Tu Yaa Main is the apt title.
Were Shanaya Kapoor and Adarsh Gourav the original choices or were other actors considered?
There were definitely more names, but both Adarsh and Shanaya were at the top of the list. They were the first ones we approached. I am glad it worked out with them. The producers had Adarsh in mind since the time they were writing the script.
A strong USP of your film, from your debut directorial Shaitan (2011), is the way you depict Mumbai. You love shooting in unexplored places of the city. In Tu Yaa Main assets, we can see Shanaya Kapoor and Adarsh Gourav on top of a hill overlooking the railway tracks – a breathtaking location never depicted before in any film. What makes you go for such places, especially when some of these locations might not be shoot-friendly?
Yes, several places where I have shot this film were not shoot-friendly as nobody had gone to shoot there. That fascinates me more. I am from Mumbai and I love to explore places not captured on celluloid before. Also, I am someone who hates shooting in a studio or set. I love shooting in live locations. I don’t like working with location managers because they’ll keep showing the same locations where everybody goes and shoots! I end up sending my assistants, or I end up scouting locations myself. I pick locations where nobody usually shoots. For instance, the spot you spoke about is Parsik Hill, where I used to hang out with my college friends. It hasn’t changed at all after all these years. I don’t think I have seen that location in any other film before. That prompted me to shoot there.
The fact that the film shot in the monsoons has added a nice touch…
Yes, that was the plan. Aanand L Rai sir was skeptical. He asked me, ‘Tu kaise kar lega?’! I told him exactly what you said, that it’ll add to the film’s visual appeal.
Talking about the film’s villain, the crocodile, is it VFX or animatronics?
This is my first time attempting something of this sort. I knew from the very start that I neither wanted to fully rely on VFX nor animatronics. We went and shot a real crocodile in Thailand. We also filmed combination shots of Adarsh and Shanaya with the reptile. Then we shot with an animatronic crocodile that we made especially for this film. For the balance, we relied on VFX. So, we used a mix of all three.
Another USP of your films is the soundtrack. What can we expect from the music album of Tu Yaa Main?
The character himself is a rapper in the film. That influenced a lot of our choices. I looked for music which would be authentic for the film. It helped that Adarsh himself is a great singer. My friend, Shantanu, helped us scout some great music by 7Bantai'Z. They have composed three songs for the film. Some independent voices that I wanted to work with also came on board.
Tu Yaa Main clashes with Vishal Bhardwaj’s O'Romeo. Does that worry you?
There’s enough space for both films to excel. So, I don’t see that as a problem at all. In fact, I am a big fan of Vishal sir. So, I am looking forward to O'Romeo (smiles). Also, the audience for both is quite different.
What next? Is Tu Yaa Main 2 in the offing?
(Laughs) Pehle iss film ko toh aa jaane dijiye! Let the audience accept it. Then we’ll talk about the sequel. Right now, the focus is on releasing Tu Yaa Main and ensuring it gets a good release. There are a couple of things in the pipeline, though.
More Pages: Tu Yaa Main Box Office Collection
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