Last month, the results of the 72nd National Film Awards were announced, with Maaran winning the award for Best Gujarati Feature Film. The thriller drama is headlined by Yash Soni, a popular name in Gujarati cinema. While the actor has largely been known for playing sweet and lovable characters, Maaran sees him undergo a transformation unlike anything he has attempted before. The film was released in cinemas on July 30, just 12 days after its National Award win. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, the talented actor opened up about Maaran, the overwhelming response to his intense character, the National Award recognition and a lot more.
How has the feedback been for your brutal character in Maaran?
It's unexpected for the audience to see my essay such a character. However, the reactions have been amazing. They have loved my performance and the fact that I am experimenting with my film genres. Until now, I had the image of a commercial lead actor. I feel very blessed and lucky to be in this industry at this particular time, as the audience is constantly evolving. They are grasping different kinds of content. They are exposed to international content, Malayalam films, etc. I have been interacting with the audience and they are comparing Maaran with Malayalam cinema and acclaimed international films.
So, do you mean to say that you are visiting cinema halls to gauge the feedback?
Yes. However, Maaran is not the usual film. When the film ends, audience mein sannaata hota hai! There’s an unsettling silence when the credits roll. Yet, I do make a point to find out what the audience has to say. The reaction has been overwhelming. I could sense that my image has changed among the audience because of this character. It is evident from the direct feedback I am getting from them and also from social media reactions.
Gujarati audience can be quite conservative. Did anyone from the audience have any reservations that someone like you, who always played sweet and lovable characters, has played such a part?
(Laughs) This happened during the shoot. I used to promote my film Naadi Dosh (2022) and at night, I used to shoot for Maaran. One day, it so happened that I didn’t get the time to remove make-up and had to rush for the promotions. I just got the chance to go home to change my clothes. This is when my neighbour saw me in the Maaran look and was astonished. He said, ‘Yeh kya kar raha hai tu?’! I explained to him that it’s my look for my next film. He told me, ‘Aisa nahin karna chahiye. Aapki ek image hai. Aap audience ko dara doge. Aap ke saath khade rehne mein darr lag raha hai’ (laughs).
I believe Maaran was launched as a web series named Missing…
That’s right. We initially started it as a web series. At that point, the nature of the content made it difficult for us to visualize it as a film, and we even shot six or seven episodes. However, as I mentioned earlier, we gradually realized that the audience was evolving and becoming more receptive to different kinds of content. That’s when we decided to turn it into a feature film. The film cut was screened at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, where it won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Film. Later, it was screened at Delhi’s India Habitat Centre, where several critics praised it. These instances boosted our confidence. The National Award, of course, was the biggest factor that convinced us to go ahead with a theatrical release.
We had shot the film four years ago and had therefore lost a certain sense of objectivity about it. Thankfully, these honours gave us the much-needed validation and motivation to finally release it.
Where were you when you learned that Maaran had won the National Award?
I was sleeping in the car on my way to Manali (laughs)! We were shooting for a film called Goldhana. Its second schedule was in Manali. We were on the way when my friend called and congratulated me. I asked him the reason for it. He said, ‘Tujhe National Award mila’. I was like, ‘Mujhe National Award mila? Kis wajah se? Kaise?’. He said, ‘Maaran ko mila na’. I clarified, ‘Film ko National Award mila, aisa bolte hai’. He replied, ‘Film mein toh tu hi tha na’ (laughs). That was his reasoning.
I ended the call and searched on the internet. Then I called the director and congratulated him.
Maaran clashed with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. What was the thought process behind the release strategy?
We did discuss the release date. Ideally, we wanted to release the film on a Friday that did not have a major Hindi film, a big commercial Gujarati release or a major Hollywood film. However, it was difficult to find a date that ticked all three boxes. We also wanted to take advantage of the momentum generated by the National Award win. Hence, we decided to release the film on July 30.
More Pages: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (English) Box Office Collection , Spider-Man: Brand New Day (English) Movie Review
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