Mumbai: In an exclusive Conversation with Director Sejal Shah, where she discussed her upcoming series "Costao," starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and her journey as a filmmaker. She emphasized the importance of writers in the industry, noting they often don't receive the respect they deserve. Shah believed OTT platforms have opened up opportunities for diverse stories and talent. She dismissed the divide between OTT and theatrical audiences, saying good content will find its viewers. She also shared her stance on collaborating with Pakistani artists amid current tensions and teased upcoming projects.
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#SejalShah #Costao #OTTPlatform #PakistaniArtists #OperationSindoor #UpcomingProjects #NawazuddinSiddiqui #PahalgamAttack #Trending #BollywoodNews #BollywoodGossips #BollywoodUpdates #BollywoodNews #Bollywood #Bolly woodcelebrity #BollywoodHindiNews #ians
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00:00So Kostov's idea is that my friend is a journalist and Kostov's boss, P.K. Daas was talking about Kostov and then I was meeting them for some other idea
00:25and when they talked about Kostov and I was very fascinated, I heard this incident a year ago because I have been a journalist in the week magazine
00:37and then I researched everything and then I told him please Kostov sir, meet him, meet him
00:45so it took a lot of time when he started trusting me and then I finally got introduced to Kostov Fernandes
00:52and when he was incident in 1990, many people had contacted him to make a film but he had always said no
01:00but somehow for a half a year I have researched him and spent time with him and then he agreed and then the film happened
01:07Amal, can Nawaz Adun Sikri be the first choice of post-out or any other actor's name?
01:14No actually, fortunately and luckily, Nawaz was my always first choice and I always say that my only choice
01:23If Nawaz doesn't say, I don't think the film would have happened because he fits so perfectly in the road
01:28and everyone knows that Nawaz is like an extraordinary actor and his performance and the dedication and the way he elevates the movie and the film
01:36so I was already working with him producing serious men
01:40I already knew what an actor, everybody knows what an actor but what a person he is to work with
01:46and then I always told him about the idea and they said that they are watching a script
01:53so for first day, first moment Nawaz was the choice and incidentally, they said yes and I was very lucky the film got made
02:00Ma'am, post-out, Nawaz was also done with Serious Men
02:06and did you post-out work with him, is it comfortable with him or is it a new challenge?
02:12In fact, there is no challenge, it is easier to do with him
02:16so when I was debuting as a producer in Serious Men
02:20and in this time, I debuted as a director
02:23so both the times Nawaz has been part of my very important journey in my life
02:27and with them for the first time, I had never met him before
02:32I had not known him and when I worked with him, I realized that I will be very lucky if I get to meet with him
02:38and incidentally, he really fit into the Kosta role and he got with me
02:43so he is comfortable, it is not challenging, it is getting more and more comfortable and luckier for me when he says yes
02:49I want to launch the Z-Fight, would you have to launch a concert decision or did you have to consider it?
02:55So, when we were making a film, if you see the film, maximum comments,
03:00everyone came in this film, that there should be the theatrical lilies, the wait has been shot
03:04so when we were making a film, it was never like that it was going to go to the theatrical, OTT, where will it go?
03:10we went, we had planned Bombay Fibers, Bhavesh and my writer producer partner
03:16then Nawaz said, yes, we went to Banushali, then the decision was all that we will make a film
03:23then we will see where is the right time to put it and when to put it
03:26so when we made a film, we all realized that that was a decision taken and I think it was a completely right decision
03:31that this film maximum people can watch this film, after this film has come on Z-Fight and because Z-Fight is global
03:37we have got extraordinary kind of comments and people all over the world, custom officers all over India, people from all over India
03:46everyone has watched it, so I feel that theatre, it is only limited amount of people would have seen it
03:50but the first day everybody on OTT seeing it, I really like it and I am very happy that Z-Fight agreed to take this film and it has happened
03:57Bombay Fibers has created a writer driven company, so do you think that it is a second priority in the film industry?
04:06see I agree because I and Bhavesh both started this company, we both are writers and directors
04:13so I agree completely that writers, all people say content, but nobody takes it seriously
04:22we believe that we are writer driven and we believe that our writers come on top
04:26before we see film script, writers and actors and projects come afterwards
04:31so we have tried that we give much more importance to writers and that is why
04:36those writers and directors have worked with us, they have always repeated with us
04:40but I agree with you when you say that the writers are not given that kind of money
04:45that kind of power and the kind of respect that they should be given, I agree with you
04:51I feel that OTT because of OTT people like us who are not even from the industry
05:10we are an ex-journalist, my partner who was a software engineer turned writer
05:14we are producers, it would not have been possible for us to become a producer
05:18because Serious Men which was our first film was on OTT
05:21after that we have decouple, Delicam season 2, Asur, they all went on OTT
05:26so I feel that the advantage of OTT is that it has given a lot more people work
05:32a lot more films and different topics that wouldn't have been made
05:35like Serious Men and all these films could not have been made otherwise
05:38if not for Netflix or other platforms
05:41so I feel that it is a good thing OTT has happened
05:45and I feel that they should also feel more talent should be encouraged
05:49and they should not go back to only working with stars
05:52because the idea is what is OTT
05:54that all types of films and all types of actors should be taken
05:57ma'am, aapke ishamsay, aaj jyada se other film creators
06:01men go lag rehi hain, flop rehi hain
06:03so kya reason about OTT platform is this reason?
06:06no not at all, I feel, I feel it is very wrong to blame OTT platforms for anything
06:11I feel that agar achi film banti hai, people will go and watch it in the theatre
06:15whether it comes to OTT or yeh
06:18I feel that aaj kal of course post covid
06:21sab log ke paas sab ko malum hai ki expensive ho gaya
06:24secondly people ke paas itna hi time hai
06:27toh those people souchte hai ki if I have to watch 5
06:30go to the theatre, it is a long expensive plus time ho ta hai
06:34it should be worth going to the theatre and it should be a good film
06:37so I feel that films are not working
06:40is only because I feel that if people want
06:43are not getting entertained they will not work
06:46ma'am, akko rakta hai ki creators in OTT te lehe film bina raha hain
06:49aur theatre audience ko ignore karra hain
06:51I don't think so, I think theatre audience is all
06:54I feel all audiences are the same
06:56I really don't think this yeh jo difference hai
06:59OTT audience, theatre audience, OTT actor, theatre audience
07:02OTT film, theatre film
07:04yeh sub distinction doesn't matter
07:05actually it should be a film
07:07whether where people are going to watch any audience
07:10I consider myself an audience
07:12now whether it's a film I'll go to the theatre or to the OTT
07:15that is a choice
07:16so I don't feel that there is something called
07:18people are ignoring the theatre audience
07:21ma'am, akko rakta kahi
07:23I feel that every film should be made with responsibility
07:40of course banana chahiye and it should be truthful as possible
07:45and entertaining, truthful and entertaining both
07:48I feel that it is very hard now industry has changed quite a lot
07:52and film should be made according to fair budgets
07:55because I think budgets fail most of the time
07:59to losses everybody should be accountable for the loss
08:02because it is not fair
08:04everybody should be accountable for the loss
08:05because it is not fair
08:06all the people have said that the money is not our problem
08:08there is somebody who is putting in the money
08:10there is somebody who has spent so much money
08:12and everybody should be able to
08:13of the time so losses everybody everybody should be accountable for the loss because it is not fair
08:18that everyone is saying that money is not our problem there is somebody who is putting in the money
08:23there is somebody who has spent so much money and everybody should be able to nobody should lose
08:28money i feel that should be the thing uh ma'am in today's case when india pakistan
08:34no i don't think so right now of course the scenario is that and i don't think anybody
08:50it's very clear decision that they will not work with pakistan artists and i think it is a fair
08:55decision seeing what has happened uh last year
09:04all the good prateek gandhi is coming to netflix and we have three other films
09:10which i am directing with one another two directors so three films and one series we are in development
09:15coming soon