Always playing safe is pointless: Sabbir Khan

Aakruti Bagla | Mumbai

Director Sabbir Khan is all set to entertain us yet again with his upcoming massy action entertainer titled Nikamma. The film will be introducing a fresh new pairing of Abhimanyu Dassani, son of actress Bhagyashree and singer and social media sensation, Shirley Setia. The film also marks the return of Shilpa Shetty Kundra to the big screen after 13 years.
In an exclusive interview with Absolute India, the director spoke about releasing the film in the theatre, making commercial mass entertainers, casting newcomers and much more.

On being keen to release the film in theatres

Film Nikamma was shot during the film. The film is released after a gap of two years. On not taking the OTT route and bringing the film out in theatres, Director Sabbir Khan said, “Since the inception, I had written, shot and edited the film considering theatrical release. Despite getting a lot of lucrative offers from OTT, I turned them down since that medium has a different language. One should be honest with that language. That is the reason, some films, which were meant to be for theatres and released on OTT due to various reasons, didn’t entertain the audience.”

What intrigues him about the commercial massy entertainment

Some of the notable works of Sabbir Khan like Heropanti, Baaghi, and Munna Micheal were commercial masala films. When we asked Sabbir Khan as to what excites him to make such films he quipped, “I think this is the toughest genre to make. There are a handful of film directors in the Hindi film industry who can make such kinds of films. It is because you have to make sure to entertain the audience constantly. When it comes to my films, I feel the audience should be able to watch them with their entire family and it should cater to everyone, irrespective of their age.”

Giving a chance to the new breed of actors

From launching Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon in Heropanti, Nidhi Agerwal in Munna Micheal to not giving pop-sensation Shirley Setia a break. The directors always believed in giving a platform to newcomers to showcase their talent. Opening up about the impression behind this, the filmmaker gushed, “I started off as an assistant director, and because of my hard work, I got the desired break to direct a film. So then, I realized that whatever I needed in life, I have got it. And if I don’t open up myself and give opportunities to newcomers, no one else will. If you realise very strongly, filmmakers these days fear starring new talents as they worry about losing their success. I don’t think that way. I am very contented irrespective of whether my film is working or not. As a filmmaker, I look forward to striking this fine balance between a newcomer and seasoned actor.”
When probed about whether he is uncertain of taking such a risk, he said, “There is a glory in risk. When I was launching Tiger Shroff, everybody felt that he’s got slightly feminine looks and is the right choice. But as a filmmaker, you ought to navigate the potential in the actor, which the world can’t. So if you always play safe, it’s pointless.”

Striking a balance between newcomers and seasoned actors

When probed about how he managed to strike this fine balance between new talent and seasoned actor, Sabbir Khan quipped, “It’s a very interesting balance. You have this nervous energy of newcomers and the confidence of the experienced actors. In Nikamma it came off well because I had got Shilpa after a hiatus of 13 years. So she, from the first day, behaved like a newcomer. She was nervous like Abhimanyu and Shirley.

Upcoming project

On a parting note, the director spilt beans about his upcoming project. He said, “I am on the verge of completing the shoot of my other film Adbhut with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Diana Penty, and Shreya Dhanwanthary. It’s a very different type of film and I am looking forward to trying my hands on something different this time. So, I hope that the audience like it.”