Chennai: National award winning filmmaker Janaki Vishwanathan`s first Hindi film `Bakrapur` has an unusual protagonist in the movie- a goat named Shah Rukh but she has brushed off any reference to the Bollywood superstar.
"It has nothing to do with Shah Rukh Khan. You see people have a tendency to name their pet animals after actors or someone they love. The goat is integral to the story so we needed a name for it... Something catchy," Vishwanathan said when asked if it is an attempt to poke fun at Khan.
"You see, the name is just Shah Rukh which literally means face of the Emperor," she added.
Asked if the 47-year-old actor has reacted or tweeted about this, Vishwanathan said she has not come across any comment so far.
"I have great admiration for him and though I have not personally interacted with him, from the interviews he has done, he seems to have a great sense of humour."
Vishwanathan also said that `Bakrapur` is not a take-off on Cyrus Broacha`s MTV programme `Bakra`. It is just an imaginary title, where everyone makes a fool of everybody else.
"The movie is a social-political satire set against the backdrop of rural India. A multi-layered film, it dwells, at the primary level, on the relationship between eight-year-old Zulfi and his pet goat Shah Rukh. It is also a hilarious take on the complex belief systems in our society and the conflicts that ensue thereon," she said.
The 90-minute film, scripted and directed by her, stars Anshuman Jha, Asif Basra, Faiz Khan, Shameen Khan and Suruchi Aulakh.
Vishwanathan has earlier made four films, three in Tamil. The first film `Kutty` released in 2001 won her two National awards. She did `Kanavu Mei Pada Vaendum` in 2004 and then `Om Obama` seven years later.
Each movie dealt with social issues. `Kutty` focused on child labour while `Kanavu Meipada Vendum` reflected the plight of the devadasi women.
`Om Obama`, about a fictional village in Tamil Nadu and the relationship the hamlet believes it shares with US President Barack Obama, was completed two years ago, but is yet to hit theatres.
The journalist-turned-filmmaker acknowledged that it is difficult to get distributors for these type of movies including `Bakrapur`.
"`Bakrapur` does not have any item number or any masala associated with commercial films. It is tough to get distributors. Not very easy but the trend, I believe, has been changing over the past one year. The climate is changing. I am keeping my fingers crossed," she said.
"I am not focusing on getting awards or film festivals. I just pick up a subject that catches my fancy and work on it."
There are two songs in the movie and has been composed by `Agnee`, a Mumbai-based rock music band.
The movie is expected to hit theatres by year end and they are busy with the final post production work. Vishwanathan also said that they are also planing a peppy promotional song.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.