During a recent conversation with CNBC-TV18 about Freedom at Midnight, Advani was asked whether he saw himself returning to mainstream Bollywood fiction. “Mainstream Bollywood fiction has become massive for me,” Advani said, pointing at the growing dominance of large-scale films.
“They are only talking about ₹600 crore, ₹800 crore, ₹1,000 crore, ₹2,000 crore. And I want to work with actors like Chirag (Vohra), Rajinder Chawla, and Siddhant (Gupta). I want to enjoy myself for a 120-day shoot. We were playing table tennis sometimes, we were chilling out, having fun.”
Advani added, “And mainstream Bollywood, I think Emmay (production house co-founded by Advani) will do a lot of mainstream Bollywood and continue, and I will be a silent spectator. But yeah ₹600, ₹800 crore kaise kar sakte hai. (How can I do this ₹600, ₹800 crore business).”
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Starting with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Kal Ho Na Ho (2003), Advani gained recognition for his ability to weave emotion and drama into larger-than-life narratives. His other major projects involve Salaam-E-Ishq (2007), Chandni Chowk to China (2009), Patiala House (2011) and Hero (2015).
However, as the years went by, Advani’s focus began to shift. The director, who had once helmed commercial Bollywood films, found himself drawn to historical period dramas and docudramas. His recent ventures include Mumbai Diaries, a medical drama set against the backdrop of the 26/11 attacks, and Rocket Boys, a series about India’s scientific pioneers Homi J. Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai.
Freedom at Midnight is a political drama adapted from Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins’ seminal book of the same name, depicting the events and figures that shaped the nation’s fate during the independence era.
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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
