Prithviraj, Kareena Kapoor, Meghna Gulzar discuss Daayra and Malayalam cinema at Expresso

After hosting some of the biggest names from the world of entertainment, The Indian Express series Expresso is back with its 16th edition. This time, the spotlight is on Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Meghna Gulzar, who joined us for a candid conversation at Taj Lands End in Mumbai.

During the session, the trio spoke about their upcoming film Daayra, the complexities of its central characters, their creative choices, and the differences between the Malayalam and Hindi film industries.

Talking about what drew him to Daayra, Prithviraj Sukumaran said the film appealed to him because it refuses to place its central characters neatly on either side of right and wrong.

“The prime reason why Daayra appealed to me is that I don’t agree with the entirety of Raman, but the problem is, I don’t disagree with the entirety of Raman either. Neither do I agree with the entirety of Ajooni, nor do I disagree with the entirety of Ajooni. That is the space in which the film exists, and that is what holds for me.”

He further explained why it was important for Meghna Gulzar to approach the story without validating either side. “It was vitally important that, as a filmmaker, Meghna play the mediator here and not validate either side of the argument. The film takes you through a journey where equal weightage is given to either side of the perspective, and in the end, the question is posed to you: Which is the right side for you? If we are successful in making the film the way we dreamt, then you won’t be able to pick a side easily. This is what the film is about. That is what crime, punishment and the delivery of justice are about.”

Prithviraj Sukumaran at Expresso. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Meghna Gulzar on choosing Kareena Kapoor and Prithviraj for Daayra

Speaking about how Raman and Ajooni evolved during the writing process, Meghna Gulzar said the two characters were conceived as complete opposites who also complement each other.

“The characters, by the time we finished writing the script, were quite opposite to each other and complemented each other in a very, very ironic way. One cannot exist without the other, and one completes the other. It is not a love story, but nevertheless, that is still the way their dynamics work,” she said.

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Meghna explained that Ajooni was conceived different from the way female police officers have traditionally been portrayed in films.

“I knew that I wanted Ajooni to be represented in a way that was very different from the way we have seen female police officers in films till now. I had the liberty of doing that because I was going to see her out of uniform a lot of the time. Since she is a special investigation officer, most of the time they don’t wear uniforms when they are playing that role. So it gave me an opportunity to interpret a female police officer differently,” she said.

That approach led her to Kareena Kapoor.

“That is when Kareena’s name came into my mind. Fortunately for me, it coincided with the time when she was keen to work with me, and that is how that happened,” she said.

Meghna Gulzar at Expresso. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

For Raman, Meghna wanted to move away from assigning the character to a specific region or film industry.

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“With Raman, it was somehow important to me that Daayra is made up of regionally neutral characters. Raman is a name you can have in North India, South India, the Northeast or East India. It was important for me to have Raman, who should not be from the Hindi film industry. That was very important for me with Daayra,” she said.

“And the minute I knew that, his (Prithviraj) name popped into my head. We have a friend in common, so I asked for a meeting, and that’s how it happened,” she added.

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Kareena Kapoor on exploring different kind of roles

Kareena spoke about her approach to acting and her decision to continue exploring different kinds of roles despite the image audiences have built around her over the years.

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“An actor shouldn’t be put in any kind of box. It has never been about sticking to any glamorous kind of image. Image is always shaped by what people think you are, but as an artiste, it is my duty to explore different parts, which I have always done, right from Chameli onwards, or by choosing an unconventional role like Refugee,” she said.

Kareena acknowledged that audiences continue to remember her as Geet from Jab We Met.

“Of course, that is something I will always be; that is a part of my repertoire as an actor. But I just feel I also enjoy doing these parts. And now, as I choose quality over quantity, a Meghna film will stand the test of time. I don’t have any plans of retiring anytime soon, so I do have a lot to explore yet,” she said.

Kareena Kapoor Khan at Expresso. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Prithviraj on difference between Malayalam cinema and Bollywood

Prithviraj also spoke about what Bollywood could learn from Malayalam cinema, pointing to the latter’s informal working culture.

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“I think it’s how informal we are as an industry. Our bag is light compared to Bollywood,” he said.

While Malayalam cinema has grown significantly in scale, he said the industry’s working culture has retained that informality.

“Even while attempting these big films, there’s an informal way Malayalam films are made. That approach brings a tangible, humane element to the cinema we make,” he said.

He also compared the casting process in the two industries, saying Malayalam cinema tends to have a more direct approach.

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“If I wanted to make a film with Kareena, as a director, I’d just call her and say, ‘Hi, I’d like to make a film with you. I can narrate the script.’”

Expresso

Contrasting this with Bollywood’s process, he added, “I’ve learnt that you have to call the agency, the agency will then speak to the manager assigned to you, and the manager will convince you to take the meeting with the director. If it’s someone like Meghna, it doesn’t take too much convincing. So it’s all very corporate. I guess it works. But I think there’s an easier way to do things.”

The 16th edition of Expresso was presented by AU Small Finance Bank in association with Taj Lands End, Mumbai, with BMW (Infinity Cars) as the Mobility Partner and Radico as the Celebration Partner.

Missed the event in Mumbai? The conversation with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Meghna Gulzar will premiere on September 16 at 4 pm on The Indian Express and SCREEN’s YouTube channels.

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About Expresso

Over the years, Expresso has emerged as a prominent platform for in-depth conversations with leading figures from Indian entertainment and culture. Previous editions have featured an impressive lineup of guests, including Parvathy, Ricky Kej, Anil Kapoor, Shilpa Rao, Huma Qureshi and Shefali Shah, Anupam Kher, Richa Chadha and Kabir Khan, Randeep Hooda and Hansal Mehta, Pankaj Tripathi, Kajol and Kriti Sanon, Javed Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, Imtiaz Ali and Taapsee Pannu, as well as Vidya Balan and Pratik Gandhi.