Awarapan 2: Vishesh Bhatt on story, music over brands and scale

Filmmaker Vishesh Bhatt reveals that his creative philosophy for 'Awarapan 2' remains focused on story and music over brands. He emphasizes that melody and a strong narrative are central to his work, not expensive sets or marketing gimmicks.

As 'Awarapan 2' arrives in cinemas today, filmmaker Vishesh Bhatt has opened up about the creative philosophy behind the sequel, saying that story and music have remained at the heart of his filmmaking rather than brands or scale.

The 'Story and Music' Philosophy

Speaking to ANI, Bhatt reflected on the approach that shaped the original 'Awarapan' as well as its sequel, saying melody and storytelling have always been central to the way he works. "I think my whole life has been about story and music, rather than brands. Melody has always been very important to us," Bhatt said.

The filmmaker, who has also worked on films such as 'Jannat' and 'Gangster', said his approach has remained consistent over the years. He recalled a time when people questioned why he was not focusing on established film brands and suggested that he should continue with existing franchises. "When I was starting out, everyone was asking, 'What brand are you selling? Why don't you make Jannat? You started it, you made it,'" he recalled.

For Bhatt, however, the story has always come before the brand. He said his confidence has come from the belief that a film can connect with audiences through a strong narrative, good songs and lyrics. "We have always had confidence that, through hard work, we can make something for the audience where the story is good, the songs are good, and the film registers at the box office," he said.

Music as Emotional Storytelling

This philosophy has also shaped the music of 'Awarapan 2'. Bhatt explained that the team did not approach songs simply as promotional material. Instead, the songs were developed as part of the emotional journey of the characters and the story. "A lot of people think of songs as a marketing tool. We never used songs that way. We used them as a form of storytelling and emotional expression," he said.

He added that the process for 'Awarapan 2' began by identifying the emotions the film wanted to explore and then allowing those emotions to inform the songs, lyrics and story. "So, when we started working on this film, we first thought about which emotions we wanted to talk about, which songs would come from those emotions, what the lyrics would be, and what the story would be," Bhatt said.

The filmmaker also recalled how the original 'Awarapan' began from a similar emotional foundation. "When Awarapan started, it began with an emotion. We thought certain songs would emerge from those emotions. I heard a song and said, 'This comes from an emotion.' That emotion became a character, and from that character came Awarapan's journey."

The Song-Narrative Connection

With the sequel arriving almost 19 years after the original, the enduring connection between Awarapan and its music has remained an important part of the franchise's identity. Bhatt said audiences' response to the new songs has been encouraging and expressed hope that their meaning will become clearer once viewers see the film. "People are liking the songs that have come out. When they watch the film, hopefully the meaning behind those songs will become even clearer," he said.

Bhatt pointed to the relationship between music and narrative in several of the films associated with his production house, saying the emotional context of a song often becomes more apparent when audiences experience it within the film. "That's true of the majority of our songs, including the songs in Murder. The relationship between the song and the emotion becomes much clearer when you see the film."

Investing Time Over Money

For Bhatt, the emphasis on storytelling also extends to how much he invests in the making of a film. Rather than relying on expensive sets or unnecessary production expenditure, he said he prefers to invest his time in developing the material before the cameras roll. "Most of the time goes into exactly that. When you don't spend time on something, you end up spending money on it," he said.

"Time is the most valuable commodity, and most people don't want to give enough of it," he said. According to Bhatt, spending more time on the story and preparation can make the actual shooting process more efficient. He believes that insufficient preparation can eventually lead filmmakers to compensate through larger sets or additional expenditure. "Instead of spending time, people spend money. If I put a monetary value on everything, the budget increases. But I put my time into the film. I invest my time rather than loading the film with unnecessary expenditure," he said.

His approach, he explained, is not about avoiding scale altogether but about ensuring that expenditure serves the story. "Later, when we got more money, I realised that whenever we spent unnecessarily, we didn't necessarily get a return," Bhatt said. "So we continue to mount our films around stories and melodies. Beyond a certain point, if scaling up doesn't serve the story, we don't do it."

Early Career Lessons

Bhatt also reflected on the early phase of his career, when smaller budgets and the absence of established stars meant that storytelling became a key strength for his films. "At one point, we used to make films on small budgets because there were losses from flop films and we had newcomers. We didn't have stars, so we relied on storytelling," he said.

That experience, he suggested, continues to inform his filmmaking choices today. 'Awarapan 2', the sequel to the 2007 cult film, was released in cinemas today, coinciding with the Independence Day holiday period. Emraan Hashmi reprises his role as Shivam Pandit in the film. (ANI)

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