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A Thursday Exclusive: Director Behzad Khambata, Yami Gautam & Neha Dhupia share journey

A Thursday team comprising of director Behzad Khambata and actors Yami Gautam and Neha Dhupia, get candid with Asianet Newsable in an interview where they talk about the movie, filming with over a dozen children, women-centric films, et al.

A Thursday Exclusive Director Behzad Khambata Yami Gautam and Neha Dhupia share journey drb
Author
Mumbai, First Published Mar 2, 2022, 12:58 PM IST

Scoring an 8.2 rating on IMDb and receiving rage reviews since its release, the team of ‘A Thursday’ is happy and proud of the story they have recited with the medium of this film.

A stellar star cast, a gripping storyline and a heart moving end, A Thursday will hit you right on the spot and leave you with unsettling but important questions in your mind for the topic that is based on (no, we are not going to reveal the story).

Featuring actors Yami Gautam, Neha Dhupia, Atul Kulkarni and Dimple Kapadia, Behzad Khambata’s directorial ‘A Thursday’ is a treat to watch. Other than the storyline and the climax, what will impress you the most is the freshness that Yami Gautam has once brought to the screens with her acting that has been creating “shockwaves” among the audiences.

Days after its release, the team of ‘A Thursday’, comprising of Behzad Khambata, Yami Gautam and Neha Dhupia got candid with Asianet Newsable in an exclusive interview. Read experts from the interview here:

Tell us what went behind conceptualizing ‘A Thursday’.

Behzad Khambata: I always had an idea of a female teacher taking kids hostage; that was the seed. It was followed by why the woman would do so and whether or not the police will get affected by the fact that it is a woman. We also initially thought that the call should go to the Chief Minister, but then since it was a film, we took the liberty of involving the Prime Minister. After that, we figured why and what would be so important that a Prime Minister would respond. We started reasoning and got down to a topic that I think has plagued our country for years. I think was very important to put out.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE:

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You have a stellar cast of actors that includes Yami Gautam, Atul Kulkarni, Dimple Kapadia and Neha Dhupia. How did you pick all these stars for each character?

Behzad Khambata: I think each one comes with a unique value. Neha (Dhupia) was suggested by one of my creative producers then I realized that she fit perfectly for the role (of a cop). I didn’t know her much before this film; I just knew her from what I saw on the TV or the internet.

With Yami (Gautam) it was the simplest thing to take the girl next door and then turn it on the head. It has created shock waves that Yami Gautam can do something like it. Atul (Kulkarni) Sir just fixes in; he can do any given role. Similarly, Dimple (Kapadia) Ma’am I have known from before and I knew she would be a great cast as the Prime Minister since she has that authority. I think every casting was just placed correctly.

Making a film with a child can be tricky and tough. But in ‘A Thursday’ you were working with a dozen of children. How difficult was that as a filmmaker?

Behzad Khambata: It was a ‘beautiful trauma’, I’d say. They were kids; if one wants to go wee, suddenly 12 want to go wee. If one wants to eat sandwiches and then everybody else wants to eat sandwiches. Just the first few initial days were tough, but once they got along with Yami, then she was being told of all their problems that I have stomach pain, my head is hurting, my daddy is coming next week…. So then Naina teacher had to deal with it all.

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The film has a very strong female casting and revolves around Yami’s character. Did you plan on making a woman-centric film? 

Behzad: No, the storyline was clear from the beginning. All the characters were set in place, except for the Prime Minister’s role. There was a huge contemplation on whether the PM should be shown as a male or a female. We decided to go with a female angle because we knew what the film’s end was. In fact, a very senior actor had told me that I should not go with a female PM but a male one. After he saw the trailer, he messaged me that a female PM fits perfectly.

How do you think has filmmaking changed for female actors, in the sense that more female-centric films are being made, especially since the OTTs have come in?

Neha Dhupia: Whether it ‘Geheraiyaan’, ‘Looop Lapeta’, ‘A Thursday’, ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ or even ‘Badhaai Do’, all these films are centred around women. A lot has changed over the years. At the level of writing, it has become (almost) gender-neutral. For me, the films that I have done in the past, whether it is ‘A Thursday’, the short film ‘Devi’ or ‘Tumhari Sullu’, were all centred around women. So, things have changed and they continue to change.

Yami Gautam: We have had a ‘Mother India’ in the past as well at a time when this conversation was probably not even there. Every decade brings in a change to it. The good thing is that there is an awareness that not just female actors are leading the film, but good substantial roles are being written for female actors. With OTT there has been a lot of influx in the work, and it does have been able to change the scenario quite a bit.

After having to work in films such as Vicky Donor to Sarkaar 3, Uri: The Surgical Strike and now ‘A Thursday’, how do you map your graph?

Yami Gautam: If I must draw a graph of my career so far, it will look like an amoeba. With films such as Bala, people didn’t expect me to pull off a comedy. My idea is to create a space for myself where the audience does not recognize me with any particular image. I should be able to surprise you with as many diverse roles as possible. With each film, the idea is to grow, nurture and do better than last work.

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