We did not want to be preachy with the subject. We wanted to keep the subject of sperm donation in the fun space and address infertility, a problem quite prevalent in our society,? said director Shoojit Sircar of his film Vicky Donor. The effort has of course worked in his favour as the film has turned into a sleeper hit. The opening weekend brought in R8 crore and the film is going strong at the box-office in its second week.
The excitement of this success was evident in Sircar?s voice as he spoke at length about the movie, along with the film’s producer John Abraham and debut actor Ayushman Khurana at Screen Chatroom, held at Express Towers on Monday evening. Abraham added that as a first-time producer, he was sure about the success of the film well before it released. ?I was convinced about the idea when I read the script; it was not iffy or icky. I just wanted the film to not be offensive,? said Abraham. The film got a U certificate, which increased their revenue by 50%.
A film on sperm donation wouldn?t attract many debutants, but Khurana says that the concept is what convinced him to do Vicky donor. ?I did not have a godfather in the industry. I had to do a content-driven film,? the actor explained. Sircar felt that Khurana fit the part perfectly. ?I wanted an actor who would get his dialogue delivery and diction right and would look the part,? said Sircar.
Although the film is praised for its execution, Sircar felt that the real hero of the film is the writer Juhi Chaturvedi. ?It is her first film as a writer and she was spot on. We did not intend to make a comedy, but the situations turned out to be comic,? he said. It helped that they had a producer like Abraham, who was willing to market it well. Abraham said, ?I wanted the marketing to be clean and hygienic. I did not want my actors to go and laugh at comedy shows, but positioned the film well.?
Apart from establishing a bunch of newcomers, the film has also transformed Abraham?s image from that of a looker to a successful producer. ?My achievements were often credited to my bod. But with Vicky Donor, people will know that I have a sense of filmmaking.?
The trio will now get together for their second film Hamara Bajaj, which will go on floors end of this year.
(For detailed coverage catch Screen issue dated May 4, 2012)