Rashmi Rekha Das
Nalin Singh is an actor, scriptwriter and director. He has to his credit films including ‘Gandhi to Hitler’ and ‘A Night Before Surgical Strikes’. A gold medalist in theatre, he is closely associated with his contemporaries Imtiaz Ali, Neeraj Pandey and Ritesh Shah. His first film ‘Gandhi to Hitler’, which was screened at the Cannes and Berlin film festivals and released in over seven languages across the globe, fetched him several prizes for its unique concept and the message of world peace it conveys. It was directed by Rakesh Ranjan. Noted director Imtiaz Ali was the creative consultant of the movie while the star cast included Raguvir Yadav, Neha Dhupia, Naseer Abdula, Aman Verma, Nikita Anand and, of course, Nalin Singh who played the character of Joseph Goebbels, one of the closest associates and most devout followers of Hitler, in the movie. He was also part of the Hollywood movie ‘The Unforeseen’. His recently released movie ‘A Night Before Surgical Strike’ satirically discusses all aspects of the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan. In an informal conversation with Sunday POST, the actor confesses he wants to spend two months in Puri at a hotel near the sea beach and write a couple of stories for his upcoming projects. Excerpts from an interview:
You have both acted in films and directed a few. Do you prefer acting to direction?
Nice question. I am confused what to say because I really love both. Acting and filmmaking are all about creativity. I am a creative person. I want to explore my acting and filmmaking skills. I act in movies to prove my versatility. At the same time, I make films because I like making them. Being a filmmaker, I make films on subjects I feel strongly about. Every dialogue, action, scene is deeply thought through and well defined. Besides, every actor wants to become a director one day.
Why did you choose topics like Gandhi and Hitler or surgical strikes which you know are sensitive in nature? Do you have a penchant for complex topics?
First, I don’t see any complexity in my movies. My idea is to make films on universal themes. People from the West have made movies on Indian subjects like Gandhi and even Ramayana in English. So, why can’t we make a Hindi movie on an international subject? ‘Gandhi to Hitler’ is the story of Hitler’s last days. He committed suicide and his loyalists followed. We know a lot of movies have already been made on Hitler, but it’s looking at his life from an Indian’s perspective. It’s about clashing ideologies of two of the most influential personalities of the 20th century and how Gandhiji emerged stronger through non-violence. ‘Gandhi to Hitler’, also known as ‘Dear Friend Hitler’, focuses on the last days of Hitler played by the diminutive Indian actor Raghubir Yadav. My latest release ‘A Night Before Surgical Strikes’ is humourous fiction made to celebrate surgical strikes which was a face-saver for the Narendra Modi government. I remembered the day when the Prime Minister announced that a surgical strike had been conducted by the Indian Army. India carried out surgical strikes across LoC destroying seven terror launch pads September 29. For every Indian, it was a day of retaliation. The movie revolves around the conversation of a thief and a policeman. The thief represents common man. The story shows a common man’s love for the nation and resentment at Pakistan’s unfriendly actions.
You decided to join the film industry knowing well that you didn’t have a godfather to support you.
I was motivated and inspired when I saw my friends Imtiaz Ali and Neeraj Pandey making it big. They didn’t have any godfathers in the industry to help them. Still they made it big. They are now big names in the film industry. You can say that the works of Imtiaz Ali and Neeraj Pandey motivated me to make films. Besides, I always wanted to be an independent person. I hate to work under someone.
Anupam Kher was supposed to play the role of Hitler in the movie ‘Gandhi to Hitler’. Why was Raghubir Yadav chosen to essay the role?
It’s an old issue that I don’t want to recall.
What is your next project? Is it related to a real life character?
My next film, ‘My Virgin Diary’, is a story of small town boys who form a musical band. It’s all about love and sex. Inspired by Osho’s ideology, the movie is going to be released during the summer holidays this year. Its cast includes artists from Poland, Brazil, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
What would be your advice for budding filmmakers?
Success and failure are a part and parcel of life. Budding and aspiring filmmakers should not be disheartened by failure. They should keep it in mind that passion and patience play pivotal roles in cementing a place in the film industry. They should be creative in choosing content because I believe that good content is always appreciated.
What is the one saying you live by?
Be happy and live for India.