Anand Tiwari says Nail Polish will reach a large audience via word of mouth: Interview
Anand Tiwari speaks to IndiaToday.in about essaying the role of a prosecutor in his latest courtroom drama Nail Polish, his love for directing and acting, and how theatre changed him as a human being.
Anand Tiwari, who has received acclaim as a director and actor, is excited about his next release, Nail Polish. The courtroom drama has been directed by Bugs Bhargava Krishna and also stars Arjun Rampal and Manav Kaul in lead roles.
Anand Tiwari plays the role of a public prosecutor Amit Kumar in the Zee5 film. In conversation with IndiaToday.in, he talks about choosing Nail Polish, completing the film after recovering from Covid-19 and balancing his love for acting and directing.
Excerpts from the conversation:
In the past couple of years, you were seen in the director’s chair. What was it about Nail Polish that made you act in the film?
Yes, I generally direct more now. In the last couple of years, I have actually refused some very interesting scripts as an actor because I didn't have the time. When Nail Polish was narrated to me for the role of Amit Kumar prosecution lawyer, it was too good to let go. I couldn't say no because it is one of the most brilliantly written scripts I have ever read. In fact, I was a little jealous of the writing and wished I could write like that as well. The script was where I am absolutely fell in love with the film and I am so glad to be a part of it.
You have never played a lawyer before. How did you prepare for the role of a prosecutor for the film?
There is a certain amount of realism that we are going for with Nail Polish. I don't think it's an ultra-realistic film and it is meant for a family audience. But still, I wanted to have some amount of understanding of how lawyers approach their trials, especially prosecution lawyers who were appointed by the government. In that regard, I really lucked out because I have a few friends who have been part of trials as lawyers. I wanted to understand from them how much of Hindi cinema's representation of lawyers is true and how much of it is false. I asked them what are the things that they look at when they fight a case, what happens when the defense presents things that they were not aware of before and whether that reality changes their way of fighting the case. Also, if the truth changes their perspective. So, all these small questions helped me understand what real lawyers would do. As an actor, my job is to interpret what my character does in my own way without disturbing the flow of the film. It was good to have a director who was very good at guiding me and also giving me a free hand in playing my part.
Watch the trailer of Nail Polish here:
Since you said that you wish you’d written something like Nail Polish, what kind of cinema would you say appeals to you?
When I write, there is a certain kind of cinema that comes easy to me easily - comedy, romance and new-age relationships. These are the kind of themes that I have explored till now. I am working on something which is an investigative drama, but I haven't dabbled in courtroom drama before. For me, it was very exciting to have Nail Polish. The film was written at the beginning of the lockdown and we were able to shoot it as unlock began. And now, here we are with the film, on the first day of New Year. The speed has really been inspiring for me.
In the middle of shooting the film, you and Manav Kaul tested positive for coronavirus. How did you keep your spirits up during that time?
We both tested positive for coronavirus, but luckily, we were following all Covid-19 protocol. So, we did not pass it on to anyone else. And both of us were asymptomatic. We self-isolated and followed the guideline that was given by our doctors. It wasn't that bad for us, but it did affect the film quite a lot because we were not shooting for 21 days. The production had to rebuild the set. Our courtroom was already built and we were supposed to shoot there, but they had to dismantle it and rebuild again for Manav and me to come back. So, it must have been very painful but no one ever brought that up. They were only worried about our health. That kind of gave us support they we were more than happy to acknowledge and repay in the way of bringing back our energies and shoot all over again.
How challenging was it to shoot the film in the new normal, especially after recovering from Covid-19?
I hope I never have to face this again. I hope that the vaccines reach common people as soon as possible so that it goes away. I never want to see this time in my life because it has been really tough. We are lucky that we can self-isolate, have food and resources. But there are people who live hand-to-mouth in our industry. I am happy everyone helped them through the lockdown. But we need to work to make ends meet. So, I really hope that such an outbreak never happens again and we don't have to work in such difficult conditions. It is not easy to shoot during the times of coronavirus, the crew has to be reduced and precautions have to be taken and things slow down. It's not the best environment for anyone, but we try to make the best of it.
You’ve said earlier that you always wanted to become a director and acting was a path that led there. Have your views changed?
Yes. For me, acting is something that I will do till the day I die. But I enjoy it more for myself because the end product is not important for me. It’s the process as for me, the art is in the art of acting. Beyond that, once I am done with my work, it is the job of the editors and directors to put it together and hopefully, people will like what they see. Also, if I don't do a good job, I want to learn from it but my real work happens when I act.
But in direction, I actually get to engage with the story whether it is the concept or the writing. It's almost like a baker with a cake in the end. You have seen and known the ingredients and the process. That excitement when somebody takes a bite and likes it, it is far more satisfying. It’s similar with directing. It’s more satisfying than acting. I am not running down to the discipline of acting at all. I don’t act in films as such because they take a lot of time. Maybe in future, I will act more and direct less, but right now, I just feel my stories are relevant.
How has your theatre background helped develop your sensibilities as an actor-director?
Theatre has developed my sensibilities as a human being. It does make you far more sensitive, it opens up your mind to complexities that out there because theatre is more complex than films. I have done more experimental theatre than commercial. Tapping such human complexities helps one have a perspective in life. Greatest of arts have been inspired by theatre. So, it helps me as an artist and as a person.
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to hold the audience’s attention on OTT platforms. Are you confident about the reception of Nail Polish?
It is challenging to hold the concentration of the audiences. India has the friendliest audience in the world and is consuming far more films than series on OTT. Whether it’s the primary or secondary form of consumption is up to the producers. But a film like Nail Polish has so many layers that every five to seven minutes something will unravel and you will be trying to find the truth. That will keep the viewers at the edge of their seats, if not theatre seats. Nail Polish was meant for OTT, I personally think that and it doesn’t have to have the burden of a Friday release or a box office number to be considered a success or a failure. I am very confident it’ll reach a very large audience by word of mouth.
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