JOIN US'Naseer has added spice to my film'
From playing a drunkard and tapori characters onscreen to ruling the stage with his intense direction, Makarand Deshpande needs no introduction. It is not just his unusual hairstyle but also his hatke ideas that set him apart. His latest outing Sona Spa, is one such example, and is based on sleep sellers!
Adapted from a play of the same name, Makarand explains that the film is inspired by the consumerist world where everything is up for sale.
“We all are sleep deprived these days and we always say we will catch up on it over the weekend but it never happens. One day while travelling, I thought if Reiki, puja or a pilgrimage done for somebody helps, then why not make somebody sleep on someone else’s behalf,” shares Makarand who says he has seen people who are scared of lying down because their lack of sleep bothers them, so they try and distract themselves by watching television, reading or doing anything which will prevent them from falling asleep.
There are those also who feel that sleeping for long is waste of time.
So in his film, “If somebody is not feeling fresh and is yearning for a nap, then one just needs to call Sona Spa and as per their contract, the sleep workers will sleep on their behalf. So you don’t need to take pills or consume alcohol to go to sleep.” Makarand feels that the subject of sleep has not been explored in cinema and his script has a twist too. “The catch is that when a sleep worker is sleeping your sleep, then he or she is also dreaming your dreams.” This changes the genre from being a drama to a thriller!
Thespian Naseeruddin Shah, who is also playing the lead in Sona Spa, has spiced up his role. Makarand shares he was lucky to have Shah.
“He has watched my plays for the last 15 years. He watched the rehearsals of this play too because he loved the idea and wanted to know how would this be shown to audiences. Although he wasn’t part of the play but when I asked him for the movie, he agreed and has added a little chatpatapan to the character of Baba Dayanand,” he laughs. “Working with Naseer was like a celebration and not work pressure since he was convinced with the idea.”
Does he think that Sona Spa, a small budget venture, will be accepted by audiences? “I don’t know how many in our country know that there is a ‘World Sleep Day’. As an idea my film is like any other big film because the idea is big. But if the inclusion of an item number and over-the-top action scenes make a film ‘big’ then I have nothing to say!”
Having scripted it himself, Makarand adds, “The actor, writer and director in me, work in harmony. But the writer is stronger because he comes with ideas which make any film and appear realistic. Because no matter how dramatic a subject may be, it should look real!”
Is the idea for his next film equally unusual? “I have started writing the script for my next film which will take off from the (mythological) character of Putna. You will get to know the details soon,” he says.