Short film maker’s first feature releases today

Abhishek Shetty’s Nam Gani BCom Pass looks at unemployment, discrimination, and societal perceptions

Debutant director Abhishek Shetty began working on the script of ‘Nam Gani BCom Pass’, that has released today, four years ago.

Why four years? Abhishek says that the characters in the film resemble people that he has seen and interacted with at some point in his life. “The film deals with a host of serious issues that are narrated in a humorous way. It talks about the growing number of graduates who are unemployed. It also looks at the struggles haunting youngsters who wish to start their own businesses and how society still mocks at those who aren’t gainfully employed,” Abhishek tells Metrolife.  The young director has worked in a couple of short films and has had a stint on stage before plunging into commercial cinema. 

He points out that society has a set perception of young men and women and if somebody doesn’t fit into that they are humiliated.

“There are a few who can’t speak fluent English because they’ve studied in Kannada medium schools and colleges. This category falls prey to comparisons and ego issues come into play. This is also why a majority of youngsters from rural areas refuse to step into an urban space to look out for jobs. These are just some of the issues that have been explored in the film,” adds Abhishek.

The lead character of Gani is played by Abhishek. “We auditioned a couple of youngsters but nobody fit the bill. Since I’ve written the dialogues and had been toying with the character for years, I thought that I would play the character,” says 
Abhishek.

He says acting, directing and working with 21 departments to ensure that the film has a smooth run was no easy task. There’s also a beautiful love story that has been smuggled into the story. “Aishani Shetty, who Abhishek’s love interest, has two shades in the film. She appears as a schoolgirl in the first part of the film and slips into a more mature avatar in the second half. She has juggled the two emotions pretty well,” observes Abhishek, who has also penned a few songs for the film.

The director says that the audience will be able to relate to every character in the film. “This is a very character-driven film. The smallest mannerisms have been worked upon to give every character a unique flavour,” Abhishek sums up.