<p>Bollywood director Girish Malik was last in the news for his Hindi film ‘Jal’ in 2014. It was screened at the Busan International Film Festival, shortlisted as a 2014 Oscar contender in the Best Picture and Best Original Score categories and also won the National Film Award for Best Special Effects. </p>.<p>Girish has now returned, after a seven-year gap, with ‘Torbaaz’ starring Sanjay Dutt in the lead role. The film that released on December 11 on Netflix has been shot in the unseen and unexplored terrains of Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. It traces the life of a man who tries to bring about a change in a terror-struck land. In an interview with Metrolife, Girish talks about the making of the movie and more.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>You didn’t work on anything after Jal. Why?</strong></p>.<p>My film was well-received. But people took time to notice it. There’s always a competition between art house and commercial cinema. Filmmakers, like me, who wish to go beyond predictable storylines find it hard to crack the market that is obsessed with commercial films. People take time to trust you with big projects and big money. ‘Torbaaz’ has taken two years to complete. I would like to work on projects that contribute something solid to the film industry. This is one such movie.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>The theme of ‘Torbaaz’ is significant. Tell us about it?</strong></p>.<p>The idea of the film is to use hope as a tool to counter war and terrorism. You can’t change the circumstances that lead to war, but you can certainly change mindsets. The film offers out-of-the-box solution to counter terrorism. How sports is used as a tool to tap young minds and save them from getting trapped into terror training is what one will get to see in this film. We have seen many real-life Indian and Australian cricketers who have visited terror-struck regions and helped refugees there.</p>.<p>The film is an outcome of extensive research and understanding of these areas and why they are so prone to terror-related activities. I spoke to people who have a deep understanding of these aspects. The film offers both information and entertainment.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>How did you get Sanjay Dutt to agree to the script?</strong></p>.<p>I made a small presentation about the film, before narrating it to Sanjay sir. He saw it and instantly agreed to work on the film, even before he could listen to the script. We can’t change the past and can’t change the present, but we can certainly change the future. This idea impressed Sanjay. He is expected to spend a lot of time with children and gelled well with them without any extra effort.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>How was it to work with Rahul Dev?</strong></p>.<p>Rahul Dev’s character required a certain demeanour, body language and presence. We wanted him to portray a simple man living in the caves but a firm believer of his principles. Rahul sat through several workshops to master the body language required for the role.</p>
<p>Bollywood director Girish Malik was last in the news for his Hindi film ‘Jal’ in 2014. It was screened at the Busan International Film Festival, shortlisted as a 2014 Oscar contender in the Best Picture and Best Original Score categories and also won the National Film Award for Best Special Effects. </p>.<p>Girish has now returned, after a seven-year gap, with ‘Torbaaz’ starring Sanjay Dutt in the lead role. The film that released on December 11 on Netflix has been shot in the unseen and unexplored terrains of Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. It traces the life of a man who tries to bring about a change in a terror-struck land. In an interview with Metrolife, Girish talks about the making of the movie and more.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>You didn’t work on anything after Jal. Why?</strong></p>.<p>My film was well-received. But people took time to notice it. There’s always a competition between art house and commercial cinema. Filmmakers, like me, who wish to go beyond predictable storylines find it hard to crack the market that is obsessed with commercial films. People take time to trust you with big projects and big money. ‘Torbaaz’ has taken two years to complete. I would like to work on projects that contribute something solid to the film industry. This is one such movie.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>The theme of ‘Torbaaz’ is significant. Tell us about it?</strong></p>.<p>The idea of the film is to use hope as a tool to counter war and terrorism. You can’t change the circumstances that lead to war, but you can certainly change mindsets. The film offers out-of-the-box solution to counter terrorism. How sports is used as a tool to tap young minds and save them from getting trapped into terror training is what one will get to see in this film. We have seen many real-life Indian and Australian cricketers who have visited terror-struck regions and helped refugees there.</p>.<p>The film is an outcome of extensive research and understanding of these areas and why they are so prone to terror-related activities. I spoke to people who have a deep understanding of these aspects. The film offers both information and entertainment.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>How did you get Sanjay Dutt to agree to the script?</strong></p>.<p>I made a small presentation about the film, before narrating it to Sanjay sir. He saw it and instantly agreed to work on the film, even before he could listen to the script. We can’t change the past and can’t change the present, but we can certainly change the future. This idea impressed Sanjay. He is expected to spend a lot of time with children and gelled well with them without any extra effort.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>How was it to work with Rahul Dev?</strong></p>.<p>Rahul Dev’s character required a certain demeanour, body language and presence. We wanted him to portray a simple man living in the caves but a firm believer of his principles. Rahul sat through several workshops to master the body language required for the role.</p>
