Interview of Director -Najaf Bilgrami

1. What projects you are currently working on? Which project is going to release first in the coming days?

Currently in the pre-production phase of a serial. It’s for Urdu1 and has a big name attached to it. That is all I can reveal right now. Also working on a short film.

2.What do you do when not working?

I am a parent. If not working there is plenty to help my spouse with. Besides rearing children we do take time out and go watch a film at the neighborhood multiplex. What I really like to do when not working is researching for a script.

3. Where do you see yourself in the competition?

I don’t think i am in competition. I am not sure I understand your question. Did you mean “in competition” with other directors? If I am to assume that that was your question then my answer would be I am no where in the “competition”. There are so many talented both young and senior directors working today. One cannot define visual arts in this manner. It cannot be defined as a competition. I am only in competition with myself.  

3.How did you get started?

Very early I guess. Wrote my first (short) play when I was 13. I wrote my first stage play at 17. Wrote my first serial at 20 for Ghazanfar Ali in 1994. On the side I had started acting as well. At Combine Productions that was run by Ghazanfar Ali, I learned a lot. Those were the early days of private productions and things were getting structured so one had to be very hands on with everything. In a way I got film school education even before I decided to go to film school. Ghazanfar Ali was very helpful in getting me started.

4.What was the most challenging aspect of your career?

To be able to keep a normal family life. It is almost impossible to do that. You start your day early and finish it late in the night. It takes a toll on them and while you enjoy the benefits of all the hard work you do later, they suffer silently. I have wonderful support from my wife and I am thankful that she is a very understanding spouse.

5.Tell me something about your past? Meaning your childhood, your early education?

 

6.Can you talk about people or books you have read that have inspired you to embark on your own career?

My father hooked me up on Somerset Maugham. My first book was Cakes & Ale. My second book was Razor’s Edge. That pretty much influenced my young mind. It was years later when I read Camus. I also read a lot of Barnard Shaw. My father was heavy into Indo-Pak history and in particular the late Mughal era (past Shahjahan). I started reading Alan Moore when I was in film school. I read Watchmen when I was halfway through the school. That pretty much sums up my influence.

7.What do you feel is missing in entertainment today?

Absolute sense of social responsibility. Non what so ever.

8.How important is social media for promoting your projects?

Social media has become the currency with which we deal our day to day life. It is almost like a language on its own. Proficiency in that language is necessary I guess. I was not into social media and comparatively I am still flirting with the idea, but ever since I have started promoting whatever I do on social media it is better received by the audience at large as they had made a prior understanding of the serial or the film.

 

9. Ok tell us about some of your projects?

The one I am really excited about is a personal one. It is a short film that I am writing.

10.What do you love about directing?

To be able to communicate a story is what I love about directing. For me it is almost a zen like process. It has to be cathartic.

What I love about directing? I guess it is quite the opposite of what or how direction for fiction narrative (film or Television) is perceived as by people. They look at a director as a person of authority and a power figure. The job description is that of a leader. In my opinion a leader is ineffectual if he doesn’t lead by setting an example himself / herself. Also I believe narrative fiction direction is about losing control and empowering your actors and dop and your editor.

11.Tell us about your new project Dekho Chand Aya?

Well it is a Ramzan play. It has all the trappings of a saasbahoowala drama.

I was finishing Tum Meri Ho and Aijazz Aslam, my producer came to me and said that our next project will start in five days after the finish of TMH. So it was a challenge to begin with. But the challenges were more and in many ways varied.  

First of all I had never done a woman based mainstream drama before. Now I have.

I wasn’t afraid but still a little concerned that I should do it right. But when the pressure got to me too much I decided to just do it how I work.

Luckily the titular character was being played by Sara Khan. I had a very creative collaboration with her when we did Naraz and later in Tum Merey Ho. There would be a lot of things that were originally not there in script but we would improvise and pull it off. I had full support from my producer Aijazz Aslam.

12.what is the special thing in the project?

I took it as a challenge even though it has never been my forte to do a women based drama, but I guess the project before had warmed me up. The special thing was this, I took it as a challenge and to find that special thing that would inspire me and incite me to tell this story. I asked myself what is my angle to this whole and what is it that I am looking at. The special thing with the project were the cast members, all of them were very giving in creative terms. Naveed Raza, Ayesha Toor, MahamNizami, Tahir Kazmi, SumbulShahid, Nida Mumtaz, Fawad Jalal, HumairaBano all poured their heart and soul creatively in to the script. The icing on the top were off course Khalid Anum and I had a real great time working with Sajid Hassan. I had a really good cast.

13. What inspired you to do this project?

I realized that this story at its core is about a dysfunctional family and the person they think is the problem, (Chand played by Sara Khan) is actually the solution to the problem. It is in front of them and yet they keep dissuading themselves. That is such a typical human thing and yet a universal theme. I wanted it to be relatable across the demographic.  

14 give some msg to young youth????????????????????????????

Do not be afraid. Come to this side if think you have a story to tell. Don’t come if you do not have a burning desire to tell a story that would make a difference.