Nitesh Tiwari doesn’t write scripts keeping actors in mind

By Natalia Ningthoujam

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Nitesh Tiwari might have said that he was willing to wait for a few years for superstar Aamir Khan to be part of his blockbuster "Dangal" and showed interest in casting actor Varun Dhawan in his next, but the filmmaker says he doesn't write scripts with an actor in mind.

"I don't write keeping an actor in mind. Only after I have finished my writing, I start to think about who would be the best person to play that role. And if he or she is willing to play that role then he or she is definitely worth the wait," Tiwari, who bagged the Best Director award for "Dangal" at the IFFM in Melbourne, told IANS.

"Because good scripts are hard to come by. So, if I am in love with my script, I would look for an equally exciting option, if plan A doesn't work out," he added.

At the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, where he won the award on Friday, he will also discuss the "finer aspects" of what went into the making of "Dangal", based on the life of wrestler Geeta Phogat and her family.

"This will also be open to questions from the audience," he said about the chat session, which will be held on Sunday.

How helpful is it to host an Indian film festival abroad?

"More and more Indian films are finding global acceptance in a big way. So a festival of this nature and stature goes a long way in solidifying our standing in foreign markets as well," he said.

But if we go by his films, they are deeply rooted in Indian culture, and are mostly shot in India. Does he plan to shoot a film abroad or work on a story with an NRI angle?

"Why not? I am open to all kind of ideas provided they fit into my style of story telling," said the director, who has made children-based films like "Chillar Party" and "Bhoothnath Returns".

He said he doesn't make a "conscious effort" to write around children.

"I guess, it's because of my love towards children that they somehow find a seamless fit in most of my films," he said.

So, which one is more challenging - fiction or a biopic?

"Fiction is all about creating something interesting out of thin air while biopics are all about recreating something that's already happened and presenting it in an interesting manner. Both are equally difficult," he said.

There are many filmmakers who make movies based on tragedies in the country, whether it's a terror attack or someone's murder. Would he ever turn a tragic event into a film?

"As a writer, I would not want to put any restrictions on myself. However, I naturally tend to gravitate towards stuff that provides hope and happiness," said Tiwari, whose wife Ashwiny is also a director.

Does he ever see her as his competition?

"I celebrate her success more than mine," he said about Ashwiny, who made a successful directorial debut with the 2016 film "Nil Battey Sannata".

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)