Today common man is the hero in cinema, says Satish Kaushik


PTI | Mumbai | Updated: 11-01-2021 17:45 IST | Created: 11-01-2021 17:45 IST
Today common man is the hero in cinema, says Satish Kaushik
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Common man has replaced the larger-than-life hero on the big screen, believes actor-filmmaker Satish Kaushik who says he has attempted to highlight the simplicity of rural India in his latest directorial venture "Kaagaz".

Starring Pankaj Tripathi in the lead, the film is a satirical comedy and a commentary on the identity crisis.

Based on a real-life story, ''Kaagaz'' revolves around Lal Bihari Mritak (Tripathi) from a village in UP, who struggled for 18 years to prove that he is alive after he was declared dead in the records.

"There are so many stories of common man from smaller towns that remain untold and we must focus on bringing out these stories. The protagonist, the hero of our film often keeps changing. ''Earlier he was an action-romantic guy. Today, the common man is the hero in cinema. If we try to bring out their issues, successes and failures it connects well with the audience," Kaushik told PTI in an interview.

The 64-year-old filmmaker said he cast Tripathi in the lead role after he was blown away by the actor's performance in the 2018 film "Phamous". Praising the ''Ludo'' star, Kaushik said, ''He does less but the impact is more. I wanted to present him as a hero in this arthouse entertainer. We have a new hero in the form of a common man as Pankaj," he said. "We have tried to tap into the emotion of this person, which is his identity... We have not tried to politicise the film... We all are fighting to establish our identity be it (in) professional or social (space) in the world," he added.

Presented by Salman Khan, ''Kaagaz'' also marks Kaushik's return to direction after 2014's horror comedy ''Gang of Ghosts''. His previous credits as director include like "Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja", "Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai", and "Tere Naam". Best remembered for his comedic turns in "Mr India", "Deewana Mastana", and "Saajan Chale Sasural", the actor said he has been trying to re-establish himself as a director.

"I wanted to prove that I am not just a comic actor. I want to say something important to the audience through my work. ''I have studied at the National School of Drama and Film and Television Institute of India, acted in films, shows, and done plays in different languages. At the age of 64, I have reinvented myself. Everyone goes through a downfall in life and you prove yourself by doing good work." "Kaagaz" is streaming on ZEE5.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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