Bandra director Arun Gopy on why he doesn’t doubt himself or the skills of Dileep and Udaykrishna

Any filmmaker would think twice about doing a massive project in Malayalam, featuring some of the biggest stars in the country including Tamannaah Bhatia and R Sarathkumar, especially after their previous directorial flopped at the box office. But not Arun Gopy, who is all set for the release of Dileep-starrer Bandra, which is made on a budget exceeding Rs 30 crore.

The film has a lot riding on, not just Arun, but also its lead actor Dileep and scriptwriter Udaykrishna, whose previous few films have all had to face the brunt of critics at the box office. In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, Arun talks about why he has faith in his collaborators, what to expect from Bandra and why he was unfazed by the negative comments that have come his way ever since he began work on Bandra.

Bandra reunites you with Dileep and Udaykrishna. It’s one of the biggest films in your career, but you have said that there has been a lot of negative comments about the project since its first announcement, particularly with Dileep being part of it. As a filmmaker, how do you react to it, especially because it’s not encouraging for any director – more so when they are doing a massive project like Bandra?

There’s nothing we can do about it. We are helpless. You can never control what people will be saying about a film when you come up with one because our thoughts are not theirs. But when we are conceiving and making a film with all sincerity, the negative comments do make us feel sad, obviously. That’s life and cinema; it’s a mix of all these aspects. I just think it’s all part of the game.

I have given my best for Bandra and I hope that translates to the audience too. I wholeheartedly believe Bandra is a movie that can entertain them. It’s a family action-entertainer.

The initial teaser and poster hinted that Bandra has a Bollywood connection as well as an underworld backdrop. What can you tell us about the film?

It has a Bollywood connection, but it tells that story of relationships and explores family dynamics. Bandra doesn’t deal with dons or gangsters. 

Even during the release of Ramaleela, when Dileep was arrested for the actress assault case, you had faced a similar situation. But the fact that the movie did well should have given you confidence. That said, Irupathiyonnaam Noottaandu’s dismal box office performance, coupled with the hype of Pranav Mohanlal being part of it, would have been disappointing. As a filmmaker, did you doubt yourself – especially while picking a film like Bandra, which has a budget of over Rs 30 crore, to be your next outing?

Never. In this world, I know myself the best and so, I don’t doubt myself. Plus, I don’t doubt the skills of people that I am collaborating with. I believe movies happen; you can plan as much as you want, but things have to fall in place and only then a movie will work out.

For Bandra, Udayettan (scriptwriter Udaykrishna) came to me with a great subject. When the idea of the film we are going to collaborate is good, I don’t have to check what his previous films were. I also thought Dileepettan was the best for this character; when he is apt for the role, I don’t have to think about anything else in his life. That’s how we have gone about choosing every member of the cast and crew of this film.

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Just because one or two films failed, you can never sideline anybody. Everybody will face career highs and lows, and that’s part of life. When you work on a movie together, you have to have complete faith in everyone who is part of it. I believe for most parts, this has worked out for me.

Bandra has several stars from other industries including Tamannaah Bhatia, Dino Morea and R Sarathkumar. How did you go about the casting process?

It came on the back of the strength of the film’s content. That’s actually what attracted everyone to this film – be it the producer who has invested in the movie or the cast members. That’s also the reason we are extremely confident about the movie.

This year, even though there have been a few big-budget movies, none of them really worked in Malayalam. In that sense, what can we expect from Bandra?

It’s definitely a film that would provide a theatrical experience to the audience. We have ensured that it has a certain sound design and visual quality. We haven’t compromised on any front for this movie – be it the editing or music. The sole reason for that is because we wanted to make sure that the audiences truly believe that it’s a film that can be fully enjoyed only in theatres.

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