IITians love Chhichhore

Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari says he finds comfort in knowing that college students like his film as the one group of people that has definitely taken to director Nitesh after the release of his new feature film Chhichhore are former IIT students.

“I’m getting messages and calls saying former IITians are booking tickets to watch the film over the weekend. I find that very comforting. When one writes a film, one never knows which way it will go, but if it eventually gets its target audience then it’s a job well done,” Nitesh says.

The director, whose last film Dangal came out in 2016, is aware that he does not have Aamir Khan in Chhichhore to bring in the crowds. But nevertheless, he does not want to compromise on casting the right person. “From the biggest to the smallest roles, I have to get the actor that fits the character. And since I write my own films, I know exactly the face and personality that I’m looking for. Even for a walk-on part, I only cast the actor that I am sure of,” he explains, adding that he couldn’t see the film without the actors who are in it. “The cast is dictated by the script. Just as I couldn’t imagine Dangal without Aamir, I can’t see Chhichhore without the actors who are in it. And when you say they are all memorable, I feel I made the right choices. No matter what the box office outcome is, I am equally proud of both films,” he says.

Unlike Dangal, the world of Chhichhore is very familiar to Nitesh. “All the characters in Chhichhore are known to me. They are friends I’ve been close to. I am sure they will recognize themselves in the film when they see themselves. Preparing for Dangal was more difficult as I was unfamiliar with wrestling and the world of wrestlers. But shooting for Chhichhore was far more difficult because of the logistics,” the filmmaker shares.

There are more characters in Chhichhore than feasible for recall-value, and yet everyone leaves a lasting impact. “For me, the writing is the major part of the work,” Nitesh explains. “Once I have the characters and the plot on paper, all I need to do is to put my vision on film. I wrote every character in Chhichhore with equal care. There is no hero in this film, they’re all heroes.”

When asked if he would consider directing a film not written by him, Nitesh says that he is open to it, “but it would be an added challenge since it means interpreting someone else’s vision. But I am up to it,” he says in conclusion.