‘SAAD’ movies make us think

Indian boy Saad Khan spills the beans on the making of his debut Hollywood film Love and She that deals with post miscarriage stress

Looks like everything’s hunky dory in this charming Indian boy’s world. The good-humoured and articulate Saad Khan is all set to create ripples in Hollywood with Love and She, after his luck as the spontaneous and energetic host of the comedy show The Improv and Bengaluru’s first Hindi feature film Station.

After the film’s first look poster was released on social media, it went viral instantly. Inspired by the subject of isolation and intense grief that many modern couples like Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan were inundated with after multiple miscarriages trying to have a child, Saad decided to prove his mettle again by bringing the other side of his personality — the serious and artistic side. The film is a romantic drama about a couple dealing with isolation. So how did the project produced by a doctor from Atlanta, Georgia materialise we ask and the young, savvy director explains, “I was awarded Outstanding Alumnus by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA this year.

I was in touch with a few production companies in the USA and connected with an old school friend named Dr Jatin Patel from Bengaluru, who is a rheumatologist in Atlanta. Since the story deals with post miscarriage stress which is something many couples deal with it, he found it intriguing. We have completed the shoot of our first feature length Hollywood film with Wolfpack Pictures and Dr. Ekta Patel is now in post production.”Confessing how the experience has helped him improve as a filmmaker, Saad reveals the challenges he faced, “It was a revelation as we had a very productive environment at the shoot. The film is a romantic drama dependent on serious performances from actors, which was challenging as the crew comprises of young filmmaking college students from Louisiana.

The technical team was all working professionals, so having students as a part of this project helped us push the envelope with respect to providing real-time work opportunities. I consciously don’t use American accent to converse, even though I was in the US for my post graduate film education for three years. There were times where our location partners would have doubts as Love and She is an independent Hollywood film, with an Indian director as the captain of the ship, but once they knew more about the impact and the social motivation, they were supportive. As I progressed with my script, I roped in two American writers Matthew Hofferek and Cidra Jackson, who helped add many layers to the story. Kelly Murtagh and Robert John Gilchrist play the leading characters in my film and have acted in many American television series.”

After reading Mark Zuckerberg’s words on how most people don’t discuss miscarriages, Saad realised how frequently this was happening in today’s day and age and hopes to send across a message for couples facing post miscarriage stress. “What is the message You’ll have to watch our film for that,” states Saad with a smile, adding, “We shot across Louisiana in Lafayette, Breaux Bridge, New Orleans and smaller towns and most Americans were extremely helpful, providing us with the locations. Southern hospitality is certainly not a myth.”