Was questioned when I decided to make women-centric movies, says Milan Luthria

Mumbai: Filmmaker Milan Luthria on Friday said that many in the film industry questioned his decision to make Vidya Balan-starrer “The Dirty Picture” at a time when it was more common to feature male actors in leading roles.

At the trailer launch press conference of his OTT debut series “Sultan of Delhi”, the director recalled going against the tide with the film, a story inspired by the life of South actor Silk Smitha.

Luthria's new show is based on Arnab Ray's book "Sultan of Delhi: Ascension" and revolves around Arjun Bhatia (Tahir Raj Bhasin), who works with Delhi’s biggest illegal arms dealer, Jagan Seth (Vinay Pathak).

"Many times in my career people have asked me, 'Why am I doing something?' My answer has always been, 'Why not?' So, when I moved from male-dominated scenarios in my films to female-centric movies, they asked me, 'Why?' and I said, 'Why not?' When I decided to do something on OTT, again they asked me, 'Why?' and I said, 'Why not?'.

"I get to meet new people, get to interact with new teams, it enriches me, and this is what keeps me going. It is also because the material that came my way, the book, itself was a springboard, writers and directors are always looking for strong scripts,” Luthria told reporters here.

The filmmaker said he has been trying to collaborate with Suparn S Verma and they are finally sharing the directorial responsibilities on the Disney+ Hotstar show.

Luthria, also known for his film "Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai", praised the cast and crew for helping him have a "fantastic learning experience" on the series. Verma, who has previously appeared on popular OTT shows like “The Family Man”, “Rana Naidu”, and “The Trial”, said he had great experience recreating the 1960s era in “Sultan of Delhi”.

"He (Milan) had created a world that was vibrant and fun, it was almost like watching a Western with that kind of scope on Indian screens. The cast was amazing. I was having a blast every single day because the 60s is the era of innocence, of people discovering themselves, and it is India coming together post the wounds of the Partition, earning its freedom, finding its voice, and in that you bring crime, friendship, love. It is a wonderful time period to get into.”

Known for his nuanced portrayal in films like “Mardaani” and “Chhichhore” Tahir Raj Bhasin echoed similar sentiments and said it was an interesting experience for him to live the world of the 1960s through his character of Arjun Bhatia.

"I was entering into Milan Luthria’s vision of the 60s, it is iconic. We have grown up seeing his work, one of the things he specialises in is style. That was interesting for me, like to try vintage cars, jackets, watches, etc, all these things make a character, so exploring that was very exciting,” he said.

“Milan and Suparn sir were precise in what they wanted in terms of Arjun Bhatia’s body language, and breaking away from Tahir and becoming Arjun. It took me two months to stop walking like Arjun. So, creating that interesting dynamic, multi-faceted character and entering the glamorous world of Milan and Suparn’s 60s was very exciting,” he added.

Anupriya Goenka, who has played supporting roles in "Tiger Zinda Hai", "War", and "Padmaavat", said, she was initially worried about playing a dark character in “Sultan of Delhi”.

“I love dark characters. I was worried, not because of the intimate scenes or something, but because it is a dark character and I had not played that before. I didn’t want to play it in the normal typical vampish way so that used to be a constant thought in my head. I think when you are worried or a little nervous or excited, that’s a character that you should go for,” she added.

Popular TV-film actor Mouni Roy said she was instantly attracted to the layered character like Nayanthara, who she describes as an independent and fierce woman.

"She is a bit of a Bengali tigress,” she said, adding, “When I met Milan sir for the first time and he spoke to me about this character, I was secretly hoping he would cast me. Thank you for that. I won’t be able to speak much but the way the character is, how she navigates in life, her journey, all of that attracted me.” “Sultan of Delhi” will start streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from October 13.