Rahul Dholakia’s Agni that will stream on Amazon Prime Video IN from December 6 onwards is more than just an ode to the firefighters. The title suggests more things than one. It’s a homage, it’s metaphorical, it also represents mayhem. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, the director, along with his actors Divyenndu, Sai Tamhankar, and Udit Arora spoke about the world they have created, their respective characters, and the OTT boom.
Edited excerpts from the interview
Rahul, be it Raees, be it Parzania, be it Lamhaa, or Agni, these are very burning issues but we see a lot of swag in the characters as well. I can see there is something very larger than life. So do you like to combine these contrasting emotions?
I think the characters are larger than life. It’s just that we don’t talk about them, especially the firefighters. And I think from all the characters, these are the most larger than life characters. Unsung heroes is the most cliched term for them. I think it’s the stories and the world which excite me. This world was never explored or told. The stories of them there are so many stories. We’ve just taken parts, some of them. So I think it’s a fascinating world and a fascinating story, so that’s what motivates us to do what we do.
Divyenndu, we spoke about swag, all the films and all the web series that you have done, be it Mirzapur, be it Madgaon Express, and now Agni; we can also see a lot of vulnerability and not just swag. So how do you combine these emotions as an actor?
Thank you for saying that. I think for any character, it’s very, very important to be vulnerable, vulnerability instantly gives you relatability. So no matter what kind of a situation you are in, you always have to remember that you are a human being. And if you have that in mind, I keep that in mind, like very much when I’m preparing for my character. At no point, your character can be cocky, funny, overconfident, but there has to be save the cat moment for you.
So it’s very important for people to relate with you. Only then they’ll believe in you. And especially when we talk about a film like Agni because the situations are so extraordinary, your characters automatically become larger than life, but we still have to maintain a very solid grounding.
Also, what is the importance of having good co-actors and not just a good script to be able to connect with the audience?
Not much. In my case, I know my job. So even if there is a brick wall in front of me, I’ll act (Laughs). It’s ironical that we talk about good actors, and actors are supposed to be good. You know, technicians are supposed to be good. Hence, you are a professional. It’s rather the other way around that when you have people who don’t know their job, it become really difficult. But with such a great bunch, you always have fun on the sets.
Sai, we are obviously talking about the unsung heroes, but what about their family, their wives? What is their struggle?
I think to have a a big heart and sane mind, you need a very good environment at home. So I think they play a very big part in that and they are the pillars, so to say. And I’m, very happy to represent them. I play Divyenndu’s sister and Pratik’s wife. The banter between them, it’s quite entertaining and sometimes it gets quite intense. So a nice, sorted, wise, domesticated, woman, who loves her husband, and I think it was very hard for me to digest this fact that my life is dedicated to my husband’s life, and my job my is to look after him and keep the family intact. I had to come to terms with this kind of thinking, but then when I met the families, my perspective changed and I thought this is the most thankless job. I’m very happy to be a dynamic part of this world.
Udit, how was your prep as an actor for the world that Rahul Dholakia has created?
I think it started the day we went to the Wadala fire station, and I saw everyone. And the only question in my mind that was coming was to ask them, like, why you do it. And, I just was thinking here that I’ll get an answer. I’ll get an answer. Trust me. I didn’t get an answer like that. But I think it’s just, in their nature, in the way they are they are, and it’s like they’re born to do, that.
Apart from that, I try to embrace both of the aspects, like, the daredevil thing that they do, putting their lives at risk and everything. But again, at the same time, the kind of joy that they bring when they’re around, having a good time.
Rahul, I want to ask you that whenever you shoot an action scene, for example, there is so much intensity happening in Agni; the buildings are on fire, people are dying. In this case, how does a retake happen? For example, if a building has been lit on fire and some performance or something goes wrong, do you actually have to start all over again?
Actually, yes. And that’s where the credit goes not just to me, but to the entire team because we have Mohanan, who is my DP, I think probably the most brilliant cinematographer this country has seen or maybe the world also in some form because he lights it in such a way that it’s easy to reshoot and retake. The whole set is made, and it takes within minutes, I can change from day to night, that kind of thing. You have your production designer who’s built the set accordingly so that, in case some area gets damaged, we can replace it quick. You have the entire AD team, which is the most thankless job but they they have to coordinate all departments and all action.
You have Ravi Varma, who’s my action director. He is brilliant, because we need to create this kind of a scene where the whole idea was to create the fire in such a way that you feel you’re in the fire. Ravi has got to do a major, major part in that. There’s fire. There’s heat. I mean, more than the fire, it’s the heat which kills people. And, and then these guys had to pull them out and then the Steadicam is taking the shot. So it was a great thing, but every department is involved in it. One thing I need to tell before I forget is we always talk about things which are happening behind the scenes and onset. There’s a whole world post the shooting, which is the editor, which is the sound designer, which is the background score.
The sound design for this film which is done by PM Satheesh. Then there is Deepa, who has edited the film and, John Stewart has done the music for this. This is going to enhance the whole world. So while we all take credit, I think everybody is responsible for this. And that’s why I like films like Agni because each and everyone is doing their part and that’s what the beauty of filmmaking is.
Divyenndu, do you see any similarities between the character you have played and you?
Not really. It’s very, very different archetype of a guy. I was playing a Maharashtrian for the first time, so the pronunciations and everything, to play like a mature man man, you know, that was a tricky part for me. So when I used to look at myself in the mirror, I used to see a very different as to how we see us. I used to see a very different reflection of myself.
Sai, how much do you feel cinema has changed post the OTT boom?
I mean, yes and no. I’d say yes and no, but, definitely, we can explore more genres for sure. There’s liberty. There’s lot of freedom for producers, directors. Also, there’s a lot of employment. So I see a lot of plus points also, and there’s a backlash also, so to say, that people don’t go as frequently to theatres as they would earlier.
Divyenndu: We need to now rectify one thing, which is OTT, the term. I don’t know what. Over the top. Why would you call it over the top? What who came up with this thing of OTT? We really need some other term like streaming platform, the streaming itself, or whatever. We really have to get rid of this OTT. I just don’t know why we use this. It’s like using Bollywood. You’re telling a story, there is a camera. You are acting. The process is the same in both regards.