'There's a huge audience for a whodunit'

Handling the media has to be second nature for this 31 year old.

The casual manner in which he walks into the room for an interview tells you he is not jittery about talking to journalists about his forthcoming release. Dressed in a light green shirt and cream trousers that do not match, he continues to take incessant calls on his cell phone -- some of them seemingly not so urgent -- while fielding questions with a smile. Two questions later, he even suggests we continue the interview travelling if it was okay with me.

Debutant director Kushan Nandy is ready with 88 Antop Hill, a two-hour suspense film with a cast of Atul Kulkarni, Rahul Dev, Shweta Menon, Suchitra Pillai and newcomer Jasmine D'Souza.

Son of former journalist and current movie producer/MP Pritish Nandy, Kushan assisted filmmaker Satish Kaushik on Roop Ki Rani, Choron Ka Raja and Prem and ad filmmaker Deven Khote on numerous ad campaigns. He then started Sarvodaya Visuals in 2000 with Kiran Shroff to make thrillers and a television serial Do Lafzon Ki Kahaani.

Having taught himself the art of telling suspense stories in the shorter version, he makes his foray onto the big screen. And seems confident of making it here too.

Excerpts from an interview with Anjum N:

Could you tell us about 88 Antop Hill?

88 Antop Hill is a mystery film. It is a whodunnit about one crime and five suspects. It is not the usual love story with six songs or a horror film based on ghosts or spirits. It is a two-hour thriller, releasing June 27.

You have been associated with television for quite some years. Was this transition to movies pre-planned?

Yes. I would be lying if I said it happened by chance or that it was just an accident. It was obviously pre-planned. I always wanted to get into films; I always wanted to do things on a larger canvas.

A variety of films like Ken Ghosh's teenage romance Ishq Vishk, Ramgopal Varma's horror film Bhoot, Aziz Mirza's marital drama Chalte Chalte are being appreciated now. Do you think your shift to films has been well timed?

Yes, the timing has been just right. Today, the audience is accepting different types of films. The industry has begun to recover; things have started to look up; the economic scenario in filmmaking is improving. In that sense, my film is ready for release at the perfect time.

But I would like to add that 88 Antop Hill is a totally different genre of film as compared to Bhoot. My film does not have any ghosts nor is it a scary horror film. It is a suspense film that will leave you guessing till the end.

Your film releases on the same day as Sooraj Barjatya's Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon. Does that bother you?

Not really. Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon is a totally different genre. Just like there is always a huge audience for a love story, there is also an audience for a mystery film. And there hasn't been a really good suspense film in a very long time.

There will be a nice, healthy competition between both films, which in turn will be beneficial.

Nice, healthy competition meaning if people don't get tickets for Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, they will see 88 Antop Hill. Or did you mean it the other way round?

[Laughs] No, I didn't mean it that way. A lot of people will go out and watch 88 Antop Hill. Yes, if my film were also a love story, then releasing it alongside Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon would have affected my film. But as both belong to different genres, I am not bothered.

Also,

people have started going out to the theatres again. This has brought back cheer in the industry. The boom is returning and it will help smaller films like mine.

Your film does not have stars. Did it help or harm the film in any way?

I think it helps the film. As there were no stars, I had nothing to lose. I was working with a good number of performers, including Atul [Kulkarni], so my work was easier. Also, because there weren't any stars to deal with, I managed to make the film exactly the way I wanted. There were no tantrums; actors were not pushing me around; they weren't deciding how the film had to be made. My passion seemed to rub off on my actors, which would not be the case if a busy star working three shifts a day would come on to the sets and leave after a shot.

As a debutante film director, was it easy getting your actors to deliver what you needed from them?

From the time I offered the film to Atul, Rahul [Dev] and the others, they were totally thrilled with the storyline. All my actors shared my enthusiasm and passion and their support helped me make the film the way it has turned out.

Having made thrillers for television for quite some years, you must have got used to telling a story in 20, 30 or say 45 minutes. When you shifted to filmmaking, did this two-hour time frame hinder your storytelling technique in any way?

It could hinder your technique if you are trying to stretch a small germ of an idea into a longer timeframe. But if you are making a film on an idea that is not meant for 20 minutes, it does not become a problem.

Right from the time I and Kiran, the co-writer and producer of the film, started working on the script, we made it clear to ourselves that we would not let technique or the conceptual idea overpower the film; we were clear that content would be the mother of our film, and only that would move the story forward.

We did concentrate on giving the film a stylish and sleek look, but not at the expense of content.

Do you think people will accept the film?

I am anxious to know that. But I know people will appreciate the film. They are fed up of seeing the same things over and over again. Even within a particular genre, they want to see different twists and treatment. I am sure they will find all that in my film.

When you see your completed product now, do you think certain scenes could have been improved upon -- the way many debutante directors feel?

No. There is nothing that could have been better. I have no regrets with the film. It has come out exactly the way I wanted it to.

Are you thinking about your next film, or will that have to wait till you see the response to 88 Antop Hill?

No. I am already working on the script and casting. It's a romantic film [laughs]. No, don't drop your shoulders. It has a twist. A murder happens midway through the film and then it skips genres. It is too early to talk about it, but I will mix genres well in this film.

Talking of this genre, what are your favourite mystery films?

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Khamosh (Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Amol Palekar). It is the greatest murder mystery India has ever made. Then there was Vijay Anand's Jewel Thief (Ashok Kumar, Dev Anand, Vyjayanthimala and Tanuja) and Teesri Manzil (Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parekh, Premnath).

And your favourite thrillers?

Richard Donner's Omen (Gregory Peck, Lee Remick). It's near perfect. There is very little one can do to improve it. It is that scary.

Then there is Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes). And, of course, Khamosh. It is as good a thriller as a murder mystery.