'I was emotional when the decision took place on August 5, 2019.'
'I made the film with clear intentions of projecting the truth.'
National Award-winning director Aditya Suhas Jambhale is basking on the success of his Hindi feature film debut, Article 370 which has attained superhit status.
"I am big fan of Western political thrillers and have always felt that there weren't any references for such kind of a film in India. So it was a challenge in the first place. The only mantra I followed was to go with what my heart says, and don't get into calculations," Jambhale tells Subhash K Jha.
Aditya feels the original material and research already had inherent drama.
"I had to recognise and identify it and thereafter, cinematically present it. In this, every department deserves the credit. The treatment was the core for this film. If the treatment is interesting, the drama is bound to connect with the audience."
"I would like to mention the editor of this film, Shiv Panicker, who deserves a great deal of credit. Not to forget the music by Shashwat Sachdev. The entire team believed in the drama, no one ever doubted it."
Aditya is thrilled by the audiences' response.
"It's amazing!" he exclaims.
"The audience reactions in the theatres, the emotions, slogans, claps and whistles make me emotional as a Hindustani. I am grateful to the audience and the entire team which supported me."
"Making my debut in a theatrical release and then get this kind of response is unbelievable. Having said that, I would like to say that I dreamt about this. During the time I worked on this film, I believed this might happen and destiny was kind enough."
The director, whose short film Amritsar Junction, was well received, says he was not thinking of the box office while making his first feature film.
"When I was making the film, I was loyal to my vision. I did not think about what the audience would like nor did I make any calculations. As a film-maker, that is not the right approach. I told this story the way it excited me."
"Lots of people told me that the audience was not ready for a political action thriller, but I always believed that if told with conviction, the film will be received well."
The research for Article 370 was arduous and took five months.
"The biggest challenge was to get information from different resources because none of it was in the public domain," he says.
"We spoke to some investigative journalists and other sources. After compiling all the events, dates and significant pointers, we started connecting the dots and the picture became crystal clear. By the end of it, we felt we had become investigative journalists!"
Aditya is not perturbed by allegations of the film labelled pro-government propaganda.
"The day I started work on this film, I knew these allegations will follow. But I don't think about it anymore. I think the film and craft need to answer these allegations."
"I believe Indian audiences are smart and aware of a film-maker's intentions. You can't fool the Indian audience. They will watch the film and form their opinion based on what they see and feel."
Aditya was convinced about the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
"I believe that Kashmir was, is and will always be a part of India. The mission to abrogate Article 370 is one of the most intelligent and successful missions ever carried out in Indian history. I was emotional when the decision took place on August 5, 2019. I made the film with clear intentions of projecting the truth."
