Subhash K Jha talks with director Vishwas Paandya on the one where Anupam Kher- Manish Paul play a family of contract killers in his debut film Baa Baa Black Sheep, which released in 2018.
Debutant director Vishwas Paandya chose a very unusual comedic subject for his first film Baa Baa Black Sheep.
“It’s the story of a contract killer masquerading as a cashew nut seller, played by Anupam Kher, who must now reveal the family business to his son, played by Manish Paul, to carry the bloody legacy forward. The humorous pandemonium that ensues forms the crux of the plot,” says Vishwas, whose father, Jayendra Pandya, was a well-known producer in the 1970s associated with renowned filmmakers like Hrishikesh Mukherjee.
“The world I created in Baa Baa Black Sheep is far removed from the cinema my father was associated with. I grew up on everything from David Dhawan to Guy Ritchie,” confesses Vishwas. “The world has moved on tremendously in the current millennium. Today’s moviegoers look for stressbusters in their cinematic experience. That’s what we’ve tried to provide in our film. If nothing else, audiences should come away with a smile.”
Vishwas’ film got pitched against a big Yash Raj film Hichki on March 23, 2018. The big production house is known to negotiate optimum theatres for their releases.
The filmmaker was pleased with his cast, specially Anupam Kher. “He is like a father figure. I’ve known him for many years. I was, in fact, the Executive Producer of Anupam Sir’s Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. I got a chance to direct him. Another actor I am proud to have directed in my debut film is Annu Kapoor. Everyone, including Manish Paul and Manjari Phadnis, was wonderful. I couldn’t have hoped for a better start to my career as a director.”
Vishwas’s wife, the well-known television actress Prachi Shah, was not part of his film’s cast. “She was there to support me from behind the scenes.”
