Nandita Das: ‘I didn't change a line to accommodate Kapil Sharma’s public persona’

While the story of the film (Zwigato) is set in India, I hope the universality of the theme will resonate with the discerning and varied audience that the festival attracts from all over the world. The response a film gets at an A-listed festival like TIFF also impacts the buzz it creates within the country. As a filmmaker, you want to tell your story your way and reach out to as many people as you can. I am really excited that the Zwigato journey is starting at TIFF.

There is always some inspiration or thought behind the films you have chosen to direct. What was the compelling reason behind 'Zwigato'? And why the title?

Directing for me has not been part of any design, but more a means to respond to what goes on around me. The lockdown brought the food delivery riders into our lives, but they still remained invisible to us. It all began as a short film about a day in the life of a delivery person. Then Sameer (Nair), who was to produce it, pushed me to make it into a feature.

Initially, I felt the subject would not immerse me enough, but as I began to delve deeper into it, I was drawn to the human aspects of this mash-up of high technology and the life of the workers, who are the cog-in-the-wheel.

With the rise of the gig economy, the struggle between man and machine that Chaplin depicted in Modern Times has now shifted to one between man and algorithms.

I had called the food delivery app Zwigato, and Sameer (Nair) really liked the feel of it and thought it would make for an attractive title! My script was untitled, and I never really got a chance to think about the title, so I went with the flow!

Also read: Toronto Film Festival: Food-delivery app drivers and Mumbai's courtyard cricketers race to tell their stories on the international festival circuit

What are some of the themes that 'Zwigato' addresses? And what is the tone of the film?

The film follows a food delivery rider and his family over four days. This story of new urban India has many subtle layers. Zwigato is about the anxiety around unemployment, struggles of the gig economy, and the relentlessness of life. But it is also about our normalised biases of class, caste, and gender… which have all subliminally found their way into the film, making the invisible visible. The film addresses many small things that are hidden in plain sight.

I wanted to keep the tone of the film very candid and organic, close to how life is. The camera is a fly on the wall and handheld throughout, adding to the spontaneity of the scenes. Apart from a handful of actors, all have been taken from Odisha and speak the language they normally speak, dress the way they normally dress, and behave the way they normally behave. Some had acted before, and some faced the camera for the first time. I have tried to create a world that is all so familiar and yet, is hidden in plain sight.

The audience has not seen Kapil Sharma in this avatar before. How did you think he would pull off this role? Was it you who thought of him or someone else and if the latter, then were you apprehensive about him?

The pandemic impacted casting due to actor availability and shooting dates. While I was dealing with the problem, Kapil (Sharma) popped up in an award function video on the net. I hadn't seen his show, but from the snippets I did see, his honesty, simplicity, and candour seemed perfect for the character in the film. And so I reached out to him, and he promptly responded. We come from very different worlds, but somehow his warmth and the genuine desire with which he approached the character were just right. I didn't change a line to accommodate his public persona. Instead, he stepped into the shoes of the character, as it should be. Despite the fact that he is no longer a common man, I believe he fully represents him!

The first film you directed was in 2008 when there was no OTT. Now, with digital platforms and all kinds of content being made for them, are you interested in making something for them? Do you find this a good time for a director like you to tell the stories you want to tell?

OTT has given many more opportunities to various filmmakers, actors and technicians. As a storyteller, I am platform-agnostic, and I believe that OTT has many advantages. Its reach is beyond language, region and space. In my acting work, I have done many regional films that have not been seen at all. In fact, the next film that I have signed is with an OTT platform. But I don't think that is the criteria, as long as one can tell the stories one wants to and it reaches a wider audience. Finally that is what really matters.

You are an actor as well. With the kind of interesting content on digital platforms, are you tempted to consider acting projects? Would you be interested in a series/movie for digital?

I don't watch much, so it's not about the temptation but being part of different stories and playing different characters. For the last few years, I have been busy directing films which has been all-consuming. But I did manage to squeeze in a guest appearance in Shaad Ali's Call My Agent and in Udugula Venu's Virata Parvam. I am certainly not opposed to acting but probably have become even more choosy. Acting is only one of the many things I do and want to do.