Hansal Mehta: “Baai Is My Most Romantic Film To Date”

Hansal Mehta is back with a  beautiful  film entitled Baai. It is  part of  Amazon Prime Video’s admirable anthology Modern Love  which  starts streaming on  13  May. Hansal’s  film—we can’t call it an episode—is  one of  the  finest  among the  six stories which constitute the  omnibus.

In it Hansal revisits the theme of homosexuality with far more vigour, delicacy and, yes,music than his brilliant but discreet Aligarh.There are  plenty of intimate moments  between Pratik Gandhi and Ranveer  Brar who play lovers.

Hansal  Mehta who is  currently shooting a new webseries entitled Scoop in Kashmir explains, “I  never treated Baai as part of an anthology or as a short film. I gave it the same  love and attention as  any of my  full length feature films.In fact, I was the last of the  six anthologists to  complete my film. All the other directors submitted their complete  films, and I was still shooting.”

Hansal is very proud of doing such a gentle same-sex film. “Pratik didn’t hesitate  for even a second before saying yes .This was  our  reunion after the success of Scam(Applause Entertainment’s game-changing series). Baai is  completely different  universe from Scam. Pratik slipped into his role of a Muslim  gay man effortlessly. Pratik and Rajkummar Rao  are actors I can always depend on.”

For  the role of Pratik’s co-star Hansal ventured into uncharted territory. “Ranveer Brar is  star chef and this is his first acting assignment. I just  felt he  was right since he was playing a chef and well I just  thought he had the acting chops in him. And I was right.”

By the way Hansal has a lifelong passion for food. “I started my career with  Khana Khazana. I love cooking. Baai  offered me a  chance to make  a film on my first love.”

There was  so space for tenderness in Hansal’s last homosexual-themed film  Aligarh. “This time in Baai I  wanted the love story  to be just that, a love story. I’ve treated the Pratik-Ranveer  relationship as  a full-fledged romance. The tender moments are organic to the  plot.And really, it is time we  stopped looking at screen intimacy as show stoppers.”

Hansal is  specially proud  of  the  songs and music in Baai. “I’ve never had the opportunity to  use songs and  music in this way. I wanted to create an  intensely romantic ambience. I think I’ve succeeded  in doing that. I am really proud of what I’ve achieved in Baai.”

About the impeccable casting  Hansal Mehta says, “Mukesh Chabra  got me  the  perfect actor for every role. Talat Aziz and Manasi Joshi are perfect as Pratik Gandhi’s parents.As for Tanujaji in the title role. She was the Dada  on the sets.We were all scared  of her.”