Kaalidhar Laapata starring Abhishek Bachchan released today, and it has been receiving a lot of positive reviews from the viewers. Abhishek, especially, has been receiving several compliments for his portrayal of a 45-year-old dejected man suffering from Lewy body dementia, with many even calling it one of his best performances. The unusual, yet heartwarming story seems like a fresh take on friendships. We, at mid-day, got a chance to sit with the writer and director of the film, Madhumita, and we asked her about the casting of Abhishek in the Hindi adaptation of her original Tamil film, K.D. and here’s what the visionary had to share.
Madhumita reveals Abhishek was cast against type in Kaalidhar Laapata
Talking about how she came up with the story of K.D. and eventually Kaalidhar Laapata, she shared, “The original was written because I found out about this ritual called Thalekoothal, and that it still happens in some part of Tamil Nadu. I researched it and that`s how the script came along.”
She further shared how Abhishek Bachchan was brought on board, saying, “It was Nikhil Advani, the co-producers, who suggested Abhishek sir. And it was very interesting because it was casting against type. We had, of course, decided that the Hindi version was going to be that of a 45-year-old man. And the first conversation we had, we discussed Abhishek.”
Madhumita shares how Jr Bachchan reacted to the story, saying, “And so, we went and narrated to him. And I was really blown away by how intently he listened to the story. As soon as he heard the narration and my vision for the film, his next response was, ‘When are we shooting the film?’ But at the same time, I think it was something he had never done before.”
“When you think of AB, you think of, you know, very stylish, very posh, very sophisticated characters. Whereas this (Kaalidhar) was somebody who was very innocent, very naive, very rural, who was all focused on his family. There is a bit of innocence about him, where his world just revolves around his family. So, playing that kind of character, which was casting against type, was exciting for him as well,” she adds.
Abhishek Bachchan is a prankster on set
We also asked the filmmaker, who makes her Bollywood debut with Kaalidhar Laapata, about her experience shooting with the Housefull actor on sets, to which she revealed he played a lot of pranks on the sets, even when they were shooting intense scenes.
Madhumita notes, “He`s very different from Kalidhar on screen. Abhishek Bachchan off-screen and Kalidhar on-screen are two very different people.” Recalling an incident she shared, “He was always very particular about how the crew were on top of their stuff. If there was a particular costume he had to wear, he would always be questioning my ADs and telling them, ‘You`ve got me the wrong costume.’ So then they had to be sure. The whole crew would be waiting for him, and the ADs would kind of freak out. Otherwise, they were confident, but when Abhishek Sir asks them a question, they’ll suddenly start doubting themselves.”
She also discussed with us the growing trend of mass films, admitting she enjoys them too. However, she beautifully explains how, after a week of eating out and trying different cuisines, sometimes we just want to come back home to Dal Khichdi. Comparing her film to comfort food, she says, “Kaalidhar Laaptaa is that kind of Dal Khichdi which makes you feel at home.”