- Sunday, September 08, 2024
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha stars Ajay Devgn and Tabu and it represents Pandey’s long-held aspiration to direct a romance
By: India Weekly
NEERAJ PANDEY, celebrated for directing thrillers like “A Wednesday” and “Special 26”, has turned his attention to a love story with his latest film, “Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha”. This film, which stars Ajay Devgn and Tabu, represents Pandey’s long-held aspiration to direct a romance.
Pandey has been in the industry for 16 years and shared with PTI, “The first script that I ever wanted to make was a love story but it never got made. Life takes a certain direction. Like, there were two-three of my scripts which we started chasing but eventually, we couldn’t make them. ‘A Wednesday’ was the script that was made first. So, taking that arc took a long time.” Despite this, Pandey’s career has predominantly featured thrillers and biopics, including “Dhoni: The Untold Story”.
The storyline of “Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha” focuses on Krishna and Vasudha, played by Devgn and Tabu, respectively. The plot involves their separation due to Krishna’s imprisonment and their eventual reunion after 20 years. Shantanu Maheshwari and Saiee Manjrekar portray the younger versions of these characters. Pandey stated, “You make a film and hope that it lands at a sweet spot, somewhere in the calendar year. There is no sense of timing. When I came across this story, I felt this is something that can be made into an exciting film.”
In romantic films, music is crucial, and Pandey began working on the soundtrack of “Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha” simultaneously with the script. He noted, “Songs are an integral part of the film; they move the narrative forward. So, the songs need to be composed before we go on floors. It’s not that you’ve made a film, then you think, ‘This is a hit song, buy that song and plug it in the film’. It doesn’t work that way.”
Pandey has once again collaborated with MM Kreem, an Oscar-winning composer, marking their fifth joint project. Pandey has been a fan of Kreem’s work, including films like “Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin” and “Criminal”, even before Kreem’s international success with “RRR”. “I was looking for a composer for ‘See You Bye’ and a friend of mine knew Kreem sahab, so he arranged the meeting between us,” Pandey recounted. Although that film was not made, their professional relationship continued.
Pandey also commended the lead actors for their commitment to the film, saying, “Once they’ve figured out this is what they want to do, they submit themselves to the material and that’s always a good sign because then you are not worried about the frills around you, you are just focusing on the job. So, that’s always a great sign.”
The film, produced by Narendra Hirawat, Kumar Mangat Pathak, Sangeeta Ahir, and Shital Bhatia under Friday Filmworks, is scheduled for release on August 2.
