Sarvesh Mewara: When Kangana Ranaut Performed, I Felt Blessed And Consider Myself Lucky That I Got Her As My ‘Tejas’

Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Tejas’ may not have done well at the box-office, but the film is creating a huge buzz now that it’s about to be released on OTT. Kangana Ranaut’s performance was said to be the sole saving grace of the movie. However, the film, which was directed by Sarvesh Mewara, started a discussion among film lovers on how films showcasing Air Force personnel should be shown on screen. The various nuances that the filmmaker tried to get in the film made people realise the complexities of the life of an Air Force personnel.

Talking to Prateek Sur, ahead of the release of ‘Tejas’ on Zee5, Sarvesh Mewara opens up on how he managed to convince Kangana Ranaut for the film, what he wanted her approach towards the character to be like, how he managed to shoot amidst the Covid restrictions, how he got Kangana Ranaut into the skin of the character, how music played an important part in the film’s success and lots more.

Excerpts from the candid chat:

How did you collaborate with the actors, especially Kangana Ranaut, to ensure their performances aligned with the vision you had for the characters and the overall narrative?

Kangana, ma'am, is a multiple-time National Award winner and instinctive actor. She is amazing and so strong that, genuinely, it was so easy for me because once she heard my narration, she understood exactly what I wanted from her character. While talking about other actors, my approach is very simple. Once I give the script to the actors, I ask them what they think about the scene and what the approach should be. I give a lot of freedom to my actors, and they can come back and interpret it in maybe 10 different ways. Then we discuss and brainstorm. The approach was always that, as a director. I wanted to be approachable and completely open to ideas shared by other actors. So, whether it's Varun Mitra, Anshul Chauhan, or many actors like Kashyap, they are thinking actors. That's what I loved.

Did you face issues with casting so many actors?

While casting, it was always, ‘Let's get thinking actors on board’, because eventually, you know, whatever is on paper, if a thinking actor comes on board and starts working on the backstory of the characters, as all these actors did so well, by the time we were on set, we were all on the same page. Regarding Kangana, ma'am, she is brilliant. When she used to perform, I used to feel blessed and consider myself lucky that I got her as my ‘Tejas’.

Was Kangana Ranaut able to get into the skin of the character right away?

One thing about her is her body language. In real life, she's also a very patriotic person, and she feels a lot for our soldiers and our defence forces. So, that comes naturally to her. What I liked about her the most is that she's a silent performer. She doesn't involve a lot of people in what she's doing.

What's her method at home? How had she planned it?

She'll come silently on set, perform, and leave. Many times, there's too much talk and less acting, but with her, the scene is less talk and more action. That was amazing. If you ask me how she prepared for that role, I still don't know the answer completely. I know the physical part, but let's say for a particular scene, like there is an entire monologue at the end about her as a soldier, what she wants, and how she performed was so touching and simply amazing.

Kangana Ranaut is known to be one of those actresses who’re always fully prepared for any scene…

I used to always see her on set, sitting in one corner, not bothered about anybody, not bothered about who's doing what, just silently rehearsing those lines with her script. Coming in, giving it all in one or two takes. That's it.

Also, you guys were shooting in between Covid and you may have not had the luxury of doing multiple takes on such live locations. What was that like?

So, with her (Kangana Ranaut) and with all my actors, I realized that on the edit table, all the first or second takes were so amazing. I got very lucky with my actors. Also, because of Covid, we had a lot of time. There were many challenges during that time because you couldn't meet actors personally and we had to do Zoom calls. Those were the challenges, and many times I met the actors for the first time on set and that too at a distance of 10 or 20 feet, with masks. You don't know how the person is performing. That was the most challenging part. But hats off to the actors for working in an environment where, people were concerned about their parents and loved ones, and performing under such pressure. Acting is tough, and to do it under such pressure is something that I'll always give credit to my actors for, even my technicians.

Can you recall a moment during filming where the music played a pivotal role in enhancing the emotional impact of a scene or sequence?

We had a shorter scene at the edit table, with which I wasn’t happy. I used to express to Sashwat, my music composer, that it wasn't up to par, and Sashwat would consistently reassure me, saying, “Don’t worry, you'll enjoy it once we add the music.” Eventually, our film featured a song called ‘Deh Shiva’. When Sashwat incorporated this song into the scene, it significantly enhanced it. Suddenly, I found immense satisfaction with the scene. It’s that moment when a scene motivates an IAF officer in the film, and then the music kicks in, instantly energizing you. That's the remarkable power of music and the energy infused by Sashwat. Finally, when the music was added in the final edit everything fell into place. I hope that when people watch it on Zee5, they can tell me whether that scene resonates with them. Personally, I believe it worked because of the music.