Your last project Secton 375 was a courtroom drama.

Section 375 was a realistic film. Blurr is heightened or magic realism. I really love to experiment between genres. Maybe one genre that I am incapable of making is a proper love story as I am too old for it. (Laughs)

Both Section 375 and Blurr came to you. How do you deal with a readymade project creatively?

Kumar Mangat (producer of Section 375) had a script but when he sent it to me, I spent a few months doing some more research and making the material my own. In our industry if you ask for things no one gives. (Laughs). So you got to sit and wait. When Blurr came, Taapsee was already attached to the project, we spoke to Zee Studio. My writer Pawan Soni and I started work on the script. It took about seven months. It was faster as the film (Julia’s Eyes) was already there. It was a complex plot and if we changed anything it would have had a domino effect. By that time, Covid was there and we decided to shoot the film outside Bombay. So we went to Uttarakhand which was least affected by Covid.

How was the experience of working with Taapsee?

Brilliant. She is the most laser-focused, sharp individual that I know. Her level of commitment, talent, energy, what she brings to the table are something else. This was a tough film for her, being really blindfolded. She did not know where the camera is, which is unnerving for an actor. And she had to worry about the set, not bumping into co-actors, how she is looking and how she would be shot and be in the moment and her character is going through a terrible time.... She was amazing.

What kind of feedback have you got?

I am not taking credit for path-breaking originality but Julia’s Eyes, the way it is, people are not used to seeing films structured like that. So there would be polarisation among critics. I got a message from Zee5 that the film has got six million-plus views, which is very good for the first weekend.