After the critically acclaimed Saand Ki Aankh (2019) and Scam 2003: The Telgi Story (2023), director Tushar Hiranandani has struck gold with his third project, Srikanth. Based on the life of industrialist Srikanth Bolla, who is visually impaired, Hiranandani’s film is trending at No. 1 on Netflix in the Top 10 Movies in India category. We caught up with the filmmaker to discuss why he thought Rajkummar Rao was the perfect fit to play the title character and how he convinced Bolla to give him the rights to make the film.

How did you get your hands on Srikanth Bolla’s biopic?

Tushar Hiranandani: We have a company called Chalk & Cheese, which is run by my wife Nidhi Parmar Hiranandani. Usually, either of us finds a story, then we discuss it, and if we both are sure that this is what we want to make, we go ahead. I think she saw an article on Facebook about Srikanth Bolla. While I really wanted to make it my first film, I couldn’t get hold of Srikanth. I called him a couple of times but he was busy.

Then I did Saand Ki Aankh (2019). Then I got in touch with Ravi (Mantha); Sharad Kelkar plays him in the film. Ravi was kind enough. He called me to Hyderabad and tried to help me. But by then, Srikanth had already given his life rights to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Then Ravi convinced Rakeysh-ji and helped us get the rights from him. Rakeysh-ji was graceful enough to give the rights to us. And then we started making Srikanth.

What was your first interaction with Srikanth Bolla like after you got the rights?

Tushar Hiranandani: When I met him I was in shock because he is so cool and confident. He doesn’t walk with a stick. You cannot believe that he is visually impaired. The first time, my writer Sumit Purohit and I were waiting for Srikanth at the Sun-n-Sand Hotel where we had invited him to stay for a couple of days so we could talk and get his entire story. He walked into the room in the evening and walked straight to the window and said, ‘What a beautiful sunset. And the beach still looks so lovely’. He was standing in front of the window. After some time, Sumit, in fact, asked me, ‘Is he truly visually impaired?’ He could not believe it. He is so full of life and he’s so naughty. His name is Srikanth Bolla but he’s not ‘bhola’.

When I met him in Hyderabad, I sat with him for three days. He was trying to test me and know what kind of a person I am. He didn’t talk about the film at all. In fact, he wanted me to make a video for his company, Bollant. And I was thinking, ‘Yaar… yeh merese video shooting karwayega’.

Luckily, on the last day when we were leaving, he was meeting investors at Ravi’s restaurant. Saand Ki Aankh had just released and the investor said, ‘Are you the director of Saand Ki Aankh?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘In Hyderabad, we never see Hindi movies. But my daughter loved your movie so much that she took the entire family to watch it.’ He went on praising me.

Then I said, ‘Srikanth, chal, I’m leaving.’ Srikanth sent me a voice note while I was coming back to Bombay with Ravi. In the voice note, he said, ‘Being with me for three days, still being persistent, and after what I heard about Saand Ki Aankh, I know you will make a great movie, even better. I will try my best to give you all the rights back to you.’ That's how it happened, actually. I knew then and there that we were making Srikanth.

Was Rajkummar Rao your first choice to play Srikanth in the biopic?

Tushar Hiranandani: The only choice. He’s the only actor who could have pulled it off. For me, an actor’s personality has to match that of the real person’s. Raj was the closest.

Tell us about your first meeting with Rajkummar Rao to discuss the film Srikanth.

Tushar Hiranandani: I had messaged him the story. I sent him some videos of Srikanth Bolla. He already liked it. He was shooting for Badhaai Do (2022) in Dehradun. It was during the lockdown, so there were a lot of problems but I went to Dehradun and met him. He said, ‘Tushar, the script is nice but it’s just one-dimensional. Only feel-good things are happening. We need to make it real. It’s a biopic. We need to show some flaws of Srikanth.’

Raj was very right in that. When I called up Srikanth, he said, ‘Yes, I was flawed and I have made mistakes in life.’ And then he told us all the bad things he’s done. We have shown Srikanth’s good side as well as bad side. And he was ready for that, which is great. That’s the best part about Srikanth. He doesn’t care. It’s not that a disabled person is good only, they can also be bad. They also have egos. They too can go wrong. They are normal people. That’s what we have shown in this film.

How did you extract such a strong performance out of Rajkummar Rao?

Tushar Hiranandani: Ever since my childhood, my father used to run a talent contest for disabled people. It is still going on. I used to go every year to watch it and I used to see disabled kids my age performing on the stage so beautifully. It was always in my head that these people could really outdo us if they got an opportunity. It’s been there in my head that this is the character, and I was just looking for it. Fortunately, I found Srikanth in that article, and I thought that he was the best hero. I look at them as heroes. Then when I direct, I direct it in such a manner that I enjoy myself.

We had 65 days to shoot with Srikanth but we shot it in 41 days. We didn’t really notice when the film was over. On the last day, Raj said, ‘It’s over?” I said, ‘Yeah, it's over.’ He could not believe it. We had so much fun while shooting. We knew we were doing it right because of the way Raj was acting. Raj used to come on the set as Srikanth, and during lunch break also used to be in character. He used to wear these lenses and talk like Srikanth and eat like Srikanth. After the pack-up, he used to come to my room and we used to chill and he used to be Raj. Then we used to not talk about the film at all. We used to talk about everything else. We really enjoyed ourselves that way.

And casting Alaya F and Jyotika for their respective roles…

Tushar Hiranandani: I was very sure that I wanted to cast fresh in this film. I wanted to cast someone with whom Raj has never worked. Jyotika is a talented actress. I also knew that she was from Bombay and she had done Doli Saja Ke Rakhna. She’s a Punjabi girl, so I know she knows Hindi too. She has that South accent in her Hindi, and it comes naturally. She was the first and best choice for me. She instantly said yes. Even Sharad Kelkar and Alaya F said yes just by hearing the story. They wanted to be a part of this film.

You shot the film well in advance than the allotted days. How did you achieve it?

Tushar Hiranandani: Because the production was very good. My wife Nidhi and Ajit, the executive producer, planned it so well that we had no complaints. In fact, we used to do more work in a day than we had planned. We shot seven outdoors and I don’t think we had a problem even on a single day. Everyone was taken care of.

You mentioned seven outdoors. Where has this film been shot?

Tushar Hiranandani: We shot in America, Pune, Hyderabad, Aurangabad, Mumbai, villages outside Mumbai, and someplace abroad which I can’t tell you.

What was the motive behind using the song Papa Kehte Hain Bada Naam Karega from Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in Srikanth?

Tushar Hiranandani: When we were making the promo, Nidhi got the idea of putting the music of Papa Kehte Hain. Luckily, it is T-Series. We went to Bhushan Kumar (also the producer of Srikanth), and he really liked it. Then we asked him for the song, and he gracefully said, ‘Please take it’. So, it is all thanks to Nidhi and Bhushan-ji. As producers, they have given it to us like a gift.

Srikanth was the first film you wanted to make. You got the chance to make it after your debut feature and web show (Scam 2003: The Telgi Story). It must be a special feeling…

Tushar Hiranandani: Everything that I have made is special for me. Yes, I’m very satisfied. Now, hopefully, it does well. I just hope to fulfill the expectations that people have after seeing the trailer. I hope the audience comes to see this film and enjoy themselves. And tell other people to see it, too.

What are your upcoming projects? Have you decided on anything?

Tushar Hiranandani: Yeah, we have decided on a subject that we want to make it. It’s a biopic, again. Nidhi got the idea. Initially, I was not too sure but once I met that person I really felt that I should be making it. Sumukhi Suresh is writing it. The casting is getting done. So yes, we are on our way to make the next one.