Thaindian News

Director-Screenplay writer Mahesh Nair is just one film old with Accident on the Hill Road which didn’t do well at the box-office. However, the bad fate has not shaken his confidence. He is onset to make more films in the tinsel town.

In a tiny interview below, Mahesh Nair goes into the past and picks out the weaknesses of Accident on the Hill Road and also assures some good work from him in future.

How are you dealing with the harsh reaction from critics on your first film, Accident on the Hill Road?

A critic’s job is to criticize. Thankfully, they are not the ones financing films. My producer is happy because he has recovered his money. How many critically acclaimed films have done that? Also, people who actually saw the film didn’t hate it- many of them actually liked it.

But isn’t Accident on the Hill Road a flop?

I won’t agree when it comes to financial aspect. It was made for about Rs 2.5 crore including marketing. My producer has recovered that money from theatricals and satellite/television/DVD/DTH rights. No distributor has lost money. In fact the film has performed beyond our expectations in B- towns, especially in central India.

Where do you think you went wrong with the film?

Producer Nari Hira, I and my cast, had no pretension right since the beginning that we are making an official remake of Stuck. A lot of critics who saw the film were wondering why Farooq Shaikh was wasted while he meets an accident with a car and gets stuck in it? Many wondered how Abhimanyu’s character could be so slimy. But that was the basis of the English film! In hindsight, I guess, we should have mentioned that it was a remake of Stuck right in the opening credits. Also, a lot of people thought since the title of the film was Accident on the Hill Road so logically accident should have taken place on Bandra’s bustling road, not on some fictional hill road.

Nobody knew Celina could do this sort of role?

I think she has done a good job. It takes guts for a glamour actress to do such a role that too with a new director. I am thankful- she atleast showed faith in me. I am sure her performance will be noticed by good filmmakers like Ram Gopal Varma, Madhur Bhandarkar or Anurag Kashyap.

What about the projects in the pipeline?

There are two scripts I am in discussion with the producers. One is a love story and the other is a comedy drama. You should hear a formal announcement about one of them in February.

-Sampurn Media