R.S. Prasanna, who is making his Bollywood debut with the film Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, which deals with erectile dysfunction, says the Hindi film industry is encouraging filmmakers to explore unusual subjects and thanks to the new age audience, such films are making a difference.
Considering the fact that the film is the remake of its Tamil version Kalyana Samayal Saadham, which was also directed by him, asked if it was a safe choice to make a debut with, Prasanna said: “Well, I think Bollywood has always encouraged experimental subjects. Therefore, films like ‘Vicky Donor’, Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Hindi Medium have been made and accepted in mainstream cinema of Bollywood.
“Even when I was making the film in Tamil, I knew that the subject of erectile dysfunction has a universal appeal. So when in a conservative environment of Tamil cinema, the multiplex audience received the film well, I realised that the story touched the right notes. So yes, that gave me a certain level of confidence.”
While the Hindi version of the film is set in Gurugram, the Tamil version was set in southern India. According to him, it was quite an interesting process to set the film in a different city, capturing the culture of that city, its society and the texture.
“Making the transition from south to north was not a challenge for me because as a maker, I knew what story I want to tell. I worked with a wonderful team where the producer (Aanand L Rai) and writer (Hitesh Kewalya) are from that part of the country and managed to make their mark. So the collaboration was fantastic,” said Prasanna.
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, featuring Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar, is releasing on Friday.