In Conversation: Nishikant Kamat
“Dombivli Fast” was one of the most acclaimed films to come out of India in 2006. It has been shown in festivals around the world, and won a lot of praise for its debutant director Nishikant Kamat.
Following is the text of an interview with the director:
How did you come up with the screenplay of “Dombivli Fast”?
I am a Bombay boy and familiar with the problems of the city — water, garbage on the roads, traffic indiscipline like parking in a no-parking zone, corruption and the like. The script grew from these irritations. In the movie, the protagonist also exhibits a lot of angst about the city’s problems … very basic problems.
I was very inspired by Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” which I saw around 20 years ago. When I started writing “Dombivli Fast,” I realised that my protagonist is very similar to that portrayed by Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver.” In due course, I realised that there was something in common between both movies — the storm in the mind of the protagonists.
Actually, before the movie was screened in the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, I announced to the audience that the movie was inspired by “Taxi Driver.” I asked them to see the movie, and then tell me what they thought about it. But after the screening, many people told me not to say that it was inspired by Scorsese’s movie; they said the two were totally different movies.
How tough was it for you to find a producer?
I had to look for a producer for a very long time. Every producer I went to wanted two songs, fights and comedy scenes in the movie, but I was not ready for that. So no producer was ready to work with me. Finally, after I struggled for more than one-and-a-half years, businessman Ramakant Gaikwad came forward to produce the film. He was fascinated with the story, and allowed me to make it the way I wanted to.
How did you select the cast?
I wanted some interesting faces for the movie, and auditioned some 400 actors. Of this, I used around 100 for the movie. I had liked the performance of Sandeep Kulkarni in “Shwaas” (he played the role of the doctor in the movie) and asked him to do the lead role.
What prompted you to remake the movie in Tamil?
That is quite an interesting story. I was actually talking to Abbas-Mustan about writing a script for them. But somehow we never got to meet due to one problem or the other. And this was around the time they were working on “China Town.”
They had gone to Australia for 70 days to shoot the film. And during this time, I finished shooting and editing my movie. When they came back, I invited them to be the chief guests at the premiere. They saw it and were hooked. They immediately bought the rights and gave me the option of either making it in Hindi or Tamil.
This is the first movie being produced by them. We approached Maddy to do the role in Tamil. He saw “Dombivli Fast” and loved it, and accepted to do the Tamil version.
But why did you choose Tamil over Hindi?
I feel this movie could be made only in a regional language. It wouldn’t work in Hindi, and especially if it is based in Mumbai, because of the cosmopolitan culture there. The character would not work if the movie is made in Hindi. The essence of the character is that he speaks in Marathi, the atmosphere he lives in is peculiar to Maharashtrians.
Also, I was not excited about the prospect of making it in Hindi because I could visualise all the dialogues, scenes and shots in my mind. But Chennai and the Tamil language were a totally different experience altogether. When I came to Chennai, it was new to me; I was very scared. I did not know the culture of the people and the city, so it was all very exciting for me to observe and learn. So I took the option of making it in Tamil.
So how did you prepare yourself for the Tamil version?
I stayed in Chennai for more than one-and-a-half months before I started working on the Tamil remake. I travelled on local trains and buses during the peak hours, ate at local joints and took long walks on the roads to get a feel of the local culture. I also saw a lot of Tamil movies while sitting in the stalls with the locals. I saw “Veyil” and “Vettaiyaadu Villaiyadu” in the theatres. I also saw “Iruvar,” “Anbe Sivam,” “Kaakha Kaakha,” “Thambi,” and Cheran’s “Autograph” and “Thavamai Thavamirindhu.” I am a big fan of Mani Ratnam, K. Balachander and A.R. Rahman.
Also, before we started shooting, I sat with Maddy for 12 days on the script. He wrote the dialogues for the movie. And once we started, we finished shooting the movie in 41 days.
So how different is “Evano Oruvan,” the Tamil version, from the original Marathi movie?
“Evano Oruvan” is a movie with Tamil nativity, culture. If you see the movie, you will feel that this is Chennai.
So what is “Evano Oruvan” about?
It is the story of a common man from Chennai — who stays in Nanganallur, takes a train to the Beach station from Palavanthangal to go to work in a bank, buys vegetables in the evening on the way back from work, and goes back home to his daughter and nagging wife. The film shows what happens when he begins to question the things taking place around him.
It speaks about what we have become today … our social sensibility and what is left of it.
So how was your experience shooting in Chennai?
It was a pleasure shooting in Chennai. The people are very sweet. There was this spotboy who did not know Hindi or English and would force me to eat a lot of food. Even if we were full, he would refuse to listen to me or my cinematographer Sanjay Jadhav and keep loading our plates with food. So after some time, we started getting scared whenever we saw him.
What were the audience reactions to “Dombivli Fast” when it was shown at various film festivals abroad?
People in Los Angeles, Dubai, Singapore … all of them could identify with the movie. See the problems which I have portrayed in “Dombivli Fast” … they are universal. They are not specific to any city. And also the common man is the same anywhere.
I sincerely believe in the power of cinema. I had a very powerful medium to convey my frustrations. The ordinary man doesn’t have a more powerful medium other than cinema to convey his thoughts and emotions.
What is your next project?
I am starting a film in Hindi in May or June. It is about the aftereffects of last year’s train blasts in Mumbai. The script is already ready.
So does that mean that you have given up on your acting career?
I played the lead in two movies — a Marathi film “Saatchya Aat Gharaat” and a French film “Let the wind blow.” But I am very choosy about the film and the role when it comes to acting. I don’t know; maybe I will start acting again. But as of now I am busy with direction.
Festivals where “Dombivli Fast” has been shown: Mumbai Academy of Moving Images Festival, Pune International Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Stuttgart — Bollywood and Bel\yond, London Film Festival, IAAC (New York), Florence Film Festival — River to River, Asiatic Film Medialle (Rome), Asian Festival of First Films in Singapore, International Indian Film Academy in Dubai.
Later in 2007, the movie will travel to festivals in Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and Spain.
Awards:
Maharashtra State Film Awards 2006: Best Director, Best Film, Best Actor, Best Dialogue, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography.
Zee Alpha Awards: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Editing
Maharashtra Times Sanman: Best Actor, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Film.
Sanskruti Kala Darpan: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography
Pune International Film Festival: Grand Jury Award for Best Film, Audience Poll Award for Best Film
Asian Festival of First Films: Best Director, Best Film
Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles: Grand Jury Award for Best Film
Nishikant trivia: He just loves comics, his favourites being all publications of Indrajaal Comics and also the Calvin and Hobbes strips. He is also a voracious reader, and just loves Sidney Sheldon’s books. The last book he read was “The Kite Runner.” More than two months after reading it, he is still under the book’s spell. He wanted to make a movie on the book, but then found out that the rights had been sold to someone else. At present, he is reading a lot of Roald Dahl’s books.
[oz note: Bumping this piece to exclusive]
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Wow Venky! Thanks for this!
Nishi bhau rocks!
Soooper interview.
I remember Vijay telling us that Nishikanth is making it in Hindi too.
Nishikanth is so freaking true when he says the whole setup of DF is sooo Maharashtrian’ish.
Thanks for this Venky
To my knowledge he is not making it in Hindi. Abbas-Mastan are directing it.
huh..maybe too many Kingfishers by me.
I saw this movies very recently. First of all let me clear here that I amnot a marathi speaking person BUT when I started watching this movie on my VCD player I couldnt took any break exept changing the vcd. It was really a wonderfull experience and after watching that i thought why this movie cant be made in Hindi. Such a simple backdrop but a powerfull plot. But am now convinced that this will do well with a regional flavor. Problem shown in the movie is undoubtedly universal. Its really a wonderful film. Keep it up Nishikant……
More power to you, Nishikant.
What this movie did to me was raise my blood pressure, made me angry like the protagonist, in fact i was going through all the feeling what Sandeep was going through in the film.loved the line in the climax when he says ” can i sit near the window” it still give me goose bumps writing it. thanx Nishikant for this wonderful film.
Oh wow
The last line in the climax was really a telling story. Its a dark movie and yet so refreshing.
-Punds
When will the DVD of this movie be out??
Yo Nishikant…really like dur film…hope ur tamil version gets equal appreciation & more moolah too…waitin for ur next movie…ur subject for the new film sounds very interesting…keep it up bro!!
guess i’ll just have to wait for evano oruvan… the dvd for DF just isn’t available anywhere yet.. probably bc it’s still making festival rounds this year..
i think the dvd is easily available…i saw it in stores in Thane in Jan,2007…
Nishikant kamat n sandip kulakarni^:)^
Gr8 inerview ya…. loads of motivation… infact when i saw the movie… i had the feeling to actually take no crap from people and give them right back across their face… A JOB WELL DONE NISHI…..
I just saw Dombivli Fast now…. fantastic movie .. hats off to Nishikant.
wonderful movie…i am mumbaikar and can literally feel the problems…
i was speechless after watching this over the weekend.. i think i still am.. thank you nishi bhai for making this.. and more importantly, for letting me have a copy
you rock! 
>- ^:)^
RESPECTED NISHI SIR,
I HAVE A REAL LIFE GANGSTER STORY,AND A COMEDY STORY WHICH I WANT TO PRESENT TO U AS I BELIEVE U COULD DO JUSTICE TO IT.SO IF POSSIBLE PLZ REPLY ME ON MY MAIL
THANKS N REGARDS
hey jst loved ur films…
actually during Saat chya aat gharaat i din evem know ur name…
n i happed to watch Dombivali fast and fell in love with it that very moment and decided i want to work with u. it was during Mumbai Meri jaan wen it dawned on me that ur d guy from saat chya aat…
i was totally blown off man!
well the point is i love ur work and would love 2 work with you.
but i am a final yr student of architecture and i dunno how much u wil appreciate that.
but if u contact me (Which i m Begging you)may be u’l realise it ws not such a bad Idea!
thaks.
keep up the Gud Work!
Cheers!