Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan command a level of stardom that filmmakers dream of collaborating with. For many writers and directors, working with either of them is a once-in-a-lifetime ambition. However, Sudip Sharma, the acclaimed creator behind gripping shows such as Paatal Lok and Kohrra, has a different take on this. In a recent interview with Digital Commentary, the writer-director revealed that he has “no interest” in working with the two icons.
Sudip Sharma reveals why he doesn’t want to work with SRK and Big B
When asked whether he also dreams of working with superstars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, Sudip Sharma said, “No, I never had that desire. That’s why I never even tried to do that kind of work. I never came here to work with a specific star; I came here to tell my own story, to tell the kind of story I wanted to tell, to make films that I had watched and loved. That has never been a fascination for me. In fact, even if the opportunity came, I would be nervous because it’s a huge responsibility.”
He further explained, “You see, a star comes with a certain image, and then you have to build a vehicle around that image. I don’t know how to do that. I want to write a character, and whoever comes to play it should immerse themselves in it. I don’t want the responsibility of thinking about how the fans will react or how stardom will affect it. Often, more discussion happens around that than the film itself, and I have no interest in any of that.”
About Sudip Sharma
Sudip made his feature screenwriting debut with Anushka Sharma-starrer NH10, which was inspired by real-life honour killing cases. He then went on to write the screenplay and dialogues for Udta Punjab and Sonchiriya. Although the films received critical acclaim, they failed at the box office.
It was on OTT platforms that Sudip gained widespread recognition. He is the creator, showrunner and writer of popular series such as Paatal Lok and Kohrra. His recent work includes Kohrra Season 2, which he also co-directed. The show, which stars Barun Sobti and Mona Singh in the lead roles, along with Rannvijay Singha and Pooja Bhamrrah in key roles, received positive reviews from audiences as well as critics. It even entered the global Top 10 non-English shows ranking on Netflix with 1,600,000 views in its first week. The show is available to watch on Netflix.