After being an assistant director on several films, Raj Mehta made his directorial debut with the film Good Newwz. The Akshay Kumar-Kareena Kapoor Khan starrer released in the end of December 2019 and had a good run at the box office over the New Years.
Ahead of the comedy-drama film's television premiere, Mehta spoke to us about his long association with Dharma Productions, and how producer Karan Johar has launched several directors under his banner.
Having assisted on Dharma films like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Kapoor & Sons, was debuting with them a natural progression?
Karan Johar has launched so many new directors, I was the 16th director who he launched. He is someone who trusts people and goes by his instincts. So I knew that if I have a good story and approach Karan with it, there might be a chance for me to get the opportunity to direct and that's what happened eventually. I also had a lot of support from Shashank Khaitan and Shakun Batra, directors of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Kapoor & Sons, respectively.
What has your journey been like, up until Good Newwz?
I went to film school in the US. I came to Mumbai about nine years ago and started assisting in films. The idea was to work with good producers and directors to hone my craft. There's no learning like learning on the job. Eventually I got an opportunity to work as the first AD on Shashank Khaitan’s Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. Then I did a couple of other films with Dharma Productions as an assistant and I kept writing in the meantime.
I had pitched a script to Karan, which could not be made due to various reasons. The idea of Good Newwz was sent to me by Somen Mishra, the content head of Dharma Productions. I thought the idea was unique.
Were you worried about staying sensitive to the issue of infertility while making a comedy film on IVF?
We haven't dealt with the subject in commercial Hindi cinema before. IVF is something a lot of couples are considering as an option now, which wasn’t the case a few years ago. We wanted to not be insensitive towards it, but keep it entertaining and emotional and make it accessible to as many families across the country as possible. We tried to make it a family entertainment. I am happy that we have been able to strike that balance between entertainment and being sensitive.
Having debuted with a big banner, what was the post-release experience?
Especially as a first-timer I had never expected this reaction. I was always scared because there's always a nervousness about what kind of reaction will I get. But then to get this sort of a reaction, these sort of numbers, I guess I am just fortunate. But moving forward, you will have forget about your success and failure and start from scratch. Every film is a new journey.
The World Television Premiere of Good Newwz is on August 15 at 8pm only on Zee Cinema.
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