Necessary to document lockdown period for next generation: Madhur Bhandarkar

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar on Thursday said his latest film India Lockdown aims to make the younger generation aware of the tough times faced by people during the early days of the first COVID19induced lockdown in the country Inspired by true events the 2020set film will narrate four stories and how life comes to a halt after the lockdown is suddenly announced amid rising casesWe did a lot of research There were so many stories but we thought of bringing out four stories We dwelled into the life of a sex worker a migrant worker couple a pilot and an elderly manIt was necessary to bring all these aspects and document it for the next generation This is not an anthology all stories are connected Bhandarkar told reporters here at the trailer launch of India Lockdown in Mumbai Known for films like Chandni Bar Page 3 and Fashion the director said of the many heartwrenching stories the team chose to dig deep into the lives of people belonging to different socioeconomic backgroundsWe felt the urge to put a lot of things in But we had to filter it to make it precise We have shown the personal journey and struggles of these people There is nothing sensational in this film he addedActor Shweta Basu Prasad who plays a commercial sex worker in the film said her longcherished dream of working with Bhandarkar came true with India Lockdown She said the director had offered her Traffic Signal soon after Iqbal but she couldnt be part of it because of school examsAlso ReadMadhur Bhandarkar on underperformance of films at box office It is a phaseIndia Lockdown the actor said reminds people about the unpredictability of life It does not trigger or relive that time period It is a human story Its a reminder of a time when people globally suffered and survivedThe four stories are a representation of human emotion that we all share globally It is a reminder life is unpredictable Anything can happen but lets not lose human spiritFor her role Basu Prasad said she visited the redlight area of Kamathipura in south Mumbai For research we met commercial sex workers and heard their heartwrenching stories It helped me pick the nuances of the character I dedicate this performance to sex workers she saidAahana Kumra said it is an honour to don a uniform in India Lockdown The Lipstick Under My Burkha actor plays a pilot in the filmMy mother is a DSP deputy superintendent of police and she has served the police department for 40 years in Hazratganj Kotwali Lucknow My aunts have also been in uniformI have played women in uniform characters throughout my career but I have never played a commercial pilot so it was interesting she added She said India Lockdown highlights important topics such as mental healthIn the film my character stays alone and away from her family Loneliness mental health and depression are important conversations and it highlights that Kumra saidSai Tamhankar who plays onehalf of the migrant couple along with Prateik Babbar said India Lockdown made her feel even more grateful for all the things life has given herAlso ReadMadhur Bhandarkar I am a very humorous person in real lifeWe all went through a bad time and here we are all back on our feet So to keep us grounded and rooted there should always be something to remind us about the same For me India Lockdown is that reminder added the Pet Puraan starProduced by Jayantilal Gada of PEN Studios Bhandarkar Entertainment and Pranav Jains PJ Motions Pictures the film is set for a directtodigital release on ZEE5 on December 2 It also stars Prakash Belawadi