'I really enjoy the process of directing something I have written'

PANAJI: In his two-film-old career as a filmmaker, ''Laal Singh Chaddha'' director Advait Chandan says he has realised one thing: he loves helming stories penned by him.

Advait made his directorial debut with 2017's “Secret Superstar”, starring Aamir Khan in a special role. The film was a commercial and critical success but his second movie ''Laal Singh Chaddha'', led by Aamir, had a disappointing run at the box office.

The 35-year-old director said while he can’t control the destiny of a film, he has figured out that he feels much more confident while working on his own material.

He served as a writer-director on “Secret Superstar”, but the official Hindi remake of the Hollywood classic “Forrest Gump” -- “Laal Singh Chaddha” - was penned by actor Atul Kulkarni.

''I feel I really enjoy the process of directing something I have written. I enjoy that because while writing I have visualised the scene. I enjoy that process. On ‘Laal Singh’, what I missed was that process of writing,'' Advait told PTI in an interview here on the sidelines of the ongoing 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

''When you write the story you know the world inside out… You know the reasons behind every moment. I feel much more confident when I have written the film because I can figure out what the actor is thinking. When I’m going with somebody else’s script, there can be a different way of looking at it,'' he added.

As a movie buff growing up in the ‘90s, Advait said joining the film industry was an obvious career choice.

The Mumbai-born director decided to pursue his childhood dream soon after completing his schooling and forayed into advertising that led him to Aamir Khan Productions where his first gig was as an assistant director on “Taare Zameen Par” (2007).

A decade later he made “Secret Superstar” and followed it up with “Laal Singh Chaddha”, one of the most-anticipated films of the 2022. But the movie opened to harsh criticism and was panned by many for Aamir’s portrayal of a man with low IQ.

After spending over 16 years in mainstream cinema, Advait has figured out a way to navigate negativity - “Only worry about things that I can control”.

''People, who are spending so much money to watch our films, have all the right to criticise. But my only job is to tell a story with passion and give my 100 per cent. In the case of ‘Secret…’ I cared about the story and told it.

''In ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ it was not my story but I fell in love with it when I read it, so I did my best in telling it. The reactions - be it praise or brickbats - I can’t control them. It’s like I can’t control the weather. I only worry about things that I can control,” he said.

Writing is like therapy for him and the director said he has already started working on some ideas. He hopes to base the next directorial on his own script.

''If one thing I can say about my next project, it will be something that I have written. That’s what I hope.

''But if somebody offers me something like ‘Dangal’, obviously I won’t leave. But ideally I would like to direct something that I have written… I’m writing a few things and they are falling into place,” he said.