Sooraj Barjatya reflects on stepping out of his comfort zone to make “Uunchai”

• Sooraj Barjatya, a filmmaker, won the National Film Award for Best Direction for his 2022 film "Uunchai."
• Initially, he felt unprepared to direct the film but decided to work on it during the pandemic.
• Barjatya had the story in mind since 2016 and had the script written in three months during the pandemic.

Ace filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya won the National Film Award for Best Direction for his 2022 film “Uunchai” and was honored at the award ceremony on Tuesday. During the event, Barjatya revealed that “Uunchai” pushed him out of his comfort zone and that he initially felt unprepared to direct the film. He also recalled that he began working on the movie after Amitabh Bachchan agreed to take on a role.

In an interaction with Doordarshan, Sooraj Barjatya shared his experience of directing “Uunchai”, which stars Amitabh Bachchan. He revealed that he had the story in mind since 2016.

The director of “Uunchai” expressed that he initially didn't want to direct the 2022 film because the story was outside his comfort zone. The helmer of *Hum Aapke Hain Koun* noted that he had only shot a few songs in Ooty and had not filmed any projects outside his studio.

Barjatya continued by saying he decided to work on the Big B-starrer during the pandemic, viewing it as a challenge. The filmmaker further revealed that he wrote the script for *Uunchai* in three months during COVID.

"Maine Bachchan sir ko phone kiya. Mahina bhar lia unhone, jab unka 'haan' aaya uske baad se shuru hua (I dialled Amitabh Bachchan sir's phone number. He took a month to say 'yes' and then finally we started making the film)," Barjatya said.

In the same interaction, Sooraj Barjatya described working with senior actors in “Uunchai” as a "dream team" and called his shooting experience "beautiful." Recalling the filming days, Barjatya noted that they would wrap up by 11 a.m., and the star cast typically required only one shot for each scene. He expressed gratitude to the cast for their contributions to the filmmaking process.

“Uunchai” featured an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, and Danny Denzongpa, along with Parineeti Chopra, Neena Gupta, and Sarika in crucial roles.

The 70th National Film Awards ceremony takes place at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on October 8 (Tuesday) to honor artists for their exceptional work in Indian cinema. Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award during the event.

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