For me, Bose is a rockstar: Hansal Mehta

Director Hansal Mehta regards Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as a rockstar and says his upcoming web series on the freedom fighter, starring frequent collaborator Rajkumar Rao, will not be a regular biopic.
The filmmaker, who is all set to direct the web series on the upcoming digital platform ALT Balaji, says the current generation needs to know who Netaji was.
"This is not a clssic biopic. The challenge is to show this generation the hero that he really was and that also in a language that they understand. For me, Bose is a rockstar and our attempt with this webseries is to do just," Hansal told reporters here.

When asked why the director keeps casting Rajkummar in his projects, Hansal joked, "I get commissioned to cast him. It is very exciting. We have done a whole number of real life stories together, whether it was 'Shahid', 'Aligarh' and the upcoming film 'Omerta', but this is going be different and great."
When asked about the National Awards snub for "Aligarh", the director quipped, "National Awards are done, let's not talk about them. Hopefully, Bose web series will be nominated for the next year."
Rajkummar says working with ALT Balaji after his debut film "Love Sex aur Dhoka" is like homecoming for him.

"Working with Ekta after 'LSD' is like coming back home for me after so many years. And this web series is my fifth partnership with Hansal. We both are really excited. We will soon start the shooting. It's very challenging to essay this character, I haven't done anything like this early in my life."

Talking about his foray into the online streaming platform, the "Trapped" actor said, "The medium does not matter. It is more about the story and the character. For us (Hansal and him), it is the same thing. We are doing this project because there is so much that we want to know about him.

"You would have never asked me about (Mahatma) Gandhi. We all know him and his love for his country. But there has always been this mysterious air that surrounds him. There's so much that we still don't know and that's what we plan to do."
The Bose web series is slated to air on ALT Balaji on the Independence Day.