Tejas OTT Release EXCLUSIVE! Sarvesh Mewara Reveals How Idea For Kangana Ranaut-starrer Originated: I Had...

Tejas OTT release: ZEE5 is all set for the digital premiere of Kangana Ranaut starrer Tejas, which released in the cinema halls in October 2023. The action thriller also starred Anshul Chauhan and Varun Mitra in pivotal roles. Ahead of the OTT premiere of Tejas on the leading streaming platform, the caption of the ship- Sarvesh Mewara interacted with Filmibeat and spoke about the inspiration behind the project.

EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW

What inspired you to take on the directorial role for a film? Focus on the Indian Air Force and the journey of a female fighter pilot.

I had initially been signed by RSVP for a different subject, film, and script. While discussing potential projects with Ronnie Sir and team, the idea of creating a film centered around a female fighter emerged. They posed questions about my interest in writing and directing it. Intrigued, I delved into research on the Indian Air Force, stumbling upon the Tejas plane, which sparked the beginning of this journey. The genesis of the idea actually came from my producer, Ronnie Screwvala, who envisioned a film featuring a female fighter pilot. As I immersed myself in research, conversations with IAF officers, and Air Force-related content, my passion for the project grew. Although the concept originated from someone else, I embraced it as my own, marking the starting point for Tejas.

Were there any real-life events or personal experiences that influenced your approach to crafting the storyline and characters in Tejas?

I feel that every writer, when he or she writes, draws from or extracts from his or her own life. I'm very close to my family, so there is a family element in the script. I'm an emotional person myself. So whatever I do, whether it is comedy or patriotic action, I try to incorporate emotional elements into my writing. Thus, this script is very emotional in that way. So, if you watch the film, you will get to know that all the emotions and everything are derived from my own life and my relationships with my parents or my wife.

All these subtle, subtle things are there, although I did not live my life as an IAF officer. However, growing up, I attended army schools and IAF schools and had many friends from the defense forces. So, perhaps, those little things were added to the screenplay because I was familiar with their lives, so I tried to include that in the script. And once the script was ready, I met an IAF officer and made a lot of changes. So, personally, yes, every writer tries to add their own personal touch, and that's what I've also done. Another real-life incident or personal experience that influenced my approach is 26/11, the Leopold attack because I was in Bombay then. Those 3-4 days for the entire country were so shocking. We were all just shocked that something of this scale, this kind of terrorist attack, could happen in India. For 3 days, we were glued to the TV, and we saw how NSG commandos and our defense forces, our cops, lost their lives but saved us. So, that is the major personal experience that I've tried to incorporate into this film-the entire 26/11 attack. Personally, I've tried to add that to my screenplay because it affected us when it happened that year.

It really shocked all of us, and it still shocks us whenever we think about it or any image of that, whenever I go to Marine Drive, Taj Colaba. For a fraction of a second, the attack always pops up. Yes, so that's the personal angle that I've tried to portray in the film because it affected me deeply.

Tejas will be available for viewing on ZEE5 from January 5, 2024.