“My film Lakeer Ka Fakeer is about a police informer” – Zubair Khan
Tell me something about your film Lakeer Ka Fakeer?
My film revolves around the gripping and heart wrenching theme of the life and times of a police informer. An informer has basically a very short life and there are more threats that he has to face than even the underworld goons in his day to day life. The film deals with the subject of the nexus between the underworld and the police forces and is based on a real life incident held in Mumbai in recent times.
Lakeer Ka Fakeer is your debut film as a director. Did you assist any filmmaker earlier?
Though Lakeer Ka Fakeer is my debut film as a filmmaker, I had assisted the late Mukul S Anand earlier in the making of ad films. Besides Mukulji, I had also assisted Kunal Kapoor, Abhinay Deo, Kunal Shivdasani and Adi Pocha in ad films for the last seventeen years. I have also worked with Red Chillies, UTV etc with big stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar among others.
What do you set out to show through your film?
I have set out to show the fact that it is unfortunate but true that the informers are misused by the cops though they risk their lives and help the police to nab the criminals
How qualified are you make a film on the dark belly of the underworld?
I have grown up in the seedy backdrop of Mumbai 3 and hence know each and every pore of the area and hence could shoot there, where no other filmmaker had dared to enter earlier.
Dou you rely on funding from the underworld to make your film?
If I had connection with the underworld, I would not have set out to make a film which costs me only one crore and a half with new faces but would have cast Salman Khan or Shah Rukh Khan in a film which could have cost me over 50 crores
What is your star cast?
Ajaz Khan who had played the role of Dushaasan in Ekta Kapoor’s serial Mahabharat plays the main protagonist in my film. Besides Ajaz, I have also cast Vicky Ahuja, Javed Hyder and Marischa. I needed an actor like Ajaz Khan jo sochta kam hai aur bolta zyada hai.
Why did you not go in for big stars for your film?
I feel that a film can only be made with the right subject and not with stars. For me my subject is the biggest star on earth.
Is yours a hard core realistic film or a masala film?
I may have been inspired by filmmakers like Ramgopal Verma and Sanjay Gupta but mine is not a masala film where I make a Sunny Leone do a sexy item number. Mine is a film which is based more on reality
Is your aim to make money at the box office or bag awards for your film at festivals?
Basically, I confess that the idea or what you can call the brainwave to make the film Lakeer Ka Fakeer stemmed from the need to make a film to get good reviews from critics.
Though your film is based on a real life incident, which filmmakers have inspired you?
I have been greatly inspirited by Ramgopal Varma and his films like Satya, Company and Department. I have also liked Sanjay Gupta’s Shootout At Wadala recently and Shootout At Lokhandwala earlier. I also liked Milind Lutharia’s Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai
Who is backing your film?
My film has been backed by Irfan Tinwala who is presenting the film. Irfanji is into construction of hotels and resorts but was very impressed with the subject of my film when I narrated it to him, since he also hails from my area. Irfanji is planning to launch not one or two but three more films shortly, including a film with me as the director.
