Humour my style, comes naturally to me: ‘Vaalvi’ director Paresh Mokashi

Mumbai, Mar 19 (PTI) Be it his debut Marathi movie “Harishchandrachi Factory” or his latest “Vaalvi”, noted director Paresh Mokashi says humour is an important device in his films to overcome problems.

Also known for movies such as National Award-winning “Elizabeth Ekadashi” and “Chi Va Chi Sau Ka”, Mokashi said both as a storyteller and an individual he finds humour in the most intense situations.

Not only films, even some of his plays such as “Sangeet Debuchya Mulee” and “Mukkampost Bombilwadi” have playful moments.
“All my films are different from one another. They are not of one particular type or genre. (But) humour is my style, it comes naturally to me. I cannot take my life seriously.

I try to win over problems while using this ‘astra’ (weapon) called sense of humour, and it works many times,” the director told PTI in a virtual interview here.
“That burden many times depresses, suppresses you but if you have that sense of humour and that is what Mr Phalke also had it in him.

People like him don’t get easily burdened by the problem, they try to win over the situation lightly,” Mokashi added, referring to ‘Father of Indian Cinema’ Dadasaheb Phalke, the subject of his acclaimed 2009 film “Harishchandrachi Factory”.
“Vaalvi” revolves around Aniket (Swwapnil Joshi), who is fed up with his wife Avani’s (Anita Date-Kelkar) tantrums and wants a divorce. When Avani refuses to grant him the divorce, Aniket and his lover Devika (Shivani Surve) plot to kill his wife, but nothing goes as planned.

His attempt with the film, a dark comedy thriller currently streaming on ZEE5, was to add a different touch to the idea of a perfect murder, he said.
“In the film, this idea that a couple is planning a perfect murder but goes haywire, it has a poetic justice element. This is what makes the film different from the others,” he added.

To further make the plot entertaining, Mokashi said he added a dose of laughter to “Vaalvi”.
“The humour is not there just for the sake of it. The couple is facing a predicament, they are trying to find a solution to their problem. The situation is such that humour has been created automatically.

“I didn’t plan it, it came naturally with the theme. The intention was never to make a comedy film. I have given importance to this kind of humour (situational humour) instead of created humour,” he said.

The Pune-born filmmaker said he feels fortunate that noted Marathi actors like Swwapnil Joshi, Subodh Bhave, Anita Date-Kelkar, and Shivani Surve agreed to be part of “Vaalvi”.

“I was lucky to have these experienced faces for my film, so that I cared less about acting. I could focus on the cinematic aspect of making the film,” he added.
Mokashi said he is currently working on a script of a Hindi feature film, which would be his first in the language.

“I am trying to develop a Hindi script these days. If everything goes well, I may be able to complete the film this year,” he said.