Sudipto Sarkar made his directorial debut with the Jimmy Shergill starrer Operation Mayfair. The thriller released in cinemas on March 24. The Free Press Journal caught up with the filmmaker for an exclusive interaction.
When asked why chose to showcase a story about the working techniques of an Indian police detective from London, Sudipto shares, “I was looking for an interesting story to begin my career. I had met Anthony, a retired London police detective who had narrated some case studies from which we created this story. As the main characters and police investigation was inspired from events in London so the film was set in London.”
On casting Jimmy for the lead role, he says, “I always wished to cast Jimmy Shergill for the role of Amar Singh. I wanted someone to play the character’s maturity, vulnerability and be at ease as a London police detective and I felt Jimmy Shergill would be the perfect fit. He was the only actor I had sent the script to and he came back the next day saying he read the script at one go and liked the story.”
He adds, “Jimmy has a good fan following across India and internationally and I am hopeful this will help in bringing success to the film.”
When asked how was his experience directing a film based on real events and how much of it is fictionalised, Sudipto explains, “It was challenging to decide how much to show and what to leave out. This film had lots of materials and research on the detailing of police works which added value to the narrative.”
He further states, “The details like how CCTV cameras in public buses were used to catch the killer are all real facts. The backstories of the lead characters are fictitious. And the relationships, conflicts among the lead characters are made up to enhance the drama.”
Theatrical releases are not doing well. When asked why he chose not to release his film on OTT, he avers, “I feel this film has an interesting storyline and can appeal to the viewers. The storyline is not country specific so everyone can enjoy it. Of course the OTT is a safer bet but cinema release is also important. OTT gives a filmmaker a wider international audience with its reach and subtitles facilities so I am happy the film will also release on an OTT platform very soon and will be seen across many countries.”
On a parting note, he talks about his next project. “I am finishing post production for another thriller that I have directed called Victor. It stars Amit Sadh, Shahab Ali, Aahana Kumra and Juggy D. It’s a heist film set in the UK and will release soon,” he concludes.