Aankh Michaali was shot in Charlie Chaplin’s house: Director Umesh Shukla said – Be it an actor or a director, everyone is hungry for a good script.

OMG fame director Umesh Shukla’s next film is ‘Aankh Michauli’. Earlier this film was going to be released last week i.e. on 27th October but now the makers are going to release it on 3rd November.

The film stars Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal, Abhimanyu Dassani and Vijay Raaz in lead roles. Umesh Shukla had a special conversation on this film and personal life. Here are the highlights…

Umesh Shukla has given films like OMG, 102 Not Out and All is Well as a director. Apart from this, he has also directed the web series Modi.

This film is releasing just a few weeks after ‘Dream Girl 2’. Paresh Rawal and Vijay Raj were in the main roles in that film also. How are the two different in your film?
That was the franchise. Our film is based on fresh characters. It is a clean film. The story is about a girl who has night blindness. He doesn’t see anything after 6 o’clock in the evening. It is about how the family lies to get her married.

This is a film of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s flavour. Before Covid, we had thought of releasing it on Diwali. Coincidentally it is releasing around Diwali.

How do you bring Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal on board again and again?
Guru Mantra is only one. Just like the Dirty Picture says entertainment entertainment entertainment, I say script script and script. This is something that every actor and every director is hungry for. And then these days the audience is also hungry for good content. If you have good content, everything happens automatically. The star also comes and the producer also comes.

Now Umesh is bringing a clean comedy film like Aankh Michauli to the theatres.

What is the difference between your comedy and Raj Shandilya’s?
I personally don’t like double meaning comedy. But it is up to the audience’s taste as to what they like or not? However, when I watch Raj’s films, I enjoy a lot. Even when I meet Raj in person, it is fun because he keeps saying some one-liner comedy thing or the other.

Action genre gets more screen count, what is the situation in comedy these days?
I think a lot of films have come in that genre. Especially post pandemic. So now people want good breather films. That’s why films like ‘Dream Girl 2’ and ‘Fukrey 3’ have been released this year.

People are also bored sitting at home. By watching OTT content. He also wants that now all the family members should go to the cinema together and watch clean films. I am not against OTT but I say that sitting at home is enough. Take some out and enjoy. There is a festive atmosphere of Diwali. If you go out somewhere and enjoy it, you will also enjoy it.

Umesh with Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal during the shooting of Oh My God.

Have you watched ‘Oh My God 2’ or are you yet to watch it?
A very good film has been made. I have friendships that have made it. I am very happy for him, Paresh ji and all my other friends.

What problems did you face during the shooting of Aankh Micholi?
Yes. Apart from Patiala, we have also shot in the cold of Switzerland. Many times we even shot in -7 to -8 degrees. There we also went to Charlie Chaplin’s house. Shot there too. That was a matter of good fortune for me. At one time Charlie Chaplin left his country and settled in Switzerland. Charlie Chaplin has been like a guru for us. I requested his family a lot to allow us to shoot there. I met her by chance.