Palaash Muchhal on signing visually-impaired comic Bhavya Shah for his next Nazariya: It all happened within a week

Palaash Muchhal has backed and written stories on marginalised and ostracised people, be it showing the struggles of trans people in Ardh, or his upcoming film focusing on down syndrome. Keeping up with his aim to give voice to the people who probably might not get the platform, Palaash has signed visually-impaired stand-up comic Bhavya Shah for his next film titled Nazariya, in the lead role, after seeing his viral act from comedian Samay Raina’s show India’s Got Latent.

“Normally when we see these people, we think about sympathy, or words like bechara comes to our mind, but Bhavya is super cool and that actually drove me. I messaged him on Instagram and within two minutes, he messaged me back. At 6 AM I messaged him and at 8 AM I was with him. Till now, he is in a denial like is it actually happening,” he says, adding that he was shocked to see lack of visually-impaired leading artistes in Bollywood. “When I did my research about a visually-impaired leading actor in Bollywood, I hardly could find any. I was shocked.”

Talking further about giving platform to Shah, Palaash Muchhal insists, “I don’t know why such concepts have not been made before, but it’s good for me because I’m doing it now.” He adds that all of this has happened in a span of one week: “I just met him and that inspired me more to write. I just signed him on Sunday, and he is really excited for the film. We are going on floors on December 11, and we are going to be shooting in Mumbai, Lonavala and Sangli. It’s a full on romcom, very entertaining and not that bechara kind of a movie, and we are planning to release it in the early part of the year only, hopefully before IPL. We will release it on OTT as I feel it is the greatest platform for such content movies. Although, there will be a time when people will also come to watch such movies in the theatre.”

Palaash’s other movie on down syndrome is also very close to his heart, but point out that actor Aamir Khan’s next Sitaare Zameen Par also touches the same subject and he says, “When I was working on the movie, I got to know about Aamir sir’s movie and on what topic they are making it on. Maybe they are doing a remake or something else. But I made sure there is no clash of concept. There is a big difference in both the movies. My movie is very simple and Aamir sir to jab bhi aayenge, it is going to be magical. That’s a sports drama and my movie is in a totally realistic way.”