How Vijay Maurya got Apna Bhidu to Become Mast Mein Rehne Ka’s Kamath

You’ve seen Vijay Maurya playing memorable bit roles in films like Black Friday (2004) and Darlings. You’ve heard him bring a variety of characters to life through his work as a dialogue writer  in Tumhari Sulu (2017) and Gully Boy (2019). He was also the writer of Chillar Party (2011) and The Great Indian Murder (2022). Maurya, who began his professional life in the corporate world before finding his way to show business through theatre and copywriting, has now made his Hindi directorial debut with Mast Mein Rehne Ka. The film is a charming ode to Mumbai, as seen through the perspective of four Mumbaikars. Jackie Shroff plays Kamath, the elderly loner whose paths cross with Nanhe (Abhishek Chauhan), a hapless tailor who tries his hand at burglary to supplement his income. Neena Gupta is the abuse-spouting Mrs. Handa, who befriends Kamath and Monika Panwar plays Rani, a streetside beggar who develops a soft spot for Nanhe. Mast Mein Rehne Ka also has a cameo by Rakhi Sawant, who proves herself to be a fine actor. 

A charismatic storyteller and excellent mimic (particularly of the actors in his cast), Maurya regaled Film Companion with stories about making Mast Mein Rehne Ka. Here are edited excerpts from the conversation: 

What makes Mumbai special for you? How has this city influenced your artistry? 

This is my motherland. I'm born here in the city — I was born in the suburbs. My education happened here, my heartbreaks — iss city ne mujhe sab kuch diya hai (this city has given me everything). I am a postgraduate in chemistry and I never wanted to get into this industry. I used to work for a reputed bank and sell Mastercard, achha bachcha tha (I was a good boy). I used to travel to town (South Mumbai) with my leather bag and there was this aspiration. Will I be able to buy a big house in this city? I had a whole thing, going to town with my friends, drinking beer in Cafe Mondegar. Jo mai kar raha tha usme mai khush nahi tha, per kya karna hai ye bhi maloom nahi tha (I was not happy with my work, but I did not know what I wanted to do).

Then I went to Prithvi Theatre, and it was like ting! I met Sanjana Kapoor, Makarand Deshpande, Shashi Kapoor — who became my greatest inspiration and a big blessing in my life. Yeh sab seher hi de raha hai mujhe (this city has given me all of this). From there I got a new life, a rebirth. I started working in the performing arts – acting and theatre. From there I started writing, assisted Naushil Mehta and learned from him. Connected with Anurag Kashyap and Imtiaz Ali after which my writing journey started. I met an ad filmmaker Rajesh Krishnan who got me into advertising and I did copywriting for many years. 

Iss sheher ko toh bachpan se chabaya hua hai, ye aisa chewing gum hai jo khatam nahi hoga (I have consumed this city for many years, it is like a never-ending chewing gum). … It's my city. I don't see Mumbai as a backdrop. This city is like smoke or perfume that is always around you. I did not want to show a typical Mumbai, I wanted to show my city not as a backdrop, but instead as something you are surrounded by. This city breathes with you. And I am proud of my Mumbai city and I wanted to show that in the film.

How did you decide to tell the story of these people? 

My partner-in-crime and my partner-in-crying, my wife Payal Arora, comes up with a lot of beautiful characters. Main Payal ko bhoot kehta hu kyuki wo aisi kahaniyon ka sapna dekhti hai (I call her a ghost because she dreams about these stories). … She came up with this thought — there are these normal people, a watchman, an officer in BKC, a pilot, a teacher — har koi apni zindagi ka superhero hota hai (everyone is the superhero of their own lives). Har kirdaar ke baare mai kahani likhi jaa sakti hai (every character’s story can be told). … The idea was to join these stories, where they cross each other and they all have their secrets and stories.

Aise kirdaar humne jama karna shuru kiye (we started collecting these characters) like Kamath who is a retired man, or Handa who is living alone. … Kai Nanhe hai jo apne sapne lekar iss sheher mai aate hai (many young men like Nanhe who come to this city with their small dreams). They don’t want to drive a Hummer or a G-Wagon, they just want a small shop, to earn some money so that when they go back to their village they can live happy lives. Rani’s character is the one that we see everyday. Signal per hume qabile dikhte hai jo ladte rehte hai (we see these groups on the streets, they are usually fighting among themselves). They sell flowers, fairy lights, toys and I was always drawn to them. Mai bohot intrigue hota tha ki kaun hai ye log? Kaun hai ye ladkiyaan? (I was very intrigued by these people, these women. Who are these women?) 

What inspired you to cast Jackie Shroff as Kamath, how was it working with him and directing him? 

When you write a film, the written material on paper becomes a magnet. … For this film, humne Jackie sir ko nahi chuna, unhone humko chuna (we did not pick Jackie sir, he picked us). Bachpan se dekh rahe hai hum unko (I’ve been watching him since I was a boy) from Karma (1986), Ram Lakhan (1989), to King Uncle (1993), Parinda (1989). Forget that he is out there selling oxygen, or that he's a good human being, he's a family man, he is a macho man, or that he's one of the most stylish people around. It is that fact that the actor in him is phenomenal. He’s my childhood hero. I have danced in front of his car to “Sun Beliya Shukriya Meherbani” so the madness is there. I told him, “You’re fooling people by telling them that you’re not an actor” and I'm not joking or praising him just because he acted in my film. But he surrenders to you and he is so sincere and wonderful and so subtle. 

Like an obedient child, he used to work on his character without telling anyone. He used to call me, “Master, kya karna hai?” (Master, what do you want me to do?). I got this wonderful, wonderful opportunity. It's a proud moment for me that my childhood hero is asking me what to do with this scene. That sincerity took me to heaven. Boss, salute to this actor. I'm just like balle balle.

How do you make your characters feel like people and not just ideas? 

The kind of person I am, I look for hope in everything. Cinema is a medium where you can take a serious character, a serious situation and still tell a hopeful story. Like Life is Beautiful (1997), The Colour of Paradise (1999), or Anurag Kashyap’s films like Black Friday (2004) or Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan (2010), or Raju Hirani’s films these are all hopeful films and I take inspiration from all of these people. Hope dena zaroori hota hai kyuki phir aapko jeene ka aur mann karta hai (It’s important to give hope because it makes you want to live well).

The way to go about it is to take things slowly and reveal details of your characters slowly. Ek saath poora pitaara khol doge toh maza nahi aayega (if you open the box all the way then it won’t be as fun). We see Handa, who we think is a fun, jolly woman, but she has a dark past. We think Kamath is a healthy man, but he is fighting the demons in his head, Nanhe is a sweet fellow, but he has that animal instinct, he steals from others. So all these characters have shades. At the end we realise that all of these were good people who had just lost their way, but they’re back on track now — it’s hopeful.

The standout cameo was Rakhi Sawant as Bilkis. Please tell us about writing Bilkis and casting Rakhi Sawant.

Actually, the role is written for her. I don't see anyone in that character. Whoever I told that this role is for Rakhi they gave me this cold stare. “Are you nuts? Are you out of your mind? You'll make her act. She does all the item numbers and you want to make her act?” There’s a sachhai (honesty) in Rakhi. I said, let me just meet her once. When I met her for the first time, she was so humble. She was almost on the verge of crying. She said, “Before you start, I want to tell you mereko na kisi ne aise role ke liye approach nahi kiya hai jisme dialogue bolna ho (no one has ever approached me for a role where I have to say dialogues).”

She was so normal. She told me, “Mai bhi Saroj ji ko assist karti thi, bohot apni life mai zero se upar aayi hu (I also used to assist Saroj ji and I have worked very hard in my life).” I told her this is the role, this is exactly what Bilkis is.

Then I gave this idea to Amazon Prime Video and they were thrilled. They asked me, “Would you be able to handle her?” I said I think she can deliver. Rakhi was so happy that she's acting and she just steals the show because she is too good in the film and I hope she gets better roles and good roles in cinema. She was so emotional about finally doing a film where she’s acting, and took me to show me the basti she used to live in. You see that hunger in her as an actor, she would call me to ask, “Sir, aap mera role toh kaat nahi doge na? (Sir, you won’t edit my role out, will you?)” I assured her that her role was important to the plot.