Milap Zaveri: If intellectuals dislike my movie, I don’t care

A still from Satyameva Jayate 2

Twitter was flooded with memes, one more hilarious than the other, when Satyameva Jayate 2 trailer was launched online. Milap Zaveri, who has helmed the John Abraham-starrer, is unperturbed. "Those on social media are a minuscule fraction of the audience. They don't reflect the sentiment of the masses," he says. The filmmaker may not be entirely wrong. Distributors, who've watched 40 minutes of the film, believe Zaveri's masala offering - complete with punchlines and gravity-defying action sequences - can bring the public back to cinemas.

Milap Zaveri

"I have realised trolls aren't my audience. If they were, neither Satyameva Jayate [2018] nor Marjaavaan [2019] would've worked," says Zaveri. The director is happy catering to the single-screen audience who enjoy dialoguebaazi, and hoot and clap at cinemas. "If intellectuals don't like my movie, I don't care. Between critical acclaim and box office, I choose the latter. Memes add buzz to my movie. It's better to be talked about, even if trolled, than to go unnoticed. The day SJ stops working, I have enough capability to reinvent."

That he has Abraham's backing means the world to him. "John has shown faith in me, and it's scary too because I have to live up to his expectations." The director is aware that the over-the-top cop actioner is at odds with his leading man's sensibilities. "His sensibility is reflected in Parmanu [2018] and Batla House [2019]. He often jokes that Milap is my cheat day. We have a deal - even when he is 90, he has to do SJ 30." While there's a long way to the 30th instalment, Zaveri adds that Abraham has given his nod to the third edition of the cop caper.

Also Read: 'Satyameva Jayate 2' trailer: John Abraham takes on corruption in this actioner