Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty on being mesmerised with Alia Bhatt since Highway, and hoping to cast her in his next, based on the short, Plus Minus.
Alia Bhatt
Jyoti Kapur Das-s YouTube short Plus Minus, a slice-of-life take on Maha Vir Chakra awardee Captain Harbhajan Singh, has piqued the interest of Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty. Along with Avi Raj, Pookutty, who will produce a feature film inspired by the Bhuvan Bam and Divya Dutta starrer, has his heart set on Alia Bhatt as a prospective lead for his version.
"When I worked with [Bhatt] on Highway, I told her she was going to be a phenomenal actor after her first shot itself. I wanted her to work with me in another film, but she didn-t have time then. Now, this is something I hope she likes. She is on our wish-list," says Pookutty, adding that casting for the protagonist will commence after the female lead is arrived at.
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Resul Pookutty
Offering a glimpse of the life of the soldier away from the battlefield, Plus Minus grabbed Pookutty-s attention owing to its depiction of how an army personnel-s work impacts his relationships. "This film was brought to my attention by a classmate. We hear stories of our jawans- heroism, but never know how their personal life is affected, and what happens to those around them. [My version] will be a love story told from a woman-s point of view."
With their take, co-producer Raj says they wish to instil the passion and determination that Singh harboured, in today-s youth. "The story of his legendary work lives on. His grit is missing in today-s youth. In order to present that, [we will include] a lot of fictional work. Not too much is known about his love life since he died at the age of 22," he says.
Bhuvan Bam and Divya Dutta in Plus Minus
The reincarnation drama that will oscillate between two timelines — 1968, when Singh was martyred, and 2021, when the makers plan to release it — will borrow from facts and real-life stories.
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