Focus on sportstars
For the 23-year-old filmmaker Zaid Ali Khan, there are two “strong” reasons to cherish his upcoming film Khwaabb. “It’s exactly the kind of debut I wanted to make, and importantly, it’s also my father’s dream project and his film debut too,” says Zaid.
Son of former shooter, Moraad Ali Khan, who represented India in many international tournaments, Zaid calls sports a special genre of films that has always excited him.
His film is based on the lives of two aspiring sportspersons — an athlete and a swimmer. “It highlights their hard work and the obstacles they face in order to achieve their goal. In the words of Nelson Mandela, ‘Sports have the power to change the world’. And I would be glad if I can bring about some change through my film,” says Zaid.
The focus is primarily the non-cricketing sportspersons in a cricket-crazy nation. “It’s best summed up in our tagline, ‘Can our athletes dare to dream’,” he asks. The film has been shot at seven locations including Delhi, Ludhiana, Jamshedpur, Jalandhar, Faridabad and Dubai.
“Khwaabb has made it to many prestigeous festivals, but my target is the youth of the nation. Pulling crowds to theatres needs star power, but my film doesn’t boast of any big names. I would want more television viewers, who like watching latest releases in the comfort of the homes and in their own sweet time appreciate my film,” he adds.
The film received 1,22,000 views within 10 days of its trailer release on Youtube and the instant response has overwhelmed the directors.
Talking about working with his father, Zaid says, “His skill, temperament and attitude make him an excellent producer for anyone to work with. But we definitely had our moments of disagreement.”
Former admaker, Zaid, who has also done several corporate films and studied filmmaking from Central Film School, London, says, “Filmmaking is my passion as it beautifully combines my love for photography, music, literature, poetry and art. I will soon start work on two projects as well as an ad film. With the recent developments in the industry, I would like to see independent films grow. It’s a form of art and it needs to be encouraged like every art form,” Zaid signs off.
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