Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra-starrer scored big at the recently announced International Emmy Awards nominations. The film got two nods–Diljit Dosanjh for Best Performance by an Actor and Amar Singh Chamkila for the TV Movie/Mini-Series category. Sajid Ali, who wrote the film with his brother, director Imtiaz Ali, is on cloud nine but still fathoming the news.
Sharing his excitement, Sajid Ali tells HT City, “I was coincidentally with my brother only at the time when we got the news. I wished him congratulations, and his first question was, ‘this sounds like a big deal, is it?’ Then he thought about it and said, ‘yes, it is a big deal’.”
He adds that the feeling is still sinking in. “I am still processing it as I have still not totally understood how big it is. But it is a big deal as the biggest gratification when you work on any story is for people to like it as much as you like making it. And when you get any kind of recognition for it, you feel very happy. With this being an international recognition, I feel proud that our country is being represented in the international diaspora with our film. That is the biggest feeling that I am having as it is something that all of us Indians can feel together,” he says.
Sajid is equally proud of his leading man Diljit Dosanjh and asserts that his casting made all the difference in the film’s quality. “The day that Diljit was cast, the fate of the film was sealed. The genius of casting him made the film what it is as he made it so authentic. Being a musician himself and from the land, he brought in authenticity to the portrayal as the music of the film was performed live. Those things really cut through and created magic,” he insists, adding, “It shows that simple market calculations that we try to base our films on, they necessarily don’t ensure anything. The only insurance is the quality and Diljit’s casting was a sign of quality. As writers and directors too, it pushes us to be braver, more authentic and more quality-driven. Having a person like him helped the film. He brought in the x-factor that the audience recognised.”
While he is keeping his fingers crossed for the win now, he is happy with whatever form the love is coming the film’s way. “This is big enough for us. Our philosophy is not to chase awards, that’s definitely not the reason why we make films. We make them because we enjoy telling stories. And if it does to others what it did to us, it’s the biggest win. Just to be recognised by a nomination is an award for us,” he ends.
