Exclusive: It was a Times of India news report that inspired me to make Khuda Haafiz, says director Faruk Kabir

Ten years after making his Bollywood debut as a director with Allah Ke Banday (2010), filmmaker Faruk Kabir is all set to present his next movie,

Khuda Haafiz

, which releases on an OTT platform this Friday. The film, based on a real-life incident, has Vidyut Jammwal playing a common man on a mission to rescue his wife (Shivaleeka Oberoi), who has gone missing in another country. In a conversation with Bombay Times, the director talks about the long gap between his two directorial ventures, how a Times of India news report inspired him to make this film and working with Vidyut. Excerpts:

What was it about this particular news report that inspired you to make a film on it?
I remember reading this news on page one of the Times of India. I was immediately drawn to it because of the emotional aspect of the story. I cut the article and kept it with me. That story stayed with me for a long time, so I decided to pursue it further. It’s an inspiring tale of a common man, who sets off to a foreign land to rescue his wife. Neither does he understand the language, nor does he have a support system or money. I liked the basic premise of this article — how far can you go for love? I think it is a relatable topic and that drew me towards it.

This film is based on a real-life couple. Were they a part of the filmmaking process?
I have only met the man, on whom Vidyut’s character is loosely based. I haven’t met his wife. He wanted complete anonymity, so I can’t reveal who he is. It took me two months to build enough trust for him to agree to meet me. He comes from a very simple space, and this journey has been life-changing for him.

Vidyut is synonymous with the action genre, how did you zero in on him to play your common man?
It was during my meeting with the producers of the film that Vidyut’s name came up. I just wanted to cast someone who would surrender to the vision of Khuda Haafiz. After a couple of meetings with Vidyut, I was convinced that he was apt for the role. In fact, I could see similarities between Sameer and Vidyut. I feel it was brave of him to take up this character, because it meant he would have to go against the grain of everything he has worked so hard to build —this larger-than-life action hero image. Here, I was asking him to get beaten, battered and bruised. Vidyut has shown so much maturity, not once did he ask me to make any changes so that he could showcase his action prowess.

After Allah Ke Banday in 2010, why did it take you such a long time to direct your next film?
It’s not like I didn’t work for these ten years (laughs!). I was busy making ad films. I did one beautiful commercial with Madhuri Dixit Nene and another with Virat Kohli, among many other interesting ones. I also directed some amazing web shows. I want the movie-making process to be organic. I want to direct films, for the stories that I am writing. This is one space where you can truly express yourself as a storyteller. It’s not that I don’t wish to direct films that are written by others, but I need to feel connected to these scripts, and that hasn’t happened so far.