Bollywood’s renowned director Sooraj Barjatya received the National Film Award in the best direction category for Uunchai on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. However, the director surprised everyone that he was a bit hesitant to direct the film in the first place. The filmmaker was felicitated at the ceremony recently, which was held in Delhi. But the real surprise for everyone was him stating that he did not want to direct Uunchai.
Sooraj Barjatya revealed that he was unsure about making Uunchai, and he recently shared that the film was way out of his comfort zone, and he added that he decided to helm the film only after the Big B, Amitabh Bachchan, agreed to be a part of it. Uunchai stars Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Danny Denzogpa, and Parineeti Chopra in the lead roles; it had its theatrical release in 2022. Though not a big blockbuster, Uunchai was praised for its natural performances and captivating emotional moments along with soulful music. The film’s critical acclaim got more strength as its director, Sooraj Barjatya, got the prestgious National Award for the film.
In his recent interaction with Doordarsha, Sooraj Brjatya said that the story of Uunchai had been with him since 2016, and he was not going to make it because it was out of his comfort zone. In his entire career, he never made a film outside his studio, but he took it as a challenge to make Uunchai in Covid Pandemic and approached Amitabh Bachchan. The Big B took an onth to say okay to the project, and it started as he said yes finally.
