All About Sharib Hashmi’s Phullu & Whether It Is Similar To Akshay’s Padman

The poster of Phullu hints at something similar to Akshay Kumar’s Padman. What is the film about?

Phullu is a good for nothing kind of a village character. His mother gets him married thinking that he will become mature after marriage. After marriage, he comes to know about menstruation and how the women of his village use cloth etc. The film is about what he does after he understands their inconveniences. I can’t divulge anything more.

Doesn’t that sound similar to Akshay Kumar’s Padman?

Padman is based on the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham. There are other people also like him (who have worked for a similar cause). We’ve made a fictional story around that theme. Our film is not based on Arunachalam but the theme is the same.

Who are your co-stars in Phullu?

There are mostly people from the theatre. Nutan Surya, who played Irrfan Khan’s mother in Piku and also worked in Aligarh, is playing my mother in the film. Telugu actress Jyotii Sethi is playing my wife. Inaamulhaq has done a guest appearance in the film.

Where was the film shot?

We have shot in Mathura in a small and beautiful village called Koila Alipur. We finished shooting in a very short span of time, working day in and day out. No sets were made. The entire film has been shot in real locations, including houses of the local people.

How excited are you for Phullu?

I’ve been waiting for this film for a long time. It has been a while since my last film released and people still call me that guy from Filmistaan. I am definitely very proud of Filmistaan, which is my claim to fame but I want more films to come my way. I am really happy with the way the film has shaped up. I am proud to be a part of the project.

What else are you doing?

I have produced a film, Ram Singh Charlie, directed by Nitin Kakkar, who also directed Filmistaan. Nitin and I have co-written the script and we have produced it along with Umesh Powar under our banner The Good Fellas Company. I am also doing a supporting role in Vodka Diaries alongside Kay Kay Menon, Raima Sen and Mandira Bedi. It’s a very engaging thriller.