‘Jannat’ Actor Vishal Malhotra Turns Director With NFT-Funded ‘Ilm’ (Photo Credit–Instagram)
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Actor Vishal Malhotra, who is known for his work in films like ‘Ishq Vishk’, ‘Jannat’, ‘Kismat Konnection’ and ‘Salaam-e-Ishq’, has turned director with ‘Ilm’, which is also the first NFT-funded film.
‘Ilm’ is an Urdu word which means ‘knowledge’, and the film follows the relationship between an 11-year-old and his grandmother. The boy’s parents unfortunately die in an accident, due to which he shuts himself down. The only thing that gives him happiness is making portraits of his grandmother.
Vishal Malhotra, who makes his directorial debut with the film, calls it “a proud moment for India and Indians”, as the world’s first NFT-funded film comes from India with the producers of the film being ordinary citizens.
Talking about his experience of helming ‘Ilm’, Vishal Malhotra, who has also written the film, said in a statement, “It was a great experience to learn and understand how difficult it is to hold the torch of such a big responsibility. Directing a film is a very subjective thing as you are literally showing the audience how you see the world through your own lens.
“And the way I see ‘Ilm‘ is that it involves happiness, grief, trauma, fear and struggle. And I hope to convey these feelings to the audience and wish that they will feel these emotions just as I did while I was directing it.”
The film, which will have its theatrical premiere on May 22, is set to release on an OTT platform.
On the other hand, TV anchor, theatre personality and comedian Cyrus Broacha talks about a recent episode of his audio show ‘Cyrus Says’ in which actor Vishal Malhotra was the guest.
Vishal, who is known for films like ‘Jannat’, ‘Ishq Vishq’, ‘Kaal’ and many more had a candid conversation with Cyrus about his overall journey as an actor and a creator now.
The episode is joined by Vishal Malhotra where they discuss being child actors in the ’90s, as Cyrus and Vishal started their careers at around the same time along with Sachin Tendulkar, and Vishal worked in ‘Hip Hip Hurray’.
They also talk about Mumbai traffic, how auto rickshaws create most of the traffic in the city, and Vishal Malhotra travelling from rickshaws to get to the railway station and then to Bombay Gymkhana.
Further, they discussed Vishal’s film, the NFT-funded movie and how this idea came to his mind and many more.
