Here's why producer Bhushan Kumar identifies with Batti Gul Meter Chalu subject

Though the most important person for any film unit, a producer usually only adds to the crowd at a film press conference. Unless, of course, he is a Karan Johar or a Sanjay Leela Bhansali, a star filmmaker who has also produced his film.

T-Series head honcho Bhushan Kumar attends most of the press events of his films but usually makes only generic statements, like why he backed the script and why he is confident of the film.

However, at the trailer launch of Batti Gul Meter Chalu, the producer revealed a closer connection with the film.

Directed by Shree Narayan Singh, Batti Gul Meter Chalu touches upon the problem of rising power tariffs that affect millions in this country. Now who would have guessed that Bhushan Kumar, the big boss of T-Series, would relate at a personal level with such a subject.

But he does. As was revealed at the event, Bhushan Kumar, too, has not been immune to the pain of exorbitant power bills.

Asked why T-Series decided to back the story, lead actor Shahid Kapor disclosed that Bhushan Kumar had himself faced the problem of exorbitant power bills at his office.

After the press conference, when we asked the T-Series boss about the issue, he said, “I had faced this issue some 5-6 years ago when energy supply [in the national capital territory of Delhi] was privatized. Our power bills suddenly doubled.

"We complained, but as you are aware, in such matters, the supplier asks you to pay the bill first and then make an appeal. We paid the bill and it was later proved that the charges were wrong.

"While we can appeal against this, for the poor it is tough to fight. I have even read that one person committed suicide after he was wrongly charged an exorbitant amount.”

As seen from the trailer of Batti Gul Meter Chalu, Divyendu Sharma’s character appears to have taken the extreme step after his local electricity board charges him Rs54 lakh towards unpaid electricity bills.

Batti Gul Meter Chalu is set to be released on 21 September.