No set script for life, or for stories like these: Anurag Basu hosts entertaining Ludo press conference

In a manner that defined the new normal as well as the theme of his forthcoming film, Anurag Basu's press conference for Ludo (2020) was just as comical, entertaining and chaotic.

The filmmaker hosted the online confluence of producer Bhushan Kumar and the cast, including Abhishek Bachchan, Inayat Verma, Rajkummar Rao, Fatima Sana Sheikh, Pankaj Tripathi, Pearle Maaney, Rohit Saraf, Sanya Malhotra and Aditya Roy Kapur.

The film, produced by Bhushan Kumar's T-Series, will be released on 12 November on Netflix.

Describing his film, Anurag Basu said, "In life, we have all played the game of Ludo, won, cheated, lost. But not all games end the same way. As to why the film is called Ludo, it, like Ludo, has four stories that move with no connection to each other. When the game starts, they start crossing each other's paths, in a terminal effect, there are joyrides and falls. We are all connected with this invisible thread, and knowingly, unknowingly, we affect each other's lives."

Speaking about his role in the film, Bachchan said, "The greed, for all the actors involved in the film, was to work with Dada [Basu]. You allow your actors to be instinctive, you want them to be pure, guttural. People often say that you do not give directions or tell them when they will start shooting, but that is because you want their performances and emotions to be pure. It is such a pure film and the heart of the film is in its right place."

Bhushan Kumar said, "Ludo takes you on multiple journeys in the course of a couple of hours, introducing you to characters that will stay with you long after the film is over. Each actor in the film has brought a unique flavour to his or her story, which I don't think anyone else could have done justice to.

"Working with Dada is a process I enjoy thoroughly. I’m eager for audiences across the world to watch this fun-filled caper on Netflix, our incredible partner in this journey."

All praise for his little co-star Inayat, Bachchan said, "Inayat is the most talented and beautiful co-star I had. The first couple of days I thought we will have to make her comfortable. But from the first day, she took us by surprise. She is a bundle of talent, beautiful, and a wonderful actor."

The cast earned praise from Basu, who emphasized on Rajkummar Rao's entry on the first day with a very Gunmaster-G9 stereo. The actor plays a uber stylish film fan who is drawn into a jailbreak attempt.

The idea was echoed by co-star Pankaj Tripathi who said, "I haven't seen the film yet, but I have trusted the director completely and left it up to him. If there is something interesting and good, the credit goes to Anurag Basu. As he said, we don't know the script in life. Similarly, I would follow his directions blindly. He was the captain of this ship, and he knows where the ship is heading. If the passengers start worrying about navigation, it would have become a problem."

The camaraderie was not surprising and the cast often took turns ribbing the director, with Bachchan taking the lead. 

Speaking about working without a bound script, suiting Basu's impromptu style of direction, Aditya Roy Kapur said, "There is a certain amount of freedom you get. When you get on set with Dada, you feel like there is no pressure on you."

The film will also see a number of new faces, including Pearle Maaney, a Malayalam actress who is making her Hindi debut with Ludo. "It was a beautiful experience," she said. "I felt like I was this small child who went to Disneyland. I had a great time working with Dada. The first schedule was a little scary for me. But then I wanted to shoot more and more."

Incidentally, Maaney also stole the show when her conversation with little Inayat Verma about eating Kit Kat chocolates went live for everyone to hear. At one point, trying to teach the child how to pronounce her name, the actress said, "Its Pear-lee, like Bruce Lee!" Ever the prankster, Abhishek Bachchan latched on to the tagline to say, "You made my day. From now on, you are Bruce Lee. That's what I am going to call you."

The film went on the floor two years ago and has been postponed a couple of times. It is now scheduled to be released on 12 November. Bachchan chided his director for the delay, joking, "Inayat was two when we started the film, now she is 10." Not to be outdone, Maaney said, "When I signed the film I was single. When we started shooting, I got engaged. During the film I got married. Now, when you are releasing the film, I am five months pregnant!"

Despite the technical glitches and audio disturbances, one thing the press conference ensured was entertainment.