Anusha Rizvi, an electronic journalist turned filmmaker, speaks about her experience of making Peepli (Live) and how she got Aamir Khan’s attention

How did you get in touch with Aamir Khan and convince him to produce Peepli (Live)?

I got in touch with him through e-mail, I may be wrong but I think it was only Aamir Khan who could produce a film like this. Even after he replied to my email, it was difficult to meet him. One day, while I was shooting a documentary, the light boys said that they wanted a half-day off, as Aamir Khan was coming to Delhi to some studio for shoot. That’s how I got to know that Aamir was coming to Delhi. I sent Aamir a text message saying, ‘I know you are coming to Delhi. You have to meet me.’ So he agreed to meet me. And I was late as I was busy completing my shoot!

What is Peepli (Live) about?

The film is about the divide between urban India and rural India. It has a lot to do with our state, our government, our bureaucracy, farming, prices etc.

You are a city girl. How did you think up this theme?

I’m not unfamiliar with rural life. Although I’m an urban person, my family and many other relatives have shifted to Delhi but still retain connections to the places we come from. I come from Qaimganj in Uttar Pradesh. My father lived in Allahabad.

How would you describe the experience when your film was screened at international Film Festivals at Sundance and Berlin?

Strange (laughs). It's great to talk about the film and hear people's reactions. Sundance was nice. We had many screenings and all sold out. This was very satisfying.

Why have you chosen to cast largely first-time film actors?

We wanted actors who could relate to the script that we wanted to tell. And most of the actors are part of theatre, they aren’t new to acting.

Yet the film has taken quite some time to make.

I had finished the script of the film in 2005. We began shooting in 2009; the pre-production took us six months. Well, the film was supposed to take off earlier, but then Aamir had decided to direct Taare Zameen Par, so the film got pushed back a bit. But that is alright, such things happen. I am happy that the film is coming out at this time, I guess it is the right time for a film like this.

How did the song “Mehangai daayan’ reach you?

It was sheer luck. We were shooting in the village called Badwai and one of my assistants heard the song and told me about it. We heard it and decided to record the song. I was lucky that I didn’t have to work on a single thing for the song.

Peepli is a catchy name, how did you come across it?

It just happened. Lots of villages along the Grand Trunk road are called Peepli. In Rajasthan and West Bengal, you will find a thousand Peeplis.

If you had to ask Aamir something, what would you ask?

I would ask him, ‘Does he really believe in what the film is telling?’

What next after Peepli (Live)?

Nothing, sleeping for the rest of my life (laughs). At the moment, I don’t know anything yet about my next film. If I come across another interesting story, I’ll think about it.

—Jigar Shah