Key Points
Gippy Grewal highlights the appeal of historical storytelling
Explores post-Maharaja Ranjit Singh turmoil in Punjab
Stresses the importance of a strong film subject
Comedy vs. period films box-office trends
What is the reason behind periodicals or historicals doing so well at the box-office and with people universally of all ages?
"There are a lot of films which didn't work. When a lot of films work, we take them out. Like we say in Punjabi, comedy films are the most popular. It's not like that. The ones who collected the most at the box office, that was comedy. Now comedy has flopped a lot. It's the same there as well."
He feels the subject of the movie "should be right".
"Whether it's a comedy or a genre, it should be right...."
We have read these things in books. We have imagined that there would be a fort like this. There would be a king like this. We haven't seen it with our imagination. Whatever Gurpreet Ghuggi has imagined, it's different. What I have imagined is different. Now there is a vision which I have thought of portraying like this."
"Now everyone will look at it from that point of view. There is a big scale to look at. I think those things fascinate us somewhere," Gippy added.
"Akaal: The Unconquered," which will be released on April 10, is set in the 1840s Punjab. It tells the tale of honour and resilience follows Sardar Akaal Singh and his village as they face a vengeful assault by Jangi Jahan and his forces after the death of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.
Why did he choose this timeline to tell a story?
"Actually, every film has its own zone. Which subject you can make and which you can't. So what you like and what you don't. So I had a subject about which, after Maharaja Ranjit Singh, there was a time when Punjab was in turmoil. We were not able to understand what was happening. Like Punjab was in turmoil."
"After every 2-3 months, there were changes happening here and there. So, what was happening in that era, most people didn't know. No one unfolded that chapter. So I thought it was a good place, if we make it in a good way, inspired from all those true incidents, what used to happen. So we made it with that.
Gippy strongly believes the subject should be good.
"And you also understand the period. People have heard what was happening during Maharaja Ranjit Singh's time, what was happening during Hari Singh Nalwa's time. What happened immediately after that. We tried to show what we don't know."
