'Our budget was too small for SRK'

"Comedy is not the easiest genre to direct. You must be able to evoke laughter without it seeming contrived," says veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who is ready with his latest, Welcome to Sajjanpur. The film promises to be rather high on some heavy-duty rustic humour. We chat up the award-winning director …

It's been almost three years since Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose... happened. What took you so long to come up with Welcome To Sajjanpur?

I had the script of Welcome To Sajjanpur since a long time. But after Bose… happened, I got busy with something else. Unfortunately, that didn't materialise and I decided to take up Welcome… Bose was a historical saga and this time around I was planning to make a comedy. It has been an enjoyable ride so far.

Tell us about the highpoints of Welcome To Sajjanpur?

Welcome to Sajjanpur is an entertaining film with characters and events at once hilarious and poignant. It is a satirical take on a modern Indian village. I can't give out the story. You have to go and watch it. As for the highpoints of the film, the film boasts of a bunch of brilliant actors and the music by Shantanu Moitra is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

With slick multiplex flicks catering to a very urban audience, was it a challenge doing a film in such a rustic setting?

I believe Indian viewers always have a penchant for good cinema – be it an arthouse or commercial flick. It is just that they have had limited options. With the advent of so many multiplexes, audiences these days are getting to see every kind of movie, which is a good sign.

In the age of e-mails and cell phones, where do you get to see a character like Madhav (Shreyas Talpade), who writes letters for people?

Well, two months ago I saw a few people sitting in front of the GPO (in Mumbai) writing letters for people. I am sure many people are not aware of the fact that such people do exist even in big cities. It is bread and butter for them.