'Blackout' director Devang Bhavsar: ‘Actors made it more of a comedy than a thriller’

A still from the series

There are bound to be jitters when it's your first film. But for debutant director Devang Bhavsar, it has also been accompanied by a year-long wait. With Blackout slated to drop on JioCinema this week, Bhavsar says, "It has been a long wait to release the film. The nature of this industry keeps changing. Sometimes, a direct-to-web release is the norm, and at other times, a theatrical release before OTT is expected."

Regardless of the medium, he is eager to see Blackout reach the audience. The comedy thriller - starring Vikrant Massey, Mouni Roy and Sunil Grover - follows the protagonist as he chances upon a car loaded with gold and cash, thus setting off a chain of events. For the director, who made his way into films through ads and production, it's a big moment. "I have been working for 13 years. It wasn't easy getting to this point. I'm lucky that I got amazing actors like Vikrant sir and Sunil sir. After Vikrant sir read the script, he encouraged us to do multiple readings to crack the character's tone. Sunil sir is an improvisation king."

Devang Bhavsar

Blackout marks Massey's first release after the stupendous success of 12th Fail (2023) that turned his career around. Does the director feel the pressure of coming on the back of last year's gem? "It is a big deal. In whatever way the stars have aligned, it will benefit this film. Vikrant sir is an even more known face now. People now see him as Vikrant bhaiyya. There is a little pressure to live up to that movie. But my film is a different world altogether. I also believe that a film needs to be entertaining regardless of the genre. When Vikrant sir first saw the [rushes], he said, ‘You promised me an entertaining film, and you have delivered." The jitters are natural, but I'm confident that people will enjoy it."

It's interesting that Bhavsar's comedy thriller arrives when a heist comedy like Crew and a laugh-riot like Madgaon Express are faring well. "I hadn't even thought of that when I wrote the film. It was a balanced story on paper. But my actors made it more of a comedy than a thriller. Humans are grey, and their decisions and reactions are comical. The films that have repeat value are always those that make you laugh."