He wrote that small gem of a film, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. And now, Pankaj Advani’s directorial debut, Sankat City, is giving critics reason for cheer

Since Sankat City is a tribute to Mumbai, do you think the city is full of sankat (trouble)?
Well, every city is full of sankat, so, Mumbai is no exception. We wanted a title with a comic connotation and felt Sankat City gave the vibe of it being a fun film.

The film was in the making for quite long…
Yes, it took us two years to make it. In my opinion, if a film doesn’t have a big budget, it should be completed in about six to eight months. That wasn’t the case with Sankat City. Though in the end, the entire film was shot in just 30 days, there were many gaps in between schedules. With 18 characters and more than 60 locations, it was a huge stretch. It was difficult to raise money for the film.
One had to really convince financers that the film would be funny, fast-paced and would interest people. Once we got the money, it was smooth sailing. There were no problems with the cast and the crew. They had full faith in the script and went out of their way to make it happen. So even though the journey was difficult, the support of the cast and crew turned it into a fine example of collaborative film-making.

In what ways has Kundan Shah influenced you considering your collaboration with him?
Yes, I have written a few films for Kundan including Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. Like everyone, I too have loved Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron which, in my opinion, is perhaps the only black comedy that India has produced. Since Sankat City is also in the same space as Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, comparisons are to be expected. But the only influence that I can think of is that we both seem to like the same genre. I have no problem with people saying that I have been influenced by Kundan as long as they say that Sankat City is a good film.

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