Fursat (film)

Fursat
Directed by	Vishal Bhardwaj
Written by	Vishal Bhardwaj Jyotsna Hariharan
Produced by	Sadhya Vyas Natasha Sunderan
Starring	Ishaan Khattar Wamiqa Gabbi Salman Yusuff Khan
Cinematography	Swapnil S. Sonawane
Edited by	Vedant Joshi
Music by	Vishal Bhardwaj
Production companies	Absolute Productions VB Pictures
Release date	3 February 2023 (2023-02-03)
Running time	30 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Fursat (transl. Leisure) is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language musical romance short film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, who co-wrote the script with Jyotsna Hariharan. Produced by Absolute Productions and VB Pictures, the film stars Ishaan Khattar, Wamiqa Gabbi and Salman Yusuff Khan. The film revolves around a man who finds an ancient artifact that transported him to the future, and how his quest impacting his present timeline.

Bhardwaj conceived his idea on shooting a film through smartphones after discovering several short films that was filmed through mobile during the COVID-19 pandemic. He then developed a script that inspired Hollywood musical films that integrate song-and-dance sequences, throughout the screenplay and explored on time travel as the theme of the film. It was shot on iPhone 14 Pro by cinematographer Swapnil S. Sonawane and edited by Vedant Joshi. Besides directing, Bhardwaj also composed the film score and soundtrack, with lyrics by Gulzar and Shiamak Davar handling the choreography for the song sequences.

Fursat was released on 3 February 2023 on YouTube. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed on the cinematography, music, choreography, performances from the lead cast and the technicalities, but noted the incoherence in the screenplay and aesthetic appeal.

Plot

An archeologist Nishant Raj (Ishaan Khatter), discovers an ancient artifact that transports him to the future. Along the way he meets his childhood friend and doctor Diya Srivastav (Wamiqa Gabbi) and chief gangster (Salman Yusuff Khan). Nishant realizes that the more he wants to look towards the future, the greater the risk he has losing the present.

Cast

• Ishaan Khatter as Nishant
• Wamiqa Gabbi as Diya
• Salman Yusuff Khan as Chief Gangster
• Kumaradas T.N. as Jhandi Gangster
• Sahaj Singh as Arjun
• Ishrat Khan as Diya's mother
• Bimal Jeet Oberoi as Diya's father
• Arpa Parekh as Arjun's mother
• Jeetendra M. Kosambi as Arjun's father

Production

Vishal Bhardwaj initially spearheaded on two projects for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video after the release of Pataakha (2018)—one being an adaptation of the Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children and the other based on the hijacking of the Indian Airlines Flight 814. Both were pulled out by the respective platforms, due to logistic reasons.^[1] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhardwaj then watched the Chinese short films 3 Minutes (2018) and Nian (2021), which were filmed on iPhone. Impressed by the technological developments of filmmaking and being keen on experiments, Bhardwaj then met the executives of Apple Inc.—which advocated major filmmaking techniques during the pandemic—and talked about the same;^[2] they asked the former on a script regarding "a love story and their meeting on a moving train" and further wanted it to be a Bollywood film having layers and nuances on its storytelling. They further expected on developing it as a musical film on the lines of Chicago (2002), where "once the song comes, the cast moves to a stage to perform. That gives a wider canvas to play with the inner emotions."^[2] Bhardwaj, who was keen on doing a musical film, had co-written a script with Jyotsna Hariharan, which is about a youngster who gets a magical device to view the future and how its impacts his present life.^[3]

"Vishal Bhardwaj is an amazing person with a fascinating brain. He is one of those people who is born to do what he does. His vision is very strong and as an actor it's great fun to work with him because he comes up with these little suggestions that changes the way you look at things."

— Ishaan Khatter, on working with Bhardwaj^[4]

Ishaan Khatter and Wamiqa Gabbi were cast as the lead pair, while Salman Yusuff Khan joined in an important role.^[4] As the film required contemporary dance sequences, Bhardwaj was unsure about Gabbi's dancing abilities and often discussed on simplifying the choreography but was impressed on her dance performance on the very first rehearsal itself.^[5][6] Gabbi, being a trained kathak dancer, learned contemporary dance steps for her role with Khatter.^[7] As she had commitments on multiple projects, she ended up shuffling between the schedules in order to prepare immensely.^[8] She prepared for 8-9 days for the dance sequences, despite the time constraints.^[9] Shiamak Davar choreographed the film's musical sequences, who described it as an Indo-contemporary style, much different from his usual choreography styles in his films.^[10]

Filming for Fursat took place in late 2022 with cinematographer Swapnil S. Sonawane shooting it on iPhone 14 Pro.^[11] Bhardwaj described filming on an iPhone was a "liberative" experience, compared to filming on traditional cameras, as it comes with numerous constraints. The entire film was shot in 4K resolution with 30 frames per second. Much of the film was covered in "action mode".^[3][12]

Themes and influences

According to Bhardwaj, the tile Fursat is referred to "freedom" or "leisure".^[2] He further described about the core script, adding that "We are all running after what will happen next or pondering over what happened in the past. Amid this, we are losing our moment of leisure, our freedom to live the moment."^[2] Bhardwaj further explored the concept of time travel with this film.^[3]

Soundtrack

Main article: Fursat (soundtrack)

The music for Fursat is composed by Vishal Bhardwaj and lyrics written by his regular collaborator Gulzar.^[13] The album was released on the same date as the film's premiere, 3 February 2023.^[14]

Release

Fursat was announced on 3 February 2023, where the film was premiered through the official YouTube channel of Apple.^[15][16] Prior to its release, the film was specially screened at the headquarters of Apple Inc. in Mumbai on 2 February.^[17] The film is also available released through Apple TV+ and Disney+ Hotstar.^[18]

Fursat was premiered at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023 on the closing night of the event, at the "Jio MAMI Select" programme.^[19]

Reception

Abhishek Srivastava of The Times of India gave the film three stars out of five and wrote "The film testifies to Bharadwaj’s abilities to tell a witty, intelligent, and entertaining story with comedy, drama, and some mystique in the short format."^[20] Roktim Rajpal of India Today described it as "a simple yet ambitious short film that works mainly because of Vishal Bharadwaj’s command over his craft" calling it as a "commendable" effort catering to those looking for something short, simple, and sweet.^[21] Rajpai also praised the performances of the lead pair, adding that "Wamiqa and Ishaan's chemistry is decent given the fact that Fursat is a short film."^[21] Prateek Lidhoo in his review for The Quint, stated "the film gives a glimpse of how restrictions can sometimes get the best out of a filmmaker".^[22]

In his review for Firstpost, Subhash K. Jha was critical of the film, stating "Imagine the resources which can be saved if expensive cameras and equipment are deleted from the filmmaking process. But while doing away with a lot of the accompanying baggage, Fursat has also done away with coherence."^[23] Prathyush Parasuraman of Frontline stated that "Cinematically, however, Fursat is a weak film, so insistent on showing the technical versatility of the phone using the visual versatility of a genre like time travel and the musical that it is not as much interested in a coherent story that builds tension and momentum [...] The aesthetic is one of technical excess, with some blurs, some odd frames—where rain looks like crosshatches on the screen, for example. The film wants to scream the possibilities of the iPhone at us. One wishes only that it had come with the whisper of a story that moved us, too. But at the very least we are sold on the product, for the most part."^[24]

Apple CEO Tim Cook praised the film complimenting the cinematography and choreography.^[25][26][13]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
2023	Cannes Lions For Music	Original Composition	Vishal Bhardwaj	Won	[27]

References

1. Jhunjhunwala, Udita (30 September 2023). "'An espionage thriller is the most juicy genre': Vishal Bhardwaj on 'Khufiya'". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024. Actually, it was a forced break in a way because two projects did not work out. I was doing Midnight's Children for Netflix. One year went into writing the show but when it was time to get into production, the platform pulled out. Then I was supposed to do IC 814 for Amazon, but they had the Tandav issue so they also pulled the plug at the last moment. In that way, three years passed and then the pandemic hit.
2. Fazreen, Sana (3 February 2023). "Vishal Bhardwaj on shooting Fursat on iPhone: 'Can make any subject now without a producer'". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
3. "Vishal Bharadwaj Shoots his Next with Ishaan Khattar and Wamiqa Gabbi on an iPhone". Film Companion. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
4. Chopra, Swati (28 March 2023). "'When Your Privacy is Invaded, You Have Every Right to Speak up': Ishaan Khatter". TheQuint. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
5. "Vishal Bhardwaj reveals he was unsure about roping Wamiqa Gabbi for Fursat; says, "I had my doubts and had even discussed simplifying the choreography"". Bollywood Hungama. 27 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
6. "Wamiqa Gabbi 'impressed' an unsure Vishal Bhardwaj with her effort in 'Fursat'". The Times of India. 25 February 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
7. "Ishaan Khatter and Wamiqa Gabbi learnt contemporary dance for Fursat". Film Companion. 10 February 2023. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
8. "Wamiqa Gabbi shares her experience working with Ishaan Khatter; says, "His dancing skills are something which I would like to imbibe and learn for myself"". Bollywood Hungama. 21 February 2023. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
9. "Wamiqa Gabbi masters a dance form in 9 days for Fursat". Bollywood Hungama. 17 February 2023. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
10. "Shiamak Davar: Yash Chopra wanted me to choreograph 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' but I was scared my style of dancing would never work - #Big Interview". The Times of India. 5 March 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
11. "Apple releases Indian-made 'Shot on iPhone' short movie". Deccan Herald. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
12. Dhanrajani, Rachna Manojkumar (3 February 2023). "iPhone 14 Pro makes Bollywood debut; Ishaan Khatter starrer Fursat released". Business Today. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
13. "Vishal Bhardwaj's short film Fursat shot on iPhone 14 Pro gets lauded by Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'Incredible cinematography'". The Indian Express. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
14. Bhardwaj, Vishal (3 February 2023). "Fursat (#ShotoniPhone Original Film Soundtrack)". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
15. "Ishaan Khatter's Fursat out; watch trailer of Vishal Bharadwaj-directed short film". Firstpost. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
16. "Vishal Bhardwaj's short movie 'Fursat' starring Ishaan Khatter and Wamiqa Gabbi is out". The Times of India. 3 February 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
17. Chakraborty, Saikat (3 February 2023). "Vishal Bhardwaj's Ishan Khatter-Wamiqa Gabbi-starrer short film Fursat out on YouTube". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
18. "Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Fursat', shot on iPhone 14 Pro, released on YouTube". CNBC TV18. 4 February 2023. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
19. "5 budding filmmakers to shoot and edit short films on iPhone and Mac: All the details". The Times of India. 7 November 2023. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
20. Shrivatsava, Abhishek (3 February 2023). "Fursat Review: This short film is a signature Vishal Bharadwaj's ability to tell an intelligent story". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
21. Rajpai, Roktim (6 February 2023). "Fursat Movie Review: Vishal Bharadwaj's short film, shot on iPhone, is a celebration of his vision". India Today. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
22. Lidhoo, Prateek (8 February 2023). "Podcast | Fursat Review: Can an iPhone Limit Vishal Bharadwaj's Vision?". The Quint. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
23. K. Jha, Subhash (12 February 2023). "Fursat: Eye phone misfire; Vishal Bhardwaj's most incoherent film till date". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
24. Parasuraman, Prathyush (23 February 2023). "COUNTER CULTURE | Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Fursat': When big directors wield the small phone". Frontline. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
25. Sukheja, Bhavana (3 February 2023). "Apple CEO Tim Cook Praises Vishal Bhardwaj's "Beautiful" Short Film 'Fursat'". NDTV. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
26. Sharma, Divyanshi (5 February 2023). "Apple CEO Tim Cook praises filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj's film Fursat shot on iPhone, says incredible cinematography". India Today. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
27. "Vishal Bhardwaj Wins Bronze at Cannes Lions for Music in Fursat. He Says 'Such an Honour'". Times Now. 23 June 2023. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.

External links

• Fursat at IMDb