Apr 20, 2026 2:40pm IST
Abhishek Shah Says ‘Awards Don’t Make You a Great Filmmaker’ on Life After National Award Win, Talks ‘Dhabkaaro’ (EXCLUSIVE)
After the breakout success of “Hellaro,” Abhishek Shah has been shifting focus rather than repeating himself. The National Award-winning director’s next after the box office success of "Umbarro", “Dhabkaaro,” his third feature film, is positioned as a character-driven drama built around the idea of apology and its consequences.
Backed by a larger production setup and featuring a cast that includes Deven Bhojani, Aarjav Trivedi and Kumud Mishra, the film marks a step up in scale while staying rooted in Shah’s core approach to storytelling. In conversation with Variety India, Shah speaks about ignoring the pressure of awards, navigating the shift from independent filmmaking to bigger backing, and why, for him, storytelling still outweighs everything else.
Let’s start with the film itself. What was the first trigger for this story?
I’ve seen a pattern in real life. People who’ve done real damage spend years not acknowledging it, and then much later, maybe in their 50s or 60s, they start going back and apologizing. I’ve seen this happen multiple times. It made me question the idea of apology itself. If you hurt someone deeply, and they suffered through it, what does a delayed apology, really, change?
Take a simple example: In college, you mistreat someone, you damage their reputation, and they carry that pain for years. Then, much later, you show up and say sorry. Or you commit a serious wrong and return decades later to apologize. The person may forgive you, but the impact of what they went through doesn’t disappear.
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You’ve always spoken about balancing art and accessibility. Where do you place this film on that spectrum?
There are two types of storytelling. One is inspired by European cinema, very honest, very artistic. The second is what the audience will like; that also has to be considered. When I made "Hellaro," I had two options: Either make a film like "Mirch Masala," or make a colorful film with songs and dances that connect with audiences. I chose the second. My film should reach people. If it reaches only 100 great people, I won’t enjoy it. I want both awards and box office. The investor should get money. This is simple mathematics for me.
You mentioned earlier how difficult it was to mount your previous film. Has that changed now?
After getting a National Award, I would say it is quite easy to make another film. Or to make a film that people may not be able to make regularly. “Hellaro” was, in a way, a difficult film. Because in 2018, I was talking about a film which had garba (a dance style), which had a rural backdrop, and one which didn’t have any cliché hero, heroine and stuff like that, right? In 2018, it was difficult for me to mount the project as a writer, director and producer. But in 2025-26, it is easy because after getting the National Award, people actually try to listen to me. They want to listen to me. So, yes, it is a bit easy. And, again, making a regional cinema film is a bit easier than making Hindi films. But after this nationwide recognition, it has been quite easy for me to make films.
But yes, at the same time, Sajid Nadiadwala sir and Nadiadwala and Grandson are on board with us for "Dhabkaaro," which is also a great achievement for us, right? Because it is not a kind of daily thing in Gujarati cinema. Such a big production house doesn’t come to Gujarati cinema very often. And we haven’t made a Gujarati film in such a big production house yet. So, it was easy to make this film.
With bigger producers backing you now, does that influence your storytelling in any way?
A huge producer like Sajid Nadiadwala knows everything about cinema. He knows that this is not a kind of film in which there should be a song like this. He knows which nerves this film is talking about. So, that’s not a discussion. And in my kind of cinema, all that doesn’t happen. But, for me, the definition of commercial cinema is never a dance number, never a love song. My definition of commercial cinema is "Guide," or a "Mera Naam Joker," or a "Rockstar." Ones that have songs and have a lot of things, but with very layered emotions, right? Films like ‘ Pyaasa,’ which was not a commercial hit, still resonate with a lot of people. So, I am a man of story. I have been reading a lot of stories since childhood. I like short stories a lot. So, I know that telling a story is very important. If you have told the story very well, then you will reach the top.
Does winning a National Award add pressure when you’re making your next film?
No, never. Because I always believe that achievements are based on your fate. Your fate decides what achievement you have. So, you should never discuss that. It’s not that there aren’t great filmmakers in the world, but still, in India, some people get the Best Film Award. It doesn’t prove that the person who gets the Best Film Award is a great filmmaker. The day I got it, I told myself, 'You have to forget this award right now.' Otherwise, this will continue; that I should make a film like ‘Hellaro.’ I should do something better than that. People’s perception will be that my second film was a remake ("Umbarro" was a remake of a hit Marathi film "Jhimma"). I told this story in my own way. I am very happy with the film. But even when that film came out, I was passionate about it.
Do you think the perception around regional cinema is changing today?
I feel that the perception is changing a little, but filmmakers also have to change. We are trying to tell the same story thousands of times, in the same way. Maybe that won’t work now. Because for the past 10 years, a lot of content has come to India. We cannot fool the audience anymore. They know what they deserve and if you cannot cater, no one's giving you grace.
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