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Sammir on a mission

Photo: Sandeep Saxena

Reality bytes Sammir plays an informer to the Intelligence Bureau

The underworld in Hyderabad? Did we get it right? Film-maker Mani Shankar insists it is right. Call them underworld or the mafia, they are lurking in the city too. Mani Shankar’s new film Mukhbir, releasing on July 11, offers an insight into the under belly of the city and weaves in a story of an informer. Actor Sammir Dattani, playing the informer, is counting down to the release date.

“Mani Shankar wanted to announce that this is a re-launch film for me. I am glad he didn’t,” he laughs. In case you missed his earlier films, here’s a reminder: Sammir debuted in the Yash Raj production Uff Kya Jadoo Mohabbat Hai and went on to doing a handful of films including a cameo in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Corporate before Mukhbir. “I don’t regret my earlier films,” he maintains.

Reverting to Mukhbir, he recalls meeting a real-life informer in Hyderabad. “If I met him elsewhere, I would have thought he was just another college student. The youngster was an informer to the Intelligence Bureau.” Sammir met with retired IB officials and read up about the work of informers. “You have to observe them to know their psyche. They are in a dangerous profession and live on the edge just for their jobs. In this film, I play the character of a young man from a Naxalite outfit turning informer and reporting on the Hyderabad underworld and then the Mumbai underworld,” he says. In fact, the origin of the story can be traced back to the time when Mani Shankar came across innocent teenagers being used as informers in Kashmir, and these informers never knew they would be disposed of once their work was done.

The thriller espionage sans songs, Sammir says, is not an arty offbeat film. The film was recently premiered at the 10th Osian Cinefan’s Film Festival, and going by the feedback, is said to have plans for an alternative climax as well. “We already had shot an alternative climax and wanted to gauge public reaction. So the film will be released with the new climax,” says Sammir.

Sammir, like producer Sudhish Rambhotla, is confident of the film’s success. “It was courageous of Sudhish to produce such a film as his first one. His announcement that he will refund money if people are not happy with the film shows his confidence in the project.”

After Mukhbir, Sammir will be working on a love story Love ka Tadka and two Kannada films. He is no stranger to regional films, having worked in Telugu and Kannada films earlier.

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