Mukkabaaz: Difference between revisions

Actor [[Vineet Kumar Singh]] said that he was not getting the kind of work he wanted in films, so he decided to write his own script on boxing, as he has a sports background, having been a national-level basketball player who played at six National Games at the mini and sub-junior levels.<ref name=struggle>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/18-years-of-struggle-now-he-has-charmed-india-india/20180116.htm|title=18 years of struggle. Now he has charmed India|last=Patel|first=Jahnavi|work=[[Rediff.com]]|access-date=28 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128140148/http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/18-years-of-struggle-now-he-has-charmed-india-india/20180116.htm|archive-date=28 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=mukkaman>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/the-mukka-man-201759|title=The Mukka Man|last=Upadhyay|first=Karisma|work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]]|date=18 January 2018|access-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726103902/https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/the-mukka-man-201759|archive-date=26 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The idea of the film came to Singh based on his observation of the experiences of athletes in the country. He said: "I’ve seen lots of stories like this, which stayed with me over the years. I wrote this film because I wanted to play this character and I knew the only way to do that is by writing it myself."<ref name=sweet>{{cite news|url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/5ssje1U5Nn5NkMqeZGrtwK/The-sweet-science-of-Mukkabaaz.html|title=The sweet science of 'Mukkabaaz'|last=Bains|first=Pahull|work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]]|date=31 October 2017|access-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207083411/http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/5ssje1U5Nn5NkMqeZGrtwK/The-sweet-science-of-Mukkabaaz.html|archive-date=7 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Singh wrote the script with his sister, basketball player Mukti Singh Srinet, in 2013 and sought a financier for it.<ref name=seventeen>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/look-back-in-positivity/article22399026.ece|title=After 17 years of struggle, Vineet Kumar lands the lead role in 'Mukkabaaz'|last=Joshi|first=Namrata|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=8 January 2018|access-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112114930/http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/look-back-in-positivity/article22399026.ece|archive-date=12 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=joshi>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/not-just-another-sports-movie/article19895986.ece|title='Not just another sports movie': Anurag Kashyap on 'Mukkabaaz'|last=Joshi|first=Namrata|work=The Hindu|date=21 October 2017|access-date=7 December 2017|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112025734/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/not-just-another-sports-movie/article19895986.ece|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=kannan>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/what-anurag-kashyaps-mukkabaaz-is-all-about/20170927.htm|title=What Anurag Kashyap's Mukkabaaz is all about|last=Kannan|first=Indira|work=Rediff.com|date=27 September 2017|access-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207014530/http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/what-anurag-kashyaps-mukkabaaz-is-all-about/20170927.htm|archive-date=7 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> He looked at the "player's struggles — those who couldn't find their way up because they couldn't land in the officials' good books; the bad conditions they lived, played and practised in".<ref name=seventeen /> He mentioned a single incident that triggered the script was seeing his senior, who had won several boxing medals and whose photographs had appeared in the newspaper, "stealthily porting luggage" at the [[Varanasi Junction railway station]] to make ends meet.<ref name=seventeen /><ref name=mukkaman /> When Singh saw him, he was trying to hide his face behind the luggage. Singh said the incident "really shook" him because he was also a sportsperson. He took inspiration from the story of some other players who worked as a sweeper or who sold their medals.<ref name=mukkaman />

Kashyap, Singh, Mukti Singh, [[K.D.Satyam]], Ranjan Chandel and Prasoon Mishra wrote the final script.<ref name=bh>{{cite web|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/mukkabaaz/cast/|title=Mukkabaaz Cast & Crew|publisher=Bollywood Hungama|access-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726135337/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/mukkabaaz/cast/|archive-date=26 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Anand L. Rai]] called Kashyap and asked him to direct ''[[Manmarziyaan]]'', but Kashyap said he wanted to make ''Mukkabaaz'' first. They both agreed to this and decided to co-produce the film.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/we-turn-everything-into-formula-our-biopics-are-not-honest-anurag-kashyap/story-swnZL6Md5OqF9T1pg1FiQK.html|title=We turn everything into formula, our biopics are not honest: Anurag Kashyap|last=Jamkhandikar|first=Shilpa|work=Hindustan Times|date=10 January 2018|access-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123161002/https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/we-turn-everything-into-formula-our-biopics-are-not-honest-anurag-kashyap/story-swnZL6Md5OqF9T1pg1FiQK.html|archive-date=23 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2017, it was confirmed they would be working together on the film.<ref name=deccan>{{cite news|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/070717/anurag-kashyap-and-aanand-l-rai-come-together-for-mukkabaaz.html|title=Anurag Kashyap and Aanand L Rai come together for Mukkabaaz|work=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|date=7 July 2017|access-date=7 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207192920/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/070717/anurag-kashyap-and-aanand-l-rai-come-together-for-mukkabaaz.html|archive-date=7 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The film is set in the [[Bareilly]] district of [[Uttar Pradesh]] and is inspired by several true incidents.<ref name=kannan /> ''Mukkabaaz'' also deals with the issue of the [[Caste system in India|caste system]] and [[Cow vigilante violence in India since 2014|cow vigilantism]] in India.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ptinews.com/news/9299815_Films-on-socio-political-issues-making-a-comeback--Kashyap.html|title=Films on socio-political issues making a comeback: Kashyap|publisher=[[Press Trust of India]]|date=7 December 2017|access-date=7 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207102158/http://www.ptinews.com/news/9299815_Films-on-socio-political-issues-making-a-comeback--Kashyap.html|archive-date=7 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www2.gulf-times.com/story/566879/Anurag-Kashyap-s-Mukkabaaz-hits-out-at-societal-in|title=Anurag Kashyap's Mukkabaaz hits out at societal injustices|last=Bhaskaran|first=Gautaman|work=[[Gulf Times]]|date=10 October 2017|access-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207013725/http://www2.gulf-times.com/story/566879/Anurag-Kashyap-s-Mukkabaaz-hits-out-at-societal-in|archive-date=7 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Singh trained for a year to play the part with coach Anudeep Singh, a former boxer, who was coaching people for free and runs a garage. His story was used when researching the film.<ref name=open>{{cite news|url=http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/cinema/anurag-kashyap-the-system-has-always-destroyed-sportsmen|title=Anurag Kashyap: 'The system has always destroyed sportsmen'|last=Unny|first=Divya|work=[[Open (Indian magazine)|OPEN]]|date=20 October 2017|access-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207014532/http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/cinema/anurag-kashyap-the-system-has-always-destroyed-sportsmen|archive-date=7 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> He was also trained by Harpreet Singh, who was a coach of the Indian boxing team.<ref name=spirit /> Singh did not disclose to his coaches that he was preparing for a film role.<ref name=ringside /> His trainers said that Singh was learning boxing at the age when boxers usually retire.<ref name=spirit>{{cite AV media|title=The Spirit of Mukkabaaz – The Transformation of Vineet Singh|publisher=[[Eros Now]]|work=YouTube|date=26 December 2017|location=India}}</ref> Singh's training began at the [[Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports]], [[Patiala]], a year before filming.<ref name=ringside /><ref name=sweet /> During training, he could not see punches coming and took a real beating every day, at one point breaking some ribs. Later, he learned how to counter and defend himself. He trained for more than 700 days and was injured several times.<ref name=spirit />

Kashyap sent his second unit director, Saqib Pandor, to record boxing tournaments, which were then recreated as the state tournaments for the film.<ref name=joshi /> They witnessed a boxing tournament happening under a tent without an audience as the boxing ring was being used for something else.<ref name=joshi /> Kashyap also realised that after attending an actual boxing tournament in north India that there was no audience apart from "people in power who decide which boxer should represent the state, and who will not".<ref name=open /> Kashyap told Singh not to do "''filmi'' training" but to become a hardcore boxer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/bollywood/vineet-singh-transformation-into-boxer-mukkabaaz|title=Before 'Mukkabaaz', Here's Cheering for Vineet Singh, the Actor|publisher=[[The Quint]]|date=27 December 2014|access-date=29 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229231921/https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/bollywood/vineet-singh-transformation-into-boxer-mukkabaaz|archive-date=29 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=joshi /> No boxing choreographers or action directors were used for the film.<ref name=joshi /> Kashyap also watched several Hollywood films about boxing.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/mukkabaaz-is-a-throwback-to-the-storytelling-prevelant-in-the-70s-says-anurag-kashyap-4296951.html|title=Mukkabaaz is a throwback to the storytelling prevelant &#91;sic&#93; in the 70s, says Anurag Kashyap|last=Srivastav|first=Abhishek|publisher=[[Firstpost]]|date=10 January 2018|access-date=12 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110162910/http://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/mukkabaaz-is-a-throwback-to-the-storytelling-prevelant-in-the-70s-says-anurag-kashyap-4296951.html|archive-date=10 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> During filming, he fought with real international-level boxers with no choreography. He broke a rib and his hand.<ref name=sweet /><ref name=seventeen /> Kashyap said that in sports films the actors "expose themselves too much", whereas Singh "just disappeared" into the role.<ref name=seventeen /> ''Mukkabaaz'' was shot in [[Bareilly]], [[Varanasi]] and [[Lucknow]] in May 2017.<ref name=ringside /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/events/varanasi/anurag-hangs-out-at-his-favourite-eatery-in-varanasi/articleshow/58858608.cms|title=Anurag hangs out at his favourite eatery in Varanasi|last=Vohra|first=Meena|work=The Times of India|date=27 May 2017|access-date=7 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209004929/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/events/varanasi/anurag-hangs-out-at-his-favourite-eatery-in-varanasi/articleshow/58858608.cms|archive-date=9 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>