The Week India – July 21, 2019

JULY 21, 2019 • THE WEEK 69

He points to his brother’s leg. “He was
run over by a truck on December 22 last
year,” says Anand. “His right leg was
broken and bruised badly. This happens
because some people cannot digest that
a big-budget film is being made on my life.
That a few students are getting to dream
of a better life because of the institute.
[And that I could do this without] taking
any donation or monetary help from
anyone.”
Last September, four students of IIT
Guwahati filed a PIL against Anand, claim-
ing that he was a fraud. “The students
pay the money but, in return, don’t get
the education they want,” said Tarun, one
of the four students who had joined the
coaching centre in 2009 and left within a
few months.
“I don’t know who is doing this,” says
Anand. “But I believe it is someone who

is influencing innocent students out of

envy.” He says that Bihar is always shown

in a negative light in mainstream films, with

caricatured characters and poor infrastruc-

ture. “But there are also stories of hope and

immense hard work. I want that to come to

fore with this film,” he says.

Initially, Bollywood filmmakers were

hesitant to make a film on Anand. Sanjeev

Dutta, who wrote the script of Super 30,

had to wait for almost nine years before

the movie was made. Anand wanted it to

be made by someone who understood the

subject and starring a big actor, so that its

message would not be restricted to a niche

audience.

The film has not been free of controver-

sies. A case was filed against director Vikas

Bahl after he got embroiled in the #MeToo

controversy. “Sometimes things happen in

life that you don’t have control over” says

Anand about the controversy. “Maybe this

was one of those situations.” However, he

is happy with Bahl’s work. The director had

travelled to the lesser-known areas of Bihar

to understand the region and its culture.

Anand does not buy into the brickbats

that Roshan has gotten for playing a role

that is far removed from his larger-than-life

persona and for getting the diction wrong.

On his part, Roshan knows that he has

entered new territory, essaying a real-life

character from India’s heartland. In a

recent newspaper interview, he had said

that hearing the script for the first time was

a beautiful experience for him. “I was ex-

tremely touched by it,” he had said. “It took

me to a different world. Right from Anand’s

first dialogue, I could see myself doing the

film and saying those lines. That character

on paper was an extension of myself.”

Anand says that he is happy that Ro-

shan’s fan following will ensure a larger

reach. But more than that, it is the work

that the actor has put in that has impressed

him. During the making of the film, Roshan

called Anand to Mumbai at least five times

to understand his journey. Asked if he

would have preferred an actor from Bihar to

play him, Anand says, “Hrithik has worked

really hard to play the part. He spent

enough time to understand my journey and

life. I could not have asked for anyone bet-

ter.” Many actors who play supporting roles

are from Bihar, including the 30 students

of Super 30. “Six of them were from my

institute,” he says. “The makers wanted to

make the classroom look authentic.”

I have been

attacked many

times, even

when this film

was announced.

People started

spreading

negative stories

about the

institute and

about me.

Anand Kumar

DOING THE MATH

Stills from the film

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