Filmmaker Kabir Thapar has just come up with another powerful film Smile Simi based on depression that affected people during the COVID-19 crisis. Streaming on Disney Hotstar now, the film narrates the story of Simi and her perfect world, who is yet lurking in the shadows because of an enemy that is responsible to shatter the happiness of her family and their little world.
Smile Simi stars Neeta Mohindra, best known as Sushant Singh Rajput’s mother in the blockbuster MS Dhoni- An Untold Story along with Sanjay Gurbaxani, Saadhika Syal and Namrata Kapoor in the lead roles. Sonu Nigam has sung a song for the film too.
"Smile Simi is all about smiling and staying positive, even when one is mentally affected. It’s not about just the individual, but also what their family goes through. It’s not a crime if someone is not able to organically feel happy. It’s high time our nation should be aware of mental health issues, addressing it seriously which might save many lives. I felt this was the best time to conceptualise this content since so many people taking their own lives," tells Kabir Thapar.
On talking about how pandemic has changed filmmaking Thapar shares, "I can’t say much about others, but in my case. it gave me a lot of quality time to work on my upcoming films. OTT’s are a great platform and it has changed the entire system. Since it’s easily accessible, censorship must be there to filter content".
Being a Dada Saheb Phalke awardee he says, "Dada Saheb is known as the father of our industry and having his name attached is a big motivation. Nothing else can replace those feelings. It’s good to know that your work is appreciated".