Lyricist Ayaz Kohli turns director with film-Objection My Lord

Ayaz Kohli, known for his work as a lyricist in Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2 and music video Tum Wahi Saaz Ho, is set to make his directorial debut with feature film Objection My Lord starring Pearl V Puri, Vikram Kochhar, Zoya Afroz and Mishti Chakraborty. Touted to be a court room drama on black magic, the shooting of the film will begin by March 20.

Ayaz opens up on donning a director's hat for his debut film Objection My Lord and how the whole idea of making a film on this subject came up.

Sharing about why he choose this script as his directorial debut project, he tells, "Since arriving in Mumbai in 2017, I've been working on a few scripts, with Objection My Lord being one of my earliest endeavours. The script's positive reception from those who heard it encouraged me to make it my directorial debut. I'm confident that audiences will love the film when it hits theatres later this year, as many who have read or heard the story have already showered it with praise. Indeed, the courtroom drama centered on black magic is a truly captivating script."

Talking about how the cast came on board for the film, he stated, "Pearl was the first person I confided in with the idea for my movie. He was immediately impressed by the concept and the clarity of my vision for its development. Zoya's reaction mirrored Pearl's enthusiasm. However, Vikram joining the project right after his success with Dunki directed by Rajkumar Hirani truly felt like catching a favourable wind. Mishti, the last to join, provided the essential tailwind that propelled us forward."

Reflecting on how the whole idea of Objection My Lord came up, he tells, "Now that's the creative spark I was referring to, the gift I've been blessed with. We all often catch ourselves thinking, "I wish I'd had that idea!" – like the concept for the film Inception. Sometimes, ideas, whether creative, business-oriented, or for a startup, emerge from either deep contemplation or, as some might say, divine intervention." Adding about how director Rajkumar Hirani was impressed by the title Objection My Lord, he reveals, "When I told Raju Hirani sir that I was going to direct my first film, he asked me what's the title? When I mentioned the title, he smiled heavily and said, "You don't need to explain to anyone what is it about, the title says it all." He was equally impressed with my story."

He further elaborates on his journey of transitioning from an IRS officer, then a novelist, to a lyricist, a script writer, and now a director. He said, "When I cracked the civil services exam and became an IRS officer, I thought I had reached the pinnacle. However, after a few years, I realised a restlessness within me that grew stronger with time. This is what led me to write my first novel, Snakes in the Meadows. After publishing it, I once again felt the urge to explore new horizons. This prompted me to move to Mumbai and pursue my passion for writing. I wrote lyrics for numerous songs while simultaneously delving into scriptwriting. My latest transition, becoming a film director, occurred very recently after my producer and I were convinced it was the right step for me."