They say that matches are made in heaven. This is one of those films where they are undone in heaven! But then again, that’s the strange thing about love: just when the worst has happened, the best happens almost like the nightmare never took place, almost like love is undeniable, almost like love and hope are two faces of the same coin.

Nandini fell in love once and then life happened–shattering every belief that she had about love. And then, just as she was ready to give up on love, she fell in love, all over again! Hysterical, intelligent, honest, Fatso is all about love packaged in with a calorie count!

This script has been with me for about three years and I have always felt that this might be the most commercial film that I have done so far. Maybe the most commercial that I will ever do. Not because I am averse to that but simply because only once in a while you get tickled by an idea that has the potential to be liked by a huge number of people. I believe, Fatso has that potential.

On another level, it is another foray into the idea of Identity. I think that taken together with Raghu Romeo and Mithya, it makes a trilogy of sorts.

And the making of the film was great fun. On one hand, I took another journey with my old collaborators. Rafey Mahmood for cinematography (what would I do without him?), Resul Pookutty for sound (now he has an extra post-Oscar glow), Suresh Pai for editing (ever reliable), Meenal Agarwal for production design (to know that she is there, reduces my stress level by half), Saurabh Shukla as a co-writer (great once you manage to force him to write) and Ranvir Shorey as the lead actor (full of surprises as always).

And there were some new collaborators. Purab Kohli and Gul Panag, both actors that I have wanted to work with for sometime now, finally found a project that was worthy of collaboration. And there were two young actors, Neil Bhoopalam and Gunjan Bakshi, both of whom are capable of taking your breath away.

All in all, a splendid time was had by all.

Rajat Kapoor

Rajat Kapoor is the master of the clever movie. Whether it’s Raghu Romeo (2003) or Mixed Doubles (2006) or Mithya (2008), all his films have evoked wide critical acclaim. Defying the typical Bollywood stereotype, they have also done in the box office, which is almost a contradiction in terms because critical acclaim and success at the turnstiles rarely go together here.

Fatso! (I would like to believe) will take that amazing success story one step further. The man who had to raise money from the internet to make Raghu Romeo has now directed a spectacular romantic comedy that will have viewers in heaven and earth rolling down the aisle together. The ensemble cast itself sets the tone of the movie, with Ranvir Shorey playing the 300 pound title role, Gul Panag, Purab Kohli, Neel Bhoopalam, Gunjan Bakkshi and Brijendra Kala, taking Bollywood humour to a new high. Funny, intelligent, touching, and almost allegorical, this is a charming take on romance and love in our times.

For those who believe that Bollywood comedies are all about predictable formula, Fatso! is a must watch. It takes you to places you have never seen, never been too. Including, I dare say, both heaven and hell, as well as earth, where all the devious plans of man and woman are invariably hatched.

Pritish Nandy