Vinod Kapri on the Challenges of Directing Two-Year-Old ‘Pihu’

Little Myra Vishwakarma is the star of his latest thriller.

Vinod Kapri on the sets of Pihu with Myra, the film’s lead.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

People have been talking about Pihu ever since the film’s trailer was released, and their reactions have been extreme. While some were too scared to watch the thriller, which shows a two-year-old in what appear to be extremely perilous situations, others couldn’t wait to satisfy their curiosity. One thing that has caught everybody’s attention is how natural Myra Vishwakarma, the child who plays the lead role, is in front of the camera, which makes every scene look so real.

So when The Quint met up with filmmaker Vinod Kapri, we couldn’t help but ask him how he managed to direct a child that young.

Here’s what Vinod Kapri has to say, “Her parents were there throughout the shoot—24/7. They were really a big, big, big support. We would just put her in a situation and accordingly, we got what we wanted. But you know, we had to wait for 2-3 days, not 2-3 hours. We used to keep telling each other, ‘Just have some patience, we will get the shot.’”

Also Read: Myra, Who Played Pihu in Vinod Kapri’s Thriller, ‘Directed’ It

Vinod Kapri met Myra, who is nicknamed Pihu, at a birthday party and fell in love with her. The next day, he spoke to her parents and told them all about the film he was planning on making. Her parents were Kapri’s friends, and after thinking things over for a few days, they gave him the go ahead.

I spent 3-4 months with her. Every day, I used to spend 2-3 hours with her and I tried to gather her behavioural patterns, her likes/dislikes. Accordingly, I changed my screenplay. And you know, it really helped me. The homework and the time I spent with her, it really helped me.

Vinod Kapri, Filmmaker

Editor: Veeru Krishan Mohan