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EXCLUSIVE: Atul Kasbekar on Neerja winning at National Film Awards: Sonam Kapoor and I were just busy saying thank you to each other for five minutes
Neerja's producer talks about the conversation between himself and Sonam Kapoor after winning big at the 64th National Film Awards.
The 64th National Film Awards' Winners list was announced today and Neerja won two big honours. While the movie won the Best Hindi Film, Sonam Kapoor was bestowed with a special mention by the jury.
We contacted Atul Kasbekar who was overwhelmed by the big win for his first movie as a producer. He said, "Even if I was the ultimate optimist, you can't write this script (laughs). We just wanted to...Ram (Madhvani) and I have known each other for 25 years and the only thing we said at the beginning of this journey is that we will be achingly honest to Neerja, to the story and we took a lot of trouble to do that and the audience has liked the movie."
On Sonam getting recognition for her stunning portrayal of national hero Neerja Bhanot, Atul said, "I had told Sonam at the beginning of this project, 'Listen, you know what, maybe I don't know what I'm doing and the worst thing that will happen is that I'll make a flop. There are a lot of seasoned producers who know nothing other than the film business, who have made flops. But, I just have a good feeling so why don't you just submit to the process and I promise you that if I don't get you a nomination at least for a National Award then I will have failed you'. We did a little better than a nomination and I'm very happy." 
When probed on his first conversation with Sonam post the win, Atul said, "We were just busy saying thank you to each other for five minutes."
Atul also spoke to Neerja Bhanot's brothers who were extremely excited. He said, "I spoke to her brothers. They were over the moon as well. I mean for them to trust a first-time producer to make a film on their sister when over the last 30 years they had been asked some 15-20 times. They routinely turned it down. I have no idea why they trusted a first-time producer and director but I'm very grateful to them."
The producer also revealed how the cast and crew were now going to celebrate. He revealed, "Now I think there are plans to have a party next weekend. Everyone is saying, 'yaar abhi toh party banti hai.'"
He concluded, "It's genuinely overwhelming, the amount of love and affection and support this movie has got from all kinds of people including a lot of otherwise cynical people. There was a sudden goodness about the movie that just radiated. I don't know how else to express it but I've never felt just a different energy. I'm very receptive to energies, it's just been a different confluence of energies that have met over here. It's just something else."
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