Director Atul Sabharwal has stated that his new film “Berlin,” featuring Aparshakti Khurana and Ishwak Singh, seeks to convey a message of empathy amidst a climate of “utter selfishness.”
Set against the backdrop of 1990s New Delhi, this spy thriller centers on a deaf-mute young man named Ashok Kumar (played by Singh), who is suspected of being a foreign spy. The narrative takes a complicated turn when a proficient sign language interpreter, Pushkin Verma (portrayed by Khurana), is introduced to assist in the investigation.
“We exist in a time characterized by profound selfishness, which permeates from the electorate to the highest echelons of power. This film is not anti-establishment; rather, it critiques the pervasive absence of empathy. Pushkin’s mission is not political; it is fundamentally about empathy. The overarching message is one of empathy,” Sabharwal explained in an interview with PTI.
The filmmaker, recognized for works such as “Aurangzeb” and “Class of ’83,” revealed that “Berlin” is inspired by his 2016 short story titled “The Decipherer.”
The concept originated from the image of a deaf-mute waiter in a café.
“I frequently visited a Costa café in Lokhandwala, which employed deaf-mute staff. One particular waiter was exceptionally cheerful and attempted to engage customers using sign language, often inquiring about their reasons for visiting. Many actors and scriptwriters would frequent the café for production meetings, and this waiter’s curiosity became a significant source of inspiration. This initial spark gradually evolved into a narrative set in the world of espionage,” Sabharwal recounted.
During this period, the writer-director was immersed in spy novels by authors such as Eric Ambler and Len Deighton.
“I was also influenced by Michael Caine’s films ‘Funeral in Berlin’ and ‘The Ipcress File,’ which are adaptations of Deighton’s works. As the world began to take shape, I contemplated what story could be told within that context.”
His guiding principle was: “The Decipherer” is to the ear what Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” is to the eye.
Considered one of Hitchcock’s masterpieces, the 1954 film follows a bored photographer recuperating from a broken leg who spends his time observing his neighbors.
