While Nawazuddin Siddiqui readily agreed to front Costao, director Sejal Shah recalls how it took long to convince the real-life Customs officer to part with the story
Nawazuddin Siddiqui sports a black band (encircled). Pic/Yogen Shah
Sejal Shah was searching for the right story to kickstart her directorial career, when she, in 2019, stumbled upon the story of Customs officer Costao Fernandes, who displayed courage in the face of corruption. Six years on, it has taken the shape of Costao, the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer that releases next week. “We spent almost a year on the research. I’ve been a journalist, so research is very important to me. We went to Goa where Costao showed me his house; I also met other Custom officers. The scripting took another two years,” she recalls.
Costao Fernandes
Right when she came across the story, the debutant director knew that she wanted Siddiqui to play the titular role. Having produced the actor’s film, Serious Men (2020), convincing him for the Zee5 offering took no effort. Instead, it was Fernandes who took a lot of convincing.
Sejal Shah
She shares, “He was not ready to [part with the story] initially. He is very friendly, full of life, but also a maverick. So, he had to be comfortable with me and believe that I wanted to tell the story. Once [he believed in my intent], he was wonderful.”
In Memory of the victims
At the press interviews of Costao on Friday, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was sporting a black band on his left arm. “It’s to show my solidarity with the Pahalgam attack victims. Bohot dukh hai aur bohot gussa bhi hai. The entire country is feeling this way,” he said.
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