Ritesh Batra kicks off shooting for long years ago starring Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan

Filmmaker Ritesh Batra made his Hindi debut with the critically acclaimed film The Lunchbox, which won many accolades. The director and screenwriter has just started filming for his much-talked-about film Long Years Ago, starring Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan and Mélanie Laurent in Mumbai.

There has been a lot of buzz about this project due to its ensemble casting. This comic caper is set in 1991, and it is the story of a family that refuses to address the issues that matter the most and what happens when they eventually decide to speak their minds and open up to each other.

Ritesh, who has mastered the art of backing and bringing some meaningful stories to life, is happy to have got the perfect cast for the film. He is also known to connect with his audience by capturing personal emotions between his characters. During media interactions, he also revealed that the subject of this film is quite close to his heart.

Vidya and Saif are reuniting on screen after Parineeta and are thrilled to work with the noted director. Mélanie, on the other hand, also stated that during her first meeting with Batra at the Marrakech Film Festival, she had promised him that they would unite for a project in the future. She immediately agreed to do this film as soon as she heard the story.

Also read: Long Years Ago: Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan reunite for Ritesh Batra’s new film; Melanie Laurent joins cast

The film is produced by Batra’s company Poetic License in partnership with Jio Studios. Good Chaos from the UK and Momento from France are selling the film internationally.

Ritesh made his mark with his first Hindi project, which was the highest-grossing foreign film in North America, Europe and Australia. The film was also nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language in 2015.