'Happy Patel': Why Vir Das banned phones, entourage on set
What's the story
Actor-director Vir Das recently revealed that he had a no-cell-phone policy on the sets of his directorial Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos. The decision was made to enhance productivity and efficiency during the shoot. "The no-cell-phone policy benefited us. We sped up shooting by one and a half times," he told Mid-Day.
Unconventional methods
Das's unconventional approach to filmmaking
Das's approach to filmmaking with Happy Patel was a departure from the norm in the Hindi film industry. He implemented a no-entourage policy and had one common hair and makeup crew for all cast members. These rules were introduced to keep costs down and finish the film on time. "It is a tiny film, shot in 31 days. So, it was crucial to do this."
Star-studded appearances
Das's film featured several high-profile cameos
Happy Patel was not just a small-scale production; it also featured several high-profile cameos. Das revealed that the film had six action sequences and 14 original pieces of music. It also had cameos from Aamir Khan and Imran Khan. To manage these elements within a tight budget, Das decided to adopt unconventional methods on set.
New norms
Das's decision set a new culture on movie sets
Das is proud to have established a new culture on movie sets with his no-cell-phone policy. He believes that this decision has helped them complete the film in record time. "We had to keep our costs down," he said, adding that he is thrilled with the outcome of this unconventional approach.
Crew expertise
'Happy Patel' crew members and their previous work
Happy Patel features behind-the-scenes work by several experienced professionals. The film's colorist, Sidharth Meer, is known for his work on Homebound (2025). Costume designer Parakriti Rajpurohit has previously designed outfits for Sacred Games (2018-19). Composer Parth Pandya has worked on Jigra (2024), while DoP Himman Dhamija is known for Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005). Happy Patel was released in cinemas on Friday.