Mickey Virus is a do-or-die film for me: director Saurabh Varma

Debutant director Saurabh Varma says he has garnered decent publicity for the film. Releasing in around 1000 screens, the film is do or die for him as the audience will now decide his fate as a director.

Mickey Virus may be a small budget movie but the filmmakers have ensured that it is well publicised. So much so that Salman Khan has endorsed it several times in his show Bigg Boss.



Saurabh Varma, the writer and director of the movie, says Mickey Virus is a comic thriller, a genre not very exposed in Bollywood. The film stars Manish Paul, Elli Evram, Manish Choudhary, Puja Gupta. Based in Delhi, it has hacking as the backdrop.



When asked why he chose Manish Paul and Elli as the lead, debutant director Saurabh Varma says, "I did not think of casting stars. As a first time director, I wanted dedicated actors not stars - not because it is unique but because this is my first."



Ask him why his lead heroine is locked up in Bigg Boss house as the film releases, Saurabh tells Hindustantimes.com that it is a well-though strategy for publicity. "Elli got an offer and she had discounted it. My wife later suggested that while the rest of the crew promotes the film travelling across regions, she would be a daily face in drawing rooms of the audience. Elli is new, so it would be the best way to make her face familiar."

Talking about her character in the movie, Puja says, "Mickey (Manish's character in the film) and my friendship, I take it as more like a 'Tom and Jerry', neither we can live without each other nor with each other."



The lead actor and popular TV host Manish Paul says, "I think so far, no film has been made on hacking, and youngsters will really connect with the film because today everything is online. People shop online, even education is online."



The director jokingly says that he wants the audience to watch the film as it is the best movie of the month. On a serious note, he adds that being a first time director, he has garnered decent publicity for the film. Releasing in around 1000 screens, the film is do or die for him as the audience will now decide his fate as a director, he further says.



Interestingly, the movie has a lot of VFX done by Indian artists. Saurabh Varma says, "We have taken VFX to a different level. I created a lot of stuff myself. We have completely Indian VFX artists, people who have done lot of Hollywood stuff."



"I am proud that there is no gora hand," the director adds laughing.



Even as the film releases on Friday, it is already creating buzz all across. "We have been contacted by a number of parties from down south for Mickey Virus. We are negotiating the remake, merchandising and gaming rights with a few of them. We will take a call once the film releases," said producer Vivek Rangachari of Dar Motion Pictures.



Will the film live up to the expectations of the makers? That remains to be see.



(with inputs from IANS)