"He is a perfectionist and extremely committed to his craft. A stalwart with whom I would love to work again and again. He has changed my entire perception about the industry. After working with him, my expectations from other actors in the industry have increased, " Talwar, who teamed up with Pankaj in her directorial debut, told IANS.
Apart from playing the lead role, Pankaj has written the film's script as well.
"Pankaj-ji had written this script long back. When he had shown me the script, I just loved it. Then nothing happened. So one day, I just went to him and told him that I would very much like to make a film on the script and he agreed. So, he was just the right person for 'Happi', " the director said.
The National Award winning "Dharm", their first film together, was set against the backdrop of the holy city of Varanasi and was a touching tale of religious harmony. Pankaj had excelled in the role of a portly brahmin priest in the movie.
"Happi", however, is a simple comedy drama but with a message.
"It is a comedy. Set in Mumbai, it is about a simple man 'Happi' (Pankal Kapoor) who doesn't have much expectations from life. It is a topical film that throws light on the loopholes in our system.
"The movie gives a message that in this fast world, we should take some time to sit back and look at our life in a simple manner, " Talwar explained.
Just like "Dharm" that explored religious undercurrents, "Happi" too gives a social message and Talwar stresses that all her films will have a message associated with them.
Filmmakers are nowadays thinking up out-of-the-box ideas to promote their movies; so what will be her mantra to promote this film?
"We are looking at promoting the concept of happiness in big cities because that is something missing in our everyday lives, " said Talwar.
"Dharm" had received a lot of appreciation from critics as well as audiences; so does it add to the expectations from her second film?
"Well you can't always live up to the expectations of the people. All I believe in is doing my job well and with honesty and it pays off."
"Happi" is set to release April 16 and also stars Supriya Pathak and Hrishitaa Bhatt.