The film ‘Mercy’, inspired by the thoughts of Paresh Rawal: released in theatres, raises debate among the audience by raising complex questions of euthanasia.
The recently released film Mercy is scheduled to hit the theaters on April 24, 2026 and is in the news due to its sensitive subject matter. Raj Vasudeva, Niharika Raizada, Kunal Bhan and Aparna Ghoshal are seen in important roles in this film directed by Mitul Patel. In a special conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, the director and cast spoke openly about their journey, characters and emotional aspects of the film. Mitul Patel told that he got the inspiration for this story from an interview of Paresh Rawal, in which there was mention of a difficult decision related to life and death. He says that this film brings forward a topic on which people generally avoid talking. Your film has now been released in theaters and you have emerged as the youngest director. How do you see this entire journey and the response of the audience after its release? Mitul Patel- It still feels a little surreal to me. After three years of hard work, when the film was released and reached the people, there was a different kind of relief. This entire journey has made me very grounded and humble. We had already received a good response at festivals, but in theaters when the audience connects with the film and reacts emotionally, it is even more special. I just hope that more and more people watch the film and connect with it because that will be the biggest win for this story. The subject matter of this film is quite sensitive and has a ‘grey’ area. Where did you get the idea for this story and why did you decide to turn it into a film? Mitul Patel- About three and a half years ago I saw an interview of Paresh Rawal. In it he talked about his mother being in a coma and the difficult decision whether we are extending someone’s life or prolonging their death. One thing that remained with me was that his mother probably sacrificed her own life so that he would not feel guilty. I felt that this was a topic in which there was no single right answer. Every person is right from his own perspective. So I thought that through this film, different perspectives should be shown, so that the audience can see themselves in these characters and find their answers. Aparna ji, you have played the role of a mother in this film which is quite emotional and challenging. How was the experience of playing this role and what is your own thinking on this subject? Aparna Ghoshal- This role was really very emotional and full of ups and downs. Especially when the character is on the bed and is in that position, it was not easy to put yourself in it. It’s a traumatic situation, and it took a while to adjust to. As far as the topic is concerned, it is very relevant in today’s time. ‘Death’ is a universal truth, but how we face it or when we accept it is a big question. Even today, the subject of euthanasia is not completely clear, and the beauty of this film is that it forces people to think. Raj Vasudeva, how did your journey of joining this film begin and how was your experience as an actor and producer? Raj Vasudeva- At that time I was in Holland and an incident had happened in my family due to which I was able to connect with this topic. I was looking for good scripts and then Ajay sent me a line for this film. She immediately touched my heart because I related to that situation myself. Then we met and initially thought of making it a short film, but the story was so big that we turned it into a feature film. The biggest challenge for me as an actor was the emotional scenes. It was easy to enter them because the atmosphere was very real, but it was difficult to get out. Niharika Raizada, your character ‘Jiya’ is stuck between many relationships and emotions. How was the process of playing this character and were you able to personally connect with this story? Niharika Raizada- I was selected for this film through audition. On a personal level, I am connected to this topic because I had a similar experience with my grandmother during Covid. Whenever I talk about this film, those memories come back. So this film is not just a project for me, but also an emotional experience. Kunal Bhan, there is a light-hearted mischief as well as depth in your character. How was the experience of playing this role and how much were you able to relate to it? Kunal Bhan- When I got the audition of this film, I felt that I have to be a part of it because it is a very important story, which people do not talk about openly. My character is a bit mischievous and mischievous on the outside, like younger brothers often are, but inside he also has a practical and emotional side. His journey is quite silent, he expresses his feelings through songs and in his own way. I couldn’t completely relate to this situation, but the brother-sister relationship, the banter and the misunderstandings are all very similar to my real life. Recently, there has been an increase in discussion on decisions related to euthanasia in the country. How important is the release of your film at such a time? Mitul Patel- Our film was already made, but it is an interesting coincidence that the discussion on this topic has increased recently. I think this will increase people’s curiosity and they will be willing to talk about this topic. Our effort is to encourage people to openly discuss issues like ‘Dignity in Dying’ and ‘End-of-Life Care’.
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