Sejal Shah on why she chose to make her directorial debut with ‘Costao’

Mumbai, April 28, 2025
Sejal Shah will be stepping into direction with Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer biographical drama “Costao”.

Speaking to IANS exclusively, she revealed why she chose to make her directorial debut with this story, and also the challenges faced by her during the making.

Sejal told IANS, “I first came across the story of Kostav and felt compelled to write it. Eventually, we developed it into a script. What fascinated me was how courageous and layered the hero’s journey was. I was fortunate to have Nawaz and Vinod backing the project. Honestly, for a debut, the journey was smoother than I had expected—many first-timers don’t get this lucky.”

When asked, given that “Costao” explores the smuggling world of the 90s, how relevant is the narrative today, Sejal replied, “We aimed to depict the 90s authentically. Making a period film is always challenging—it took time to find appropriate locations and recreate that era visually. But we never glamorized it.

In fact, we presented the truth. Most people don’t know what customs officers actually did back then, especially in Goa. Their work was much more complex than what’s typically shown in Hindi films, where police are usually the focus. Customs intelligence work is extremely demanding, and many of them risked their lives without formal training. It’s a role that deserves recognition.”

Meanwhile, revealing the driving force behind choosing to do “Costao”,

Nawazuddin shared with us, “There can’t be just one reason. There were many factors, actually. But if I had to highlight a few, the two people sitting beside me—Sejal and Vinod—were major reasons. It was the writing. And of course, it was about Costao —his personality, his life story. His bravery, honesty, discipline, and courage really moved me.”

Based on the true story of Costao Fernandes, a Goa customs officer who sacrificed everything to dismantle a major gold smuggling operation, “Costao” will premiere on May 1 on ZEE5.(Agency)