The craft and claustrophobia of Atul Sabharwal’s ‘Berlin’

Berlin is an unusual title choice for a Hindi film set entirely in 90s New Delhi. In Atul Sabharwal’s atmospheric spy drama, ‘Berlin’ denotes a café — or coffee house, as they were once known — in the national capital. “A lot of the New Delhi Municipal Council administered parts of the city were constructed like that,” Sabharwal says. There was also the Hall of Nations building in Pragati Maidan which is now broken down.” While not a silent film, Berlin often plays like one. “Because the film is about a deaf-mute character and his memories, we wanted a soundscape that is non-intrusive yet suspenseful and entertaining,” Sabharwal says.