April 25, 2012 3:49:29 am
As they team up for their next film,Shoojit Sircar,John Abraham and Ayushmann Khurrana talk about their sleeper hit Vicky Donor
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WE did not want to be preachy. We wanted to keep the subject of sperm donation in the fun space and address infertility,a problem quite prevalent in our society, said director Shoojit Sircar of his film Vicky Donor. The effort has,of course,worked in his favour,as the film has turned into a sleeper hit. The opening weekend brought in Rs 8 crore and the film is going strong at the box office in its second week.
The excitement of this success was evident in Sircars voice as he spoke at length about the movie,along with the films producer John Abraham and debut actor Ayushmann Khurrana at Screen Chatroom,held at Express Towers in Mumbai on Monday.
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Abraham added that,as a first-time producer,he was sure about the success of the film well before it released. I was convinced about the idea when I read the script; it was not iffy or icky. I just wanted the film to not be offensive, said Abraham. The film got a U-certificate,which increased their revenue by 50 per cent.
A film on sperm donation wouldnt attract many debutants,but Khurrana says that the concept is what convinced him to do Vicky Donor. I did not have a godfather in the industry. I had to do a content-driven film, the actor explained. Sircar felt that Khurrana fit the part perfectly.
I wanted an actor who would get his dialogue delivery and diction right and would look the part, said Sircar.
Although the film is praised for its execution,Sircar felt that the real hero of the film is writer Juhi Chaturvedi. It is her first film as a writer and she was spot-on. We did not intend to make a comedy,but the situations turned out to be comic, he said. It helped that they had a producer like Abraham,who was willing to market it well. Abraham said,I wanted the marketing to be clean and hygienic. I did not want my actors to go and laugh at comedy shows but I positioned the film well.
Apart from establishing a bunch of newcomers,the film has also transformed Abrahams image from that of a looker to a successful producer. My achievements were often credited to my bod. But with Vicky Donor,people will know that I have a sense of filmmaking, said Abraham.
The trio will now get together for their second film Hamara Bajaj,which will go on floors end of this year.
For detailed coverage catch Screen issue dated May 4,2012
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