New Directions

Did you consider trying a new genre for your second film?
I did not want my first film to be a romantic one either. As a director,I don’t enjoy the genre so much. After JTYJN I did not have another script in hand. I take a year to write,so I could either wait for two more years or just pick Pakhi’s (wife and female lead) script. Honestly,I would like to make a noir or a dark film.

But isn’t your third film Jaane Kya Tune Kahi also a romantic comedy?
That’s not necessarily my third film. JTYJN was about first love,Jhootha hi Sahi is about true love or your last love after one is done with all the heartbreaks,fun and games and finally decides to marry the person. After making these two movies,I realised that everything that I wanted to say about love will be complete if I make a third film about a married couple.

After JTYJN most actors would have been extremely keen to work with you. How was John Abraham finalised?
John cast himself in the film. Just a little before JTYJN released,I had gone to John with a subject which required him to be sexy,but he didn’t want to do another poster-boy film. I mentioned that Pakhi is writing a movie. When he heard its story,he decided to do the film. I think what excited him is the chance to be different,to work as an actor and not just a guy with a hot body.

Initially,why weren’t you convinced of Pakhi playing the lead role?
When she was writing the film,she was in love with the part,so I knew she obviously wanted to play it. But I was very nervous because people have lost perspective while working with their spouse. I kept wondering what people will say about us. But John and Madhu (Mantena,producer) were convinced that she was perfect for the role after listening to Pakhi’s narration and seeing her enact all characters.

Since you hadn’t written the film,did you want to alter it a bit during the shoot?
I interpreted it visually. Certain things are not in a script and lot of scenes didn’t define where they were set. As we were shooting,I realised that bridges were the soul of the movie. So although initially,the climax was on top of a building,we shot it at the Tower Bridge in London eventually.

With direction becoming your main focus,do you get enough time to write?
Writing has definitely taken a backseat. We make choices based on the cost-to-benefit ratio. I take a year to write a story. So when you have invested so much time,you don’t want to to do it for somebody else’s movie,you would rather make your own.

Your USP has been the stories you have conveyed through either script,dialogue or direction. How did storytelling become a part of your being?
It started in school,when my sister used to tell us horror tales. One day I told a story in class. I realised it was a big high to narrate one and continued doing so for years. Then I started doing plays on the spot,which continued in college and that is pretty much what I did with my life.

But Munnabhai was certainly a turning point for you. Were you aware of the phenomenon it would become when you wrote it?
Once we started writing it,we knew it,although we did not think it would be so huge. But Shah Rukh Khan knew it. When I wrote Main Hoon Na and submitted it to Farah Khan,she asked him his opinion on the script,he said,‘It’s good. But he has written a better film for somebody else’.

Do you continue to pick talents from coffee shops,a trend that you have popularised?
I feel acting talent has completely dried up in our country. Guys come with the same ‘gym’ bodies and lack individuality. I keep looking for people who have distinct characteristics and you find these people at unlikely places.