Personal Journal

When people in your inner circle say this,you feel it’s just friends saying it to you. It is exciting to hear it from a third party. Although I am relaxed and confident now,the pressure is slowly building on me.

Mumbai has been your muse and hence Dhobi Ghat. Over the years,writers and filmmakers have tried to portray Mumbai differently. How have you done it?

Mumbai has been very much a part of my growing up. I came to this city when I was 18 and the city just absorbed me fully. I am interested in the various urban spaces and the different kinds of situations that the city throws up. I wanted to portray how rapidly our urban centres have grown. Mumbai is also a place where people come with hope. So it’s very interesting.

Is the movie drawn from personal experiences?

I have drawn hugely from my own experiences. One of the ideas came from the time when I lived in a rented accommodation. Going with brokers to houses,getting a lease every few months,roaming around the streets,exploring the city life — all these gave fodder for the film.

The ensemble cast is a mixture of actors and non-actors.

Initially,I wanted to make the film with non-actors. I wanted to cast real people and was looking for them in factories,small shops,congested areas of South Mumbai. For the role of Munna,I wanted somebody with a street body language but belonging to the young aspiring group of people. Someone who had a day job in a factory and in the evening would put on nice clothes and go for a movie. In the case of Monica Dogra and Kriti Malhotra,I lucked out because they were real people. I met Prateik at a screening of Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na and I found him apt for the role of Munna. Aamir (Khan) joined the cast last. When I did decide to cast him,I had to revolve my film-making system around him. I wanted to shoot completely on location and with Aamir it had to be carefully done.

It is surprising to hear that Aamir was your last choice.

I thought it would be interesting to see the play of completely ordinary people on screen. I wanted people who live next door or travel by train. But I was having a hard time casting the fourth main character. That’s when Aamir auditioned; he was partly hoping that I would change my mind. I then realised that he is great for the role.

You have said that Dhobi Ghat isn’t mainstream but arthouse cinema. Aren’t you pushing away a chunk of people who would otherwise watch it?

To be honest,we are saying it to let people know the genre of the film. It would be very easy to sell it as an Aamir Khan film and get a huge opening. We just want to be entirely honest. The promos give the audience a sense of what kind of film it is and they can make a conscious decision whether to watch it or not.

So will box-office collections matter?

Most certainly. I wrote this film keeping myself in mind. At the same time,knowing the sort of film this is,I had to keep it well within a particular budget. I would be very keen on recovering the cost of the film.

Is it an added responsibility because it is backed by Aamir Khan Productions,which hasn’t had a flop till date?

It very much is. But somewhere deep down,I am confident about the film. It appeals to me and so I know that it will resonate with many people in some way.

You have shot most of it in English. Do you feel this will be a drawback with the masses?

We have been getting a lot of reactions from people on why we are making this in English. We have realised that there might be people who relate to the subject but may not be comfortable with English. So we are also dubbing a Hindi version of the film which will release simultaneously.

For a debutant director,you lucked out on the producer,didn’t you?

I was lucky to get Aamir’s time to narrate the script to him. I am lucky to be in a position where I am married to the country’s biggest superstar. There is no denying that it is a huge advantage for me.

How much did your early stint in the industry help you in making the film?

I was greatly influenced by Ashutosh Gowariker in films and Prasoon Pandey in commercials. Both of them taught me in very different ways to focus on details.

You are not really seen socialising with the other first wives of Bollywood. Are you a recluse?

I only hang out with my local gang of friends. That’s what I enjoy doing.

What kind of films inspire you?

I naturally go for a lot of world cinema. I do catch Hindi films on the weekend. I prefer watching more experimental films,animation films and food shows.

If you could direct five actors who would they be?

Nargis,Irrfan,Deepak Dobriyal,Sharman Joshi and Shilpa Shukla. I wish I could take more mainstream names,but I like these.

Being Mrs Aamir Khan
Best part of being married to Aamir Khan.

Having him and spending the rest of my life with him.

Any drawbacks?

Competing with his directors and producers for his time and attention. I am waiting for him to tell me we will have a regular life with a six-day working week and go on a holiday whenever we feel like.

Traits learnt from Aamir the perfectionist.

He is more a passionate person than a perfectionist. I have learnt from him to do things to the best of one’s potential and perseverance. His ability to get good work out of people is what enamours me.

Favourite Aamir film.

Lagaan and Taare Zameen Par.

Unwinding with Aamir.

We hang out with his kids. When they come home,we play board games or watch a film. At times,both of us are happy doing individual things. I love music and he loves reading. We don’t go out that much.