A Man of Action

Not really. During the day,I shoot for Action Jackson and in the evening,I sit with my team for R…Rajkumar,whose shooting and editing is now complete. We have already done 33 days of shooting for Action Jackson.

What’s your fascination with action movies?

I am not the one who is fascinated by them; my producers are. Even when I suggest some other story to them,they still insist on action movies. It’s mainly because of the success of my previous movies in this genre.

After doing so many action movies,how do you keep the audience interested?

Mostly,I brainstorm with a writer and a screenplay writer for days together. We discuss it while travelling together as Mumbai traffic ensures that we spend a lot of time on the road and work on it till late. The story is sealed when all three of us love it. Twists and turns are added to it later on.

Screenplay takes another six months. We work on it scene by scene — analyse every bit of it. When my writers create a scene that has 10 lines,I ask them to reduce it to three. Cinema is a visual medium. Instead of making it verbose,I want to focus on the visuals. We also delve into the emotions of each character.

Since Hindi is not one of your strengths,does it hinder your contribution to the screenplays?

I am very comfortable with Hindi,but I can’t speak it fluently. When I did Pukaar,I did not understand the language. Now that I have been living here for the last two years,my Hindi is much better. As a director,I must understand each word. I am doing very big projects. Without knowing the language,I can’t do justice.

How was the song Gandi Baat,which has become so popular,composed and choreographed?

For R…Rajkumar,I am working with Pritam for the first time. He composed the song in 15 minutes. While choreographing it,I told Shahid to let go of himself and not be bothered about performing the steps with perfection.

You have directed so many remakes. What thought goes into them?

We have to recreate the same magic. It’s tough. Had it been easy,every film would have been remade. However,I have also directed several original scripts.

After ABCD — Any Body Can Dance,are we going to see you act in another film?

I don’t plan anything. I go with the flow. I am enjoying direction at the moment. I like the challenge to create something new every day and the responsibility that comes with it. It’s an amazing feeling,like a child in Disney World.

Since you direct big-budget films,how much attention do you give to commercial concerns?

I don’t think of box-office earnings till my movie releases. Prior to that,I stay focused on making it. Every time I direct a movie,it’s like working on my first film. I can’t sleep when the scenes are being shot and I want to be back on the sets.

alaka.sahani@expressindia.com