Sunshine Cinema

The event had the actor-director-producer team of Barfi!,Ranbir Kapoor,Ileana D’Cruz,Anurag Basu talking about their film,which releases on September 14. The film’s other female lead,Priyanka Chopra couldn’t be present due to prior commitment.

For Ranbir,Barfi! came to him at the right time,after the emotionally-draining role in his last film Rockstar. “After Rockstar,I needed to do a happy film like this,” he said. Not just the film’s content,but its shooting too was a welcome change for him. There were no hard-boiled methodical preparations but impromptu collaborations between the cast and crew.

For this,Ranbir gives credit to the director’s instinctive and unconventional way of working. “Basu likes to work in chaos,wants everyone to join in the process of making the film. Although I was playing a challenging character,I didn’t feel any challenge. He made it so much easier,” he said.

The much talked-about Kishore Kumar biopic with the same team of Ranbir-Basu and UTV is still on the anvil,confirmed Kapoor. “That is very much on,we are discussing a few things and we will hopefully revive that,” he said.

Barfi! derives its title from the iconic ‘70s’ baby in the advertisements of radio — Murphy. Kapoor,whose character is hearing-impaired,is named Murphy. But he introduces himself as “Barfi”. The film is a feel-good romantic-comedy at heart,but it goes through the colours of various genres without being too sombre,insists Kapoor.

“It is a comedic,romantic caper-turned-murder mystery. However,even in its scenes of tragedy,it never loses the humour,” Kapoor added. And much of this comedy is physical,drawing from Charlie Chaplin,Mr Bean and even the early days of Raj Kapoor.

Priyanka’s character,Jhilmil,is an autistic girl,and Barfi’s friend. “Their relationship is what it’s like between a sunshiny puppy and an eight-year old,” said Kapoor.

D’Cruz was initially jittery about the unfamiliar world of Hindi films. “I completely depended on Anurag,” she said. Her character,Shruti,is a Bengali woman and Ranbir’s ladylove in the film. With all the talk about D’Cruz’s uncanny Bengali looks in the film’s promos,Basu said he modelled the actress on his own mother’s appearance. “Instead of going for a retro-Bollywood over-the-top look,I found a much more realistic look in my mother and that is relevant to the movie’s time and place,” he said.

For both Basu and Kapoor,whose filmographies boast of memorable music,the songs of Barfi! are of great significance. “Barfi’s music is its fourth character,it makes a huge difference if the songs aren’t there,” the director said. Aware of the winning results his partnership with singer Mohit Chauhan yields,Kapoor is happy that the singer has lent his voice to his numbers in the movie once again after the success of Rockstar. “Mohit commands such a large fan-base himself,I just hope more directors keep making us come together.”

(For the detailed coverage of the event,read Screen issue dated September 14)