‘Thought people would blame me for Aamir Khan quitting acting’: Sitaare Zameen Par director RS Prasanna

Like Sitaare Zameen Par, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is also about disability, a sexual one at that. Do you see that parallel?

More than disability, I think it’s about discrimination. You feel lesser and discriminated against. These have something to do with the underdog within us who wants to do better. When you see movies like these, it’s like a fantasy coming true. It’s a great high.

RS Prasanna directing Genelia D’Souza and Aamir Khan.

Sitaare Zameen Par is an official adaptation of the 2018 Spanish film Campeones. How did it become a spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par?

It actually came very organically when we started pre-production. Because I was constantly talking about and referencing Taare Zameen Par, how much I love it and how it’s a masterpiece. I asked him how he did some scenes, like the one when Ishaan Awasthi is dropped at school, the shot division there is so beautiful! So one day, Aamir sir said there are a lot of parallels, not in terms of the plot, but the thought and the feeling of inclusion. So he suggested let’s make it a spiritual successor or an extension of that. All of us got very excited.

How did the title come up?

Aamir sir said now that we’ve decided to go into this zone, the title should give the feeling that it’s an extension of Taare Zameen Par, but is a feel-good, therapeutic film. One of the team members suggested Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir sir immediately jumped at it.

RS Prasanna directing Aamir Khan.

What were you looking for while auditioning the 10 new actors you’re launching with the film?

Firstly, I was looking for the calling for acting. You know they are performers. They don’t have stage fright. Secondly, I was looking for a unique personality that the script demanded. It was an arduous task in terms of casting. We had a great casting director in Tess Joseph. Finding them took a long time. But once we found them, we just did basic workshops on acting and basketball coaching.

At the end of the trailer, Aamir’s character keeps telling one of the students to focus, and he asks him to shut up. Were you also in that spot on set?

We all discovered that early on that these sitaare are very sorted. The girl, who plays Golu, asked me during auditions, “So, when are we starting promotions?” So I didn’t have to tell them anything other than what I’d tell any actor. Yes, we just did a little bit of workshopping like we’d do with any young actor.

RS Prasanna is launching 10 new actors with Sitaare Zameen Par.

There was a phase during the making when Aamir decided to quit acting. What was your reaction like when he broke the news to you?

It was very shocking! Imagine when a superstar like Aamir meets me and decides to quit acting, people would blame me. Aisa kya tha director mein ki he made a superstar quit acting! It was a very strange moment. But I knew it was an emotional response by Aamir sir. Like the sitaare, he’s also got that keeda of acting. Aamir sir is a child of cinema. He’s never going to quit acting. I told him that. So, you take a break. Certainly, you should take a break because you’re going through an emotional phase. And time heals. But to say you’ll quit acting is like Sachin Tendulkar saying he’d quit cricket or AR Rahman saying he’d quit music. It’s unheard of!

Did you see anything shift within him when he returned to acting after that?

When I met him in 2020, I already found him to be a very real and vulnerable man. I found that shockingly endearing! Maybe that’s him all along. I hadn’t met him before that. The brief I got from other directors was he’s an absolutely fabulous person to work with. He’s a very emotional person, which is very important for you to be a filmmaker. The time he took off to spend time with his family and loved ones healed him a lot. I remember him telling me that he was at an airport, and so many people came to him and said, “We loved Laal Singh Chaddha. Keep doing this kind of cinema. We love you!” So, he got so much of love after that that it healed him.

After Laal Singh Chaddha didn’t work, Aamir confessed he didn’t pitch his performance correctly. Did you find him going through that introspection as an actor while making Sitaare Zameen Par?

A large part of being Aamir Khan is being self-critical. When he says it’s because of him, I’d put it on his tendency to be over self-critical and also on his generosity. He’s a legend, right? When you work with such a thorough professional, every day is a new day. As far as I’m concerned, Laal Singh Chaddha is a beautiful film, straight from the heart! We all make wrong choices as directors or actors regarding the tone of the film. It’s only in retrospect that we realize if it’s right or wrong. One hopes whatever one does, it’s just honest.

Since Genelia D’Souza was first cast opposite Imran Khan in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008), were you concerned how she’d be seen cast opposite his uncle in Sitaare Zameen Par?

One is aware when you discuss it. But one is also hopeful that once you see visuals of this movie, you’ll see it as a different world. When I watched Bajirao Mastani (2015), I’d recently seen an ad of Ranveer Singh, in which he was being his usual modern, goofy self. I was wondering as a director and a student of cinema, whether it’d affect me. And then after watching the first shot of Bajirao Mastani, I just forgot everything. Cinema has got that magic! So ya, working with Genelia has been such a pleasure. She’s full of positive energy. She’s a great actor, and we love her in the South! Apparently, she’s done all languages — Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and now, Marathi, obviously.

Also Read — How Aamir Khan was troubled by son Junaid’s condition: Why dyslexia is a learning challenge and is misunderstood

What can you tell us about the streaming premiere of Sitaare Zameen Par?

The official communication is that it’s only coming in theatres. The way Aamir sir works, he’s very particular. He’s a perfectionist in every sense. I trust him to do whatever’s best for not only the film, but also the whole industry. I say this as a fan, when Aamir sir does anything, it’ll be a correct move at 360 degrees. Today, we need thought leaders like him to show us the way. So, I’m also looking forward to what he decides, just like you.