Animal Kingdom

By the walkway of the manicured gardens, Hansraj narrates the genesis of the project. 8220;I am an animation-film buff, and Adi producer Aditya Chopra knows it. So when he planned a high-end animation film for YRF, I was his first choice. Initially, I was only to write the script, but then he insisted that I direct as well,8221; he gesticulates.

Roadside Romeo is the story of how Romeo, a pet dog in an affluent household, becomes a stray overnight when the family decides to shift out. Pampered all his life, Romeo feels helpless on the streets till he falls for Laila, a canine beauty, and then fights the bully Anna Charlie. The voiceover is given by Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Javed Jaffrey.

8220;When I thought up the characters, I just knew Romeo had to be Saif, for Romeo is street smart and has style. Laila is a diva, and who else would8217;ve portrayed her better than Kareena?8221; says Hansraj, who was last seen in Aaja Nachle. Jaffrey was a natural choice for 8220;he is a versatile actor and would sound great in animation8221;.

Over tea, he explains how the production work of an animation movie differs from that of a regular one. 8220;An animation film is made backwards,8221; he says. The dubbing happens first. The actors enact the dialogue during the recording, which is used as reference for expressions of the characters. Then the toil begins. 8220;We spend months getting right the expression in each frame. And one change in the frame takes a week for completion as the whole frame needs to be redone,8221; he says. The songs, which are catching on, were done in 10 days flat, he boasts. 8220;And, I8217;ve got Saif and Javed sing a hip-hop number too!8221;

Does the man, who has glorified pets, have any? 8220;Well, now I do.8221; Toucheacute;.