Animated 8216;Roadside Romeo8217; will have 8 songs!

We Indians just can't get over the song and dance routine so even an animation film has no less than 8 songs.

Actor Jugal Hansraj who takes his bow as director on silver screen with animation movie 8216;Roadside Romeo8217; says that he is a self taught filmmaker and making an animation film requires lot of patience.

8220;I am an animation movie buff since childhood and studied the art of animation filmmaking by reading books on it. My close friend Aditya Chopra wanted to produce an animation film and asked me to suggest story ideas. He liked the story of dogs and told me work on a script. It took me six months to develop the script of 8216;Roadside Romeo8217; and later another two and half years to make a film,8221; said Jugal after the music launch of the film last night.

He said he enjoyed the process of first writing a full bound script where he staged the scenes himself while writing it, taking it to an animation studio Tata Elxsi who then started pencil sketching the characters and later discussing the colouring with me.

The drawing and computer graphics took place at Tata Elxsi and story boarding was done at Yashraj studio. 8220;I got complete creative freedom in writing and directing the film,8221; he said.

The technical experience came from Walt Disney whose co-producing the film with Yashraj, Jugal said. 8220;We have the talent but no experience in animation. Walt Disney8217;s expertise was fruitful in this respect,8221; he added.

To a question on whether he was still eager to act, Jugal said he was open to good acting offers after his film8217;s release. 8220;I am enjoying direction as well,8221; he said. Jugal, a successful model and actor as a child could not carve a niche as a leading man. He was seen in 8216;Aaja Nachle8217; last year starring Madhuri Dixit.

8220;I did a role in it as I was free when the film was shot at Yashraj studio,8221; he said adding that he had not quit acting.

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When asked why he was not part of the voiceovers for the animated characters, Jugal said he wanted to concentrate on direction as it was his first film.

Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Javed Jafri have done the voiceovers of the film8217;s main cast Romeo, Laila and Charlie Anna respectively.

Jugal said he liked happy films where the audience has a 8220;feel good8221; feeling at the end of the day. 8220;Animation has huge potential and Indian animation will catch up with Hollywood in the next five years,8221; he added.

He said dubbing for an animation film is done first. Hence, the animated character Romeo has been designed with the characteristics of Saif Ali Khan.

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The music album track has eight songs composed by Salim-Suleiman. The film releases on October 24.