Genelia was the best thing about Jaane Tu..: Abbas

The biggest transition was in terms of people. As a writer you sit and write in one room unlike a director who has to depend on the entire team. As a director you can’t work unless hundred other people are helping you.

As for why I took to direction, it’s because I started feeling very lonely. I was not happy and wanted to look to people.

Q. What trade according to you is more rewarding, writing or direction?

As a writer you can feel the satisfaction. As a writer you feel rewarded inside. Writing is definitely more appealing than direction but monetarily it’s not rewarding while the direction gets you lots of money.

Q. So now after making your directorial debut, will you still be writing for other directors?

I won’t be writing for anyone else right now. Moreover most of the directors like to write their own ‘story’ these days. Still the demand for content is much greater and more and more people are relying on other scriptwriters. There is a more organised structure coming in this field (scriptwriting). More and more people are going for bound script these days.

Q. You did the scriptwriting for Munnabhai MBBS. Why in your opinion the movie clicked so well with the audience?

Munnabhai…. touched the heart of audience.

Q. You wrote the dialogues for Asoka? Despite the good effort why did it not do well at the box office?

People went to see the life of Asoka and they got to see the love story, so the audience met with a disappointment.

Q. How did the idea of Jaane Tu….hit to you?

It’s a very interesting question. It took all the clichés before we started on the journey of Jaane Tu…I wanted the hero to ride on a horse in a city like Mumbai while he goes to the airport to stop the girl. I begin by thinking about the end first. I wanted to make a story on ‘conflict’. A love story is but conflict.

Q. Did you expect Jaane Tu….to do so well?

It is a best-case scenario. I can’t comment anything more than that.

Q. Why did you select Genelia D’Souza as a leading female lead for Jaane Tu..?

She (Genelia D’Souza) was the best thing that happened to the film.

Q. To what extent in your opinion Aamir’s association with Jaane Tu…gave an edge to the movie?

The way he put his personal reputation was a very good thing to have happened for Jaane Tu…. To me a producer like Aamir Khan is a fantasy. There is not better producer than Aamir Khan.