Licence to thrill

An interview with the young film-maker8230;

I remember you telling me around the time Ghulam was declared a hit, that you weren8217;t as excited about your success as you were apprehensive about your next film8230;

Yes, but I think every film is a test. I8217;m apprehensive and nervous before the release of my every film. Look at it this way: If Kasoor fails, I have to work harder on my next film to stay afloat. If Kasoor is a hit, I still have to ensure that my next film works so that people don8217;t think Kasoor was just a fluke. It8217;s an endless process, really. There8217;s no escaping from this trepidation. Our fates are decided every Friday, and nothing8217;s going to change that.

After the success of Ghulam, several A-list stars like Anil Kapoor and Akshay Kumar expressed an interest in working with you. Yet, you chose your next release to be a thriller like Kasoor with relative newcomers8230;

First of all, Kasoor is not a small film. True it doesn8217;t have stars, but the look of the film, the publicity of the film, the money spent on promoting it is the same as any other major release. But yes, it was an intentional decision not to make a film with a big star immediately 8212; however, I am currently working with Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty 8212; because on various levels I wanted to do something different, and that might not have been possible with a big star. When you have an idea which does not fall into the slot of a regular love story, a regular action film or a regular social drama, the producer feels it involves an element of risk. They look at it as an experimental film. I wanted to make a good film, something that the audience is not sick of seeing yet. The only way to do it was by hiring actors who didn8217;t come with an image attached.

Were you allowed a lavish budget to work on?

To make something different, I wanted to make sure that I budgeted the film in such a way that it doesn8217;t go wrong. If you make a very different film on a very high budget the risk factor is huge. However, I8217;ve completely taken out the risk element on Kasoor. There is no risk element at all. I8217;ve made the film on such a budget that it8217;s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

How much did you spend?

I think it cost about four-and-a-half crores in all. On an economic level, I think it8217;s a coup.

And on a creative level..?

On a creative level I have got immense satisfaction. I think if a film like Kasoor succeeds, then directors like me can make the kind of films they believe in all the time.

What was so special about doing a mystery film like Kasoor?

It8217;s a mystery film. I think enough time has passed since people exploited the genre. But I also think that Kasoor

is a love story within the parameters of a thriller. It is a boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl story. It8217;s a very different man-woman relationship, and I couldn8217;t wait to get my teeth into it.

Apparently, the relationship between Aftab and Lisa in the film, is very bold8230;

It8217;s a story about a man who8217;s lonely, and a woman who8217;s lonely. They8217;re attracted to each other more out of each other8217;s needs than out of love. First, it8217;s a very selfish relationship. It8217;s about two lonely people. It8217;s a very modern-day relationship. I think it8217;s very real, very contemporary and very today. I don8217;t think it8217;s bold because it8217;s happening all around us, in every house and in every relationship.