Always there

Debutant director Roshan Abbas screened Always Kabhi Kabhi for 50 collegians to get their opinion on his film.

Debutant director Roshan Abbas screened Always Kabhi Kabhi for 50 collegians to get their opinion on his film.

Radio jockey,anchor,presenter and theater artiste-turned-film director,Roshan Abbas thought of a unique way see if his film,Always Kabhi Kabhi would touch a chord with his target audience,the youth. So Roshan had a screening for two groups of 25 youngsters each,to get their view on his film which is based on his 1999 play,Graffiti about the life of high-school children. I decided to stay away,so that the kids were not influenced by my presence in any way. The response was great. I guess it has a lot to do with the research I put in before making the film. Everything,from the language to the behaviour of the teens on screen was genuine,because I went to school campuses to observe them. Always Kabhi Kabhi is made straight from the heart, said Roshan,who is also excited that Shah Rukh Khan’s production house Red Chillies Entertainment is backing the project.

He reveals how Shah Rukh,with whom he had hosted several talk shows abroad,happened to ask him what he was working on. That is when Roshan told him about wanting to turn his play,Graffiti into a film. I explained that I did not need a big actor for the film,but support from a big production house. A few days later,he called me over to know more about the film,and within an hour of the narration,SRK agreed to be part of it. The only suggestion he made was to set the story in 2009 instead of 1999,and he was ready to give the canvas I wanted, says the director who has earlier directed stage shows and television programmes.

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Despite having written and directed the play,Roshan said that he had to start from scratch when it came to writing the screenplay for a film because of the wider canvas. The casting also took its time,as Roshan wanted to cast young actors for the four principal characters. Several actors came to audition,but they were mostly in the age group 30-35. I was looking out for younger faces. Then I thought of Zoa Morani as I knew her and liked her persona,Satyajit Dubey was selected after my wife saw him in an ad,while I spotted Aly Fazal at Prithvi Theatre. But it was Shah Rukh Khan who said that Giselli Monteiro with her innocent,yet Indian looks would be perfect for the part of a girl from abroad, says Roshan.

Presently readying the promos of the film,Roshan’s excitement is palpable because he has finally done what he always secretly dreamed aboutdirect a feature film.

geety.sahgal@expressindia.com

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