‘Coppola and Kurosawa were my gods,I don’t have a god anymore’

You complete 30 years in Bollywood this year,when did this fascination with cinema begin?

I first saw moving images through a bioscope outside the DAV School in Srinagar. An old man would come there on his bicycle,calling out “Taj Mahal… dekho dekho… Mughal-e-Azam dekho…” I can still hear him,that’s when I fell in love with it.

When you look back,is there a memory that stands out which defined your philosophy as a filmmaker?

My elder half brother Ramanand Sagar had just screened his film Jalte Badan at Natraj Studios. Everybody raved about the film,but I kept quiet. As I stepped out to take my regular 84 LTD bus to Santacruz he insisted on dropping me in his Mercedes. On our way he asked me for an honest opinion and I told him what I didn’t like about the film. He asked his driver John to stop the car and told me,“Jis din tu Mercedes wich baithenga uss din gal karin (you talk to me the day you sit in a Mercedes).” I knew then that I would never become a filmmaker who only listens to people’s opinions when they are of a certain level. I promised myself that I would remain grounded even if I owned a Mercedes. This mantra has saved me and I think it reflects in my films too.

Which films or filmmakers have shaped your cinematic style?

In Kashmir I never saw any foreign films,nor the likes of Guru Dutt or Bimal Roy. I was only exposed to the popular movies of those times — at best I had seen some of Vijay Anand’s work. When I went to the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune,I thought I was the best and I’d walk around with a muffler and coat,with an attitude. In the very first week of our movie watching classes,I saw Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane in the morning,Jean Luc- Godard’s Breathless in the afternoon and Federico Fellini’s 8 ½ in the night. I was blown away! I had never known this kind of cinema existed. Ritwik Ghatak was my teacher,he asked me if I had read Hamlet. When I told him I hadn’t,he slapped me. I made Eklavya (2007) to tell Ghatak that I know Shakespeare now.

Out of all the films you’ve made which is your favourite?

It has to be Khamosh (1985) because it has been the purest cinema that I have created. It was only when nobody bought it that I went on to make Parinda (1989) by tweaking popular ideas. If Khamosh had succeeded maybe it would have given me enough courage to go another way. Khamosh also taught me that I never wanted to be a poor filmmaker.

Which film would you term as your biggest gamble?

It has to be the forthcoming Ferrari Ki Sawaari. After 3 Idiots (2009) I could have taken any big star but I decided to make a film with Sharman Joshi. It was not an easy decision. Every chartered accountant in town said I was being foolish,but I was validated when my 10-year-old daughter,Zooni,said,“Papa,I admire you for taking this guy. He’s very good because when he cries,something happens to my heart. I also feel like crying.”

Has there been a film or a decision that went horribly wrong?

Oh yes,I wrote the most expensive love letter on screen to my wife Anupama (Anupama Chopra). It was called Kareeb (1998). The film taught me that the next time I want to tell her that I love her,I should write a real letter on a paper with a pen.

If there’s a film you could do again,which one would it be?

I would like to re-shoot the climax of 1942 A Love Story (1994). It was a chaotic time for me – I had been banned by the Film Makers Combine,no workers were allowed to work on my set,I was practically living in the make-up room. I even bought trees from Dalhousie and planted them myself in Mumbai to maintain the continuity of the scenes. In this chaos,I couldn’t shoot what I had in my mind.

There is a section of the industry that feels you are a better producer than a director. Comment.

First of all,I’m not just a producer. A producer is a trader,I don’t even write the cheques for my films. I put the money into the director’s account. All the films that I have produced have been co-written by me. I think of myself as a creator of cinema. I co-create with the directors and the writers. So,in that sense,Parinda is as much my film as is 3 Idiots and I’ve created Ferrari Ki Sawaari as I did Munnabhai MBBS (2003).

You and Raju Hirani make such a successful team. I’m sure there are disagreements,how do you settle them?

Yes,we do have our share of disagreements but then that’s the fun of it. Love and respect is one thing and disagreements are something else. I remember during Munnabhai MBBS I wasn’t happy about a scene with a dead body. So I gave Raju three hours to stage the scene and show it to me. Once he did that,I laughed the loudest. The director is god for me. I might have created these directors but they create their films.

You’re known for your mercurial temper,have you ever been your angriest on sets?

It was during Mission Kashmir (2003). An assistant messed up on the sets and I hit him. Later,I sent him chocolates as I usually do as a way of apology. The next day,he came to me and said,“Sir,why did you send me chocolates,now everyone knows you slapped me.” (Laughs)

But can you take criticism?

Of course. I might not look like the kind who does but I do take it well. I listen to criticism but I don’t read the critics unless it’s someone like AO Scott (the New York Times critic). It hurt me a lot when critics panned Khamosh. I’ve even slapped a critic. Recently,we were in Rome and my wife Anu invited her colleague,another film critic,to join us for dinner. As we were seated,he said,“You are such a great guy even after what I’ve written about you.” I asked,“What have you written? Tell me before I order dinner.” (Laughs)

Is your wife Anupama allowed to criticise your movies?

She never sees my films nor does she write reviews on them. She watches the movie like anybody else. She does her job. I do mine.

Who according to you is the most exciting filmmaker in the world today?

I liked Inception a lot. I think Christopher Nolan is pretty good. I like David Fincher. But nobody comes close to Francis Ford Coppola or Akira Kurosawa. They were my gods,I don’t have a god anymore.

What are you directing next?

Besides Ferrari Ki Sawaari,there’s Tanuja Chandra’s Chittiyan. These are my latest commitments as a producer. Raju’s PK will be next but he’s a big boy so I don’t need to be involved all that much. I’ll either direct my English film,Broken Horses or Pachasvi Saalgirah.

Is there a golden tip you can share with aspiring directors?

Just go ahead,be an idiot and do what you believe in.