Ashutosh Gowariker talks about directing his first romantic comedy,the leading ladies in his films and his outbursts at award functions After making classics such as Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar,why are you now doing a romantic comedy,Whats Your Raashee?I wanted to see if I could adapt to different genres. If,as a part of an audience,I can enjoy drama,action,romance and thrillers,so why cant I make them? Since my last three films,Lagaan,Swades and Jodhaa Akbar,took nine years to make,in between,I had the time to write other scripts. So,after Jodhaa Akbar,I was ready with Whats Your Raashee and we rolled immediately. Did you ever think of casting 12 different girls for the raashees or was it always supposed to be one actress?It was always supposed to be one heroine. If I had shown 12 different girls,the audience would think that the fairest among them should be getting the guy. I wanted the audience to know that eventually the character,Yogesh Patel,will get Priyanka Chopra,that way they can sit back and enjoy all the raashees. What was it about Priyanka that made you think she can carry off the 12 characters?Priyanka was my first and only choice. I dread to think what I would have done if she had said no. Ive noticed Priyankas work right from Hero to Aitraaz,in which she was dangerous and Andaaz,in which she showed jealousy. She nuances every character that she plays. I was confident that she could bring out the different aspects of each raashee very well. Do you believe in raashees?I believe in them selectively. I dont read horoscopes regularly and dont decide what to do in life based on a prediction. How did you research sun signs?I read up on both sun and moon signs,the latter being the raashees that we follow in Indian astrology. It was tough to include all the characteristics of all the raashees,so,we went with five dominant traits of each. We decided to use them in a generic manner so that an Italian girl watching the film should be able to identify with her raashee when it comes on screen. Talking of your lead actor,Harman Baweja,did the debacle of Love Story 2050 ever deter you?Not at all,I made the choice of casting Harman before Love Story 2050 released. I had seen its rushes and selected him because I liked his performance and his innocence. Also,when we chose Harman,we factored in the possibility of his debut not working. We were clear that even if that happens,we still want him because he suits the character. Having re-created historical eras in your films,including shooting with elephants,what was the toughest part of making Whats Your Raashee?Capturing the humour was the toughest bit. Ill be a satisfied man if the audience smiles throughout the film. Getting that one smile is as tough as getting 100 elephants to act. Im also eager to know how the audience takes on the 12 different looks of Priyanka. Why hasnt AR Rahman scored the music of this film?Its really unfortunate. Both of us didnt expect Id come up with Whats Your Raashee so soon after Jodhaa Akbar. Rahman was busy with Slumdog Millionaire,Delhi 6,Jaane Tu Yaa Jaane Na,Ghajini and Yuvvraaj. Thus,he couldnt make time for this film. So,we took a mutual decision to take a break. I knew Sohail Sen through his dad,Samir Sen. Sohail came up with incredible tunes and I liked his approach. Moreover,I needed someone to give me priority because I needed 13 songs. At some recent award functions,a new side of yours has emerged (He told Sajid Khan to shut up during the Star Screen Awards).That side has always been there. Ive always said that every technicians dignity should be maintained irrespective of the clout he wields,especially at an event that celebrates cinema. You cannot invite people to applaud them for their work and then make fun of them. Its just not done. At that point of time,it came upon me to take a stand,which is why I reacted. What made you say,at another award function,that Priyanka didnt deserve to win the best actress award and that it should have gone to Aishwarya Rai for Jodhaa Akbar?(Grimaces) That was a classic case of a director feeling possessive about his heroines performance. I said it in jest. I shouldnt have said that. It was wrong timing. Priyanka knows my sense of humour. So she was absolutely fine with that statement. Some people in the industry think that youve started taking yourself too seriously. True?Im not taking myself seriously. Rather,Im appealing to everyone to take their hard-earned brand seriously. All of us have worked really hard to make a brand and we should not allow anyone to put that down on national television. Thats all. Pick your personal favourite from Lagaan,Swades and Jodhaa Akbar?Thats the toughest question to ask a director but if you force me to,Id say Swades. Lagaan was still a formula film. You know what the end will be the moment Bhuvan accepts the challenge,you wait to see how he will do it. In Jodhaa Akbar,too,the moment they get married,you know that love will evolve. But Swades had no such hook. In Swades,the villain is within you. It was a tough exploration. What's next?Another period film titled Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey. Its based on (journalist) Manini Chatterjees book Do and Die,which is about the Chittagong Uprising of 1930. Abhishek Bachchan will play the lead and we begin shooting in West Bengal in a couple of months.
