‘I’ve been checked by the FBI thrice… because my last name is Khan’

What does New York deal with?
It deals with the global issue of terrorism and how it is affecting everybody’s life. In the film,New York is a symbol of the times that we are going through as world citizens. The film shows how,after 9/11,the world has become a victim of prejudices; the way we perceive others has changed forever. Look at the recent racist attacks on Indian students in Australia. In a way,that is also a manifestation of prejudice. After 9/11,we have difficulty trusting people if they are even minutely different from us. The film takes this thread and shows how one event changes three beautiful lives.

Have you faced prejudice after 9/11? Have you included them in the film?
Well,nothing so dramatic has happened to me. But yes,I’ve been checked by the FBI thrice. My passport has visas from Afghanistan and Iran—places Americans don’t like—and my last name,Khan is on their “watch list”. So,the FBI routinely tracks me and asks me all kinds of questions.
Since I’ve met the Taliban during the course of my films,it’s very easy for them to suspect I have compromised and am still in touch with the Taliban. In fact,my visa for the shooting of New York was stuck for two months and we had to engage an immigration lawyer to get it through. When I asked why my visa was not coming through,I was told that it was because my last name is Khan. It didn’t matter that I’d been to New York six times before.
The last day of our shooting coincided with the last day of George W. Bush’s presidency. It felt different walking on the streets of New York knowing that Obama had won. It was very symbolic for our unit and a larger sign that we were reading into. I’ve taken all these personal feelings and presented them in an accessible manner in the film. There is no point in preaching to the converted and I hope those who see the film get what we are trying to say.

Is it true you only shot in real locations in New York?
Yes,blame that on my documentary background. I hate shooting on sets and thrive on actual locations. We shot the entire film in a 100-day single schedule. We shot in New York and Philadelphia. Since we planned and organised well,the authorities also cooperated with us. We managed to shoot in crowded places and even shut down busy roads. In Philadelphia,we shut down the main street downtown,The Market Street,from 9 am to 5 pm on a weekend.

How would you describe New York,the city?
New York is not a city; it’s a different country in itself. It’s the only place in the world where you can find people of all nationalities. I’ve shot a lot in NYC; my most memorable shoots are my interview with slain journalist Daniel Pearl’s widow,Mariane Pearl,and the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. In all my assignments I’ve found that New York’s locations are like characters.

John Abraham has said that the torture scene in the film affected him emotionally and mentally.
Well,I can’t give details because then the pleasure of watching the scene will be lost. But I will tell you that New York is a realistic film which is based on true events. We’ve taken details from documented evidence. The world knows that post-9/11 torture sessions were harrowing. Even Americans were shocked at their severity when the details emerged. We shot the torture scene in an actual prison for three days. It was very tough for John,physically and mentally. It took him some time to shake off its effects.

How would you defend your cast of John,Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh since all of them are not known for their histrionic abilities?
John is completely a director’s actor. He is like a little baby in your hands and it’s up to you to make him believe in the character. He is so secure as an actor that he has stopped looking at just his character and instead looks at the entire film. I’m very impressed with his holistic approach and I’m confident that New York will be recognized as one of his mature performances. Neil has a certain vulnerability that was needed for the character of Omar. As for Katrina,she is the surprise package. You’ve never seen her in a space like this and she will shock a lot of people. You expect Katrina Kaif to be a diva and she is one but in this film she plays a very natural character shorn of any make-up.

The industry regards you as the serious face of Yash Raj Films. How do you manage that?
(Laughs) I know everybody says that but I don’t want to be the serious dude. I’ve got this tag because my films deal with larger issues. I have no objection if you say that within Yash Raj,I deal with subjects more realistically. That is a tag I’ll be happy to flaunt but serious,no way.

There is buzz that New York and Karan Johar’s production,Qurbaan (directed by Rensil D’ Silva) have the same script?
Yes,this rumour has been floating in the industry. I don’t know who has circulated this ridiculous story. I don’t know anything about Rensil’s film other than that it also deals with the common space of urban terrorism and that it has also been shot in New York and Philadelphia. Somebody even wrote that both the films are inspired by the Hollywood film,Arlington Road. I’ve seen that film and I don’t even like it. If I had to copy a film,I wouldn’t have spent 11 months of my life writing the script of New York.