In the mood for love

(Laughs) Yes,I did say that,but you know there’s always a ‘but’. What happened was that I saw this Taiwanese film Keeping Watch at one of the film festivals three or four years ago and loved its soul. I had decided then that if I do a love story it will be my take on this subject. I even bought the rights for the film.

What is the film all about?

It’s a sweet little story about two mismatched individuals trying to find common ground. Ayesha (Takia),plays Ananya,who stays in a small-town with her father and runs a clock shop. Everyday she goes to the railway station hoping that her mother who has left her will return. One day,a stranger Andy,played by Rannvijay (Singh) gets off the train. He later comes to her shop to get his watch cleaned. Since Ayesha is a watch repairer and Rannvijay keeps coming to her shop,slowly,a relationship develops between them and they fall in love with each other. However,there’s a mysterious twist to the story in the form of his past and that’s the turning-point,the Mod.

How did you go about casting for Mod?

Ayesha is one of the best actresses we have today. Post Dor,I cast her in a smaller but beautiful role in Tasveer 8×10. I had another powerful role for her in Aashayein but that didn’t work out. When I wrote Mod I thought of Ayesha and at that time she was thinking of making a comeback after marriage. Wanted had also released and she was on a high. When I was casting for Andy’s role,I thought of Rannvijay and called him for an audition. He was wonderful and the role will give him an edge as he presents a soft and sensible side to him in contrast to his Roadies image. Besides these two,the film has my regular artistes like Pratiksha Lonkar and Rushad Rana. Raghubir Yadav and Ananth Mahadevan also play supporting roles and there’s a funny new guy Nikhil Ratnaparkhi who has many commercials including an insurance ad to his credit.

You have shot your film in Ooty,which has been seen umpteen times in our films..

(Cuts in) True. But I found my idyllic small-town there and I must tell you that my team has managed to capture something that you have never seen before on screen. We have shot in Ooty,Kunnoor and Kodagiri,all nearby hill-stations. There’s a nice little cottage that is shown as Ayesha’s house with a stream running nearby,besides other scenic locations.

From Iqbal,Dor and Aashayein to Mod,you seem to be fascinated with small towns.

That’s because I feel only small towns and villages retain the magic of India. The cities have no character to them. You see one and you have seen them all.

So,you are returning to your “roots” with Mod?

You could say that but people have to judge themselves. There’s a powerful emotional draw just like Iqbal and Dor.

Is it because of the failure of big starrers — Akshay Kumar’s Tasveer 8 x 10 and John Abraham’s Aashayein — that you are back to relatively lesser-known actors and an emotional track?

It’s really funny the way the media thinks. I remember when I did Dor I was questioned why I was doing a film with a big star like Ayesha Takia and now when I am doing a film with her and Rannvijay,it’s become a demotion. I fail to understand this. The goal is not about reaching the stars. Tasveer 8×10 was a big-budget thriller that I couldn’t have made with small actors. It needed an actor who could justify the Rs 20 crore budget. As for Aashayein,yes it had John in it but whoever has seen the film said it had heart and soul in it. Mod again is a heartfelt story and I couldn’t make it with stars who would overpower it.

Lastly,what is happening to Yeh Hausla?

I am also waiting for it. The film is ready and with Percept Pictures.

chaya.unnikrishnan@expressindia.com