The story teller

The story idea stemmed from the fact that I was always fascinated by the transformation that takes place in a woman from the moment she knows she8217;s pregnant. I had seen the incredible amount of strength and the responsibility that a carefree girl suddenly develops when she becomes pregnant in my mother and wife,and was struck by it. I wanted to portray that kind of energy and strength in a young pregnant woman placed in an alien environment and how she gets a task done,in this case tracing her missing husband.

We hear that you made changes to the script because Vidya was not satisfied. What kind of changes did you incorporate?

When I wrote the story of Kahaani it was an an extremely slick, tight and crisp thriller. What Vidya wanted was an emotional connect. It was a small change but it took the script to another level. However,I want to make it clear that whether it8217;s Vidya or anybody else,I wouldn8217;t change a single line in my script if I didn8217;t believe in it.

Vidya is the flavour of the season after The Dirty Picture. Surely it will help your film.

Absolutely! There are no two ways about it. The good thing is that it will add to the pressure of delivering a good product because now people will come into the theatre with a lot of trust. The flipside is living up to the expectations.

You have always admired Vidya,but this is the first time that you have worked with her. What did you discover about her?

Its a very cliched answer,but I was floored by her commitment. Except for sir Amitabh Bachchan,I have never seen anyone so committed to their work. For instance,knowing the budget constraints,she knew where to stop her demands. She was fine to change costumes in an Innova in the middle of a crowded street because she knew that we didn8217;t have the budget to afford a fancy vanity van. Also,shes one of the few actresses who can act with her eyes.

There is no other known actor in the film except for her. Was that the requirement of the script?

Absolutely! I had to create a world that was alien to the audience by having unfamiliar faces and locations,because thats the surrounding my protagonist,Vidya,was thrown in. Having actors and locations that the audience was familiar with,would mean getting them into a comfort zone,and that8217;s something I did not want. Unfamiliar surroundings will make them anxious,restless and equally charged about finding her missing husband.

The film was slated to release last year. What caused the delay?

People forget that there are two sides to a film. One is the creative and the other the marketing. I am the director and the moment my film is complete I want the world to see it. What I did not understand but now do is that there is a right time to release a film. I wanted to release it during Diwali,but my marketing people did not want to mess around with RA.One and the other big releases.

What according to you is the USP of Kahaani?

Vidya8217;s performance and how the story is told.

Is it true that your next project is a sequel to Jhankaar Beats and you are going to repeat the same cast?

I would love to do that,but I still need to work out the nitty-gritties over what I have in mind. I need to convince myself that the audience will want to watch the sequel.

Your last offering,Aladin flopped. Did it take time for you to get over the failure?

I don8217;t have the luxury to mope because I have a large family to feed. So even if I want to wallow in misery I don8217;t have the time. I move on.

You have acted in My Brother Nikhil and Everybody Says I Am Fine. Do you nurse a secret desire to become an actor?

Never! I acted because there were no extras around.

Your desire of working with Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya has been fulfilled. Who else are you dying to work with?

Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan.

All your films are out-of-the-box. Will you ever make a masala film?

I would love to but I have to be convinced about it or I will mess it up. Aladin was intended to be a masala film but nobody saw it as one.

Any one Hindi film you would like to remake or see it being remade?

Not really,and not because I dont believe in remakes,but because I feel if theres something I have seen and liked,I don8217;t want to try and better that or make a point.