Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; April 16, 2014)

Abhishek Varman, son of veteran art director R Varman, assisted Ashutosh Gowariker on Jodhaa Akbar. After assisting Karan Johar on My Name Is Khan and Student Of The Year (SOTY), he is now ready for the release of his directorial debut, 2 States. Here are excerpts from a conversation with him…


What’s it that prompted you to write a script on the novel?
The book has a very interesting premise; it has great potential to translate into a good film. It explores different cultures and traditions and reveals how love-arranged marriages work in our country.


What made you choose Arjun Kapoor to play Krish Malhotra?
Krish is a boy next door and it was challenging to cast an actor who had not essayed a role like that before. Arjun has mostly played rugged characters in his previous films.


What makes Alia Bhatt perfect for Ananya Swaminathan?
Alia’s dedication to her craft was evident in SOTY. So, I was sure she would work even more hard to get into the character of a Tamil Brahmin. She brought freshness to the role and made it believable.


How did you finalise actors to play Krish and Ananya’s parents?
Those four characters are the soul and strength of the film. Karan rightly felt that Amrita Singh would be perfect for the role of a Punjabi matriarch, who is obsessively protective of her son. I have always admired Revathi’s work and was hoping she would play the part of an elegant and dignified Radha Swaminathan. Nandini Shrikent, our casting director, suggested Shiv Subrahmanyam, who added a lot of nuances to his character — that of a stoic and righteous Tamil Brahmin. However, choosing Krish’s father was the trickiest part. Despite limited screen time, his presence had to be felt throughout the film. In SOTY, I had worked with Ronit Roy and there was no doubt that he was the right choice for the role.


Your debut is being produced by Karan Johar and Sajid Nadiadwala. How are they as producers? 
They never imposed their ideas and always supported my vision of the film. As a first-time director, I couldn’t have asked for better producers.  
 
2 States, produced by Dharma Productions and Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Pvt Ltd, is being released by UTV Motion Pictures, on April 18.