Shaad Ali on his long association with veteran lyricist-poet Gulzar and why his film on field hockey player Sandeep Singh is the 'strongest, toughest and biggest' story he's worked on
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 29, 2017)

Shaad Ali hadn’t even heard of field hockey player, former India captain and Arjuna awardee Sandeep Singh, when Sneha Rajani and Chitrangda Singh approached him last year to make a film on his life. “I was shocked and embarrassed and instantly realized that I needed to make this film so everyone gets to know his story,” the filmmaker informs, adding that he started prep exactly a year ago.

By his own admission, it is the strongest, toughest and the best story he has worked on so far. “There is also an additional responsibility as it’s based on a real person who has been on a national duty all his life. But all of it also makes it an exciting challenge to dive into,” Shaad says, adding that he wanted his actors, Diljit Dosanjh in the titular role and Taapsee Pannu as another hockey player and his love interest, to be as true as the characters they took on. “It was important to have a real Sardar and Sardarni. In fact, they have just come back into my lives as Judwaa 2 is releasing and Diljit has finished shooting for a film. We will now begin prep with hockey trainings, readings and workshops before shooting kicks off in the last week of October.”

Besides marking a departure from love stories, the biopic will also be a reunion for the filmmaker with veteran lyricist Gulzar, who has penned lyrics for all his five directorials —from Saathiya to OK Jaanu. “I went for a narration without an appointment and he was moved to tears. It’s not a song-and-dance film so the music had to be woven into it in a certain way. The film belongs to hockey and Punjab. There is also a love story thrown in, patriotism, pain, so it was important to invent a new language, which is not pure Punjabi or Urdu. We took some time to create that flavour. It will give the songs a universal feel but at the same time is rooted in Punjab,” Shaad explains.

The filmmaker vividly remembers his first meeting with Gulzar, which was at the legendary poet-lyricist’s Pali Hill office. He had gone there to narrate Mani Ratnam’s Manisha Koirala and Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 1998 film, Dil Se, on which he was an assistant director.

“Gulzar saab was dressed in his signature crisp white kurta pyjama and was very warm to all of us. I remember that he connected with the story more when he learnt that Manisha Koirala’s character had the same name as his daughter, Meghna,” Shaad recalls, adding that he met the veteran for a second time when he took A R Rahman along to meet him. “It led to the creation of 'Chaiyya Chaiyya'.”

The duo lost touch after that, reconnecting only when Shaad approached Gulzar again, requesting him to write dialogues for his directorial debut, the Rani Mukerji and Vivek Oberoi-starrer 2002 romantic-drama, Saathiya. “At the time, he wasn’t writing for anybody else but made an exception for me. I have had an unconditional relationship with him ever since,” he says, adding that it’s more like a father-son equation. “Also, we have a similar sense of humour. He knows that I appreciate language and a little bit of literature, while I know that he appreciates a little bit of nonsense. Toh thodi non-sense baton pe humari bonding ho jaati hai,” he says as he chuckles at the memory of their shared comfort zone. “We also fight but not as much as we used to earlier. He understands me more and knows where I am coming from. Now, we might fight on nitty-gritty’s but fundamentally we are on the same page. Woh kehte hain ki laadla hai toh mere se jhagdega aur thappad bhi khayega,” says Shaad.

On the matter of another reunion, with composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for the fourth time after Bunty Aur Babli, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Kill Dil, he opines, “They are the Amar Akbar Anthony of my life. Woh toh anhoni ko honi aur honi ko anahoni karne wale log hain,” he signs off on that optimistic note.