Deepali Singh (DNA; May 3, 2019)

If there's pressure of helming one of the biggest films of the year — Student Of The Year 2 — Punit Malhotra is not letting it show. “It’s a great act! I’m actually a little nervous,” he says sheepishly and laughs, when we meet him for an interaction. However, the third-time director adds there is a lot of excitement, too, as he wants the audience to see the hard work that everyone has put in, including Tiger Shroff and newbies — Ananya Panday as well as Tara Sutaria.

Also, there is no way he can let his mentor, Karan Johar, down. He points to a clapboard, which the latter (who is producing this campus drama), presented him on the first day of the shoot, with the words, ‘Passing the student baton to my most accomplished student, love you Punit.’ “If someone puts this much faith in you, then you work doubly hard. And we did. The film turned out to be much bigger than I had thought. But after seeing the end result, I was a happy man,” says the I Hate Luv Storys and Gori Tere Pyaar Mein director. Over to Punit...

Karan had helmed the first SOTY. How does it feel to be directing SOTY 2?
Karan is the best producer — he neither interferes nor does he visit the sets. In fact, he’s the best guide you can have. He steers things around for you. There’s a huge advantage of working with him, which is visible in the film. It’s a good space to be in. So more than pressure, I’m privileged.

You’re also launching two newcomers in the movie. That's a huge responsibility...
The responsibility of launching two newcomers is fun, but I had to erase that out of my head. I didn’t want to be under any pressure. I actually empowered Ananya and Tara to be part of our gang. They got the same treatment as Tiger.

Today, when you see Ananya (Panday) and Tara (Sutaria), you realise how confident they are. They were well- prepared and we also did workshops with them.

Moreover, we went through every emotion with them — break-ups with boyfriends, crying before coming to the sets or laughing after pack-up, leaving the family and going for outdoors — so we have been through everything. More than responsibility, I take it as friendship.


Tiger Shroff and Ananya Panday in Student Of The Year 2

All the films you have done, including SOTY 2, are love stories. Is it a comfort zone or you think there are many more dimensions to romance that are yet to be explored?
To be honest, it’s a bit of both. Having said that, SOTY 2 is less of a love story than the earlier films. This is a story of triumph, a story of a guy who takes a journey and it’s about his conquests. There is a love triangle, but it’s more of a one-man story. Hopefully, the next film I make will not be a love story. I really want to make an action film.

From love to action, that’s quite a jump!
Thanks to Tiger Shroff (laughs)! We were shooting an action sequence and he came up and told me, ‘You know something, you’re not a director of romantic films, you’re an action director.’ I told him he was speaking rubbish, but he insisted that I should helm an action film. He’s the one who’s been pushing me, so all the credit goes to him.

Quite a few directors today are exploring stories of real India, real people. Do you want to try something in that zone?
I tried doing that in Gori Tere Pyaar Mein (2013) and it backfired really badly. I guess that’s not my zone and I’m not venturing there anytime soon. I did try, but maybe I didn’t know how to go about it the right way, which is why I’m trying to stick to something I know.

How did the failure of your last film affect you?
It shattered me. I was depressed for eight months and didn’t step out of my house. There was a lot of re-evaluation I needed to do — how can I correct my mistakes, what’s the simplest way to do it, what’s the hardest way to do it. I realised there is only one way —  put your head down and work hard. I think I’ve done that in the last five years. Now, I’m waiting to see what the audience thinks.


Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria in Student Of The Year 2