Sajid Nadiadwala and Nitesh Tiwari discuss their first collaboration, future projects and the ever-changing fabric of commercial films
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 30, 2019)

Sajid, Chhichhore is different from the kind of films you produce. What was it about Nitesh’s script that caught your attention?
Sajid: I’d heard the plot of Dangal in a line—a man praying for a son who could help him live out his dream, only to end up with a succession of daughters and the disappointment that he’d never be able to accomplish his mission, till realisation dawns that a daughter is as good as a son. How I wished this story had come to me. Thinking that a talented writer always has leftovers, I approached him. After Dangal, he came to me with a few scripts he’d penned over five years. They were nice, but I wanted something more. Then, he mentioned a story rooted in his college days, and instantly added that I would not make this film…
Nitesh (Laughs): That’s because script mein gaaliyan bahut thi and Sajid sir does not make adult films.
Sajid: But the idea of a reunion in hospital appealed to me. I gave my nod. The abuses slowly filtered down from 50 to 25 to 10 to five. Finally, even those were done away with.
Nitesh: He kept saying, if I felt strongly about them, I could keep them but thanks to Sajid sir, I saw the bigger picture and realised too realistic a portrayal of my world would cut out the 12 to 17 age group I was targeting, defeating our purpose.

Was there anything else you were unsure about?
Sajid: The sports portions. Since these couldn’t be explained on paper, I wondered how they’d play out on screen. I stopped watching the rushes because the college portions were shot before the hospital ones and I didn’t want to see any era on its own. So, I waited to see the complete film with my son. Both of us left the editing room crying. I am a crybaby, but this was the first time that, as a producer, I felt good about a director making me cry (Laughs).

Nitesh, when Sajid greenlit your film, were you apprehensive he’d want you to commercialize it by making you incorporate a special appearance song maybe?
Nitesh: No, I go with the vibes I get and Sajid sir was humble enough to meet me at my level, he shared my excitement. Besides, he’d made films like Highway, Tamasha and Rangoon and offered value additions to mine, like the end credits song, which leaves the audience on a high.

Sajid, how involved were you with the casting?
Sajid: My only agenda was for the film to roll out asap, so I went with the talent available and that sir wanted. He took the decisions, but every few days, I’d get a text seeking my opinion. It’s rare for a director to share the filming process with the producer, particularly one who’s given the biggest hit in Hindi cinema. Anyone can make a hit, but to not let it change you and your lifestyle, is something my team has learnt from him. That’s why we’re waiting to steal him back.

You’ve already announced your next project. Now for the details…
Nitesh: We’ll go through the same process of exploring, short-listing and finalising. I’ll share half-a-dozen ideas, he’ll say five don’t work. (Laughs) Hopefully we’ll find one he thinks is good. We’re still exploring…

Today, content is scoring over everything else and even a Housefull franchise is attempting a twist in the tale with a reincarnation track. How do feel about this scenario?
Sajid: I’ve survived 2000 Fridays in 38 years and I’ll say this is the best time for the industry. Once junior artistes didn’t even know the name of the film they were shooting. At the end of the day, it was only about the money. Today, everyone’s working towards making a good film. It feels good to be a part of the good times.

Nitesh, as a viewer what do you expect from Housefull 4?
Nitesh: I watch a film like a common man, and enjoy all kinds. Housefull is a fun film for my wife and me. Ashwiny (Iyer Tiwari), who has no inhibitions, laughs freely and loudly when watching a film like this. At the end of the day, the audience wants to be entertained which is why no matter how serious my subject, my films are entertaining.

Sajid, what did your wife Warda think of Chhichhore?
Sajid: My family finds my recent films shocking. (Laughs) After watching Super 30 turn a Greek God (Hrithik Roshan) into a tanned, small town math teacher with an unfamiliar dialect, they were wondering what was in store this time. The buddy film set in a college campus has won hearts across the world. After these two films, a mainstream Housefull seems different. Today, a film of a man alone in the Alps is more commercial than a film with 19 actors and a laugh-a-minute script.

It’s a challenge in its own way…
Sajid: It is, and we enjoy making a Housefull. All the top actresses, from Lara (Dutta) and Asin to Deepika (Padukone), have been a part of the franchise; everyone has to forget their inhibitions and act shamelessly on camera because without that conviction, they will stand out like a sore thumb. But as Akshay (Kumar) says, after the respect our last three-four films have got us, ab izzat gawane ka time aa gaya hai. (Laughs) I was scared making Highway once, now I’m scared making Housefull.

Then why take it forward?
Sajid: These films are our roots and we’ve reached Part 4 because the three previous films worked. Instead of five stars, we may collectively get five stars from five critics, but it will pack the crowds even as people curse it and say, “Luck hai, the producer is going through a good time, jackpot lag gaya.”As a producer, you either get a jackpot or a flop. When I wrote and directed Kick, gave life to the Devil, the only compliment I got was, “Sir, jackpot!” even though the critics liked it and it sustained.

What will Kick 2 be like?
Sajid: In the large world that Salman (Khan) belongs, yet, sensible and believable.

And Baaghi 3?
Sajid: Between Housefull and Chhichhore, action with a small dose of emotion, and a story, unlike an earlier Housefull, which helped us in court.

How so?
Sajid: After the films’ release, some theatre writers accused us of stealing their story. That was baffling because, as we told the judge, as many as 15 critics had agreed that this timepass film had stars, locations, costumes and a generous budget but no story. And here, five people were claiming the story was theirs. (Guffaws)

Nitesh, is there a film from Sajid’s repertoire you’d like to do?
Sajid (Laughs): Housefull maybe.
Nitesh (Laughs): Not Housefull, but maybe an out-and-out comedy on the lines of Judwaa, a mix of relationships and humour. But it would depend on the story.

Both your films have been sports-oriented, bringing to the screen wrestling, basketball…
Nitesh: And chess, which hasn’t been seen on screen at a competitive level. It was a risk because chess is a passive sport. Wrestling came with the story since Dangal was Mahavir Singh Phogat’s biopic, and with the GC (General Championship) being a part of my college life, there was no running away from sports in Chhichhore. But I chose to break the stereotype with sports like chess, athletics and basketball, treating them with humour and focussing on all three on the final day of the competition instead of just one.

Sajid, you have a big sports film, '83, coming up in April 2020…
Nitesh: Kabir Khan (director) and I have our offices on the same floor, and every time I hear something about the film, I wish it had been offered to me. (Laughs) I’m jealous.
Sajid: And I was so greedy to be a part of it, I barged into the project. More than cricket, the film’s about how the 1983 World Cup win changed India. When we took on reigning champs West Indies at Old Trafford, we were expecting the team to return on the next flight, but Yashpal Sharma’s 89 set up an unlikely victory. And from there we just kept winning, right up to the finals.

Did you think we’d lift the Cup?
Sajid: No way. I was in the 11th standard then and saw parts of the match on TV, heard some of it on the radio. The memories are hazy…
Nitesh: I was 10, we had no TV at home, so I was oblivious of our triumph. But I realised something extraordinary had happened when the news stayed on the front page for days. Now, every time there’s a re-run of the finals, I watch it. It’s glorious to see Mohinder Amarnath bowl the last ball, get (Michael) Holding out with an LBW, the team running back, some with stumps, the crowds surging towards them, then, Kapil Dev holding the Cup high. My biggest regret is that I’ve not seen any of the previous matches. I’m looking forward to seeing flashes of Kapil Dev’s 175 against Zimbabwe which helped us remain in the competition. One of the greatest knocks ever.

Sajid, you now have the responsibility of launching Suniel Shetty’s son, Ahan.
Sajid: Yeah, I’m the only producer to launch the father and the son. I introduced Suniel in Waqt Hamara Hai, now, over a quarter of a century later, Suniel and Mana, like Jackie (Shroff) had with Tiger, have entrusted me with the responsibility of launching their son. Ahan is a nice boy but after 38 years, I’m still as vulnerable as anyone else on a Friday. I was scared while launching Suniel, I am terrified introducing his son now.

You have two sons of your own, Suban and Sufyan. Do they have expectations from their producer dad?
Sajid: They think the day I announce a film with them, they will be stars. I keep urging them, ‘Upar dekh, dua maang unse, hum bhi unhi se maangte hain.’ I don’t cry in front of them, but quietly, in the bathroom, I make a pact with Him: Make the film run this time, next time I’ll do better. As they are growing up, they’re beginning to understand that films can also flop. I’m thankful for a film like Chhichhore, which makes these kids understand that failure is a part of life and to be enjoyed too. Every year, over 9,000 kids in Mumbai are chasing stardom. Only one becomes a star, maybe in three years. The rest fade away into oblivion. When I launched Suniel, he was one of the guys, but Ahan is Suniel’s son and there’s talk of nepotism. Eventually it’s talent that scores.

Nitesh, what about your kids, Aaradhya and Amaarisa?
Nitesh: They’re growing up normally in a middle-class household. They have more than we did when we were kids, but they have been taught not to take anything for granted. We’ve shielded them from the glamour and success of our professions. For them, Ashwiny and I are still just their parents rather than filmmakers.
Sajid (Laughs): Wait for five-six years, once they understand that you directed Dangal, you’ll know.