Showing posts with label Luck By Chance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luck By Chance. Show all posts
Zoya Akhtar just wanted to follow around three boys, no hair/make-up for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara-Reema Kagti
8:36 AM
Bollywood’s top screenwriter plus producer duo, Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar, decode the craft behind their art
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; January 20, 2024)
Made In Heaven, that’s wrapped two seasons on Prime Video—surely, you’ve seen it already—is an episodic series. In the sense that ensemble characters and stories change, with each episode, while the leads remain the same.
That is, Tara (Sobhita Dhulipala) and Karan (Arjun Mathur), who are BFFs/soulmates, single, sharing life together—also business and creative partners, at a wedding planning firm. Which involves stressful planning and production, some scripting, and creativity, too. Not very different from filmmaking itself.
It’s only while watching the show’s second season that it occurred to me—hey, these two protagonists could be inspired by the life of the screenwriting plus producer duo, Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar, who are behind the show themselves; no?
“No. Well, work-wise, yes. But not [so much] socially,” Zoya argues, when I bring this up. Although Reema concedes, “When we were discussing [the show, with co-writer], Alankrita [Shrivastava], this did come up—if we have set the people on ourselves. Definitely the friendship, where they are also kinda soulmates. Not that Zoya and I are soulmates.”
They are “professional soulmates,” they concur. So, the social lives are largely separate? “We do have the same gang, when we hang out. But let’s just put it this way: Zoya is extremely social. I’m absolutely anti-social,” Reema laughs.
The two have remained friends and colleagues for over two-and-half decades. Starting out as assistant directors (ADs) on Kaizad Gustad’s Bombay Boys (1998). And with a combined filmography of over 10 films/shows as credited writers on the screen, since.
Yet, while we know enough about Zoya’s background, famously daughter of writers Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani—we barely know anything about Reema.
I’ve scoured the Internet, before meeting them. It hasn’t helped much. Most of her video interviews online are with Zoya. Reema’s calmingly chilled, securely quiet. Which sufficiently explains the “anti-social” self-description, doesn’t it?
Reema says she grew up in Assam. Went to a boarding school, Loreto Convent, in Shillong, Meghalaya: “Back then, there were hardly any good schools in Assam, so it was common for parents to send their kids off to boarding schools. Unlike in bigger cities, where only the naughty kids got sent!”
She was admittedly a naughty kid, though: “I used to make my parents’ lives hell. But they were supportive.” Not as much for her filmmaking ambitions, initially.
“I think my father had this very 1980s, ’90s notion of Bollywood. He was very disappointed [with my career choice]. It’s only when I got him to watch Lagaan, that I was an AD on, that he said, okay—if this is the kind of films you want to make.”
Reema’s father was an engineer at an oil company, before leasing out a 350-acre land to farm, “four hours’ drive from China”. The umbilical cord with her home-state remains.
“You can’t really outgrow your roots. My cook is Assamese. I eat Assamese food. My family is back in Assam.” Reema had moved to Bombay for college, at Sophia, and thereafter a course in social communications at the media school, Sophia Polytechnic.
“At some point, I bumped into Zoya. We liked the same kinda films, had a lotta common ground, we began writing small stuff together” she trails off.
To be more precise, this was during the auditions for Bombay Boys (1998), where Reema was already an AD. Zoya had dropped in for the same position.
Zoya had been an AD on Dev Benegal’s Split Wide Open (1999), after returning from a diploma in filmmaking from New York University (NYU). She had assisted in the costume department on Mira Nair’s Kama Sutra (1996), before NYU.
“Only, the director, Kaizad, was keen to test Zoya for Tara Deshpande’s part in Bombay Boys,” Reema recalls. She was staffing the audition. Right after which, Zoya told Reema, “I’m the world’s worst actor!” Reema replied, “Listen, I don’t think you’re getting this job either!” Well, she got the job she wanted.
Which was as a freelance AD, the rotating culture of which only spawned in Bollywood in the late ’90s, early ’00s: “We were moving into a phase of sync-sound on the sets, shoots getting wrapped in a single schedule. To pull that off, you needed a more structured system. Unlike before, when films would take years to finish, and everyone just hung around in offices—there would be 12 ADs, and everybody did everything,” Zoya says.
Reema had earlier worked on Rajat Kapoor’s directorial debut, Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One (1997): “That was my film school. I got to dabble in all departments of filmmaking.” But there was one thing both Zoya and her were clear about—they were not going to assist only one person, throughout, which was, at the time, the common practice.
Zoya says, “I don’t know how we had the guts to take that call. Back then, ADs were associated with particular filmmakers, or even production houses, when it came to advertising. There was a ‘chhaap’ [creative trademark] of that director, that remained with you, even once you left them and went your own way.”
Sensing a trap, neither wished to mirror particular mentors. Writing and directing their own movie was the end-goal, anyway. They got to work on multiple sets, when they did; and wrote their own scripts, when they didn’t. It was around this time they decided to script a short film together.
Zoya remembers, “We almost killed each other—let’s do this, let’s not do that, etc. Later, I wrote Luck By Chance (2009). Reema started writing Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd (2007). We gave our scripts to each other for feedback. She finished the portions I got stuck at. Likewise, me with Honeymoon. While we hadn’t credited each other, we were on each other’s films. Because this worked out so well—plugging holes in either script—after that, we just wrote together. Talaash (2012) was the first script we developed [as a team], from scratch.” Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD, 2011), arguably the finest Bollywood entertainer in the ’10s decade, was their second.
It’s not like the creative bickering, if you may, has stopped, or receded. Zoya admits, “People around have just got used to it in our office.”
Reema laughs, “This one time [producer] Ritesh [Sidhwani] told us, you should just not work with each other anymore. During ZNMD, [Zoya’s mom] Honey aunty got a call from the neighbours—something is going on in your house; please, it’s really scary, people are shouting!”
The art of their conflict management is pretty simple, though: “Show up at work. If we are writing, it’s 10 am. No muse is gonna come. If nothing is happening, we just do other things, watch movies, just chat, gossip… Also, you should never be afraid of scrapping what you’ve done, and starting all over again,” Zoya says.
With Reema, it’s even simpler: “If you’re stuck with an idea, and neither is able to resolve it, let it stay—move on to other things. Later, you return to those ideas, and the better argument, once it stays with you, eventually wins. It works well, if you have the story first.” They’re sure of the story’s end, beforehand; working themselves backwards.
In terms of agreeing to disagree, between them, the one who’s directing the film, gets the final say: “Otherwise, we will never stop arguing.”
For instance, in the Netflix original, The Archies (2023), Reema wasn’t convinced about the placement of a song that would break the narrative: “But once I saw the way Zoya had outdone herself with the visualization, I knew she was right. It is my favourite song.”
In terms of success stories among screenwriting pairs, none beat Salim-Javed in Bollywood still. As in, script starring Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, in the opening credits. The latter, of course, being Zoya’s father.
Only lately has Javed begun to decode how the partnership worked, having kept mum, since it broke up at the turn of the ’70s decade.
It’s clear now that Salim was the scenarist and the plot-guy, while Javed was the man of words. For instance, as Javed has mentioned before, the greatest twist in Chandra Barot’s Don (1978)—the fake don reveals, inside the jail, that he’s not the real one.
Wherein, the cops don’t believe him still. But his consiglieres, for inmates, instantly do. The dilemma worsening for the protagonist—he’s stuck between both lots, who’re gonna kill him, regardless. Now, that was Salim’s idea!
But, say, the Don’s line, “Mujhe do tarah ki ladkiyan pasand nahi aati. Ek woh, jo mere pass aane mein bahut der lagayein. Aur ek woh jo bahut jaldi aa jayein. (I don’t like women who take too long or too little time to attract).” Now, that’s decidedly Javed!
It’d be great to hear Zoya-Reema similarly break down their own scripts. Firstly, Zoya exclaims, “This comparison is freaking me out. Nothing of the sort [of Salim-Javed] had happened before, or will happen again. They were 22 blockbusters down. Let’s not put us in the same sentence!”
“[That said], our strengths are very different. We talk, talk, talk. We align on themes, characters, story, and what the film is about. Then, Reema is very strong and succinct with structure and screenplay. She gets to the point. I tend to soak.”
Reema couldn’t agree more, “The editing! You give Zoya a 100-page script, she’ll send you back 120 pages. I’m, like—what have you edited, you’ve added! But she’s better at nuances, layering, characters. And dialogues, of course.”
“Zoya feels all my characters sound like me! But she can be lazy. Zoya will refuse to write the first draft of the screenplay, once the events have been fleshed out. So, on the dialogues, I just make everyone sound like me. Because I know she will fix it!”
Zoya adds, “I get lazy, yes, but once Reema does the barebones, I take it, and juice it. I write the dialogues in English. If you want to shoot the film in English, the screenplay is completely ready.”
“Then, it goes to one of my family members—brother, Farhan (ZNMD, Dil Dhadakne Do, The Archies); father, Javed (Luck By Chance), or Vijay Mourya (Gully Boy)… They know what I want, putting it into the syntax that works best in Hindi.”
The Archies, in that sense, for the way the audiences would have watched it globally, is closest to the original screenplay with English dialogues then? “The person subtitling might approach it differently, but the English draft is the template for it,” Reema says.
While writing, per se, is a solitary job—it’s in the parleys between each other, bringing out personal experiences and influences—that the Zoya-Reema script essentially comes together.
I ask Zoya to quote examples, where there’s fully Reema in a script, that she’s directed. She points to Alia Bhatt’s part in Gully Boy (2019): “Safeena was the character, from Dharavi, in a script, that Reema had written for her movie. That film didn’t happen. But I fell in love with her. I asked her if I can just take Safeena. Yeah, why not! We supplanted and then adapted her to fit into the world of Gully Boy.”
For something more specific, in terms of moments, Zoya cites, “The scene in ZNMD, with Laila (Katrina Kaif) chasing Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) down on the bike, and kissing him! The point of the film was to follow your dreams; live in the now. Reema said Laila needed to do something [to capture that essence]. She can’t just say it. Let’s have her kissing him outside, and let her leave!”
This ready-to-film screenplay cooked between partners is also how Salim-Javed operated, staying within the realm of screenwriting still—a reason some ’70s directors fell off the crevice, once Salim-Javed were unable to send them bound scripts any longer.
For Zoya-Reema, it’s merely the end of a process: “A big hurrah moment,” as Zoya puts it. The actual movie can’t film itself. How’re they different as directors from thereon, I ask Reema, who has, thus far, directed Honeymoon, Talaash, Gold (2018), two seasons of Made In Heaven, the series, Dahaad, and the feature, Supermen Of Malegaon, that’s on its way.
She says, “Zoya visually references a lot. I tend to arrive at the visual world, after recce-ing [locations].” Zoya agrees, “It is, after all, a visual medium. I like to find a visual tone, seeing the film from before, and start recce-ing it, accordingly; to lift it off the page.”
Zoya, evidently, has her clear list of dos and don’ts as well. For instance, she was certain before the filming of Gully Boy, set in the slums, that there will be none of Bombay’s tarpaulin-blue throughout the film: “I just don’t like the colour.”
Likewise, with The Archies, the setting would be dreamy, hence, visually, story-book like: “full framing, wide-lensing, classical shots, like 1950s-60s photography.” With Dil Dhadakne Do: “mainly mid-shots and long shots, because the picture is from the POV of Pluto, the family dog.”
Besides screenwriting and direction, there’s the graduating aspect to their creative careers, which is as producing partners. Gully Boy was the first film with Zoya-Reema’s film company, Tiger Baby.
The name, by the way comes from “the nickname that Anurag [Kashyap] and all” gave Zoya: “It’s my spirit animal!” Left to Reema, the company would’ve been called Balls of a Brass Monkey: “Zoya is like, don’t be ridiculous! Also, Tiger Baby is fierce and feminine. It has a nice ring to it.”
Even as producers, the two couldn’t be as complimentarily separate from each other. As Zoya deciphers, “I’m the one meeting with the actors, Reema doesn’t wanna go anywhere. She’s better with budgets, and numbers. But both of us are into mentoring scripts. She’s better at creative packaging and producing. I handle the Tiger Baby social media.” Reema sighs, “I can barely do mine.”
An upcoming production of Tiger Baby is a documentary on Salim-Javed.
If you were to strain yourself to find connecting dots, if not a larger link, between each of Zoya-Reema scripts, it might be the fact of alternating worlds, perhaps.
Say, in the OTT space, their two releases in 2023 were Made In Heaven S02, and Dahaad (both on Prime Video). One is set around the blingy world of posh, New Delhi weddings.
The other is a police-procedural in the rugged terrains of Rajasthan, following missing women, and a serial killer on the loose.
Likewise, with films, The Archies, on Netflix—with “idealism for its point”, in the near-perfect, imaginary world, mimicking the American comic book, in 1960s India—comes after Gully Boy, that went deep into Mumbai’s underclasses. Which, in turn, came after Dil Dhadakne Do, dealing with importantly familial, but First World issues.
Zoya-Reema obviously don’t see it this way: “We just follow the world our characters live in. It’s about being authentic to the world you’re trying to create,” Reema says.
Zoya adds, “We are avid readers and movie watchers, fans of various kinds of filmmakers, not fixated on a genre. For instance, I’m actively looking for something in the big crime/underworld space. It’s exciting to be scared [trying new things]. I’ll be bored waking up for work, otherwise.”
The ideas, of course, can come from anywhere, Reema argues: “Supermen Of Malegaon was a documentary. Gully Boy came from a music video. With ZNMD, it was road trips taken [by us]. We’d also gone on a Europe tour, with Zoya and a bunch of friends. Zoya just wanted to follow around three boys, no hair/make-up, for ZNMD. Of course, it didn’t end up that way.”
One of those inspiring trips was when Reema, a “broke AD”, was in Goa, having spent all her money, with none left for a bus-ticket back to Bombay. She hitched “a car-ride with the sister of a friend. Throughout, [the host was] cautious of a plastic bag in the backseat, because it had an expensive vase, or something. We named that bag, Priscilla.”
This is how Bagwati in ZNMD came into the scene. Only, Reema hadn’t even heard of a Birkin: “What’s that Berk, Berk, whatever. When Zoya told me about it—I’m like, why would someone pay lakhs for a bag? I wanted [the motif] to be something breakable in the film. Zoya’s the director. I had to go with her!”
With ZNMD, Zoya says she was looking at a low-budget, easy-peasy production, given she had just got off a huge ensemble cast debut, Luck by Chance.
Which was about an actor getting a shoe-in to showbiz. The Archies, in that sense, is her coming full circle, since the film launched seven debutants. If she was to make Luck by Chance, how different would it be, a decade-and-half later, give how much entertainment as an industry itself has changed since?
“If I have to revisit, rewrite, I don’t know what [Luck By Chance] will be. But, thematically, it’ll still be about success, and failure. That’s what the film is about—how do you define success, and failure? Is your self-worth determining both? The rest is backdrop.”
A widely shared clip online, from Luck By Chance, is superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s (SRK) cameo in it, where he gives life’s lessons to the lead character (Farhan Akhtar). Given The Archies marked the acting debut of SRK’s daughter, Suhana, I wonder if Zoya ever got SRK over to the set, for a Chak De India type pep-talk, to a full team of debutants? “No. That is supposed to be my job!”
That pep-talk in Luck By Chance was essentially about never leaving behind those who’ve known you from before success/stardom—when it appears that you’ve probably moved ahead. Zoya says, “Shah Rukh, as a person, typifies that.” In terms of rallying the OG troops around her, so does she.
Zoya sorta admits, “I do like working with the same crew. Because they’re great at their job. There is trust, and a sync of aesthetics. Which is not to say I won’t work with someone new.
“Suzanne [Caplan Merwanji] was the set-decorator, when I was a production assistant, on Kama Sutra. [Editor] Anand Subaya and I went to school together; [costume designer] Arjun Bhasin, [hair stylist] Avan Contractor… So many around me have been friends since teens and tweens.”
“There’s Ritesh [Sidhwani], Farhan… Also, then, I enjoy going to work. I work a lot. I don’t want life passing me by, while I’m isolated, working 13-14 hours, a day. The friends are there.”
Friendships also being a recurring theme in Zoya-Reema scripts, if you casually glean through them. They could claim a friend-verse of their own. Starting out, Zoya-Reema worked as ADs on Farhan’s Dil Chahta Hai (DCH, 2001). Both believe Farhan, their former boss, to be the more methodical director, sharp with his final edits, even while on set.
Together, with DCH, and ZNMD, Netflix placed three hoardings in Mumbai, before the film Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (KGHK) dropped on the platform—terming them movies that defined friendship for their respective decades. I kinda agree.
Tiger Baby’s KGHK, directed by debutant Arjun Varain Singh, is probably the only Zoya-Reema script that neither has filmed. It peeks into the life of GenZ, through three buddies (Ananya Panday, Adarsh Gourav, Siddhant Chaturvedi), who also somewhat embark on a professional partnership together.
This is not a love triangle. It’s about friends, who are also family. They are not seeking healthy romance, but fulfilling companionship.
You sense that mental intimacy with the male-female leads over two seasons of Made In Heaven as well. I reckon, that’s the future of relationships. Zoya-Reema get that. Better than others.
My kids have termed Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara as my best work yet-Hrithik Roshan
8:23 AM
The actor talks about Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara completing 10 years and the impact it has had on him
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; July 15, 2021)
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD) has completed a decade, and it is still such a relatable story. What do you think makes this movie timeless?
It’s one of the few Hindi films of its time which, I think, has zero false notes. No moment, no dialogue, no intention that brings a false note. What plays out is very real. I think real cinema is devoid of the kind of heroism, which until then our films were almost reverent towards. So, this was like a breezy, refreshing, lighthearted, real film with a lot of integrity. Zoya (Akhtar, director) is the kind of person who doesn’t believe in projection, yet it reaches the audience. She doesn’t believe in preaching, yet you learn something and are inspired. She doesn’t cater to an audience, but she manages to touch the heart of every person who watches the film.
And I think that’s because she comes from a very honest space. For her, the film is bigger than any actor or any audience. A film without any false note will last forever. It’s not dependent on any kind of current fashion. It’s not seasonal and is not catering to society’s current trend. The film is all about its writing. Of course, the way Reema (Kagti) and Zoya write their films, as I said, it comes from a true place. It comes from their own experiences, their sense of reasoning and motivation, so nothing is referenced, nothing is duplicated. That’s why it’s so refreshing to read their scripts.
In retrospect, what was it about the film that made you want to be a part of it? Did you ever want to play another character other than Arjun?
Initially, I was offered Kabir’s role (which was played by Abhay Deol in the film), but Zoya left it to me to judge what inspires me the most. However, there was something about a moment that Arjun lives, which is when he sits down after scuba diving. There was something so abstract about that emotion and yet so strong. It was something that I read between the lines there that impacted me to a great degree. I understood what Zoya wanted to communicate, and I knew that I had to do that part because of that moment. I couldn’t express or articulate it, but Zoya could also see that I had absorbed what she wanted to express through that scene. In all, it’s the abstractness, I caught it, which is why I chose Arjun’s role.
In the last 10 years, have you gone back and watched the film? And do you feel that with passing years whenever you watch it, the film opens itself to a completely new interpretation?
I recently watched the film again as I was going through all my films with my children as the audience, because I wanted their feedback. I also wanted them to be conversant with my work. They had some nice and some bad things to say about my movies. But when we watched Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD), I genuinely saw them identifying with that film. It was very surprising because it isn’t a children’s film, but I think what again rings true with an adult also rings true with a teenager or a kid because as children, we are more attuned to what’s honest and what’s not. They reacted to ZNMD more than any other film of mine. They gave the film 11/10 because they rate all my films. The closest that came to that film was Super 30, which they gave 9/10. They also rated War 9/10 and Kaabil 8.5. I have been doing well with my recent films on their scoreboard (laughs!). For them ZNMD was above rating, they termed it as ‘the best’ yet.
When a film achieves cult status, expectations of a sequel crop up. Was a sequel to this film ever discussed? If a sequel is made, would you consider being a part of it?
The potential for a sequel is always there. It definitely can be done, be it in 5 years or 15 years, that doesn’t matter. In fact, that would be really cool! But I don’t think Zoya is the kind who would want to make it, just because people want it. She has to stumble upon an instinctive, inspired thought about the sequel that would then fuel her mind to take those steps into building it into a script. I think that is something that’s providence, if it happens, it happens. The potential does exist as the film is about life and friends — some very interesting things could happen. The more time we spend away from these characters… them coming back after years, it would be interesting to revisit their journeys.
Arjun seemed very close to what Hrithik would be in real life. Did playing that part change you on a personal level?
Most of the characters that I had played until then needed me to become somebody else in many ways. Of course, I always tend to keep my core the same. But there are a lot of exterior, superficial and sometimes quite deep changes that I have to do to become the character. In this film, it was challenging because it didn’t need me to become anybody — Hrithik was the character. And that’s why it was very intimidating. It was scary because it is apparently easier to find out how another person would say a dialogue, and for me, it was a bit of a task to find out how I would say it as myself. So, I would say it didn’t change me, but it brought me out in front of the camera. I think, I as Hrithik identified with living in a box, because I was adhering to the school of thought that was following all the rules and all the things that all books have said…basically, living in a box was quite appropriate to explain where I was at that point in my life. That’s exactly what Arjun had to be in the film. I was very aware that I was doing that, and there was already a thought that was seeded in me much before the film — that I needed to change. So, I welcomed this film with all my heart and soul because through this film, the universe was telling me that I needed to change, I needed to get out of that cocoon of mine and find my authentic self and live the kind of a life that I would live as Hrithik. What would Hrithik do if he had permission to do every single thing that he wanted to do? Would he still be in films? Would he travel? So that’s the connection that I had with the film, which is why I think I was able to impart so much of myself to it. And that’s why people reacted so much to it. I think that’s true for any actor, choosing films that speak very deeply to you are the films that you should do. And that’s what is something that I will always follow. That’s a rule of mine and not something that I borrowed from someone else. So, it rings true for me that I will always want to do films that speak very deeply to me.
Is there anything you would like to revisit about ZNMD today?
I would love to do another film like this where it’s with friends and it’s an ensemble. When I signed this film, many of my father’s friends thought I was making a big mistake, because I was playing one of the parts among three characters and it was certainly not the central character. It wasn’t like I was the hero of the film and Farhan and Abhay were small parts of the film. The general rule at that time was that you have to uphold the star status, and I knew this film was talking about exactly the opposite. It kind of empowered me because it’s a story that I believed in, and I thought to hell with the status, which is merely something that people give you. The work that you do is something that comes out of your own desire. That’s where another seed got planted in my mind about ensemble films. It’s what we don’t get to see much. Not being confined by my position in the film, or the need to remain protected, here letting go was such a beautiful feeling. I think that seed grew into me wanting to do other such films when other actors were hesitant. I love doing two-hero, three-hero, four-hero films… the more, the merrier. I think the place where I come from makes other actors feel very secure, because I’m not trying to grab more footage or impose. From my perspective, movies are bigger than stars. Look at what Zoya made me do in Luck By Chance! It was a small part and I loved doing it. He wasn’t even a hero, he was such a grey character, but look at the feedback, the reactions that it got. I thoroughly enjoyed doing that, because it was so human and real.
And, lastly, do you find yourself living by the title of this movie, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara?
Every single day. Even before I signed this film. That is the thing that drives me, it motivates me. I keep saying that you have just one choice, and why wouldn’t you make the better choice for every single day that comes your way!
Do what’s going to make you live a better life, every time you have a choice of doing something or not doing something just ask yourself, what’s going to make your life better, and do that, because you only have one choice, one chance, one life.
Everybody in my family has a National Award except me-Zoya Akhtar
8:52 AM
Bollywood's most loved filmmaker Zoya Akhtar looks back during the lockdown
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; May 15, 2020)
Consider writer-director Reema Kagti (Gold, Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd) as an Australian male Ricardo Fernandes, looking for his lost brother in Mumbai, while filmmaker Zoya Akhtar is the local don Mastana's hot moll. That's really how Zoya first met Reema, during the audition for Kaizad Gustad's Bombay Boys (1998).Reema, as the casting assistant, was standing in for Rahul Bose. Zoya, opposite her, was actually testing for the film's female lead role—mainly to humour Gustad, because he was keen she read for the part, that finally went to Tara Deshpande. Zoya was clear she wanted to AD on the movie.
AD, meaning assistant director—both a proper noun and an active verb on a film set. It's been over two decades since Bombay Boys, where Reema and Zoya were second ADs. Their partnership, as writers over the past decade though, counts amongst its achievements, Gully Boy (2019), the Amazon series Made In Heaven (2019), Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), Talaash (2012), and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011).
Bollywood wise, they could well be—albeit slightly Bonzai—versions of the '70s super-hit, Salim-Javed (Zanjeer, Deewar, Don, Sholay, Mr India)—the most successful writing pair ever, comprising Salim Khan and Zoya's father, Javed Akhtar.
I say this, while Zoya is talking to us from where Salim-Javed used to work out of—the study in her Bandra family home—that she now uses as her bedroom: "I'm just absorbing them," she smiles. She also drops a hint at working on a talkathon/documentary project of sorts to do with Salim-Javed themselves, as part of her newly launched production company.
But it's too early to talk about, she insists. Much is naturally made of Zoya as poet-lyricist Javed's daughter, eighth generation writer from the Akhtar family. Her love for films, as she points out, flows first from her mother's fine collection of world to latest cinema, projected on the screen at home, growing up.
Also the fact is that it's her mom, Honey Irani, who's the Bollywood insider in the family, having literally grown up in showbiz (Javed had moved from Bhopal).
Wikipedia rather exaggeratedly lists her as the child-star of 72 films!
Honey would've done minimum 20-30 movies as the much loved kid-face of the big screen—graduating much later to screenwriting, with popular titles like Yash Chopra's Lamhe (1991), Aaina (19993), Darr (1993), Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000), Koi… Mil Gaya (2003), Krissh 3 (2013).
Zoya reminisces, "Now, everybody has a camera to record their children. But people in my generation did not have footage of when their parents were three years old. I was one of the few kids, who had my mother from the time she was two, to when she was 16! I've seen my mother animated [on the screen], with different expressions, speech, seen her change, and grow. It's really interesting even now, to see her like that. She was darn cute, man! She, and my aunt Daisy [Irani]!"
She rues in jest, "Everybody in my family has a National Award— my mother, father, brother [Farhan Akhtar], step-mother [Shabana Azmi], cousin [Farah Khan], everybody. Except me!" Which film did her mom get a National Award as the kid-lead? "I don't know, if it was for Pyaar Ki Pyaas or Taare Zameen Par, one of the two." There was a yesteryear film called Taare Zameen Par? "Zameen Ke Tare! Both my mom, and my aunt."
The mom's acting gene, Zoya contends, went to her younger sibling, Farhan: "He is a bona-fide performer—he always had that. I hate being on stage, or before the camera. My first thing to do with the arts was to write—watching both my parents work at home, discussing scripts… That was one of the first things [in my head]. Directing came later."
Held over video-call for the first time, Zoya is also the first filmmaker to feature on our unscripted conversation series, Sit With Hitlist—so far limited to Hindi cinema's lead actors. Reason for that of course is that she's arguably Bollywood's most loved filmmaker, and therefore a star in her own right.
That apart, little is known about her life up until her rather belated directorial debut at 36-plus, with Luck By Chance (2009), although she'd been working as a film professional for around 18 years before that. Very little worth knowing, Zoya casually reckons, jogging back to age 19, when she started interning for a copy-writer's job at a creative agency—simultaneously reading sociology at Bombay's St. Xavier's College.
"I remember watching Salaam Bombay (1988), being madly in love, and going: I want to direct. And I don't know what I'm going to make. Because Hindi films were not my scene then. Out of the blue, when I was about 21, I got a job with Mira Nair on [the sets of] Kamasutra (1996)." You can find her in a cameo appearance as one of the Kamasutra girls, "an extra part," as she puts it, because ADs are frequently expected to fill-in or add to the human backdrop on shoots.
Of all her past associates, Mira as director appears to have left a strong impression on Zoya: "Mira is just special, you can see that. When she is talking to you, you are the only person in the world. She makes people feel special. She knows everybody on a crew by name. I love that about her. And I love her aesthetics."
Post Kamasutra, Zoya recalls, "I started working mainly on American projects that came to India. Went to NYU [New York University] for a diploma [in filmmaking]. Stayed back in New York. Got a job, thanks to Ismail Merchant, in a small, cool, indie film called Side Streets, directed by Tony Gerber."
She returned to Bombay as a freelance, professional AD, of which there were only four in all of Bollywood, who did a lot of foreign films and Indian work: "Reema [Kagti], [director] Apurva Lakhia, and me. Then Kiran Rao came in." Zoya's credits during this phase include Mahesh Mathai's Bhopal Express (1999) and Dev Benegal's Split Wide Open (1999). She chose to specialise in the casting department, because there, "you get to direct actors, with a script," and that's what she ever wanted to learn/master anyway.
She was the casting director on Farhan's first film Dil Chahta Hai (DCH, 2001), and thereafter Armaan (2003), her mother Honey's directorial debut. Okay did she personally pick/cast that balloon-lover boyfriend in Dil Chahta Hai? "Oh that's actually Hassan, a childhood friend of Farhan. But we handpicked everyone, so to speak. There are very interesting cameos. Kiran Rao is one of the girlfriends in Goa. She'd come to do all the extras' casting for the film's Goa leg!"
Between freelance AD-ing, Zoya had been ideating all along for her debut feature. It's mildly ironic that while so cued into casting, she was unable to kick off her first film for want of a lead actor, for almost a decade that she'd been ready to direct. And the one she eventually cast for the lead role, in her directorial debut (Luck By Chance, 2009) was her brother, Farhan, who'd been around all along!
"You cannot cast someone, unless they are ready. And feel that they want to do this. It took Farhan a while to get there—that he wants to act, and that he is a really good actor." While practically the entire Bollywood A-list came down for cameos in Luck By Chance, including both Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan (guessing, for the first time in the same film, although not in the same frame), Farhan was the seventh star to read/consider/hear the script. Hrithik Roshan played the second lead. "Luck By Chance is a book that I am going to write one day, about how that film got made," Zoya sighs.
Can't wait. It'd be quite a telling tinsel-town tale, given that nobody in Bombay does it. And Zoya is perfectly positioned to—not just as the quintessential insider, but as someone who can surprise you with her adorably random zaniness, on occasion. Recently at an interview she called herself the love-child of directors Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap. What does that mean? "That I am halfway between Indie and commercial, you know."
One time I remember getting a smoke with a group, outside a closed-door meeting with director Oliver Stone who was in Bombay then, and Zoya casually mentioned, "You know, there are four kinds of people in the world—John, Paul, George and Ringo." What?
I bring that up again: "That is a line from a Tom Robbins book. Have you read Tom Robbins? I love him. I don't remember what the context of that conversation was. You can look at everyone, and be like—that's a Paul, Ringo, George. I am a John, for sure!"
And while her films primarily deal with real, human, often raw emotions, there is this carefree cattiness that inevitably slips in too. It's only fair that we dig into a couple of stories behind some stellar, surprising choices she's made so far. For example, why/how/when did a ladies' bag, called Bagwati, bag a proper part in the breezy masterpiece Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara?
"That comes from Reema and a close friend of ours, Shai Heredia, who's an academic, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and hysterically funny. She and Reema were on a road trip, and they kept talking to Shai's bag. Think they were just tripping! We just put it into Zindagi."
It was Zoya's second film, with Farhan and Hrithik back on her frame, but in a much wider canvas, although the script started out in her head as a small, cathartic, road movie, about three boys in a car—for all the road trips she's taken in her life. Over time, of course, the script "developed a life of its own".
The film she co-wrote after was Reema's Talaash. It's a supernatural thriller that, by the way, was based on a true story, that happened to her! "You have to stop. I am going to be the crazy lady that goes on interviews and says all this shit. I know it sounds really crazy, and I don't want to be propagating this nonsense. But, I had a strange experience on Haji Ali, while a bunch of us were driving back from a nightclub. We thought we had hit a naked woman in the middle of the road. Everybody was freaking out. This is something I told Reema about, and where Talaash came from. I am not going to repeat this story, ever again!"
Okay how about the dog called Pluto, who's the narrator/POV of Dil Dhadakne Do; where does he come from? "From my super-smart, intelligent beagle Zen, who passed away last year. You can find him on my Insta page, Zen Akhtar. Zen would look at us as though he is watching National Geographic—that we are the animals, and he is like, 'What are they doing?' That's Pluto. Even the way the film is shot [as a result] is observational—there are no close ups, only 'wides'."
After a preview screening for Aamir Khan and his wife, Kiran Rao, both of whom Zoya makes it a point to get a feedback from before her film's final cut, she asked Aamir if he'd like to voice the dog: "He was, like, after these many years, you have offered me the voice of a dog? I said, please do it. He was, like, yeah, totally! And he just came [on-board], like a sweetheart. It was great!"
Is there anything she'd like to change about Dil Dhadakne Do? "I think the title. Would have been nicer [if it had] a little more gravitas." How about the climax (that was rather OTT, compared to the rest of the film's tone)?
"I actually liked the climax (of the mom, dad, sister jumping off the ship, with lifeboats to chase down brother/Ranveer Singh's character). The whole metaphor of the trip is that you can't get rid of anyone. Family is what you are stuck with. You can't just walk out the door. Eventually, when shit hits the fan, they are the only ones who will pull you up too. So when everyone tells me, I don't like the climax; I am like, cool, so what would you do? Till now nobody has given me a better ending. If there is one, I'd be like, damn!"
What did upset Zoya even before the release of Dil Dhadakne Do though was people taking the piss out of the picture for it being centred on lives of the super-privileged—intended also as a barb against movies that Zoya had directed thus far.
"Firstly I don't think it was criticism. There is nothing for me to take home from it. It is like somebody seeing a trailer of Gully Boy and saying, oh, this is about poor people. And I made Made in Heaven, along with Gully Boy. And that is about very rich people!"
"I was being interviewed by this woman wearing diamonds and solitaires, and she was telling me, it [the film] is about rich people. I was, like: Would it bother you, if your husband has an affair? Why? But you have solitaires on, it shouldn't bother you! What does it even mean?"
Before Gully Boy — set in a Mumbai slum and the city's underground rap scene—released, it got roundly compared to the American ghetto, hip-hop biopic, 8 Miles. Did that bother her? "The two people I spoke to [to base the film on their lives] are living here. You can talk to them. So, no, I didn't get into it. It bothered me, when they compared Zindagi to Hangover [producer Ritesh Sidhwani had to respond to Warner Bros]. Now, I think that's what they do."
Inspirations from dogs and spirits apart, what makes Zoya's filmmaking process special—given what we've managed to gauge so far—is she is capable of working backwards. Where she must know end, before she locks her script. Which isn't true for many filmmakers, who often arrive at the conclusion, as they navigate the story or characters' journeys: "I have to set a goal. That goal may change. But I when I set off, I have to know where I am taking the film. Otherwise I meander. I need a direction I am shooting at, you know!"
The other thing is her complete clarity on the point she's trying to make—so much so that she can distill each film into a single line, which is different from a log-line that describes a plot: "Of course Gully Boy is about a Muslim kid from Dharavi, who expresses himself through rap. It is a rags-to-riches, coming-of-age story. You can pin it down in any log line. But at the core of it, the film is about class. Luck By Chance is really about self-esteem. Zindagi is about living, seizing the day. Dil Dhadakne Do is a film about projection—who we actually are, and what we tend to project. It is what lenses the film, creates the base."
This sort of sharpness of thought, cutting through fluff, getting to the point, is also something Zoya shares with her father Javed, as a communicator in general—whether it be his works as lyricist, screenwriter, people's poet, or popular orator. He's possibly India's finest conversationalist—whose quick repartees and general gyan stick with you, if not go viral online.
Is there something Zoya remembers he told her that she's held as talisman? "Little things, you know. That when you are writing a script, whatever your story is, you've got to be able to lift your viewer. By the end of it, just lift your viewer! Don't resort to cheap shit to get a laugh or clap. Say it in the most base-denominator way, if you have to. But find a higher level of communication." It's tough, bohot hard.
Lust is always taken in a negative way, but it’s just another expression of love-Sanjay Kapoor
8:22 AM
Deepali Singh (DNA; June 8, 2018)
Sanjay Kapoor sounds out of breath as we start chatting with him over the phone about his upcoming anthology Lust Stories, which will be streamed on a digital platform. “Before you jump the gun and think I’m so much in character that I stay like that even during interviews, let me clarify that I’m on the cardio cycle!” he chuckles. Lust Stories has four short films on love and lust, directed by Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee, and Sanjay stars in the one made by the latter, which also features Manisha Koirala and Jaideep Ahlawat. Here, the actor tells us about his debut in the digital space and waiting for the right roles to come his way...
How did Lust Stories happen?
I had never met Dibakar in my life, but I had seen his work and liked it a lot. Apparently, the casting team was having a meeting at a club that I frequent. They happened to see me, felt I suited the character and got in touch with me. Then, Dibakar narrated the subject to me and I loved it. It was a great privilege to work with him.
We have never seen you attempt a bold subject like this before. Were you comfortable doing it?
Initially, this was supposed to be Bombay Talkies 2, but the title was changed later. I’ve not seen the other three stories as yet, but there is no sexuality or skin show or foul language in our plot. Lust is always taken in a negative way, but it’s just another expression of love. So, there was no question of feeling uncomfortable.
You were working with Manisha Koirala 13 years after Anjaane. How was it to re-unite with her onscreen?
I’ve done two films with Manisha, out of which Chhupa Rustam was a huge hit. So the comfort level was there. We were working together after 13 years, but nowadays, you do a lot of workshops and readings before facing the cameras. When you come on sets, you have already spent a lot of time together. Similarly, I have never worked with Jaideep (Ahlawat) before, but I did many readings with him. We are playing friends, so we needed to look the part. Due to the readings, we were comfortable when we faced the camera.
Are you excited about making your digital debut with Lust Stories?
Absolutely! You know, I was returning from London on the day of the trailer launch and I didn’t want to miss it. So, I didn’t even go home. The launch was at 4 pm and my flight landed at 2.30 pm and I went there straight from the airport. And I’m glad I did. It was an honour to be on the same dias as Karan (Johar), Zoya (Akhtar) and Dibakar (Banerjee). I realised that I have worked with all of them earlier. I was in Zoya’s Luck By Chance, I did a cameo in Karan’s Kal Ho Na Ho and Anurag (Kashyap) was one of the producers of Shaandaar. So, it’s exciting to be a part of their movie and make my digital debut with them. Digital is no longer the future, it’s the present.
So you are open to doing web series?
Hundred per cent! Main toh darwaaze ki taraf dekhta rehta hoon ki koi achcha offer aa jaye! However, now, I’m being more patient and choosy. I feel jahaan itna wait kiya hai, let’s wait for some more time. If you get such an opportunity, you can’t just take up anything for the heck of it. We all need money to survive, even I need it. But you have to be patient.
Are there any specific kind of roles that you want to take up now?
It’s no longer about your role, but the whole film. It’s extremely important to be part of the right film. There is no point thinking ‘mera role toh zabardast hai’. But if the director is not good or the subject is not going to work, then nobody will even come to watch the movie. Your role has to be important to the subject. For instance, when I was offered Luck By Chance, I was quite sceptical because that was the first time I was doing a movie with an ensemble cast. But Zoya was convinced about taking me on and she got back to me with the dialogues. When I heard them, I realised how important I was to the film. Today, when I look back, I realise Luck By Chance is one of my best experiences. When I was facing the camera, I felt I was the most important person, which was such a good feeling.
You also did a TV show, Dil Sambhal Jaa Zara, last year. How was the experience?
I had such a fantastic time. I had not realised the kind of reach television has until I got the appreciation that I did. It’s been around three-and-a-half months or so that the show has got over, but not a day goes by when I’m out and I don’t meet somebody who asks me, ‘Arey, why did your show end?’ If I do television again, it has to be a show like this one, where I could identify with the character and believe in the story.
There is a little bit of confusion regarding equal pay-Farhan Akhtar
7:51 AM
Farhan Akhtar reacts to actresses demanding the same pay as actors, says it’s an individual thing...
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; December 9, 2015)
Recently, several actresses have raised their voice
against gender discrimination in the industry and talked about being
paid lesser than the heroes. Anushka Sharma has gone a step ahead and
opened up about sexism in Bollywood. We spoke to actor-producer-director
Farhan Akhtar, who is also the founder of MARD (Men Against
Discrimination and Rape) for his reaction...
In an interview, Anushka Sharma said that if her role is lengthier than the hero’s in a film, none of the guys will do the film. Is it true? Would you be part of such a movie?
I did Dil Dhadakne Do, in which my involvement was really because of Priyanka’s (Chopra) character. I played a supporting part to her and I was happy to do it. Even Luck By Chance was about Konkona’s (Sens Sharma's) struggle. My character comes into her life, changes things and goes out. I don’t have these issues, I want to be a part of good movies. But yes, I have to make a contribution to the story — it can’t be just one song and go. It has to be meaty, that’s all. It doesn’t matter to me if the heroine or somebody else’s role is lengthier than mine.
Several actresses complain about being paid lesser than the heroes. What is your take on it?
In all honesty, there is a little bit of confusion in this area. Everybody has the right to demand what is fair for themselves. The producer has the right to say yes or no. It’s a personal thing. There’s no guild to say who has to be paid how much except for the technicians and manual workers. Rest, is a process of negotiation. You have to take a stand. If you are truly loved by people and the maker wants you in the film, he will do it.
Didn’t you earlier say that you support actresses who demand equal pay?
Yes, I think they deserve the same pay. But just because I say it, will somebody do that for them?
As a producer, would you do it?
Whenever we cast actors, we discuss what they are comfortable with and pay accordingly. The actors have to be happy to work comfortably.
What about the treatment of male and female actors? Is it different for male actors in terms of more perks than their female counterparts?
I can only talk about my production house. Whether they are newcomers, established actors, boys or girls, we treat everybody on par. At the end of the day, these are tags or designations given to them by people or themselves. Everybody has to be treated nicely and feel wanted and we do that.
The Mehras are really different than the Akhtars-Zoya Akhtar
9:07 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; May 23, 2015)
Zoya Akhtar, 42, is a
director with a distinct cinematic voice. She likes making mainstream
cinema, but stays away from following a formula. She is emotional,
sensitive and warm and her love for people is what makes her make films
with ensemble casts. She is fiercely honest as she thinks she is a bad
liar. She is a happy person, who
loves adventure and lives to travel. Over an hourlong conversation,
ahead of her much-awaited family entertainer Dil Dhadakne Do,
she talks to Bombay Times about her brother Farhan Akhtar's contrasting
traits, her non-judgemental mother and why Reema Kagti remains her best
friend for 20 years. Excerpts:
What made you make Dil Dhadakne Do?
I wanted to do a family drama because it's a genre that interests me. Firstly, drama is my favourite genre and I just wanted to do a family story with a sibling story at the core of it. I think there is nothing more important in forming a human being than your family. It is how you have been brought up and been taken care of that eventually is how you will deal with and treat the world. And India is so big on family, so it made sense to me.
The 'Mehras' seem to be a dysfunctional family. Is there anything in the film that echoes from your own life?
Do you know any family that is not dysfunctional? So actually, it's a normal family in India. They are not dysfunctional in an American sense. It's what Indians consider being totally normal. I don't really know a normal family. In fact, I don't know a perfect person. So, how can a family be perfect and frankly if there are any, they will be very boring like I won't want them over for dinner. The Mehras are really different than the Akhtars. If I put the Akhtars on screen, I don't think anyone would believe it. It would not be film friendly. The Mehras are much more rooted in tradition, whereas we, the Akhtars, are a bit too left of centre for the Indian mainstream. The only thing similar to my real life is a good sibling bond. Though our problems, conflicts and fights are all different.
Talk about your bond with your younger brother Farhan Akhtar?
He is just a year younger and we grew up together. We are very different and very similar. We have different traits and skills, like he is extremely meticulous while I am extremely chaotic. From our desks, you can tell me and him clearly. He has OCD and I am completely the opposite. I am not dirty, but I am messy. He has a strong talent and is very good with music, I am not. I love music, but can't hold a note in a bucket. I can't sing, can't play an instrument. Farhan taught himself to play a guitar, with me there is no chance. He is way more disciplined than me. If he wants to do something, he will just do it and will make the time to do it and it will become a part of his agenda. He is not lazy, whereas I am and if I can push something to the last minute, I will. I can just prolong it or will think of a smarter way of doing it. He has more physical intelligence than me in terms of sport and he is a much better cook than I am. Basically, he has a lot more skills than I have. People joke about it that if he decides, in five years, he could turn himself into a doctor. I don't have those things. He is way more mature, he got his stuff together earlier than me, he got his film earlier than me, he got married and became a parent earlier than me. But we are similar with our values, have the same views on politics, be it on women's issues or humanity, we both have the same sense of aesthetic and we both end up liking the same movies.
Is marriage a priority for you?
I definitely want a partner and would like to spend the rest of my life with somebody, but I don't care if am married or not. I have never woken up to feeling that 'Shit I wish I want to be married' but yes, I have woken up to feeling 'Shit I want to make a movie.'
Do you see yourself coming into politics?
No, as I don't think I will survive. But I look forward to being a Member of Parliament, but not a member of a party.
Who constitutes your emotional ecosystem?
My parents, Farhan and my friend Reema Kagti. I go to each of them for different things. I am not clingy, but I need my friends and family. I need my space and fortunately, I am surrounded by people who need their space, so it works out very well.
How emotionally difficult was the separation of your parents?
I just look around and I just feel like I have so many people in my life whose parents are still together and those kids are really messed up. So, I think at the end of the day, if you are loved and really taken care of and can depend on your parents emotionally and no matter what the situation is, if they respect each other, you are fine. I know people whose parents live together and they will never get separated and the kids are really affected.
Your father Javed Akhtar told me how you get your discipline from your mother?
I think I am more leaning towards my dad ... procrastination!!! Though of course, I am better than him. My mother and Farhan are damn responsible.
What do you look upto your father for?
I feel he is fair, he is hungry, he is learning and even now is open to discovering stuff.
Are you diplomatic?
I am a director, so I don't have a choice. I can be diplomatic when I have to be. Half your job as a director is dealing with people and I have figured that I am a skilled diplomat.
What do you depend on your mother for?
Everything. My mother is the only person in my life who has never judged me. We have been allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. She needs a lot of space and she takes a lot of space. And that makes us very compatible.
You made your first film only when you were 35. Did it frustrate you?
At 19, I started as a copywriter and at 21, started assisting Mira Nair, then I went to NYU and did film production and came back and thought that if there was anyone who was going to make a film, it was me. Not that I was ever rude, but now when I look back, it was arrogance. I had established actors and filmmakers who were concerned about me giving me advice, but in my head I was like you don't know me, you going to want to work with me someday. I went through a really low period emotionally from when I was 28 to 31, as I couldn't make a film. It took me so much time to make my first movie Luck By Chance. And now I look back and think what was I thinking? How did I survive? But I think I survived as I was arrogant. No one wanted to act in my movie at that time, no one was getting it and they thought it was not commercial and they were right. But in my head I would think I will make movies and I don't care a shit what you think. I would meet people who were extremely accomplished, but in my head I would be thinking I don't even understand what you are saying. I am a filmmaker. So yes, it took me very long to make my movie, but then I did it and I am so happy that Luck By Chance was my first film, as I learned so much from it.
Reema Kagti is your best friend for 20 years. What do you like about her the most?
She gets me the most. She is awesome, super cool and the bravest person I know. Coming from a random farm of Assam, with no connections in the industry and she says I want to go to Mumbai and make movies. And comes to Mumbai, makes movies, buys her self a house, is sorted and is possibly, the most authentic person I know. She is what she is and she never ever plays any games.
Are you a feminist?
I find it strange when people say they are not, as if you believe in equality of men and women, if you believe that women should be educated, that they should have autonomy of their own body and have equal opportunity and be paid as much as men for the same job, you are a feminist.
Who do you consider your other friends in the industry?
Anurag Kashyap and Karan Johar. Karan, as I have known him all my life and we really get along though we are very very different. He is a juggler whereas I am the person who will do one thing. He wears many hats, I don't have that much energy.
Are you competitive?
Yes, in the sense that I want to be good. For me it's not about I wanting my movie to make more money than that movie or that I want to be the highest paid director, but I want people to come out of my movie and feel that I am good. I want to be the best I can be.
Do awards matter to you?
They don't matter, but they are fun to receive. So, I am not going to cry if I don't win, but will I get happy if I win, yes.
Does box office matter to you?
Of course, because I feel that if someone has bet on me and put money on me, I feel accountable for it. I feel actors trust me, they do roles that they normally don't do, so I feel responsible for that too. But box office should not matter to an audience.
What made you make Dil Dhadakne Do?
I wanted to do a family drama because it's a genre that interests me. Firstly, drama is my favourite genre and I just wanted to do a family story with a sibling story at the core of it. I think there is nothing more important in forming a human being than your family. It is how you have been brought up and been taken care of that eventually is how you will deal with and treat the world. And India is so big on family, so it made sense to me.
The 'Mehras' seem to be a dysfunctional family. Is there anything in the film that echoes from your own life?
Do you know any family that is not dysfunctional? So actually, it's a normal family in India. They are not dysfunctional in an American sense. It's what Indians consider being totally normal. I don't really know a normal family. In fact, I don't know a perfect person. So, how can a family be perfect and frankly if there are any, they will be very boring like I won't want them over for dinner. The Mehras are really different than the Akhtars. If I put the Akhtars on screen, I don't think anyone would believe it. It would not be film friendly. The Mehras are much more rooted in tradition, whereas we, the Akhtars, are a bit too left of centre for the Indian mainstream. The only thing similar to my real life is a good sibling bond. Though our problems, conflicts and fights are all different.
Talk about your bond with your younger brother Farhan Akhtar?
He is just a year younger and we grew up together. We are very different and very similar. We have different traits and skills, like he is extremely meticulous while I am extremely chaotic. From our desks, you can tell me and him clearly. He has OCD and I am completely the opposite. I am not dirty, but I am messy. He has a strong talent and is very good with music, I am not. I love music, but can't hold a note in a bucket. I can't sing, can't play an instrument. Farhan taught himself to play a guitar, with me there is no chance. He is way more disciplined than me. If he wants to do something, he will just do it and will make the time to do it and it will become a part of his agenda. He is not lazy, whereas I am and if I can push something to the last minute, I will. I can just prolong it or will think of a smarter way of doing it. He has more physical intelligence than me in terms of sport and he is a much better cook than I am. Basically, he has a lot more skills than I have. People joke about it that if he decides, in five years, he could turn himself into a doctor. I don't have those things. He is way more mature, he got his stuff together earlier than me, he got his film earlier than me, he got married and became a parent earlier than me. But we are similar with our values, have the same views on politics, be it on women's issues or humanity, we both have the same sense of aesthetic and we both end up liking the same movies.
Is marriage a priority for you?
I definitely want a partner and would like to spend the rest of my life with somebody, but I don't care if am married or not. I have never woken up to feeling that 'Shit I wish I want to be married' but yes, I have woken up to feeling 'Shit I want to make a movie.'
Do you see yourself coming into politics?
No, as I don't think I will survive. But I look forward to being a Member of Parliament, but not a member of a party.
Who constitutes your emotional ecosystem?
My parents, Farhan and my friend Reema Kagti. I go to each of them for different things. I am not clingy, but I need my friends and family. I need my space and fortunately, I am surrounded by people who need their space, so it works out very well.
How emotionally difficult was the separation of your parents?
I just look around and I just feel like I have so many people in my life whose parents are still together and those kids are really messed up. So, I think at the end of the day, if you are loved and really taken care of and can depend on your parents emotionally and no matter what the situation is, if they respect each other, you are fine. I know people whose parents live together and they will never get separated and the kids are really affected.
Your father Javed Akhtar told me how you get your discipline from your mother?
I think I am more leaning towards my dad ... procrastination!!! Though of course, I am better than him. My mother and Farhan are damn responsible.
What do you look upto your father for?
I feel he is fair, he is hungry, he is learning and even now is open to discovering stuff.
Are you diplomatic?
I am a director, so I don't have a choice. I can be diplomatic when I have to be. Half your job as a director is dealing with people and I have figured that I am a skilled diplomat.
What do you depend on your mother for?
Everything. My mother is the only person in my life who has never judged me. We have been allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. She needs a lot of space and she takes a lot of space. And that makes us very compatible.
You made your first film only when you were 35. Did it frustrate you?
At 19, I started as a copywriter and at 21, started assisting Mira Nair, then I went to NYU and did film production and came back and thought that if there was anyone who was going to make a film, it was me. Not that I was ever rude, but now when I look back, it was arrogance. I had established actors and filmmakers who were concerned about me giving me advice, but in my head I was like you don't know me, you going to want to work with me someday. I went through a really low period emotionally from when I was 28 to 31, as I couldn't make a film. It took me so much time to make my first movie Luck By Chance. And now I look back and think what was I thinking? How did I survive? But I think I survived as I was arrogant. No one wanted to act in my movie at that time, no one was getting it and they thought it was not commercial and they were right. But in my head I would think I will make movies and I don't care a shit what you think. I would meet people who were extremely accomplished, but in my head I would be thinking I don't even understand what you are saying. I am a filmmaker. So yes, it took me very long to make my movie, but then I did it and I am so happy that Luck By Chance was my first film, as I learned so much from it.
Reema Kagti is your best friend for 20 years. What do you like about her the most?
She gets me the most. She is awesome, super cool and the bravest person I know. Coming from a random farm of Assam, with no connections in the industry and she says I want to go to Mumbai and make movies. And comes to Mumbai, makes movies, buys her self a house, is sorted and is possibly, the most authentic person I know. She is what she is and she never ever plays any games.
Are you a feminist?
I find it strange when people say they are not, as if you believe in equality of men and women, if you believe that women should be educated, that they should have autonomy of their own body and have equal opportunity and be paid as much as men for the same job, you are a feminist.
Who do you consider your other friends in the industry?
Anurag Kashyap and Karan Johar. Karan, as I have known him all my life and we really get along though we are very very different. He is a juggler whereas I am the person who will do one thing. He wears many hats, I don't have that much energy.
Are you competitive?
Yes, in the sense that I want to be good. For me it's not about I wanting my movie to make more money than that movie or that I want to be the highest paid director, but I want people to come out of my movie and feel that I am good. I want to be the best I can be.
Do awards matter to you?
They don't matter, but they are fun to receive. So, I am not going to cry if I don't win, but will I get happy if I win, yes.
Does box office matter to you?
Of course, because I feel that if someone has bet on me and put money on me, I feel accountable for it. I feel actors trust me, they do roles that they normally don't do, so I feel responsible for that too. But box office should not matter to an audience.
Salman told me that whenever I turn producer, he'll do a film with me-Sanjay Kapoor
8:16 AM
Sanjay Kapoor talks about his film starring nephew Arjun Kapoor in the lead role
Upala KBR (DNA; March 15, 2014)
Sanjay Kapoor is producing Tevar, starring his nephew Arjun Kapoor and
Sonakshi Sinha. They are currently shooting in Agra. On the set, Sanjay
is a cool producer, comfortable with his unit and at ease with the cast
and crew... no sign of stress. You’d think he was a veteran producer,
instead of a first timer. He reveals that his secret is delegation. Once
everyone knows what they have to do, they handle it. This is a new
start for the youngest brother of Boney and Anil, who was a lead actor
having worked with the likes of Madhuri Dixit in her prime. Here he
talks about his new role, family and his brothers. Read on…
What made you get into production?
Well, being a producer is in our blood. Now I am producing this film but when I was acting in Boney’s films too, I was working as a producer. I have been wanting to get into production for more than 15 years. I had just completed Auzaar with Salman Khan and wasn’t happy with the kind of films that were being offered so I was toying with the idea of turning producer. I was to produce my first film with Salman but Boney got in between! (laughs wryly). I don’t even know if Salman remembers this, but once while we were at Piano Bar, he had told me that whenever I become a producer, he would do a film with me.
Then what happened...
Fortunately or unfortunately at that time Sirf Tum became a hit. Ironically, I don’t even know whether to be happy or sad because if that hadn’t worked, I would have been the producer of a Salman Khan film and by now I would have produced at least four films with him. But Sirf Tum worked and that encouraged me to continue acting. At the time i thought, ‘If I get into production at this juncture, I will be closing the chapter on acting. Also, at that time the trend of actors turning producers wasn’t such a big one as it is today. So I didn’t get into production and continued to act in films like Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche or do a negative role in Qayamat.
Please continue...
At that time Sohail and Salman had approached a couple of big stars for the film but they refused because Salman was there. I said yes and till today both haven’t forgotten that. When Salman and I started out we were on par, but by the time Auzaar released, Judwaa and his other films had become blockbusters and my Kartavya hadn’t done well. I remember when the producer put up the first hoarding of Auzaar in Juhu, it had a very big face of Salman and a comparatively smaller face of mine even though my role was bigger. I have to say this about Salman and Sohail and their family…They called the producer and said that if I wasn’t given equal importance they wouldn’t be a part for the film. These are the qualities in the Khan family, that encouraged me to go to Salman when I was toying with the idea of production. I guess that wasn’t the right time then and today it’s right because I am making a film with Arjun who is Salman’s protégé so if it’s not Salman, it has some connection to him. Maybe sometime in the future I will also do a film with Salman.
Was Boney supposed to produce Tevar?
No, but Boney will always be a part of all films that I do. He has so much knowledge and experience about filmmaking and Arjun is doing his first film with me. For Boney, this is Arjun’s first film for the family. I think it is after 20 years that I am seeing Boney so involved in a film.
Arjun was a natural choice because he is family?
This role required a young boy and when Arjun suited the role so why not him? He is perfect for this role. He’s young, extremely talented and very hard-working. The way he came down from 140 kgs to what he is now, shows he has passion for his craft and wants to do well — so why not him?
What is Tevar about?
It’s the love story of a boy from Agra and the girl from Mathura and how their love story travels. It’s a commercial yet sensible film. We have taken care of aesthetics and detailing and correct casting. Like for the negative role, we have signed a good actor like Manoj Bajpayee. It’s a fantastic role so we have not gone with the trend of signing a hero and making him into a negative character. We have been shooting in extremely difficult locations. It would have been easy to shoot at shooting-friendly locations or on the sets but the director, Amit Sharma, wanted the real locations. Though he is an ad filmmaker of Google’s 45-second ad films, his characterisation and storytelling in those few seconds is superb! We love his work and believe in him and that’s why we are going with his vision. Amit is going to be one of the names to reckon with in the future. I am extremely fortunate to have a director like him.
Will you be doing a surprise appearance in the film?
No. The three most important roles are being played by Arjun, Sonakshi and Manoj. Basically, the story revolves around the three characters and there is nothing for me to do in Tevar. I have not become a producer to promote my career as an actor. Sometimes when I see actors becoming producers I think it’s a mistake. It’s important to first establish your production house and then pick and choose your part. People like Akshay, Aamir, Shah Rukh, Ajay have established themselves first, opened production houses, and then produced films where they act also. But when people like me get into production we have to take it as an alternative career. Or people will say produce bhi aap karte ho aur act bhi khud karte ho aur picture bhi dekhte aap hi ho (laughs)!
Has acting taken a backseat completely?
No. In fact, I got so many positive reactions to my role in Luck By Chance but I am surprised that nobody offered me a role after that. A couple of years later, at a trial of Krissh, Ashutosh Gowariker took me aside and spoke to me for 15 minutes. We only spoke about my role in Luck By Chance. I am not a superstar that he has to praise me to please me. I only can do good work but if after that I have not signed a film it’s destiny. I want to act but I don’t want to do anything that comes my way. Neither am I expecting main roles to come my way. I am not expecting to do a Gunday, Dabangg or Chennai Express as I have crossed that stage. But I would have loved to do what an Irrfan did in Gunday.
Do you feel your brothers Boney and Anil could have helped your career move?
No. In the long run it never helps. I honestly think that this film industry is not a factory where you are taking over somebody’s business. In fact many people thought that being Boney and Anil’s brother I got good films like Raja and Kartavya. Today I say I am still their brother so why is my acting career still not happening today? Where Anil and me are concerned for the last five years I haven’t done even a single photo shoot with Anil, forget a film. That way I feel good and am happy that I have never piggybacked on Anil — not then and not now. Everything I have achieved is on my own.
You look fitter now than you did when you were an actor. Comment?
I am a happy and positive guy and that reflects in me and my circle. I have some great friends in the industry and because I am positive, people enjoy being with me. I don’t regret things. Nor am I bitter about anything. I take things in my stride. Though we all want to be successful and want certain things in life, I am content with what I did.
Upala KBR (DNA; March 15, 2014)
Sanjay Kapoor is producing Tevar, starring his nephew Arjun Kapoor and
Sonakshi Sinha. They are currently shooting in Agra. On the set, Sanjay
is a cool producer, comfortable with his unit and at ease with the cast
and crew... no sign of stress. You’d think he was a veteran producer,
instead of a first timer. He reveals that his secret is delegation. Once
everyone knows what they have to do, they handle it. This is a new
start for the youngest brother of Boney and Anil, who was a lead actor
having worked with the likes of Madhuri Dixit in her prime. Here he
talks about his new role, family and his brothers. Read on…What made you get into production?
Well, being a producer is in our blood. Now I am producing this film but when I was acting in Boney’s films too, I was working as a producer. I have been wanting to get into production for more than 15 years. I had just completed Auzaar with Salman Khan and wasn’t happy with the kind of films that were being offered so I was toying with the idea of turning producer. I was to produce my first film with Salman but Boney got in between! (laughs wryly). I don’t even know if Salman remembers this, but once while we were at Piano Bar, he had told me that whenever I become a producer, he would do a film with me.
Then what happened...
Fortunately or unfortunately at that time Sirf Tum became a hit. Ironically, I don’t even know whether to be happy or sad because if that hadn’t worked, I would have been the producer of a Salman Khan film and by now I would have produced at least four films with him. But Sirf Tum worked and that encouraged me to continue acting. At the time i thought, ‘If I get into production at this juncture, I will be closing the chapter on acting. Also, at that time the trend of actors turning producers wasn’t such a big one as it is today. So I didn’t get into production and continued to act in films like Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche or do a negative role in Qayamat.
Please continue...
At that time Sohail and Salman had approached a couple of big stars for the film but they refused because Salman was there. I said yes and till today both haven’t forgotten that. When Salman and I started out we were on par, but by the time Auzaar released, Judwaa and his other films had become blockbusters and my Kartavya hadn’t done well. I remember when the producer put up the first hoarding of Auzaar in Juhu, it had a very big face of Salman and a comparatively smaller face of mine even though my role was bigger. I have to say this about Salman and Sohail and their family…They called the producer and said that if I wasn’t given equal importance they wouldn’t be a part for the film. These are the qualities in the Khan family, that encouraged me to go to Salman when I was toying with the idea of production. I guess that wasn’t the right time then and today it’s right because I am making a film with Arjun who is Salman’s protégé so if it’s not Salman, it has some connection to him. Maybe sometime in the future I will also do a film with Salman.
Was Boney supposed to produce Tevar?
No, but Boney will always be a part of all films that I do. He has so much knowledge and experience about filmmaking and Arjun is doing his first film with me. For Boney, this is Arjun’s first film for the family. I think it is after 20 years that I am seeing Boney so involved in a film.
Arjun was a natural choice because he is family?
This role required a young boy and when Arjun suited the role so why not him? He is perfect for this role. He’s young, extremely talented and very hard-working. The way he came down from 140 kgs to what he is now, shows he has passion for his craft and wants to do well — so why not him?
What is Tevar about?
It’s the love story of a boy from Agra and the girl from Mathura and how their love story travels. It’s a commercial yet sensible film. We have taken care of aesthetics and detailing and correct casting. Like for the negative role, we have signed a good actor like Manoj Bajpayee. It’s a fantastic role so we have not gone with the trend of signing a hero and making him into a negative character. We have been shooting in extremely difficult locations. It would have been easy to shoot at shooting-friendly locations or on the sets but the director, Amit Sharma, wanted the real locations. Though he is an ad filmmaker of Google’s 45-second ad films, his characterisation and storytelling in those few seconds is superb! We love his work and believe in him and that’s why we are going with his vision. Amit is going to be one of the names to reckon with in the future. I am extremely fortunate to have a director like him.
Will you be doing a surprise appearance in the film?
No. The three most important roles are being played by Arjun, Sonakshi and Manoj. Basically, the story revolves around the three characters and there is nothing for me to do in Tevar. I have not become a producer to promote my career as an actor. Sometimes when I see actors becoming producers I think it’s a mistake. It’s important to first establish your production house and then pick and choose your part. People like Akshay, Aamir, Shah Rukh, Ajay have established themselves first, opened production houses, and then produced films where they act also. But when people like me get into production we have to take it as an alternative career. Or people will say produce bhi aap karte ho aur act bhi khud karte ho aur picture bhi dekhte aap hi ho (laughs)!
Has acting taken a backseat completely?
No. In fact, I got so many positive reactions to my role in Luck By Chance but I am surprised that nobody offered me a role after that. A couple of years later, at a trial of Krissh, Ashutosh Gowariker took me aside and spoke to me for 15 minutes. We only spoke about my role in Luck By Chance. I am not a superstar that he has to praise me to please me. I only can do good work but if after that I have not signed a film it’s destiny. I want to act but I don’t want to do anything that comes my way. Neither am I expecting main roles to come my way. I am not expecting to do a Gunday, Dabangg or Chennai Express as I have crossed that stage. But I would have loved to do what an Irrfan did in Gunday.
Do you feel your brothers Boney and Anil could have helped your career move?
No. In the long run it never helps. I honestly think that this film industry is not a factory where you are taking over somebody’s business. In fact many people thought that being Boney and Anil’s brother I got good films like Raja and Kartavya. Today I say I am still their brother so why is my acting career still not happening today? Where Anil and me are concerned for the last five years I haven’t done even a single photo shoot with Anil, forget a film. That way I feel good and am happy that I have never piggybacked on Anil — not then and not now. Everything I have achieved is on my own.
You look fitter now than you did when you were an actor. Comment?
I am a happy and positive guy and that reflects in me and my circle. I have some great friends in the industry and because I am positive, people enjoy being with me. I don’t regret things. Nor am I bitter about anything. I take things in my stride. Though we all want to be successful and want certain things in life, I am content with what I did.
Had Rakeysh Mehra approached me earlier, I'd have said no-Farhan Akhtar
12:19 PM
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 30, 2014)
He
just walked away with the Filmfare Best Actor Award for Bhaag Milkha
Bhaag, but Farhan Akhtar admits that when he entered the industry, more
than a decade ago, acting was not on his agenda. “When I started out I
was very categorical that I only wanted to write, direct and produce
films with my friend and partner Ritesh (Sidhwani),” he says.
And
that was how it was till early 2007 when Abhishek Kapoor came to him
with the role of Aditya Shroff in Rock On!! By then he had proved his
mettle as a director with films like Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya and
Don--The Chase Begins and wowed by the script, Farhan said yes to his
first turn in front of the camera because "it was a world and music he
could identify with".
His performance as Aditya, a musician who
gives up the mike before returning to his true passion, was well
received. So when his sister, Zoya Akhtar, confided that she was
shelving her dream debut Luck By Chance because her seven-year-long
search for a hero proved futile, Farhan offered to step into the shoes
of both the leading man and the producer.
Karthik Calling
Karthik in 2010, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara in 2011 followed-- this time
Zoya had written the role of Imran with him in mind. Then Bhaag Milkha
Bhaag came last year and suddenly, Farhan isn’t just an applauded actor
but a saleable one too.
This year he’s working in three films.
Shaadi Ke Side Effects opens on February 28. Bombay Samurai with Kareena
Kapoor and without Samurai swords will roll soon, and Raees co-starring
Shah Rukh Khan will
follow. There’s also a third film with Zoya, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s film
with Amitabh Bachchan to be directed by Bejoy Nambiar and the Rock On!!
sequel.
Farhan’s plate is piled high which is perhaps why he’s
announced a break from direction for two years. But, he has two fully
developed scripts—one which he has written and another he has
cowritten—along with a third one which yet to be completed. “In
fact, there are several scripts being developed. By the year end I
should decide what I want to do. Then I’ll revisit the scripts,” he
says.
For now he can enjoy the awards coming his way for Bhaag
Milkha... Farhan says that the biggest challenge was to remove his
urbane upbringing from his body language before entering Milkha’s world
and era.
“Had Rakeysh Mehra approached
me earlier, I'd have said no, but my collective experiences lead me to
believe I could pull it off. Today, I like to reinvent myself with every
role rather than be a stereotypical actor who comes up in the list of names when a particular role is being discussed," he points out.
The
effort left many, including the athlete whose life he recreated,
entranced, and a few, like Naseeruddin Shah, critical. Bring up the
criticism and Farhan shrugs, “Every person who watches a film is
entitled to his or her opinion. That’s how he feels and I respect his
opinion for being his opinion.”
In comparison to Bhaag… Shaadi
Ke Side Effects, whose trailer his younger daughter Akira finds
hilarious, is a simpler film. And 14 years of marriage and bringing up two children, was enough to prepare him for the role.
But
then, as he points out, marriage is a very “individual experience”
though he did felt a tinge of empathy when his character is awaiting the
birth of his child.
“For every parent the first born is like
precious porcelain which can break easily. It’s the first time you are
thinking of someone beyond yourself and the sense of responsibility can
make us overprotective till the second one comes along and you realise
that children can take care of themselves,” he says.
He himself
was an independent child who hated staying home. "Mumbai in the 70s and
80s was a different city with hardly any cars. Bandra was a promenade,
we could run on the streets without our parents getting stressed,” he
says.
Talking of parents will his production house, Excel Entertainment,
produce a film based on the script his dad Javed Akhtar is writing. “If
he’d like Excel to produce it, we will. He's been an integral part of
everything we’ve done since the beginning. I’m sure he’ll give us a narration when he’s ready,” Farhan smiles.
He
has remade Salim-Javed’s Don and built it into a franchise. Is he
eyeing another remake now? “As a script Deewar is really good. But there
are no plans to remake it,” he says. Will he be taking cues from Shashi
Kapoor’s turn as a cop in the film, for his role as a policeman in
Raees? “Rarely do you come across a role that has not been played before
but it’s dangerous to replay it. The modern cop's image is very
different from that of his 70s counterpart,” he asserts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)