One thing that strikes you about Jackky Bhagnani is his honesty. While diplomacy is a card many play in Bollywood, this young actor impresses with his blunt candour. He doesn't shy away from admitting there are more cons than pros when working with his home banner and having faced criticism early on, he's come to terms with many things in life. We meet up with the young actor at his Juhu office as he gears up for the release of his comedy, Welcome 2 Karachi. Lauren Gottlieb, his co-star in the film, also joins in the tête-à-tête...

Jackky, why a mad comedy like Welcome 2 Karachi?
Honestly, I didn't get a chance to choose the film. I got a call from my father about 48 hours before the film started, saying he was in a soup and he needed me to do this film. Another actor was supposed to do it. I was happy that I could do something in return, even if in a small way, for the company and my father. They had backed me like no one has backed anyone. It's an out-and-out comedy about these characters, in the Dumb And Dumber genre. It's a very funny film with clean comedy. The situations make you laugh rather than the gags, slapstick humour or adult and cheap way of making people laugh.

Jackky, how difficult is I comedy for you?
I'd like to believe I'm a funny guy. But doing comedy in front of the camera is an altogether different ball game. It's all about the medium, the timing... if the timing goes off, you can actually come across as boring. So, it's not very easy on camera, especially if you're doing some thing with Arshad Warsi, whose timing is simply superb.

Jackky, did you get to do any preparation for your role?
None. I was told I'm doing this role, I've to speak in a Gujarati accent. I asked for the dialogues and was told I would get them on the set. So, I never got any prep time. Arshad sir has a knack of improving things for the better, he comes up with something new, and if you're not going with the new, you're not going with the best. What we've seen from rushes, it looks unplanned, that's the benefit we are getting which works for a film like this.

Lauren, coming from a dance and choreography background, what made you do this film?
Everything I do is outside my comfort zone. That's the only time in life I realise I can progress and move to the next level. I cried every single day during my first film ABCD because I didn't know the language, couldn't communicate. But because I eventually got through, I got the benefits. When this film was offered to me, though it's a comedy, mine is a serious part. Here I'm straight-faced and cut to the point, which I don't do in normal life.

Lauren, so are you looking at serious acting roles more than dance-related parts?
Dance will never leave me nor will I leave it. When I meet people and talk about dance, their eyes light up. That's a special thing for me, I dance for that look in people's eyes. I will do that for everyone for the rest of my life. I'm trying to find roles outside my comfort zone, to explore something new so I can grow.

Jackky, you're a good dancer too. But just like you had to work towards Arshad's comic timing, did you find it difficult to match to Lauren's dancing steps?
For a change, I won't be modest, I'm a good dancer. Lauren is supreme. The finishing she has is out of the ordinary, I don't have that. She told me a very important thing, to dance on the back end of a beat. Sometimes I'd do that unknowingly, but most of the time, majority of actors rush. Perhaps Hrithik Roshan is the only exception. So yes, I learnt something new from her about dance to make a better impact.

Jackky, what made you sing in the movie?
I haven't sung, but actually I did the rap. That happened because Rochak Kohli suggested it. He wanted a popular rap artiste and I had spoken to Badshah, who's a friend. But he was unwell, so either we wait or we don't go with the rap and do just the music piece. Rochak suggested I should rap. I was like the way you have two left feet in dancing, I had the equivalent of seven left feet in singing. He was keen and insisted, so I said I will try.

Jackky, what do you do more - the gym or dancing?
When I dance, it doesn't feel like gym, but it's still good to keep fit. Dance is my first love and my first teacher was Hrithik. I was in Class IX when Kaho Naa.. Pyaar Hai released. I'd rewind and play his songs to learn his moves. Then I went to my friends and told them I had learnt the snake wave of Hrithik. Since I was fat, they said it didn't look like the snake wave. Maybe it was more of a ripple then.

Jackky, you recently went to Karachi Sweets. Do you often do that on your cheat days?
I'm very strict with my diet because I'm very paranoid in my head. I didn't have the best childhood, in a sense that I had no school friends. I was the butt of jokes because of my weight. After a point in time, it's not funny. There are fun fat guys and boring fat guys. Because of my asthma, I was a boring fat guy. I never want to go back to that stage ever again. In my head, I'm still fat. After that sweet indulgence, I was working it out in the gym for two hours.

Jackky, what's next after Welcome 2 Karachi?
I was just thinking about it. Of all the films I've done, anything I did unplanned like F.A.L.T.U and Youngistaan, worked for me. I didn't want to do a movie with Puja Films for some time, so I can give credit, whether good or bad, to myself. That was also my plan after Youngistaan, but Welcome 2 Karachi happened. So I'm seen purely as an actor.

Jackky, so did you approach other productions to work with them?
Yes, I have approached and auditioned in every possible place. The only difference is that I have struggled in a car and not an autorickshaw. I have come to terms with the truth...if I do a good film like Youngistaan I also have to generate an X amount of box-office numbers to get more work. It's not like other actors that if I perform very well, I will get work on that basis. This I have come to terms with. And it hasn't been easy. The perception outside is that if we give you a role, what is in it for us. People know where I am coming from.

Jackky, what are the pros and cons of working with your father?
Pros, you have a say on the creative, which is great. Cons, there's no pack-up and not just work-wise. If I have to take two days off to Goa and there is work in the office, I can't say my cousin is unwell and I have to go. The responsibility is more, people expect much more and performance is not looked separately from box-office, it's connected. The cons are more. Getting the first film is easier, but after that the journey is way tougher. That's also why many don't want to be launched by their family banner... for good or for bad, you want to be judged for your good or bad.

Jackky, given that Irrfan Khan left the film at the last minute, what's your equation with him today?
I recently met him, went up to him and said, 'How are you? Thank you so much. The response to promos is good. You left the film, so I got it.' He laughed. I told him I love him and would love to work with him. I have no personal grudges and whatever happened with him and the production house was a separate thing.

Lauren, who do you think are the best dancers in Bollywood?
Last night, I happened to see this song featuring Madhuri Dixit and Prabhu Dheva. I want to be like both of them. One is an actor and choreographer and one, an actor and dancer. My favourite dancers in Bollywood are Madhuri Dixit, Prabhu Dheva and Hrithik Roshan

Lauren, you choreographed Tom Cruise and taught him dance. Which actor would you like to teach in Bollywood?
Anyone who I teach I would like to do something different with them that they have not done before. Also, they need to give me time. I would love to teach Hrithik Roshan.

"Sufi music has an extremely haunting vibe. I find it very earnest and intense. Needless to say it was a spiritually exhilarating experience for me,“ says Jeet Gannguli about his composition Sun Le Zara from Singham Returns.

How did Sun Le Zara happen?
I got a call from Bhushanji (Bhushan Kumar) sometime in March this year. He wanted to hear my compositions for Singham Returns. After he heard Sun Le Zara, he immediately liked it and told me to present it before director Rohit Shetty. He enjoyed it. The brief was that it is a prayer song at a dargah and he wanted something with a Sufi vibe to it. He then took me to Ajay Devgn, who also loved the song, and I decided to record it.

What was the brief for Muskurane (Citylights)?
The entire album of Citylights happened in a period of 15 days, including music sittings with Mukeshji, Mahesh Bhatt sahab and (director) Hansal Mehta, writing of the lyrics as well as recording of the songs. There are five songs in the film. After the fourth song Sone Do was recorded, Mukeshji told me that he needed one great romantic melody which would create an indelible mark in the mind of the listeners for a long time to come. Soon after, I hit the note for Muskurane. I called him up and played the tune over the phone. He said, 'Beta, this is the song I am looking for. Let's record it.'

Tell us about your father Kali Ganguli. How did his experience in Indian classical music shape your sensibilities?
My father is a well-known accordionist in Kolkata. Music has always been an integral part of our lineage, so much so that my father quit his job to devote all his time to music. In fact, all my ancestors specialised in Indian classical music, be it vocal or instrumental. My father was the first one to break the tradition and pursue Western classical music along with Indian, and I followed suit. He has been my first teacher. I started training under him at the age of four when I used to play the tabla. He was a very strict teacher, and used to make me do riyaaz for hours. My father has not only trained me in music, but more importantly inculcated qualities in me that I am grateful for. He always says, 'Remember, first you are a human being with integrity, then a musician and then a music composer!'

What was Carlton Kitto's contribution?
It was again my father who took me to Carlton Kitto, a great jazz guitarist based in Kolkata.Under his guidance, I learnt the various nuances of jazz. I still cherish those days spent with him.It was he who familiarised me with the vast array of western music, after which I gradually started developing a deep and profound liking for it.

How different is the Bengali music industry compared to Bollywood?
I have been staying in Mumbai since 1996 and have worked in both the industries from Mumbai itself. The only difference I find between the two is that working in Bollywood means you get to showcase your work at a much bigger and national level.

Which do you prefer composing for?
Music has no barriers of region or language.All it has to do is touch the right chord at the heart of the listeners. The sound of clapping is also the same everywhere. Given an opportunity I would also love to compose for Marathi and films from South!

What projects are you currently working on?
After Suno Na Sangemarmar from Youngistaan got a huge response, producer Vashu Bhagnani has offered me one more project. I am also composing for Vishesh Film's Mr. X, Khamoshiyan and Tuhi Mera. There is Kumar Mangat's Alone and Mithunda's (Chakraborty) film Hashtag Love. 

Recently, producer Sanjay Kapoor and his team were shooting for their upcoming film, 'Tevar', at and around the Taj Mahal. During their 50-day schedule, they even shot a song near the monument using a Jimmy Jib crane camera. However, after a local complained to the archaeological department (Archaeological Survey of India or ASI), the film unit was asked to remove the crane.

An eyewitness says, “We had taken all the permissions from the respective departments, but for this particular song sequence, we used a Jimmy Jib camera crane. Just as we were carrying out our shoot, a local complained to the authorities. So we then had to stop using the crane and take shots with an arial camera.”

Sanjay Kapoor brushes it off as a minor incident. “If one follows the procedures, there shouldn’t be any issues. It is understood that if you shoot at any place of historical significance -- be in India or abroad -- the unit has to follow the rules laid down by the authorities,” he says.

Interestingly, 'Tevar' is not the only film to run into trouble over flouting rules governing shoots at / near the Taj Mahal. Several film units have had to stop shooting at the monument due to failure to abide by the authorities’ rules and regulations. Performing at the Taj Mahal has been a tricky affair too. N K Pathak, superintending archaeologist (monuments), Agra, points out the due procedure for film shoots. “The producer has to submit a copy of the script to us.
A form has to be filled spelling out details about the shoot and the unit, including its crewmembers. If a unit has on board a foreigner, then his or her details have to be submitted to us. We also need to know the instrument that will be used during the film’s shoot. Safety and security of the monument is our top priority,” he says, adding that in the Tevar instance, they had to stop the shoot as the unit didn’t have permissions to use the crane.

He also clarifies that while they don’t object to filmmakers using reflectors and umbrellas, any publicity material — for example, an imprint on the umbrella or a product endorsement — is strictly forbidden. He adds, “We only charge Rs 5,000 a day, but there is a refundable security deposit of Rs 50,000 that needs to made.”