Mumbai, May 18

“I never thought of being a part of the small screen. If anything they said was for TV, I would say no without even thinking about it,” Abhay, who will be hosting Zee TV’s new show “Connected Hum Tum”, told IANS.

When the project came his way, he said, his manager “was like just consider it, at least take a look at it”.

“Then I took a look at it and I got interested,” he said.

The show also made him question his close-mindedness about TV.

“I asked myself ‘What is it about TV that you are closed to?’ The interest generated through the show made me question my close-mindedness towards TV.”

“Connected Hum Tum” is about six women, who will capture every moment of their lives through cameras. Abhay will try to link their stories together.

Abhay, 37, was launched by his uncle Dharmendra in his home production “Socha Na Tha” opposite Ayesha Takia.

Asked how it feels to be born in a star family, the actor said: “One gets bored as there is nothing black and white in life.”

“At some places it’s an advantage and at some it’s a disadvantage. It depends on person to person, situation to situation and project to project.”

After “Socha Na Tha” in 2005, he found his own space by doing films like “Oye Lucky!Lucky Oye!, “Dev D”, “Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.” and “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”. His “Manorama Six Feet Under” won the best film award at the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival.

Abhay started living on his own when he was 18 after graduating from Otis Parson’s School of Fine Arts and Design, California. Though his parents were apprehensive about his decision to begin with, they later accepted it.

“They were just concerned: was I comfortable and safe? As soon as they knew that I was not being stupid and I was not going to do anything stupid, they were fine with it, and accepted for what I am. I have a great family that way.”

The “Dev D” star also opened up about his relationship with actress-super model Preeti Desai.

“We have a regular relationship like any two people in love, with its ups and downs, with good and bad.”

Asked about how his family responded to his live-in relationship, he said: “My family is very traditional and they are more conservative. But I was born in a city that accepted all kinds of people; so if I am to look at myself as someone from an urban centre, I am quite normal by being non-traditional.”

He added: “I don’t judge my family for what they are and they don’t judge them for who I am. It took some time, but they are comfortable with it now.”

The actor has just finished the shoot for his film “One By Two” in which he stars with Preeti, who was earlier seen in “Shor In The City”. The film is also his debut as a producer.

He will also be seen in a special appearance in the Sonam Kapoor-Dhanush starrer “Raanjhnaa” releasing June 21.

ians

New Delhi, May 9

There’s a thin line between “naughty” and “sleazy”, he believes.

Why is comedy all about sleaze nowadays?

“Everything should have a representative, I guess! So, also have a branch of comedy, which is sleazy, but I suppose there is an audience for that as well. There are different kinds of people in our country, and you’ve got to cater to all.”

“But I don’t think I want to make a sleazy film. I’d rather make a naughty one,” the 42-year-old told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

“Go Goa Gone”, his production and acting venture, releases May 10. Starring Kunal Kemmu, Vir Das and Anand Tiwari in key roles, the movie, as Saif believes, is a “naughty” kind!

Narrating a scene from the movie, he said: “There’s a scene in which Kunal’s character goes and buys condoms. The shopkeeper asks him, ‘So what kind of condoms do you want?’ and then Kunal’s character says, ‘Well, the ones for having sex!’

“So this, I think is naughty and funny, but not sleazy.”

While the movie has been heavily promoted as a ‘zombie’ film, Saif says it’s not all that “zombie”.

“It’s a very urban movie, it’s a funny one and not aimed at buying anyone into the theory of the zombie. It is essentially a story of these three boys and their ridiculous adventures. So, I think it’s nice if we can just laugh a little bit without thinking what’s a zombie and all of that,” he said.

The idea behind “Go Goa Gone” was also to cater to the audience which wants “new and exciting” genres and storylines.

“The audience is ready and maturing. So it is up to us now to give them the content. I remember Kunal (Kemmu) came up to me with this script, and said this is a comedy about zombies. At first I was apprehensive to try something new, to produce something new, but then when I read the script, I laughed out loud quite a number of times.”

“I believe the audience will laugh too,” Saif said.

The budget for the film, he said, was “not very much”. But he promises they haven’t “cheated” the audience.

He said the crew shot a lot on beaches and in jungles of Mauritius, besides getting Hollywood experts to work on the zombies’ make-up. Saif’s own look is different in the film – he sports blonde locks.

“I liked the idea,” he said.

ians

Mumbai, May 8

The 27-year-old, who has played feminine roles in films like “Aisha” and “I hate Luv Stories”, enjoys the company of women.

“I love girls, I surround myself with only women. I think men bring negativity into your life sometimes. Only women work with me,” Sonam told IANS in an interview.

She may not have been wise in choosing her roles, but the actress has proved that she never goes wrong in making style statements. She admits it’s a challenge to innovate winning looks every time she steps out.

“It is a challenge and that is why you have great products to help you and I have great people to help me look good. When you see me normally, I don’t look so good,” she said.

Terming herself a bit “self-obsessed”, Sonam admitted that it is her sister, Rhea Kapoor, who gives styling tips to her dad, actor Anil Kapoor.

“My sister is really good at that. I am really self-obsessed; so I only concentrate on myself,” the 27-year-old confessed.

While tackling a tough work schedule, Sonam stays fit by following a strict food regime.

“I eat right, I have a nutritionist who takes care of me. I have people who are constantly firing me to drink enough water. It’s about eating right, drinking enough water and being happy in general…surrounding yourself with positive, happy people,” she said.

As far as acting is concerned, she will next be seen in “Raanjhanaa”, “Bhaag Mikha Bhaag”, the “Khoobsurat” remake and YRF’s untitled film and says her endeavour is to be different on the screen.

“Raanjhanaa is a very real character. She is a serious person. I don’t think one character has also been similar to my last character. The characters that I have in ‘Raanjhanaa’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, ‘Khoobsurat’ and YRF’s untitiled film, all are very different. They are about girls with incredibly different characters and journeys,” said Sonam.

“Raanjhanaa” will see her teaming up with southern star Dhanush and she said: “I love Aishwarya and Dhanush. They are the most amazing couple. I can call Dhanush a really good friend now. He is so respectful and modest and an incredible actor.”

Is Sonam ready to step into the southern film industry?

“I would love to do a southern film. I saw how tough it was for Dhanush, so I am scared about it,” she said.

ians

Mumbai, May 7

“I don’t have glamorous memories of being a film industry child. While I come from a family deeply rooted in the film industry and my grandfather was a very big figure, in my father’s generation, with the exception of my uncle Joy Mukherjee (of ‘Shagird’ fame), they were not that successful. It wasn’t like being Rishi Kapoor’s son,” Ayan told IANS in an interview.

His grandfather Sashadhar Mukherjee was the owner of Filmalaya studios, his uncle Shomu Mukherjee, father of Kajol and Tanisha, made films like “Sangdil Sanam” and “Pathar Ke Insan” but they were not so successful. His other uncle was Rono Mukherjee.

Recounting his struggles, Ayan, 29, said he didn’t have any access to key people in the industry.

“I didn’t get exposure to the best film sets or access to key people. My memories of being a film industry child was a longing to actually be a part of the industry. To have access to the people who were making and shaking things,” said the director, who hit bull’s eye with his debut film “Wake up Sid”, produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.

There was never a time when the “Mukherjee” surname helped him, he says candidly.

“While growing up, there was no Mukherjee surname. The way our industry works, they don’t bank on success which was 20-30 years back. It is a very brutal space. While growing up, this was my complex,” he said.

Did the tag of being successful actresses Kajol’s and Rani Mukerji’s cousin help him?

“Their being a part of films didn’t help me at all. When I wanted to work with Karan (Johar) as an assistant, neither of them called him for me. I got my job like anyone else…I am sure when he heard that I am related to them, he must have had a good feeling about it. But, honestly, there was no extra leg up I got from them,” he said.

Talking about his childhood days, he said he was almost embarrassed about his family being part of the film industry when he was young.

“I used to be embarrassed to say that my family was involved with films. Good families looked down upon Hindi films. But when I joined the industry, I found people over here to be so much more modern, friendly, appreciative of good work and willing to give people a leg up,” he said.

The director is all set to release his next film “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” that brings together ex-lovers Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor.

Like “Wake up Sid”, “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” has a strong father-son track. This is so because the young director shared a unique bond with his father, who was seen in films like “Abhinetri”, “Adhikar” and “Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki”.

“My relationship with my father has been a very instrumental relationship in the person who I became. There was a strong supporting track of father and son in my first film, ‘Wake up Sid’ and it is here too. My father was a very big influence in my life,” he said.

“I was the centre of his universe. Making me excel was his priority over anything. It was very central in the confidence that I have today.”

ians

New Delhi, May 2

“I think we should not try to cross over,” Saif told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

“Our eastern identity is fundamentally different from theirs. We should look at taking our movies from India to the Middle East, or to places like Egypt and Spain as the audience there is suited to our movies, I believe. And we should rival Hollywood as an eastern equivalent, if ‘western’ is what they call themselves,” he added.

With over two decades in films and with veteran actress Sharmila Tagore as his mother, Saif does have a fair idea of how and what kind of cinema clicks. And he also enjoys watching a lot of international cinema.

The 42-year-old actor, who completed his studies in England, believes Iran and Iraq make some “great cinema”.

“But I’m not too sure if they have the kind of budgets we have. We just need to pay more thought and attention to detail in what we do and build on our individual identity. We’re doing pretty well, and getting there slowly,” Saif said.

He admits the Indian viewer isn’t too easy to please.

“We don’t really have a like-minded audience here. It’s difficult… and despite being so populous, we have very few writers and directors. But I see a lot of young people getting into it, and I hope it (the change) will happen. It has to happen! We will get there, I am sure,” he said.

Indian cinema is in a transition phase – backed by experimental genres, scripts and screenplays formulated by fresh filmmakers and writers – but Saif makes no bones about the fact that “action and romance” are two of the most favoured forms of filmed entertainment.

Life is also about “niche pursuits”, he said, pointing out to his latest production “Go Goa Gone”, a ‘zomcom’ or zombie comedy, a genre less heard of in Indian cinema. Saif, who plays a zombie killer in the movie, guarantees it is a “more mainstream film than you’ll imagine”.

Let’s wait and watch May 10!

ians

New Delhi, April 29

Be it the story of a deaf and mute boy in “Iqbal” or the fate of two different women crossing the same path in “Dor”, Kukunoor has touched the hearts of the audience with his high-on-emotion stories.

“Whenever any filmmaker embarks on the journey of making a film, it’s a very long, solo fight. You have to believe very strongly in the subject matter that you are dealing with,” Kukunoor told IANS in an interview.

“By the time it reaches the audience, it takes almost a year-and-a-half. So you have to keep your head sane during that period,” added the director, who entered Bollywood with the 1998 movie “Hyderabad Blues”.

The 46-year-old quit chemical engineering to pursue celluloid dreams, and over the years, his passion for cinema hasn’t diminished.

“When I pick my stories, I am extremely passionate about them. I hope the story would do greater good than bad… You can worry about all that people would say, but you cannot go about controlling the opinion of others,” he said.
Even though Kukunoor has a credible number of films to his credit, he has still not tried his hands at a full-on masala movie. Although the genre fascinates him, the filmmaker believes he may not handle the topic as skillfully as other mainstream filmmakers.

“I want to dabble in every genre. I consider masala movie a genre as well. I still cannot make what other filmmakers have because my sensibilities are my sensibilities.

“It is very similar to how you would perceive a dish or wear clothes. It completely has to work with your personality. I would still be different from anybody who takes the same material and make a film and there is nothing wrong with it,” he said.

Interestingly, Kukunoor makes “zara hatke” (standing out of the crowd) films, but he has worked with Bollywood’s mainstream actors like John Abraham, Juhi Chawla and Akshay Kumar and managed to fuse two different worlds of parallel and mainstream actors.

Asked if bringing commercially successful actors in parallel cinema helps in getting more eyeballs, he said: “An actor will first have to take a chance… The second thing is that you hope that the audience accepts the actor in that role.
“Let’s say that I do convince the actor and get him on board… Yes, you will get more eyeballs, but the material still has to appeal to the audience, who predominantly looks for a timepass.”

Kukunoor was recently associated with CineArt ‘Aqua’ campaign organised by PVR Nest that had short stories made by children on importance of saving water.

“I have not faced any water shortage, but I am extremely conservative about water and that is personally all that I can do. At a filmmaker level, I can draw attention to issues like that with my work,” he said.

“My film ‘Ye Honsla’ deals with extremely similar issue. It deals with water shortage in a village in Rajasthan and power of camera that empowers people to tell the story,” he added.

His next movie “Laxmi” is based on child prostitution and is in its post production stage. Kukunoor will also be seen in the role of a pimp in it.

ians

New Delhi, April 15

“When I did television, I was told that I cannot do movies and I won’t be able to understand the medium. People thought my movies will be all about jewellery and ‘saas-bahu’,” Ekta told IANS in an interview.

In television world, she made an impressive beginning in 1995 with the comedy show “Hum Paanch” about a couple with five daughters. It turned out to be a huge success and changed the fortune of Ekta, then a plump 20-year-old who was carrying the legacy of being actor Jeetendra’s daughter.

After that, she produced over 70 shows under Balaji Telefilms, which is now a 19-year-old banner, and includes the long forgotten successful noon show “Itihaas”. She also made “Koshish… Ek Aasha” as well as “Kyunkii… Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi”, “Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii”, “Kkusum … Ek Aam Ladki Ki Kahani” and “Kasautii Zindagii Kay”.

Balaji Telefilms also produced horror and supernatural shows for the small screen – “Mano Ya Na Mano” and “Koi Aane Ko Hai”, to name a few.

Thanks to her stupendous success, she was crowned the small screen’s czarina.

She replicated the same success with aplomb on the big screen by making hit feature films – underworld thriller “Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai”, “Ragini MMS” on a real life scandal and biopic “The Dirty Picture” – under her moviemaking banner Balaji Motion Pictures.

“Whenever you change your medium, you have to prove yourself again. One has to come out of the comfort zone again and again and again. My innings in films had a lot of struggle, but I enjoyed it,” said the 37-year-old.

She collaborated with Sanjay Gupta to co-produce “Shootout At Lokhandwala” and now the two are coming out with its prequel “Shootout at Wadala”.

There is no dearth of content in her films.

Asked from where she takes her inspiration for stories, Ekta said: “People inspire me the most. I love talking to people and I love knowing about their lives. I always believe that there has to be some inspiration in whatever you do, but it does not have to be from people you personally know.”

Ekta had earned flak from critics for promoting regressive views through her saas-bahu TV sagas.

“I did so many TV shows and I never thought that it would be possible that people won’t generalise the shows. In TV shows, you don’t have time for effects; you just have time for content. Now everyone is doing what I did,” she said proudly.

She has a very simple mantra when it comes to taking criticism.

“I take criticism very well, but I cannot take criticism that is put badly. You have to put it in the right way and then I will take it in the right way,” said Ekta, who continues to entertain TV audiences while courting the big screen.

Successful in both the mediums, Ekta feels fame should not stop one from pursuing passion and being creative.

“Success is the ability to do the work that you want to do. If you can do that, then you are bloody successful. You can make a lot of money, but if that money will tie you down to creating more money, then there is probably no fun in it. Success is when you make money but also when you use that money to do what you always wanted to do,” she said.

She is currently looking forward to the release of the supernatural thriller “Ek Thi Daayan”, which she has co-produced with Vishal Bhardwaj.

Releasing April 19, Kannan Iyer’s directorial debut features Emraan Hashmi and three leading ladies – Konkona Sen Sharam, Huma Qureshi and Kalki Koechlin.

Her other projects include “Lootera”, bing co-produced by Ekta and Anurag Kashyap, and”Shaadi Ke Side Effects”, another co-production venture with Pritish Nandy.

ians

Mumbai, April 7

“My wife never gets insecure. After 30 films, every film has something or the other. She has her head over her shoulders, otherwise she would have left me a long time ago. She has a very mature way of looking at things,” Emraan told IANS in an interview.

Emraan married Parveen Shahani in 2006. They have a son named Ayaan.

In his decade-long career, the actor has locked lips in films like “Murder”, “Zeher”, “Aksar”, “Gangster – A Love Story”, “Crook”, “The Dirty Picture” and “Raaz 3″.

But he believes intimacy on screen was a big thing only in his initial few years. It isn’t any longer, he said.

“I guess that (‘serial kisser’) is just a saleable term for films and the media. For me, it has been important to play different characters and films. People focussed on the intimacy on screen, which I found very funny. I continued to do bold characters and everyone is doing it now; so now people can digest it. That was not the case with my films,” he said.

Having done different films like “Shangai”, “Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai”, “Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji” and “The Dirty Picture”, Emraan said it is gratifying to receive interesting scripts, which have a certain scope of risk. And that’s coincidentally what he wants!

“They are coming to me now. I am getting scripts which I always wanted to do. They are interesting scripts and ideas with great characters. I always wanted to do films which were risky,” he said.

“There is a change in cinema and I like to be a part of that change. I like to take up films which are new, conceptually and visually,” he added.

In his filmography, Emraan has a good mix of films which have pleased either the audiences or the critics and some which have appealed to both. However, Emraan is clear that he would prefer box-office numbers rather than critical acclaim.

“I have had films which have been panned by the critics, which have done well. Certain films need to be critically acclaimed and you make those for the critics, like ‘Shanghai’. But there are some films which don’t go down well with the critics. You can’t please everyone. If there is an option, I will go for the box office,” he said.

That’s what he hopes for with his new film “Ek Thi Daayan”, in which he plays a magician, and stars alongside acclaimed actresses like Kalki Koechlin, Konkona Sen Sharma and Huma Qureshi. Directed by Kannan Iyer and co-produced by Ekta Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj, the movie releases April 19.

ians

Vancouver, April 6

“I do films which I like at a given point of time and as and when I get the opportunity. So when Rohit narrated a couple of films to me two years back, one was the remake of ‘Angoor’ and other was ‘Chennai Express’. I like both of them. But Rohit felt he would like to do the latter one first as it is a bigger film and has fantastic comedy, action and amazing songs,” Shah Rukh told IANS in an interview on the sidelines of the maiden edition of the Times Of India Film Awards (TOIFA) here.

The film, produced by the actor’s wife Gauri Khan under their production banner Red Chillies Entertainment, features Deepika Padukone opposite King Khan. Shah Rukh is, of course, happy with the way the movie is shaping up, revealing that he injured his right shoulder while shooting for the film.

“It’s awkward for me to speak of film that I produce, but I just have to say that Rohit has done me great favour while making a film like this for me. It’s fun and I am enjoying it. Yes, I end up doing very intense films like ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ , ‘Chak De! India’ and ‘My Name Is Khan’, and so, it (‘Chennai Express’) is a nice change for me,” he said.

The Bollywood ‘baadhsah’ also hopes to do more such films in the near future.

“I am enjoying it this way. May be I would continue doing films like ‘Chennai Express’ in future,” he added.

Looking dapper in a black suit, the actor will take to the stage to perform for hundreds of fans at the final day of TOIFA, which has brought a barrage of Hindi movie stars here.

He was in a relaxed mood, and with an excited child-like demeanour, he talked about awards and their significance in his life even after over two decades of being in the industry, and winning lots of them.

“I like awards and I appreciate them. I feel most of the awards that we have in India, are for years of work that we have done, rather than just one show, and above all that, it is nice to see the (film) community together (at such events). We get five seven opportunities a year where everyone get together, so it’s a time to celebrate,” he said.

Even though the escalating number of film awards worries him, he admits, “I like them”.

“The more the merrier. I get most of them,” he quipped in his inimitable style.

At the same time, he says he feels proud to see the love of Bollywood fans whenever he travels abroad.

“I normally don’t go outside, I only come for functions and it is very nice to feel that people love you. More than screaming and shouting , I like the fact that people of all ages, all stages and everywhere in the world appreciate what Indian film is doing,” Shah Rukh said.

Meanwhile, being the co-owner of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he is busy with the cricket extrvaganza, apart from having his hands full with acting commitments and production assignments. But he is managing it all pretty well.

One lesson, he says, he has learnt of late is to talk about his new projects only at the right time.

“We are making ‘Chennai Express’ and then there is another film called ‘A for Apple, B for Billi, C for Cutta’ (ABC). Two others are in the pipleline, but I would like to keep it a secret till the right time.

“People are just talking about work so much earlier than it is initiated. I don’t like it anymore. I like to talk about things when the film is ready, and only then would I like to take an opinion about what is good and what is bad,” he said.

ians

New Delhi, March 30

“The grand masters like Satyajit Ray (‘Apu Trilogy’), Bimal Roy (‘Bandini’)and Vijay Anand (‘Guide’), among others, married the two mediums with remarkable soul and pride,” Kapoor told IANS in an email interview.

He feels leaning towards god-like figures, who induce hero-worship, “spawned a subsequent culture of heroics on cinema”.

“Compounded to that, the herd mentality attitude and the glorification of mediocrity, left no room for the hard work and creative craftsmanship required to adapt the classic writing to screen. Recent years are seeing a revival however, and I’m glad to walk this talk,” said Kapoor, who has made “Rock On!!”,

Excerpts:

Q: Out of the three films that you have directed so far, “Kai Po Che!” was the first one based upon a book. Was it challenging?

A: Cinema speaks a different language than literature. That’s why adaptation is a skill – blending the art and the science of writing the narrative. The visual imagery is the easier part. Exercising economy of characters and situations while retaining the essence, and then adding further flourishes in terms of layers to embellish the flow, was the tough part. No pain, no gain. All credit to the writing team for retaining their tenacity and good humour during the process.

Q: Most of the Oscar nominated works are inspired by literary work. India is rich in literature, but very few filmmakers take the initiative. Why’s this so?

A: Indian cinema has always enjoyed linkages with our literature. The grand masters like Satyajit Ray (“Apu Trilogy”), Bimal Roy (“Bandini”), Vijay Anand (“Guide”), among others, married the two mediums with remarkable soul and pride. But our popular leaning towards god-like figures, who induce hero-worship, spawned a subsequent culture of heroics on cinema that transcended reality and became life-forms of their own. Compounded to that, the herd mentality attitude and the glorification of mediocrity left no room for the hard work and creative craftsmanship required to adapt the classic writing to screen. Recent years are seeing a revival however, and I’m glad to walk this talk.

Q: When you made “Rock On!!”, the film got attention because successful director Farhan Akhtar was making his debut in it, and “Kai Po Che!” was promoted as Chetan Bhagat’s book’s adaptation. Do you feel any identity crisis?

A: None at all. This is the kind of stuff non-spiritual beings may feel like, but I crossed that bridge a long time ago having raised from my early failures. People can take away your credit, but they can’t take away your talent. A director’s work is a director’s work after all in all its uniqueness. There’s more to me than meets the “I”, and I would like to keep it that way. All the world needs to know about me is best expressed through the work I do.

Q: You have directed three films, but not repeated any actor. Why?

A: I think it’s a part of me which craves versatility. I believe every film has its own journey, like a unique marriage one could say. I’m the common link between all three of my films. I have ventured into each one, guided solely by my creative instinct, which has been driven specially by the merit of the script and project in contrast to following any trend.

Q: What does it take to woo the box office?

A: The box office is brutally honest and truly follows no formula. It is the content which matters and the accuracy of its timing. There’s a market for all types of audiences, make sure you identify your segment and access it honestly with a straight-forward approach. Crack the right combination of these two factors and in the long-term you forge an understanding of sorts.

Q: What about acting again?

A: My doors are open. Let’s see who knocks first. With my life trajectory, I feel I am equipped to deliver with substance and depth. I’ve been reviewing a few scripts; let’s wait to see what comes out of this process.

Q: What is next? Are you going to make “Rock On!!2″?

A: For “Rock On!!2″, talks have been under way and the scripting process has been initiated. We’re all waiting to see when and how to proceed, once the respective commitments of everyone involved have been looked after.

Q: With two big successes, expectation will be high when you will come out with your next – how will you tackle that pressure?

A: I don’t think about expectations. For me to enter a new idea, I have to unlearn everything I have understood before and start all over again. It’s a new beginning to a journey, which will unravel as we go along. My mind is focussed on that.

ians