Post by nisa on May 16, 2008 6:13:37 GMT 12
What made you want to direct a film?
I did not plan too much to direct a film, I had a thought which I felt was a beautiful thought and I worked on the script and it is something which is very positive in today's life where everything is very simple and people are trying to justify everything by science, so I have tried to say those beautiful things through humour, through emotions, through drama and wanted to make a very positive film and then I thought that if it is my thought that if it is my thought then I might as well make it the person who sees the thought can visualize the best.
Did you think you were taking a risk by acting in the film as well?
I did not think a lot about the risks, I acted in the film thinking if I suited the character I would act in the film otherwise I wouldn't and I thought it worked for me so I went ahead and as far as the risk factor is concerned I did not put a lot of thinking in anything.
Was Kajol your first choice to star opposite you and did she say yes straight away?
Yes, yes she said yes straight away, she loved the script when I gave her the idea and she was obviously my first choice not because I felt that anybody else couldn't do that role but I thought that she would do the best, because it was a very difficult role to perform in, I think she has done full justice to it.
Was it difficult directing her?
It is always great to direct actors who are brilliant so that you can push your scene or write your scene as much as you want to because you know that the actors will deliver.
How does Kajol the actress compare to Kajol the wife?
If I answer this question honestly, I will be beaten up J, but both are brilliant in their own way
Can you tell us about the character you play and the story?
As I told you it is a story about being positive and people fall in love and then they say things are not working out, it's only because, they don't want it to work out, they are not making efforts to work it out and no problem in life is bigger than a man you have to decide to sort it and happily and laughingly the problems pass by and life goes on and the end of it you realize it was a beautiful life and it is the way you look at it and the humour from life should not go away.
What was the bigger challenge acting in the film or directing it? How did you combine the two smoothly?
I really don't know what was more difficult, I think it was combination of both because as a director I exactly knew what I wanted from the actor and as an actor I exactly knew what the director wanted. So I thought it was lot easier
Is it true you used some high tech cameras for the film?
Yes, the flying cam was used for the first time in the country and it as great working the Flying cam people even Panavision which I think has been around in India about a year ago, so our film could be amongst the first or second in our country where Panavision Cameras were used, and the results are definitely fabulous
b>Who will the film appeal to?
Everybody, everybody who has a heart, the film will appeal to from a small child to an old person, you just need a heart and some nice sense of humour and some feelings
Can you talk a little about the music?
The music is beautiful as all the songs are perfectly blended as per the story by Vishal, not forgetting the commercial value of the album. Apart from that every song from my film says what exactly the film has to convey and if you hear the CD, you will exactly know what my film is about.
Is it true you wept when you heard the title track for the first time?
Yes I did, because I am sure if you hear the lyrics, am sure you will also weep and the credit goes to Vishal and Munna.
Do you have a favorite moment in U, Me Aur Hum?
As a director all my moments are favourite, and as an actor there is a pre climax scene at the restaurant which is my most beautiful moment of this film.
Is true you have already started planning your next directorial venture?
No, because direction is not something which I want to do as a business, direction is a passion which I want to get into from my heart, I had a thought and that's why I decided to make it, I'll decide to get into it if maybe another thought touches my heart or comes to me in two days or two years, it depends and then I'll plan.
You and Kajol have one of the strongest marriages in Bollywood, what is your secret?
the secret is to understand each other and the effort you put in to woo a person if you maintain the same effort in carrying on a relationship, and it's not a much of an effort then I think everybody will have a great relationship.
As a producer, what should the budget take into consideration for the film industry? What does he think will it take into consideration? What effect will it have on the film industry?
As a producer, budget of the film can only be decided based on the requirement of the script, I personally think we should always make a script which is within the budget and not make a budget within the script, and if you can't afford the budget, one should not make a script which deserves that budget and definitely it's a big ball game today, and budgets should be taken into consideration as the sale ability of the project. It should not cross what you will sell it for!!... So I think that is the main concentration as it depends from film to film, project to project and cast to cast
How has the experience of directing been?
Shooting for U Me Aur Hum was great as I did exactly what I wanted and I feel today as see the final product that I have come close to what I wanted to achieve. I don't think anybody can get 100%, but coming close to what is on page, I am being satisfied with what I see, what I had thought of, is a great feeling and rest is all up to the audience to decide
Is the 'Kajol sprains her ankle, film becomes a hit' funda true?
I have no clue if this works or not, but I hope it is true because she did sprain her ankle while shooting Jee Le, so lets hope it's true.
What do you have to say to he Ajay Kajol on screen pairing?
I think if the film works in totality the actors work, if the film does not work the actors don't work then there is no chemistry and no history, but if the film is working then the chemistry works, the character works and the audiences are with the characters if they are with the film
How different is shooting on location from shooting on the sets?
There are lot of sets in the film, there are lot of Mumbai locations in the film, then we have shot a cruise sequence episode, I think it was great, cruise was a little more taxing because we had to manage a lot of people, it was quite hot and there were other people on the cruise like the other crowd on lookers which we had to manage, but no issues, we manage well and we got what we wanted. It was more comfortable shooting on sets, we had quite a few elaborate sets of the film, which the script demanded and I think I have a fantastic art director, who has won national awards so many times. The product he has given me is something amazing.
You have learnt the salsa for UMAH. Was it difficult? How long did it take for him to master the steps?
Not that I mastered salsa, I didn't learn salsa for the film, I just rehearsed the steps which were there in salsa, and I don't think I have mastered it, whatever I could manage for the song I have done and obviously Kajol who dances better than me, could get it right and I think I managed.
Who do you feel is the best dancer in India today and why?
I think it's me, Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty.
Have you had any earlier experiences behind the camera? What made you take the step to the other side?
I would put it like this, I was pushed into acting, whereas I was always more interested and passionate to know what happens on the other side of camera. I have assisted directors like Shekhar Kapur and Deepak Shivdasani in my initial days, before taking up acting.
It is your comeback film as a couple after marriage, any thoughts?
Yes, it is our comeback film and we are quite positive about it, as we have given our best into it, rest is for the audiences to decide, I personally think I will achieve a lot more even if after seeing the film to realize the values of family, bonding and oneness.
If you had to describe the film in three words, what would they be?
U Me Aur Hum
The film being about relationships, is this concept close to your heart?
It's just not about relations, it's about everything, it's about humour in life, it's about troubles in life, it's about tackling trouble in life, it's about being together and fighting troubles. It's about being positive in life, it's about being happy in life and it's a kind of a feel good film and yes the concept is close to my heart, the idea is close to my heart and that is why I made it. It is something which makes me feel good and it is something which written and made by heart. I hope audience also feel it, the way we feel it in their hearts, that would be the achievement of the film.
Any last words?
I am not trying to make people learn something, it is not a film which is trying to say something, it's a film which is a feel good film, the main intention of the film is to entertain people and I wanted to make a film which is very positive, which talks about everything positive in life, in spite of trouble and problems. It's not about that I want to say something about any love story, it's just that I am saying something which is positive about love, just feel good.
www.movietalkies.com/interviews/view-interview.asp?InterviewId=198
I did not plan too much to direct a film, I had a thought which I felt was a beautiful thought and I worked on the script and it is something which is very positive in today's life where everything is very simple and people are trying to justify everything by science, so I have tried to say those beautiful things through humour, through emotions, through drama and wanted to make a very positive film and then I thought that if it is my thought that if it is my thought then I might as well make it the person who sees the thought can visualize the best.
Did you think you were taking a risk by acting in the film as well?
I did not think a lot about the risks, I acted in the film thinking if I suited the character I would act in the film otherwise I wouldn't and I thought it worked for me so I went ahead and as far as the risk factor is concerned I did not put a lot of thinking in anything.
Was Kajol your first choice to star opposite you and did she say yes straight away?
Yes, yes she said yes straight away, she loved the script when I gave her the idea and she was obviously my first choice not because I felt that anybody else couldn't do that role but I thought that she would do the best, because it was a very difficult role to perform in, I think she has done full justice to it.
Was it difficult directing her?
It is always great to direct actors who are brilliant so that you can push your scene or write your scene as much as you want to because you know that the actors will deliver.
How does Kajol the actress compare to Kajol the wife?
If I answer this question honestly, I will be beaten up J, but both are brilliant in their own way
Can you tell us about the character you play and the story?
As I told you it is a story about being positive and people fall in love and then they say things are not working out, it's only because, they don't want it to work out, they are not making efforts to work it out and no problem in life is bigger than a man you have to decide to sort it and happily and laughingly the problems pass by and life goes on and the end of it you realize it was a beautiful life and it is the way you look at it and the humour from life should not go away.
What was the bigger challenge acting in the film or directing it? How did you combine the two smoothly?
I really don't know what was more difficult, I think it was combination of both because as a director I exactly knew what I wanted from the actor and as an actor I exactly knew what the director wanted. So I thought it was lot easier
Is it true you used some high tech cameras for the film?
Yes, the flying cam was used for the first time in the country and it as great working the Flying cam people even Panavision which I think has been around in India about a year ago, so our film could be amongst the first or second in our country where Panavision Cameras were used, and the results are definitely fabulous
b>Who will the film appeal to?
Everybody, everybody who has a heart, the film will appeal to from a small child to an old person, you just need a heart and some nice sense of humour and some feelings
Can you talk a little about the music?
The music is beautiful as all the songs are perfectly blended as per the story by Vishal, not forgetting the commercial value of the album. Apart from that every song from my film says what exactly the film has to convey and if you hear the CD, you will exactly know what my film is about.
Is it true you wept when you heard the title track for the first time?
Yes I did, because I am sure if you hear the lyrics, am sure you will also weep and the credit goes to Vishal and Munna.
Do you have a favorite moment in U, Me Aur Hum?
As a director all my moments are favourite, and as an actor there is a pre climax scene at the restaurant which is my most beautiful moment of this film.
Is true you have already started planning your next directorial venture?
No, because direction is not something which I want to do as a business, direction is a passion which I want to get into from my heart, I had a thought and that's why I decided to make it, I'll decide to get into it if maybe another thought touches my heart or comes to me in two days or two years, it depends and then I'll plan.
You and Kajol have one of the strongest marriages in Bollywood, what is your secret?
the secret is to understand each other and the effort you put in to woo a person if you maintain the same effort in carrying on a relationship, and it's not a much of an effort then I think everybody will have a great relationship.
As a producer, what should the budget take into consideration for the film industry? What does he think will it take into consideration? What effect will it have on the film industry?
As a producer, budget of the film can only be decided based on the requirement of the script, I personally think we should always make a script which is within the budget and not make a budget within the script, and if you can't afford the budget, one should not make a script which deserves that budget and definitely it's a big ball game today, and budgets should be taken into consideration as the sale ability of the project. It should not cross what you will sell it for!!... So I think that is the main concentration as it depends from film to film, project to project and cast to cast
How has the experience of directing been?
Shooting for U Me Aur Hum was great as I did exactly what I wanted and I feel today as see the final product that I have come close to what I wanted to achieve. I don't think anybody can get 100%, but coming close to what is on page, I am being satisfied with what I see, what I had thought of, is a great feeling and rest is all up to the audience to decide
Is the 'Kajol sprains her ankle, film becomes a hit' funda true?
I have no clue if this works or not, but I hope it is true because she did sprain her ankle while shooting Jee Le, so lets hope it's true.
What do you have to say to he Ajay Kajol on screen pairing?
I think if the film works in totality the actors work, if the film does not work the actors don't work then there is no chemistry and no history, but if the film is working then the chemistry works, the character works and the audiences are with the characters if they are with the film
How different is shooting on location from shooting on the sets?
There are lot of sets in the film, there are lot of Mumbai locations in the film, then we have shot a cruise sequence episode, I think it was great, cruise was a little more taxing because we had to manage a lot of people, it was quite hot and there were other people on the cruise like the other crowd on lookers which we had to manage, but no issues, we manage well and we got what we wanted. It was more comfortable shooting on sets, we had quite a few elaborate sets of the film, which the script demanded and I think I have a fantastic art director, who has won national awards so many times. The product he has given me is something amazing.
You have learnt the salsa for UMAH. Was it difficult? How long did it take for him to master the steps?
Not that I mastered salsa, I didn't learn salsa for the film, I just rehearsed the steps which were there in salsa, and I don't think I have mastered it, whatever I could manage for the song I have done and obviously Kajol who dances better than me, could get it right and I think I managed.
Who do you feel is the best dancer in India today and why?
I think it's me, Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty.
Have you had any earlier experiences behind the camera? What made you take the step to the other side?
I would put it like this, I was pushed into acting, whereas I was always more interested and passionate to know what happens on the other side of camera. I have assisted directors like Shekhar Kapur and Deepak Shivdasani in my initial days, before taking up acting.
It is your comeback film as a couple after marriage, any thoughts?
Yes, it is our comeback film and we are quite positive about it, as we have given our best into it, rest is for the audiences to decide, I personally think I will achieve a lot more even if after seeing the film to realize the values of family, bonding and oneness.
If you had to describe the film in three words, what would they be?
U Me Aur Hum
The film being about relationships, is this concept close to your heart?
It's just not about relations, it's about everything, it's about humour in life, it's about troubles in life, it's about tackling trouble in life, it's about being together and fighting troubles. It's about being positive in life, it's about being happy in life and it's a kind of a feel good film and yes the concept is close to my heart, the idea is close to my heart and that is why I made it. It is something which makes me feel good and it is something which written and made by heart. I hope audience also feel it, the way we feel it in their hearts, that would be the achievement of the film.
Any last words?
I am not trying to make people learn something, it is not a film which is trying to say something, it's a film which is a feel good film, the main intention of the film is to entertain people and I wanted to make a film which is very positive, which talks about everything positive in life, in spite of trouble and problems. It's not about that I want to say something about any love story, it's just that I am saying something which is positive about love, just feel good.
www.movietalkies.com/interviews/view-interview.asp?InterviewId=198