Post by nisa on May 2, 2008 1:45:03 GMT 12
In a whole new direction
By Abdulla Mahmood, Special to Unwind
Published: April 19, 2008, 00:33
Ajay Devgan finally has something to celebrate in 2008 with his directorial debut U Me aur Hum opening to rave reviews — especially after his bad run at the box office with the consecutive failures of Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag, Cash, Halla Bol and Sunday.
U Me aur Hum co-stars his wife Kajol and has been compared to Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par. Devgan talks about his directorial debut and his forthcoming films:
What made you opt for a romantic tale on Alzheimer’s disease?
I felt it would be the ideal subject for my directorial debut. I believe in the institution of marriage and the concept of love.
It is this very conviction that I wanted to depict in my film, in which the couple faces its toughest hurdle but wins the situation with their love for each other.
Did you always want to direct?
I have wanted to be a director since I was 11 or 12 years old. I used to shoot films with a handheld camera and edit them myself.
In fact, when my father (Veeru Devgan) used to shoot action sequences, I used to take over the editing of those scenes.
I also assisted Shekhar Kapur in some of his projects.
So a bent for direction was always there and I was probably just waiting for the right subject and the right time to make it happen.
How was it directing Kajol?
It was a pleasure directing her but then, it was very normal on the sets.
We have worked together in several films, so we understand each other’s work very well.
Moreover, with Kajol’s talent, any director will find his job easier.
Any memorable moments during the shooting of U Me aur Hum?
While shooting the song Jee Le, I was knocked down by one of the dancer’s sandals and then, Kajol didn’t like being lifted into the air by a group of dancers — we had a tough time choreographing the number.
Did Taare Zameen Par have any influence on your film?
Not at all. They are different films with different subjects.
Though I haven’t seen Taare Zameen Par, I know that Aamir has done a fantastic job. I would love to watch the film soon.
Did you agree to doing Zee TV’s reality show Rock-N-Roll Family only to promote U Me aur Hum?
I agreed because I liked the idea of a family of three generations participating in song-and-dance competition together.
I agree reality shows are used to promote films nowadays, but that wasn’t the reason why I decided to do it.
What are your forthcoming films?
I am wrapping up Golmaal Returns, a sequel to Golmaal starring Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade.
I also have Toonpur Ka Superhero with Kajol, which will probably be the first live animation film, and I will start shooting with Salman Khan soon for London Dreams.
— Abdulla Mahmood is a UAE-based freelance journalist
By Abdulla Mahmood, Special to Unwind
Published: April 19, 2008, 00:33
Ajay Devgan finally has something to celebrate in 2008 with his directorial debut U Me aur Hum opening to rave reviews — especially after his bad run at the box office with the consecutive failures of Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag, Cash, Halla Bol and Sunday.
U Me aur Hum co-stars his wife Kajol and has been compared to Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par. Devgan talks about his directorial debut and his forthcoming films:
What made you opt for a romantic tale on Alzheimer’s disease?
I felt it would be the ideal subject for my directorial debut. I believe in the institution of marriage and the concept of love.
It is this very conviction that I wanted to depict in my film, in which the couple faces its toughest hurdle but wins the situation with their love for each other.
Did you always want to direct?
I have wanted to be a director since I was 11 or 12 years old. I used to shoot films with a handheld camera and edit them myself.
In fact, when my father (Veeru Devgan) used to shoot action sequences, I used to take over the editing of those scenes.
I also assisted Shekhar Kapur in some of his projects.
So a bent for direction was always there and I was probably just waiting for the right subject and the right time to make it happen.
How was it directing Kajol?
It was a pleasure directing her but then, it was very normal on the sets.
We have worked together in several films, so we understand each other’s work very well.
Moreover, with Kajol’s talent, any director will find his job easier.
Any memorable moments during the shooting of U Me aur Hum?
While shooting the song Jee Le, I was knocked down by one of the dancer’s sandals and then, Kajol didn’t like being lifted into the air by a group of dancers — we had a tough time choreographing the number.
Did Taare Zameen Par have any influence on your film?
Not at all. They are different films with different subjects.
Though I haven’t seen Taare Zameen Par, I know that Aamir has done a fantastic job. I would love to watch the film soon.
Did you agree to doing Zee TV’s reality show Rock-N-Roll Family only to promote U Me aur Hum?
I agreed because I liked the idea of a family of three generations participating in song-and-dance competition together.
I agree reality shows are used to promote films nowadays, but that wasn’t the reason why I decided to do it.
What are your forthcoming films?
I am wrapping up Golmaal Returns, a sequel to Golmaal starring Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade.
I also have Toonpur Ka Superhero with Kajol, which will probably be the first live animation film, and I will start shooting with Salman Khan soon for London Dreams.
— Abdulla Mahmood is a UAE-based freelance journalist
