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I won't deny that there are quite a lot of similarities. I play a filmmaker of the 1950s and 60s who doesn't follow any set patterns. The kind of films my character makes are very relatable to Guru Dutt's oeuvre. And then there's a romance with an actress of the times. Therefore, it is semi-biographical.
How difficult was it for you to go back to an era when you were not even born?
Very easy. There was my director Sudhir Mishra to guide me. All those questions about how one got into the speech, body language and mood of the era are not applicable to me. Because I never prepare. I go by my instincts on the sets. And with a filmmaker like Sudhir it gets easier. The clothes, dialogues, sets, and overall aura helped, too. I began to believe I was in the 1950s. Often after shooting on the sets, I'd feel I had stepped into the future when I went outside.
Did you watch the films of Guru Dutt and others?
No, none. I didn't do any preparation. I had grown up in Lucknow. Therefore, I am familiar with the 'Nawabi' language.
Do you think the trend of reclaiming the past in our movies is healthy?
Most certainly, if it is done with purely artistic intentions. However, if there's a hidden agenda then it's bound to show up. I loved going back to a time when I wasn't even born in Khoya Khoya Chand and Sudhir's earlier film Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi. I was surprised by how well I blended into the character. To me good acting is when you're not caught doing it.
Were you not born in 1975?
Contrary to reports… no I wasn't born in 1975. Khoya Khoya Chand took me even further back. I loved going into an era I had only heard my parents talk about. Sudhir won't just make audiences see an era, he'll also make them experience it, make them aware of the aspirations and ambitions of those times.
You've also been simultaneously working in Jahnu Barua's Har Pall
No, I wasn't. I finished with Khoya Khoya Chand and then went into the other one. I like to work on one film at a time. After Sudhir and Anurag Basu (Life in a Metro), Jahnu Barua has been a superb experience for me. Jahnu and Sudhir are similar in their passions and yet dissimilar and very different artistes.
How commercial is Har Pall
As commercial as, say, Shakti Samanta's Aradhana, which on reading must have sounded very commercial. And look how artistic it finally turned out! When I read the script of Har Pall, I wondered why Jahnu would want to make such a commercial film. Contrary to his reputation, I found him to have a very commercial sensibility.
How was it working with Soha in Khoya Khoya Chand and Preity Zinta in Har Pall.
Soha is sweet, accommodating and levelheaded. With Preity, it's interesting because she comes from big-banner productions like Yash Raj Films. She brought all those experiences into play in Har Pall.
Though your Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a hit, the reviews weren't too kind to you.
Every director looks for a certain kind of performance. I did what I had to in Bhool Bhulaiyaa. I played to the galleries and blended into the situations in the script.
Are you happy with the way your life and career are going?
If Bhool Bhulaiyaa wasn't a hit, I'd have been very disappointed. Just like I would be disappointed if Khoya Khoya Chand doesn't get me critical acclaim. It could become as successful as Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan.
I believe you command a very handsome price….
I don't command anything at all. I simply accept what I am given. People who want to pay me less than I deserve have created the rumour that I charge an astronomical fee. If I were demanding unjust fees, why would a filmmaker like Sudhir Mishra work repeatedly with me? I am now doing a lavish film, Ek Aur Devdas, with him. I understand the value of honest self-evaluation. I am now doing expensive commercial films. In one of my films, Hijack, a Boeing 737 was hired for 15 days. We have done sophisticated stunts in the film.
So Hijack would be your first action film.
Yes, it has a lot of complicated stunts. I am leaving the country for a film about bikers. I don't think anything like this has been attempted before with me in a totally different look. There's a huge amount of investment in the film and me. And I've to justify my price and presence.
I am out of the country until the end of December. But I might come back for the premiere of Khoya Khoya Chand.
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