Source: Ajay Brambhat, Bhaskar News
Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani’s son Farhan’s Akhtar eyes had dancing shadows since childhood. He had a screenplay made ready anytime he told lies. Since childhood his naughtiness found the right direction. Farhan first become a director, followed by an enthusiasm to become a writer. The reason for becoming a director was merely that he wanted to portray his own words into the picture. He got a lot of cooperation from the film industry. His first film itself has Aamir Khan, the perfect actor. Once his film was released, the audience appreciated him. He came up with a different recognition. His 2nd movie Lakshya is releasing soon. He has left the old successful line and taken a new path. In this path his father Javed is along with him. Javed has written Lakshya’s script.
Here is it the youthful, successful and lively director Farhan in conversation with Ajay Brambhat
Ajay: What sort of a film is Lakshya?
Farhan: It is a story of a person’s journey. It’s a story a youth of today and his journey. Hrithik Roshan is playing the role of the certain youth. The film is focused on him. The film has it all… Romance, Drama and War. It would be hard to categorize this film into specific genre as it has a little bit of everything.
Ajay: It’s about a character and his journey to manhood that takes place towards the end of last decade? Specifically in times of monetary example era, after Bhartiya JP came into governance, it is the story of a youth who is aimless?
Farhan: Yes, he is that youth. You could say during 1997 to 1999. The film tells the story if these years. It’s that generation to which I can relate myself to also. It’s very close to me. It’s also close to my friends.
Ajay: Many characters of this film are perceivable in our surrounding? Why did you choose a backdrop of the Indian Military and the ways of the ARMY for this film?
Farhan: This story could have been told even in some other backdrop. However, my father was inspired by the army and thus, has written this story. Recently, he got a chance to visit Kargil again. By talking to the army cadets and authorities he got impressed a lot. He thought that the outlook that we have towards the army is incorrect and he thought that why not write a story to clarify the histrionic concept.
I feel that after watching this film, many of our country’s youth might get inspired to join the army.
Ajay: So it is not a documentary of the life of army cadets, right?
Farhan: Definitely not. And right from the outset, I had no intention to make a documentary. It is a story of the character played by Hrithik Roshan. Basically, how he gets a goal (Lakshya) after joining the army. How his life and manner of thinking changes after joining the military. An army man’s life could set an example for us. They are so grand that even if we adopt 2 or 3 things of theirs into our life, it will be more than enough.
Ajay: It is a common notion that the standard army cadets lose their lives more in the war than the higher authorities in the army do.
Farhan: If you read about the Kagril Operation Vijay that took place, you will find that many authorities, as in higher ranks, did lose their lives. The audience may have seen this in J.P Dutta’s LOC too.
Ajay: So, it is okay to call it a War film?
Farhan: Lakshya does have war. War is undeniably the principle setting of the movie and in that setting, Hrithik’s journey in life and how he finds his Lakshya, which the focal point, is being portrayed. The loss of lives of many authorities, their sacrifice, their giving up attitude changes the outlook of Hrithik. Some may call Lakshya a war film because of these, but I would not call it that.
Ajay: Hindi film heroes are characters that are always larger than life and also unrealistic at times. It does excite but does not impress. How did you stay away from this lure?
Farhan: I can understand the meaning of your question. Lakshya’s hero is not larger than life. For the movie, we have taken needed imagination but you can’t say that Hrithik alone was enough to give the enemy a hard time. We have tried our best to keep it realistic by adding dramatic scenes and at the same time making it believable with appropriate picturisation so that the audience would want to watch it. Also the war scenes are presented realistically.
Ajay: In this movie the hero and heroine’s relationship is different from other love stories?
Farhan: It’s a very mature relationship. In this movie Preity Zinta is playing an intelligent and in your prime kind of role. From the start itself she will be recognized as that kind of a person. From that you can determine that she wants to be something in life. Even though she falls in love with Hrithik, she doesn’t spend time in getting upset and pacifying, going around dancing 24/7 etc… like all the other girls would generally do. She gets disturbed by many big questions of life. And with these same questions she inspires the character played by Hrithik. In this movie Preity is playing the “source of inspiration” which changes the complete setup of Hrithik’s life.
Ajay: It looks like Preity Zinta’s character is inspired by Barkha Dutt’s to the extent that even her name is Romila Dutta.
Farhan: After Operation Vijay, Barkha Dutt has held a strong image with the audience. She holds an image of a very bold and straightforward journalist. If you take any instance of Kargil war, Barkha Dutt is the first name that strikes you. It is sure that the two will have some similarities. Yes, she has helped a lot in putting Preity’s character into perspective, but Lakshya is not based on Barkha Dutt’s.
Ajay: You don’t seem like that sort of a director who chooses a star first and then writes the film based on the actor. If you've chosen Hrithik Roshan there must be some valid reason for it. Would you like to tell us something about this?
Farhan: After writing the script I start thinking as to who is the appropriate candidate out of the current lot of actors. I don't think of the actor's screen image. I just think of my film and that certain actor's personality to suit the role. Hrithik is my friend. I know him personally. I thought that if he accepts this role then my character is going to look more levelheaded. And that is exactly what happened. Not only did Hrithik work hard, but also according to our demand, he changed his appearance for the film. Actually, he likes this look so much now that he is going to keep it for sometime.
Ajay: It is said that two remarkable personalities don't agree on one point. Taking that into consideration, it would have been hard to write Lakshya's script as yours and your father's persona are quite different.
Farhan: Before we started to film, we had ended all our difference of opinions. There were arguments on every juncture of the script and then the field and the rhythm of the film was determined. How much of romance, how much of drama.... etc... only after coveringall these aspects on paper, did we start to roll the camera.
Ajay: How different are you from your father?
Farhan: First we are from different generations. Second I think in his Perspective, films have to have high voltage drama. I don't agree with that kind of high drama. It is not necessary in the film medium. We can keep the important and dramatic parts in different patterns. It took us time to determine this rhythm.
Ajay: Like your father and grandfather, you didn't show interest in writing lyrics, instead you landed up in a shadowistic and film making world?
Farhan: I have had a habit of saying lies since childhood. That's how my visualization power increased fast. Second, I didn't want that what lyrics I wrote were perceived by every individual through their own vision and thoughts. That's the reason I chose Film Direction instead of being a lyricist.
Ajay: Who has been an inspiration for you as a director?
Farhan: Guru Dutt, Vijay Anand and Ramesh Sippy, these 3 have been my primary motivators.
Ajay: Your last film Dil Chahta Hai was not made for India and did not receive much acclaim here. Are you hoping that this time around the audience will like your "Lakshya".
Farhan: I made Dil Chahta Hai also for the Indian audience, not particularly one kind. It was a different story and was appreciated in big cities only. It was a story based on friends and relationship, which is present in all kinds of traditions. I have made Lakshya with that same kind of philosophy.