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Interview

I am taking another step as a filmmaker

Published On: 2013-05-18

Author: unknown

Media Link:

'I'm more proud of the music of Lakshya than DCH!'

 

 

Source: Cybernoon

Submitted By: Megha
 

 

Farhan Akthar proved his mettle with 'DCH'. He even ushered in a new wave in Bollywood with the film. 'Lakshya' is carrying great reports. The bouquets have come Farhan's way with the brickbats and he earned the tag of  'director with major attitude'! He laughs, "It's just the way I am. If  someone has a problem with that they should tell me...." Read on to find out more ...


Lakshya sounds so different from  Dil Chahta Hain!


It's not a conscious move nor can I say that I don't want to be typecast (laughs). I want to be a director who is enthused about his projects. I don't want to design my projects but would rather go by my instincts. With Lakshya I feel I am taking another step as a filmmaker. Lakshya is about a boy's transition from an aimless, confused, and restless person to someone  who is more comfortable with what he is because of certain events in his life.
 


You signed Hrithik during the low phase in his career!


It's very difficult to write off someone who is talented. Everyone goes through a lean patch. It's not possible for someone to make the right decisions all the time. Hrithik is too good an actor and person to be kept down for long. More than me, the producer, Ritesh Sidhwani, deserves credit for signing him. After all, he is the one who is putting in the money. Besides having faith in his director's choice of actor, he believed in  Hrithik the actor. While earlier people asked, 'why did you cast Hrithik!'; after Koi Mil Gaya it was, 'why didn't we cast him!' Every producer wanted his film to be Hrithik's next release. I like Hrithik's sincerity and honesty towards his work and also his ability to give time. I cannot work with somebody who comes in two days before the shoot and meets me on the  sets. I need to spend a lot of time with my actors. I make sure that his vision is the same as that of the writer and director. I also have to understand his reservations about doing certain things, if any. A film according to me is a collaborated effort rather than one man's vision.
 


What prompted you to rope in Prabhudeva for Main Aisa Kyun Hoon?


I definitely wanted the song to be different. It had to represent the character and the kind of person Hrithik is in that portion of the film. I also wanted to prove to the world that Hrithik has no bones in his body (laughs). Prabhudeva was very excited about working with him. So was Hrithik. They came close to working together in Koi Mil Gaya. They worked
well together as a team on Main Aisa ... and every step had been worked out well between them. I just reacted to what I saw.

 

This explains Hrithik's goofy look in the song!


In that portion of the film he is someone who is not worried about things including his appearance. Besides I also wanted to build up people's curiosity level. I wanted them to wonder why he is looking like this and if he is going to look like this in the entire film (smiles).

 

There has been a mixed reaction to that look!


That is bound to happen. You can't expect everyone to like everything all the time. Ultimately it is the film and how they like that. Hrithik's hair and look will make sense when people watch the film.

 

But the music of the film is not a rage especially if you compare it to Dil Chahta Hain!


Sure! A lot of the effect of the music will be felt after people watch the film. You will definitely hear the music differently when you watch the film. Although DCH had songs that were script-centric, they were fun songs and not dealing with any issue. The kind of film that Lakshya is, it needed songs of this nature. I stuck to what the film demanded. I couldn't put in
fun songs just to make the music sell. Besides Main Aisa ...., the romantic track is also being appreciated. But I must add that I'm prouder of the music of Lakshya than I was of DCH.

 

Is it true that Amitabh Bachchan has an extended guest appearance in the film?


No! I would say that Om Puri has an extended guest appearance in the film. Amit uncle is definitely not the protagonist of the film but he has a very important role in it. He is an important supporting cast in Lakshya and has a substantial amount of screen time.

 

But he has been insisting that he is doing an extended guest appearance!

 

Maybe that's how he perceives it, I don't look at it that way (smiles).

 

The two of you even had a showdown during the shoot!


(Laughs) So we heard! It is a great piece of fiction. Nothing really happened between us. Both of us are very clear on that. We spoke about it and also had a good laugh over it.

 

You are known to have a major attitude problem!


I don't think I have an attitude! It's just the way I am (laughs). If someone has a problem with that they should tell me. But as a director, I have to be a disciplinarian. Otherwise things can go haywire. In the process if somebody gets upset then I can't help it. I am doing it for my film. I have to step in when I feel that somebody is hampering my film.

 

Did the distributors want a cut in price after Amitabh's statement that he is doing an extended guest appearance?


No! This is just one of the rumours after my showdown with Mr. Bachchan. Post that, Hrithik and me had a fight as I pulled him up for coming late on the sets. Then my producer Ritesh and me had a fight as he felt that I was behaving badly. Next Prabhudeva and me fought, as he demanded to know how I could even think of misbehaving with Mr. Bachchan. Preity and me also had a fight so she has not been attending any of our functions. Thankfully that has been laid to rest as she came for one recently. After I came back from Ladakh someone asked me about the shoot and I snapped at him, 'what's it to you!' (Laughs).
 


How about being hospitalized with a fractured foot?


(Laughs) I was dehydrated and put on a drip for one night. As for my foot, I had just twisted my ankle as I took a wrong step while coming down a slope. Wow, this is like Chinese Whisper. We heard about all these rumours in Ladakh and laughed.

 

DCH was a city-centric film. How about Lakshya?


I never thought of that before DCH released. It just went and found its own audience. My target audience for Lakshya is everyone (smiles).