Source: Star Box Office
Date: May 30, 2009
Director Rakesh Roshan speaks to us about his upcoming film Kites, the baseless rumours about Hrithik and Barbara Mori, along with sidelining Kangana from the film’s promotions.
First off, what kind of response did Kites get at Cannes?
The film received a very positive response, our goal was to establish a global presence and showcase the trailer of the film at Cannes. The media took to the film very strongly and we were surprised to see a turnout of 60-70 media people from all over the world at the press conference. After the conference got over, there were one-on-one interviews and they were highly impressed with the 9-minute trailer of the film.
Can you tell us something about the film?
The film revolves around a love story between an Indian boy born and brought up in Las Vegas and a Spanish girl from Mexico. Both of them don’t speak each others respective languages and the film is about how love triumphs even with the barrier of communication between the two.
What should people expect from the film?
A love story is a universal story and love is the most common feature in any part of the world. We have put our heart and soul into the film and have taken a step ahead in matters of the design and look of the movie. It is very different from any other film ever made.
The rumours of Barbara and Hrithik have been making the rounds, how have they affected you?
They haven’t affected me at all, the rumours are baseless. I’ve been in this industry for the last forty years and have heard a lot of meaningless things in my life. I prefer not to waste my precious time on such matters.
So does Barbara’s performance live up to your expectations in the film?
She is fantastic in the film, she is a superb actress and you only have to see her to believe her. I am very happy with her performance. You just have to wait and watch once the film releases.
Kangana Ranaut is missing from many of the stills of the film, is she being sidelined to promote Barbara?
She is not being sidelined, she was specifically told about her role and the type of coverage she would receive, which she accepted wholeheartedly. Nobody has cheated her. Also, it’s a love story between Hrithik and Barbara so obviously, if I’m making a film with a love angle, I will have to focus on them. If I make a superhero film like Krrish, my focus would obviously be on Hrithik, though Priyanka is the heroine. When I made Koi Mil Gaya, it was about an alien so my focus was on Jaadu and his relationship with Hrithik. One has to go with the flow of the film and what the film requires.
Are you making Krrish 2, and is Deepika Padukone a part of it?
Not at all, my focus is on Kites and it all depends on the response the film gets. If Kites does well I will be able to tap into the world market and help change the thought process of films being made today. Deepika is not in the film because I am not making Krrish 2 in the first place.
Recently, there was news that you and Anurag Basu weren’t getting along during the filming of Kites. Is that true?
These are baseless rumours. Kites is such a big budgeted film and was completely filmed in the US. I couldn’t handle the project both as a producer and director so I took Anurag to direct as he has the same vision as me. So why would I not get along with him?
Now that the producer-multiplex strike is coming to an end, when will Kites release?
We haven’t fixed a release date yet and it won’t happen till we settle the world market issue. Most probably, the movie will release around September or October.
How will you be marketing the film?
I haven’t really thought about all of that now. At the moment, the film is on the editing table and after that we will begin with background music and mixing. As the film will be made in two versions, Hindi and English, there is a lot of work left till its completion. Only after that will I plan the marketing strategies.
How long is the film?
About 2 hours and 50 minutes.