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How did Saawariya originate? After Black, I was restless. I was wondering what should I do now. I had worked with Amitji, Salman, SRK. I kept asking myself what could I do to challenge myself. Then, I thought of doing a fresh, simple love story with newcomers. I decided to do something that would suit the legacy of Raj Kapoor and Nargis. I didn’t want a family drama. I wanted people who weren’t bigger than the film. I wanted the sound of dialogue and colours to be different. It took me about a year to put the whole picture in mind. Why Ranbir and Sonam? When he was assisting me in Black, I told Ranbir he was an actor. Sonam was also assisting me in Black. One day, I told her she is actress material. She looked at herself and said, "I am so huge and big. How can I become an actress?" That was an interesting acceptance from a person, and it impressed me. She was 90 kg then. Later, she went on a weight loss reduction mission. Both underwent vigorous training and then they were ready. You are a hard taskmaster and you often lost your cool with them. With Amitabh Bachchan, SRK, Nana Patekar, Seema Biswas, one can’t lose cool because they deliver at that level. Add to this Madhuri Dixit, Rani Mukerji and Salman Khan, and you’ll get the line up of actors I have worked with. I am used to that level of excellence.
Sonam broke down when you reprimanded her? The incident has been blown out of proportion. Sonam is like a child to me. That part of her life which she should have spent in college, she has spent with me. I wanted her to be the best. Yes, she would cry if she was going through a certain moment where she wasn’t getting it right. But then, we weren’t in a school. We had worked for one-and-half year before we got in the thick of things — so that was school time. But when so much money is involved, you have to be quick at times and deliver. But so much has been written about you. The law of the press is simple. Favour the underdog and if he succeeds, then rip him apart. You wanted him to look lean? I didn’t want him to look muscular. I told him not to concentrate on bodybuilding. Actors carry dumb-bells on the sets. What has that got to do with acting? Once you build that kind of muscular body, it even inhibits you from foraying into diverse characters. Can these muscular actors do Balraj Sahni’s roles? Can they do a Devdas or a Saaransh or even Amol Patekar’s role in Chhoti Si Baat? If you are going to waste time in what you are wearing and how many extra inches you have in your arms, how can you concentrate and get into the skin of the character? Do you think Ranbir has matched up to his father Rishi Kapoor? He is outstanding in the film. I cannot tell his parents that he has bettered Rishi. Rishi and Neetu were my favourites. The entire Kapoor family will be proud of his performance. Nobody else could have done this role. I could have taken a set actor for this role, but I didn’t want a set array of expressions. I wanted fresh expressions because the characters were well etched in terms of emotional equilibrium. As for Sonam, I would say she has done exceptionally well. What are Salman Khan and Rani Mukerji doing in the film? They are acting in the film (laughs). As I told you, I don’t want to divulge the story. If I tell you anything about Rani and Salman, it would be giving away a lot. Don’t you think you have taken a big responsibility by launching Ranbir and Sonam? Yes. I was aware of that. Ranbir came from a family which has excellence in acting as well as filmmaking. Sonam is the daughter of a fine actor. But I didn’t keep it in my head, for then I would have got bogged down. So that’s why, they had to go through some scoldings and firings. You have made big films and most of these were appreciated and won awards. Are you feeling the pressure? I am not tense. I have done my best and will always work hard and try to main a high standard of filmmaking. — TWF
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I have enjoyed every
minute of making this film. After working with Ranbir and Sonam, I
feel I have become younger. This film has been a stressbuster for me.
I really had to look after everything — their ribbons, ear-rings,
belts and even naadas. I became their mother and father on the set.
They are very well behaved kids. There were moments when they wouldn’t
get a scene right. You haven’t faced the camera and you enter such a
huge set with hundreds of lights focussing on you — you should have
seen my set at Nitin Desai Studios, the biggest set ever in Asia —
trust me, it’s not easy.