Sonam acts between the lines

Sonam Kapoor and director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra were on the set of Indian Idol to launch the music of their upcoming movie,Delhi 6. Though Abhishek Bachchan and A R Rahman were missing, the effervescent Sonam made up for them. Excerpts from an interview. Why did you choose Indian Idol as a platform to launch the music of Delhi 6?.

Sonam: You have to see the film to understand why we chose Indian Idol for our music launch. Besides, Indian Idol is a great platform for young, aspiring Indians. Why did you wait such a long time after Saawariya to do your second film?.

Sonam: Actually, I didn't wait all that long. I signed Delhi 6 two months before Saawariya released. And it does take a year to complete a film. I feel a film a year is not a bad thing. Why wasn't Abhishek Bachchan with you at the music launch?.

Rakeysh: He is shooting for Mani Ratnam. That is why he couldn't make it. How did you cast Sonam as Bittu in the film? Rakeysh: Abhishek was always my first choice for the male lead. In fact, we had discussed the role six years ago. I had wanted to make Delhi 6 even before Rang De Basanti. But I couldn't find my Bittu for a really long time. I held screen tests both in India and abroad, but I didn't find anybody.

Then a friend of mine asked me to meet Sonam, who was then working for Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I was supposed to meet her for half an hour—suddenly I found that six hours had elapsed, we even had lunch together. What I realised was that her immediate response and interpretation of the character had taken the film much further, beyond what I had imagined. It was wonderful. And I realised I had found my Bittu.

A R Rahman, who has composed music for your film, has just won a Golden Globe and he has three Oscar nominations now, too. What would you like to say about him? Rakeysh: What can you say about A R Rahman? I think it would be the understatement of the century if I say that he has done good for Indian cinema.

He has changed the way we hear music. He's brought his own individuality, his own originality. He has given us the new Indian music. And because of him my films also sound contemporary. He is the soul of the film.When he started out, he successfully bridged the north-south divide in India. Now he's bridging the east-west divide in the world. He is a national treasure.

Most films made on Delhi have not really worked. Do you have any doubts about how successful Delhi 6 will be?Rakeysh: No film is classified as good or bad because of the location at which it was shot. A film is good or bad because of its script, its casting and its execution.