A beautiful mind
Director Shashanka Ghosh has passed the remake test with Khoobsurat. Filmfare discovers what makes him the hatke filmmaker
More on: Filmfare, Shashanka Ghosh, Sonam Kapoor, Fawad Khan
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Written By Bradley Fernandes
Multimedia Executive
Posted Mon, Jan 19, 2015
Ad man turned filmmaker Shashanka Ghosh has made off-kilter movies like, Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II (2003) and Quick Gun Murugan (2009) in the past but for him they remain mainstream films. He never even imagined in his wildest dreams that he would ever be asked to remake a cult classic. It took a lot of emotional arm twisting on producer Rhea Kapoor's part to make him agree to redesign Khoobsurat. To everyone's relief (and even his own), the film turned out to be heartwarming, winning plaudits from the press and performing well at the box-office as well. Even Rekha, for whom the original was a path-breaking film, seemingly liked it. Shashanka is now itching to make an original film with Sonam Kapoor and Fawad Khan. He usually takes long sabbaticals between films. We only hope, we don't have to wait for five years for his next...
"I pick up work that interests me"Before films, I used to direct and write ad films. Later I helped launch MTV and Channel V. I was also creatively involved at Channel V for eight years. After quitting that I directed my first film Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II. Between Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II and Quick Gun Murugan, there was a six-year gap. Between Quick Gun Murugan and Khoobsurat there was a five-year gap. In these gaps I only picked up work that interested me.
"Rhea Kapoor wanted me to direct the remake"Swati Shetty from Disney called me up and said there was a film to direct. The producers were Anil Kapoor and his daughter Rhea. When I heard the concept, I loved it and it took us six months to develop it. But that didn't work out. Four months later, Rhea called me to say that she was planning to remake Khoobsurat. She was adamant that I direct it. She bluntly told me, I'm not doing it without you.'
"Films are like actual worlds, which pull you in"When I trust someone I follow them blindly. This time I was following a girl half my age. Rhea kept saying, I want a pretty film, I want a chic-flick'. I kept wondering why she'd hired a 50-year-old man. But she entrusted me with the movie. We took a long time in writing the film and it was justified. Writing a good script is important. I remember what lyricist and writer Jaideep Sahni had once told me. I had bumped into him and asked him Kya kar rahey ho' and he replied, I'm working on XYZ'. After four months I bumped into him at a book store and casually inquired, Woh XYZ film ho gayi?'. He'd said, Array duniya bana raha hoon, thoda time toh lagta hai (I'm creating a whole new world, it'll take time)'. His reply has stayed with me to date. For Jaideep they are not just films, they're a completely different world and I believe that.
Films are like actual worlds, which pull you in. If anything goes wrong in creating these intricate new worlds, then you lose it. So yes, it took a year and a half to re-write the Khoobsurat screenplay. Working on the new script was difficult. In the original, the love story between Rakesh Roshan and Rekha is mild and a by-product of the main story. The main focus was on Dina Pathak's and Rekha's relationship. But we had to get the right balance between the clash of the values and the romance between Sonam and Fawad.
"I had problems with Rhea"Rhea is not just a socialite but also someone who works passionately. I had problems with what Rhea had in mind. We argued throughout the making of the film. Rhea also has an interesting process of dealing with conflicts. If she wants to argue with you she won't talk. She will put forth her arguments the next day. We also have a similar sense of humour - it's caustic and negative (Laughs). We never have anything good to say to each other and if we do, it shocks us.
"Siddharth Roy Kapur said let's call the film Aahfat"Apart from the basic premise of the original, our Khoobsurat didn't have anything in common. I asked Rhea at least 35 times why we were calling it Khoobsurat. She kept telling me that it needed to be called Khoobsurat because that would give the film some kind of leverage. When Siddharth Roy Kapur saw the film during post production he said, Why are you calling it Khoobsurat? Let's call it Aahfat'. It could've worked since it was what Fawad's character called Sonam's character in the film.
"Fawad has worked hard on the Prince Charming image"I remember the first time Rhea informed me about getting Fawad Khan on board for the lead role. I had no clue who he was. She briefed me about him and asked me to check his work. I saw his performances in Pakistani serials for about three minutes. I found him to be quite okay. I can't judge a person until I've had a decent interaction with him in person. I wasn't mighty impressed watching just his work. Finally, Fawad and I had a conference call. He spoke well and I knew in an instant that this guy had something in him. What I really liked was that he sent me his own little audition and I fell in love with that. Everyone told us not to cast a Pakistani actor, but we went with our gut. Though Fawad's Prince Charming image seems effortless on screen, he has worked really hard on it.
"Sonam Kapoor is not frivolous"Sonam and I argued a lot. She was the first one to point out strategic and substantial things about the film. For instance, this one script session we had when she said it's too long and too heavy'. Her next line was you want some chocolate.' When she comes back with a chocolate she is like kill the mother (Kirron Kher's character), what do you need the mother for?' Later I realised Sonam was right and we worked on Kirron's character. What's interesting is Sonam will try to interpret things in her own way as a result she comes across frivolous, but she is not. She has worked as an AD, so she knows her stuff. She sounds wrong but speaks right.
"I was told to stay away from Rekha"I wasn't there during the screening which was held for Rekha. I was told by Rhea to keep away from her. I was misquoted during the first press conference. All I said was many 15 and 16 year olds have not seen Khoobsurat, that came across as - who the f**k has seen Khoobsurat. Rhea was terrified and said I'm not taking you anywhere near Rekha. But I heard that Rekha liked the film.
"I don't mind directing a Rohit Shetty film"Though I directed Khoobsurat I still don't mind going back to my hatke films. After doing both the kinds of cinema I can say that nothing is easy. Khoobsurat was more like a collaboration. In those hatke films I only work with actors who have liked the story. Khoobsurat was developed by Rhea and me. Even at the script level we used inputs from Sonam, Fawad and Kirron. It was more of partnership. I don't mind directing a Rohit Shetty film too, after all who doesn't want a 100-crore film.
"Films are weighed with more craft and care as compared to ads"There's a massive difference between ads and films. It's like Greek and Sanskrit, nothing in common. The thing with 30 seconds ad is that you get a repeat viewing; it slaps you about 500 times. You shoot it in one go. In a feature film you don't get to do that. You have only one viewing. If you lose the audience's interest, they start checking smses, missed calls. Then to get the viewer back is difficult. So films are weighed with lot more craft and care.
"Rhea and I are working on Battle For Bittora"I don't want to remake any Bollywood films that I like. I'd rather adapt books. I would like to adapt this book into a film titled My Name Is Gauhar Jaan. It's on the life of a famous Indian musician in the pre-independence era. Gauhar Jaan was a tawaif who became the first gramophone superstar. Rhea and I are working on Battle For Bittora (book by Anuja Chauhan). We are in the writing stage. I've to talk about the monies with Rhea. The film brings Sonam and Fawad back together, so the Khoobsurat team will be back. And so will be the madness!
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