Shah Rukh was cool

How did you come onboard YRF?
Aditya Chopra saw my first film Ab Tak Chappan and felt I was best suited to direct Chak De! India.

But after Ab Tak... you were supposed to do another film with Ram Gopal Varma.
We didn't have a fallout. I was supposed to direct a film for him but its concept could not be developed.

Will you work with him again?
Right now, I am under a three-film contract with YRF.


Was Salman Khan your first choice for Chak De!?
No. These are just rumours.

Neetu Chandra was the first considered for Vidya Malavade's role. What went wrong?
Neetu is a fine actress. We did audition her and she even did her hockey rehearsals, but somewhere we thought that… (pauses and does not finish the sentence). Actually, there are 15 girls in the film. We had to pick girls who were good actors and some who were good players. It was a long process to cast them.

People hooted at the promos of Chak De! before the screening of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.
Firstly, it was just a theatrical music video and not a promo. I for one don't know how people reacted in the theatres. I think this is just loose talk.

You made another promo on SRK's suggestion?
No. That promo came as per our original strategy.

Did he storm off the sets thanks to many retakes?
SRK was absolutely cool about the retakes.

Is The Indian Hockey Federation upset about the subject?
Yet another fabricated story. I wish journalists were a little more ethical.

Don't you think controversies are generating negative publicity ?
I was too busy with post-production to react.