Even if you cut 2 feet off, Khansaab (SRK) will still stand tall: ALR

Aanand L Rai on his superstar dwarf, his Happy' state of mind and why he can't think of himself as a king.

iNTERVIEW
Aanand L Rai, Filmmaker

So finally your dwarf' film has a title and a release date. But why Zero and December 21 in particular?

I grew up in a simple, middleclass family without a car, airconditioner or five-star dinners, yet I was perfectly happy because happiness, as I've come to realise, is a state of mind. You can touch infinity even when you are zero, like Khan saab's (Shah Rukh Khan) character. December is a month when we celebrate life and what better time for a boy who celebrates that he is physically incomplete and in his incompleteness completes others as he travels from Meerut to New York. There is a beauty in incompleteness we are celebrating.

Why Shah Rukh Khan?

I needed a big star and even if you cut two feet away from Khan saab, he'd still stand tall. Also, this story has a wide reach and he will take it to the world.

It's a tough journey with all the VFX?

I'd use the word enjoyable' rather than tough' because he's made it fun. Yes, it's a VFX heavy film, but the effects are to tell a story and not just for impact.

With SRK in, did you need two other A-listers, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, or was it to get into the big league?

I took Katrina and Anushka not because they are big names but because they fit the characters. I know people think I want to get into a different league but when they see the film they will realise it's still about casting and not set-up. I may be on a new pitch, playing new shots, but I'm still true to my roots and original in my storytelling.

Scared?

(Smiles) No, secure.

Yes, right now the biggest name in this project is Aanand L Rai who can make hits of even taboo subjects like erectile dysfunction.

Hits and flops don't affect me, on the first day, I'm as nervous as any newcomer, relying on a team of 250 to bring my vision from the paper to the screen. When actors like Khan saab forget who they are to make my characters real, I feel indebted because I were asked to be anyone other than Aanand, I'd be lost. Acting is tough, as I keep saying, there are no bad actors, only bad directors. How can I feel like a king? A king gives magnanimously, while I'm the only one on the set always asking my actors, cinematographer, light men, everyone to give me something, generously.

Talking about erectile dysfunction, what made you risk a Shubh Mangal Saavdhan?

Twenty-five years ago, just before I took off on a trip with my college buddies, I confided in my father that they were planning to drink beer and I was worried. That evening, he returned home with two bottles of beer and we drank together so that when I was with my friends, I'd know the taste and could decide for myself if I wanted to drink it or not. For me that was a sign of changing times. Today, a quarter of a century later, if we can't talk about sexual problems within the family, we haven't evolved.

I admit even my wife was uncomfortable with the idea of me touching on such a taboo topic, telling me it could tarnish my clean image and we didn't need the money. I explained that this wasn't about money and I wasn't making an adult film but a family entertainer, it was an important subject that needed to be breached. Today, many tell me that after seeing the film, they can talk more openly about such subjects.



From Tanu Weds Manu and its sequel to Raanjhanaa, Nil Battey Sannata, Newton and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, the films you've directed and produced have broken new ground. Is there a pressure now to deliver something new every time?

When I was struggling to make films, I'd see other makers with four-five hits behind them, on a good wicket and wonder why they were playing safe and not bringing something new to our cinema. Seven years later, I'm in the position to do so and if I were to repeat myself, I'd lose sleep. Tanu Weds Manu Returns worked because Datto was new and original. If I brought her back, I might get away once, with investors and viewers, but it'd take me back five paces. The crux of this journey is this connection between a storyteller and his audience which is unseen and can only be felt. The day I stop being true to my audience, start lying to myself about my reasons for doing a film and worry about box-office numbers, I'll feel the pressure.

So, will Zero be a gamechanger too?

That's a word I would like to hear from someone else, not from my own lips. But what I can promise is some takeaway, people will discuss it long after it's over.

Were you disappointed when Newton dropped out of the Oscar race?

When I saw the film I wasn't thinking of festivals or awards, it was just a story I wanted every Indian citizen to see, including my daughter. We're the biggest democracy in the world but aaj democracy bas baat ban kar reh gayi hai. If in the next elections, even 10 people feel obliged to go out and vote, I'll know Newton was worth it. As for the Oscars, I told Amit Masurkar, he'll win next time. Newton is only his second directorial, he will get better. India is telling good stories, in five years, Oscar bhi aa jayega.

You're not sure about a Tanu Weds Manu 3 yet but Happy Bhag Jayegi Returns is on the way to the theatres...

When he made Happy Bhag Jayegi, Mudassar Aziz was returning from a six-year sabbatical and a flop debut with a slice-of-life romcom. He worked hard, but his apprehensions held him back which is why I told him to go out and make himself Happy' again.

And with Anurag Kashyap, your dream project Manmarziyan is finally coming to life?

Anurag loved the script but told me he wanted to make Mukkabaaz first and was looking for a partner. So, I told him we'd produce it together and then he could direct Manmarziyan for me. I've been living with the idea for so long, now I have a storyteller who will own it.

Before we sign off, tell me about the Shah Rukh you've come to know in the last one year.

I'm not talking as a director here but as a person with 46 years of life's experiences behind me. Being with this honest and intelligent man who teaches you even through his own mistakes, has changed my perspective on many things and helped me grow as a person.