FARHAN AKHTAR ON OSCAR PROSPECT OF GULLY BOY: HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT TO THE LAST FIVE
By Himesh Mankad, Mumbai Mirror | Updated: Sep 28, 2019, 06.00 AM IST
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Two years after Lucknow Central, Farhan Akhtar returns to the screen with The Sky Is Pink, the love story of real-life couple Aditi and Niren Chaudhary spanning a quarter of a century, told through the lens of their terminally ill daughter, Aisha Chaudhary, diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis. This story of courage, dignity and grace under immense pressure engaged him instantly.
“Coincidentally, Shonali (Bose, director) came to me just 10 days after I’d watched her last film, Margarita with A Straw,” reminisces the actor who as a parent to daughters Shakya and Akira could relate even more with the script and his character. “Dealing with or having to deal with the impending loss of a child is unimaginable for a parent as it is against the natural order. You don’t want anyone to be in such a situation, least of all yourself. But Shonali’s story is a celebration of life. The family was not living with the fact that Aisha was going away soon, but that she was with them now. A small change in the mindset can make an amazing difference,” he points out.
The film’s philosophy to make each day count reminds one of Rajesh Khanna’s iconic dialogue in Anand, “Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahin” and Farhan agrees that it resounds strongly in their film, but that apart, the stories are completely different.
A still from The Sky Is Pink
Interestingly, he did not meet Niren Chaudhary on whom his character is modelled before starting the shoot, relying on Shonali and writer Nilesh Maniyar’s research and behind-the-scene footage with the family to formulate his thoughts on how to play him. “Shonali didn’t want the character to become a caricature or impersonation, rather she wanted me to imbibe Niren’s qualities and create my own character,” he explains.
Zaira Wasim who plays his screen daughter, has since quit acting on religious grounds and for Farhan that’s a huge loss to the film industry. “But every individual has the right to decide what they want to do with their life and it’s not for us to say if that’s right or wrong. But purely as someone who’s worked with her, I hope Zaira changes her mind,” he states, admitting that he hasn’t spoken to her after she announced her decision.
Priyanka Chopra whom he’s directed in Don and its sequel, and worked with as an actor in Dil Dhadakne Do, plays his better half in this one. “Our friendship has grown as has our trust in each other as creative people. I’m proud of everything she’s achieved and happy that I’ve been with her in this journey,” he smiles. Quiz him on Don 3 and he sighs, “There’s nothing happening on that front at the moment. We keep running around the same tree.”
The Fukrey franchise is also not going forward as of now, with his production company now focusing on the sequel of the Kannada franchise KGF, the original having released last Christmas. Farhan also confides that five years ago, he’d toyed with the idea of a Dil Chahta Hai reboot with three female characters. “I need to sit down and put it together.”
Meanwhile Gully Boy, directed by sister Zoya Akhtar, is also on its way to the Oscars as Indian’s official entry in the Best Foreign Language category. “It feels good, but there’s still a long way to go. We have to figure out how to make it to the last five or six. We’re pooling our resources, it’s a great opportunity from the film federation,” he admits.
After the 2013 National Awardwinning Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Farhan has reunited with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra for a boxing drama, Toofan. “The journey so far has been really educational, I started as a rank beginner,” he says. Paresh Rawal play his coach. “It’s amazing to work with someone who is constantly lifting and challenging you.”
The latest trend of content scoring over big names at the box-office has enthused the actor-filmmaker who reasons that while stars can get you a big opening, eventually it’s the story that sells. “The star system is here to stay because as a society we idolise heroes. But it can’t only be about star power, you want good films to work regardless of who is acting in them,” explains Farhan, adding that the way we consume entertainment is changing and that could change the kind of stars we look up to.
Of late, Farhan has been pretty open about his lady love, Shibani Dandekar, with the couple posting lovedup pictures from vacations on Instagram. But face-toface, he is reluctant to discuss his personal life. “You can see on the social media how my life has changed. Life moves on in the way life moves on, and I share things that I’m comfortable sharing,” he concludes.
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