hey guys. this is first time i m posting here as i got recent article of rajeev film aamir. here's the article
"Aamir is a cutting edge thriller about a common man" - Rajkumar Gupta Click here to add this article to My Clips
By Bollywood Hungama News Network, April 23, 2008 - 18:20 IST
What does it take to make your mark as a good director especially when it is your debut venture, the presence of a superstar and of course a good script? Well, this new player in the field does not seem to agree with a notion and claims to win the hearts of many with a simple film titled Aamir. Rajkumar Gupta has been an associate director to Anurag Kashyap for No Smoking and Black Friday.
And now is all set with his debut project Aamir starring Rajeev Khandelwal, a well known TV actor of 'Kahin To Hoga' fame, to release on May 16, 2008.
Bollywood Hungama brings you an exclusive interview with Rajkumar Gupta where he talks about his experience while making Aamir.
The promos of Aamir seem to be interesting, tell us about the storyline?
Aamir is a cutting edge thriller about a common man who is pushed against the world and asked to do certain things and now whether he gives up or fights back is for the audience to come and witness. This is the basic synopsis which I can give you right know.
Aamir is a cutting edge thriller about a common man who is pushed against the world and asked to do certain things and now whether he gives up or fights back is for the audience to come and witness
What does the title Aamir suggest?
The literal meaning of Aamir is 'leader'.
So shall we conclude the protagonist Rajeev Khandelwal fights and becomes a leader? Shed some more light on his character?
As I said earlier, it's for the audience to discover whether the character played by Rajeev Khandelwal named Aamir who is pushed against the world and asked to do certain things gives up or fights back.
Has the film shaped up the way you had imagined it to be?
Yes absolutely, I would say it has shaped up beyond my expectations. As a filmmaker I had kept certain expectations with myself since its my first film and without sounding overconfident, I think I have lived up to them.
As a filmmaker I had kept certain expectations with myself since its my first film and without sounding overconfident, I think I have lived up to them.
How is Rajeev as an actor? Why him and not any renowned film actor?
Well…I wanted to cast an actor not a star and since Rajeev Khandelwal was not a renowned face so it was easy for me to cast him for the role. He suited the character that I had in my mind. I was not aware of his previous work but I must say he is a brilliant actor. The amount of hard work he has put in is highly commendable. He would stand there in the crowd in the scorching sun for hours together without a vanity van. And I am proud to have him in my debut venture.
Rajiv would stand there in the crowd in the scorching sun for hours together with out a vanity van. And I am proud to have him in my debut venture.
You have shot extensively in real locations like Bhendi Bazzar, Crawford Market, Jacob Circle, Bandra Masjid and Dharavi. How was the experience shooting out there?
Oh! It was fantastic. I mean it was terrifying but at the same time very fascinating to shoot in real locations in the midst of the scary crowd. The best part was that the cast and crew of my film encompassed with the debutants in their respective field be it cinematography, direction or acting. So, there would always be positive atmosphere around with no ego hassles. With the mounting crowd every time we would shoot, we discovered a new way of shooting by carrying a carrier covering our camera with a hole to capture. I along with my camera man would sit inside and capture the scene. On watching the film one will realize that the crowd has been shot but no one is directly looking in the camera because nobody was aware of it.
What have you been doing before taking up career in direction?
Well…I have been associate director to Anurag Kashyap for No Smoking and Black Friday.
Coming back to Aamir, what difficulties did you face since it's your directorial debut?
Well… every director while making a film goes through the regular hassles. Apart from them as I said we could not afford to disclose the fact to the crowd that we were to shoot out there. So, we were bound to shoot a particular scene in one take so as to wrap up fast. However, we did a brilliant job considering all the constraints in the picture. I am glad that everything worked out really well for us.
Why isn't there any female lead in the film?
Well, maybe, because the story did not demand any female character.
Why did you choose this subject for your first venture?
Well, I am a writer so story ideas do pour in every time…but this particular idea really captivated my mind and I finally decided to make a film on it.
What is your target audience?
There is not any particular audience that I am targeting at. I want everyone to watch a genuine efforts put in by some sincere people.
I want every one to watch a genuine efforts put in by some sincere people.
How is the music of the film? Your favourite track?
I feel the film has a brilliant music with five kiskass tracks and it's going to release very soon in couple of days. And, all the five tracks are my favourite.
Why should people go and watch Aamir? What is the USP of the film?
Aamir is one of its kinds everyone can relate with. Let me put it in this way, if anyone asks me what the item number in Aamir is, I would say, the film itself is an item number which comprises everything which today's audience crave for. I think that's says it all.
Share some memorable moments with us which you still cherish while shooting?
Well, I remember we were to shoot at a place near Chor Bazaar early morning but despite having permission from the people concerned, a butcher got aware of our shooting plans and started creating hindrances to an extent that he almost was on the verge of slaughtering us. We got hold of the situation and halted the shoot for another couple of hours till he came to his normal self. Another one was this German lady who had joined an intern with UTV and would sometimes accompany us on our shoots. And, she would go out of her way to control the crowd while shooting and we would burst out laughing as you know how we Indians are, the crowd out there would get more excited considering the presence of a foreign figure out there.
Edited by spicy47 - 17 years ago
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