Cinema has changed a lot from the time when you were an actor. Is there anything that you feel was better back then?
It was much better back then. Instead of improving cinema, I think, we are deteriorating. If you see the films these days, it has the same song and dance, girls dancing in bikinis, coming out of the sea, dancing in the sand, we’re just not moving forward in any way. In those days there was Bimal Roy making good films, Mehmood making good films. Then there was Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee, Manmohan Desai, Prakash Mehra and there are many other names. They made films which we sat and thought about. It led us to wonder how did they make such films; how did Raj Kapoor make films? But today we just don’t find any filmmaker of that caliber. There’s no one thinking out of the box. People feel that 'yeh chal raha hai to yehi do audience ko'. That’s why they are not succeeding because the audience does not want that. We actually end up underestimating the audience. After long, there was a new film and a new concept like “3 Idiots”.
Any thoughts of returning to acting?
Oh no. I’m involved in my projects now. I have bigger responsibilities on my shoulder.
Between directing and acting, what did you enjoy more?
As far as enjoyment is concerned, there’s nothing like being an actor because you go to the sets, act and you know, the preparation is up to a limit. But as a director, you have to think for 24 hours. You have to be in the sun, preparing the shot, whereas, as an actor you get the benefit of staying in the van till your shot is ready. So an actor’s life is more comfortable as compared to a director.
Anurag said that he was left to do the film on his own. Being a director yourself, were there times when you felt the need to chip in?
It’s nothing like that. I was involved with him while making the script. I was there with him at the locations and was there to fulfill his requirements. Throughout I knew what was happening. Nothing went without my notice. I gave all my experience to the film and all that he needed. He wanted a chopper; I provided that for the film for 10 days. That’s how I work. And Anurag has done a very good job with the film.
As a director, what is your idea behind making a film?
Entertainment, that’s my idea.
It was much better back then. Instead of improving cinema, I think, we are deteriorating. If you see the films these days, it has the same song and dance, girls dancing in bikinis, coming out of the sea, dancing in the sand, we’re just not moving forward in any way. In those days there was Bimal Roy making good films, Mehmood making good films. Then there was Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee, Manmohan Desai, Prakash Mehra and there are many other names. They made films which we sat and thought about. It led us to wonder how did they make such films; how did Raj Kapoor make films? But today we just don’t find any filmmaker of that caliber. There’s no one thinking out of the box. People feel that 'yeh chal raha hai to yehi do audience ko'. That’s why they are not succeeding because the audience does not want that. We actually end up underestimating the audience. After long, there was a new film and a new concept like “3 Idiots”.
Any thoughts of returning to acting?
Oh no. I’m involved in my projects now. I have bigger responsibilities on my shoulder.
Between directing and acting, what did you enjoy more?
As far as enjoyment is concerned, there’s nothing like being an actor because you go to the sets, act and you know, the preparation is up to a limit. But as a director, you have to think for 24 hours. You have to be in the sun, preparing the shot, whereas, as an actor you get the benefit of staying in the van till your shot is ready. So an actor’s life is more comfortable as compared to a director.
Anurag said that he was left to do the film on his own. Being a director yourself, were there times when you felt the need to chip in?
It’s nothing like that. I was involved with him while making the script. I was there with him at the locations and was there to fulfill his requirements. Throughout I knew what was happening. Nothing went without my notice. I gave all my experience to the film and all that he needed. He wanted a chopper; I provided that for the film for 10 days. That’s how I work. And Anurag has done a very good job with the film.
As a director, what is your idea behind making a film?
Entertainment, that’s my idea.
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