Sangeeth Sivan

SANGEETH SIVAN

I have directed eight Malayalam films, mostly with actor Mohanlal in the lead. Kyaa Kool Hai Hum (K2H2) is my fourth Hindi film and this is the first time I am doing comedy. Zor addressed a social problem, Sandhya was a horror film and Chura Liya Hai Tumne a romantic thriller. Sandhya, of course, never released due to a financial mess although we believed in the film strongly.

I am the first director outside the Balaji camp to direct a film for producer Ektaa Kapoor. I have heard about her overruling directors midway into projects and was apprehensive of working with her. So we had an understanding right at the outset ? she can be part of all the scripting discussions but once the script is locked, I go and shoot the film and come back.

But then again, not all producers are as creative as Ektaa and have such strong convictions about their concepts. It was her idea to get a second hero ? before that K2H2 was a single-hero project. And good that we did, since Riteysh?s (Deshmukh) character has turned out to be the funniest of the lot.

I felt very insecure in the beginning. In a film like this, technique becomes meaningless, the script becomes the king and the stress is on timing and language. Also, since I am from the south, I cannot speak fluent Hindi. But once the shooting started, the bonding within the team and the chemistry amongst the cast set the ball rolling.

Ektaa and I are planning another comedy but nothing?s finalised as of now and a lot depends on the fate of K2H2, which releases on May 6.

Ishaa Koppikar and Tusshar Kapoor at Golden Park hotel on Friday. Picture by Aranya Sen

ISHAA KOPPIKAR

As my director says, I have the most difficult role in the film of a tough paan-chewing Maharashtrian cop named Urmila Martodkar. I am supposed to monitor the madness of the two main characters played by Tusshar and Riteysh. The film?s largely about how I control the two as they go on this crazy trip to become rich and famous.

I do not exactly have an item song in the film but there is a dance number picturised on me called Chaska. Can?t really call it an item track since it adds to the script. It?s not that I don?t like to feature in item numbers since I can never forget that it was Khallas and Ishq Samundar which made me. Jad ko kaise bhool sakti hoon? After those two songs every actress and wannabe actress wanted to do item numbers.

I am the only common element of Company and its forthcoming prequel D. Here, I have a full-fledged role of a bar dancer in the film and not just a dance number. It feels great because it shows Ramuji?s growing confidence in me as an actress. I have also been cast in another Ram Gopal Varma film, Darwaza Bandh Rakho, to be directed by Chakravarthy, who had played the title role in Satya.

TUSSHAR KAPOOR

K2H2 is a naughty situational comedy. Although I have done a little bit of comedy before in my earlier films, this is the first time I?m doing an out-and-out comedy. It was difficult to get into the character. I had to be very free in my body language. In fact Riteysh and I did a workshop before the film and once we got together again on the sets, we both warmed to our characters. Comedy?s easy if you really enjoy it.

Sangeeth Sivan deserves the tag of cool more than anybody else in the team. He is clear about what he wants, very tech-savvy and essentially a young-at-heart person. He?s more like a friend and doesn?t scare you. Neha is a bold North Indian kind of a person, always planning something after pack-up. Ishaa is a very hardworking actress and kind of tomboyish, always advising us about what to do.

In a home production, there are pluses and minuses. The plus: you feel a lot more free, as if you are at home. But it also means that you are not just an actor, you have the added burden of so many other departments. There?s the added pressure of how the film is looking, how everything is going. That our earlier home productions didn?t do well means that there was this added drive of making it work this time. It was challenging and enjoyable.

After K2H2, I am talking to a lot of directors about a lot of projects but nothing?s finalised as of now. There?s an offer from Suneel Darshan. I am also slated to do Manish Malhotra?s film and there?s also a project with Satish Kaushik. Subhash Ghai wants to repeat the same duo of Riteysh and me in one of his forthcoming productions.

Neha Dhupia and Riteysh Deshmukh in Bangalore for the promotion of Kyaa Kool Hai Hum

NEHA DHUPIA

The Balaji team members are great people to work with. I have no complaints. People say that they are tough taskmasters but I didn?t face any such problem. I never felt I was working with someone who is the producer?s brother. None of that. All of us were treated equally.

I have worked with Ishaa before. As for the others, we worked like a bunch of friends. I didn?t even feel that I was working.

It doesn?t matter that K2H2 is a multistarrer and has more than one heroine. It was never like she is doing better than me or I have to impress more than her. The production has to be good ? that?s the modesty that comes with a quality project.

Director Sivan is just excellent. He is like a mad scientist since he treats comedy like science. As for me, comedy is all about timing. It is the result of a good action-reaction pair. Both Tusshar and Riteysh are good at it and so the reaction comes easy. In fact, the film is all madness and I was brought in to provide method to the madness.

Sheesha?s failure doesn?t matter to me that much since a star?s track record isn?t about the number of hits and flops but all about how she?s performed in the particular film. Also, one has to move on and learn from past mistakes.

After K2H2, I have Harry Baweja?s Mute, Guddu Dhanoa?s Siskiyan and Punjabi Bahu.