Saurabh Shukla

Congratulations on picking up the Best Film trophy at the New York South Asian International Film Festival. Was that a surprise?

Absolutely! I am so, so happy. I cannot describe in words. It’s a great feeling when your hard work pays off. Also, now people have been calling and tell me how they are intrigued by the promo. It couldn’t have been better.

Will you call this a second coming given the fact your first two directorial efforts, Mudda and Chehra, didn’t do well?

It is truly my second innings, a comeback. The first two films I did, I was thoroughly confused. There were too many questions and it took me those two films to figure out what actually matters. I took a five-year break and decided that I should be happy if I were to make a film again. If I am not happy, I cannot spread happiness. Now, I have started all over again with Raat Gayi, Baat Gayi?.

Vinay Pathak, Rajat Kapoor and Neha Dhupia in Raat Gayi, Baat Gayi?, which releases on December 31

Has it helped to have these like-minded people like Rajat Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey, Vinay Pathak around you?

It was not planned that way... that one afternoon we all got together and decided to form a studio of sorts. We all met at different times at different places and there was a mutual respect for each other’s work. Then we tried doing things together. Rajat’s Raghu Romeo happened and then one by one we had films like Mithya and Dasvidaniya.

How would you pitch Raat Gayi, Baat Gayi??

Well, for one, it’s a comedy. People can expect to laugh and have a lot of fun. The basic premise of the film is a one-night stand and erased memory. That’s the plot point but what the film deals with is actually the characters. How each one of them handles the situation. For me what was challenging was to get into the psyche of both the man and the woman.

Are you happy that your producer PNC is promoting the film as the desi Hangover?

Well, everybody knows that this film was made before Hangover. Now, hangover is nobody’s property. You can have a hangover anywhere in the world. Whether you are in Ethiopia or America, if you drink hard, you will have a hangover. And one of the main symptoms of having a hangover is that you forget what happened the night before. Frankly, I haven’t seen Hangover and I am not lying.

You are still known as Satya’s Kallu Mama. Are you tired of the tag?

Before that I was known as Gopi (of Tehkikaat fame). I have no problems with that because that’s the recognition of your work. People ask me why haven’t you been able to do another Kallu Mama. That’s not true. I have done even better characters but Satya worked as a package. The label of Kallu Mama will go off the day I have a film which can match up to Satya.

Acting, writing, directing... which do you enjoy most?

I am a very reluctant actor. Even more reluctant writer. All I wanted to ever do was to direct. I realised that if I had to direct films, I had to write. Acting was always there and I still enjoy it. I also enjoy the money which comes with it (laughs). But directing is what I want to do.