Sidharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor in Ek Villain

A year after he surprised everyone with Aashiqui 2, one of the highest grossers of 2013, Mohit Suri is back in theatres. While Aashiqui 2 was his most personal film, Ek Villain is his most anticipated film yet. “I’ve never got this kind of feedback to any of my film’s promos. It seems like everyone is dying to watch Ek Villain,” he says, with a laugh, as he settles down in a tiny but tastefully decorated study in his producer Ekta Kapoor’s home in Juhu, Mumbai.

In an earlier interview, you had said there are no heroes in your film, only villains.

(Laughs) After Aashiqui 2, my writer suggested what if we explore the emotional space of a bad guy who falls in love? Would his passion convert him into a hero? What if a good person fell in love with someone who is wrong for him... will he turn into a villain? That’s what we have tried to explore with this film. This is a story of characters who are not grey… they are black.

Why cast actors contrary to their public image?

That’s the best part of the game. We have all been on our toes with this film. We haven’t taken anything for granted while making this film. If we don’t take these risks at this point of our careers, we won’t do them later. It’s not like any of these actors weren’t capable of pulling off the characters. I really think that Sidharth (Malhotra) and Riteish (Deshmukh) cast themselves in the film, instead of me casting them. I remember, Sidharth had heard about this script through Varun (Dhawan) and Arjun (Kapoor) and he got in touch saying he wanted to be a part of the film. He didn’t even want a detailed narration because he knew he wanted to play this character. Similarly with Riteish. What both of them did was internalise the role and make a hybrid. So, Sidharth’s villain is sexier and cooler than what was written. He is the only actor I have worked with who makes his under-eyes darker than what they already are. Instead of going loud and becoming a caricature, Riteish decided to dial-down his performance and make it more menacing. That’s the advantage of casting actors contrary to their image… you get fresher perspectives.

What does Shraddha Kapoor bring to the table as an actress?

When I went to narrate the film to Shraddha, she stopped me and asked: ‘You love me, right?’ I said ‘Of course... dearly’. ‘So why are you going on and on about what the role is?’ she said. What I realised about Shraddha over the last few years of hanging out during Aashiqui 2 and with Aditya (Roy Kapoor who starred in Aashiqui 2) is that she inherently sees the positives in everything. I remember we were shooting this important scene in Aashiqui 2. The day before she was told by another director that he was dropping her from his film. And this was a big film at a time when Shraddha was really struggling to find a foothold in the industry. Then she came to the set the next day and did the most brilliant job. I realised that she had channeled the negativity of the previous day to bring out the emotion for the scene she was doing.

In Ek Villain, she plays a nomadic, bohemian and spiritual character and Shraddha has these character traits in her. Suppose we complain about being stuck in traffic, she’ll look at the positive and say ‘But I got more time with you’ or ‘I got to sleep extra’. That’s exactly what I needed for the character. Unlike her, I am very cynical about life. If things aren’t going my way, specially when I am making a film, I feel like my life is coming to an end.

Do you see any changes in her since Aashiqui 2?

She is so much more confident as an actor now. She has learnt to do things on her own instead of me spoon-feeding her. She wants to try out new things and she is full of suggestions. I am very proud of her for taking the reins of her life in her hands. There is a vanity in my pride because I believed in her and gave her Aashiqui 2. The further she grows, the more it’ll feed my vanity (laughs). But seriously, it’s a big high to know that I have been able to contribute to someone’s life. There are ways of making money or being a success, but to touch someone’s life feels amazing.

Has our personal equation changed? Hmmm… I don’t think so. On the first day of Ek Villain, when I was blasting someone, Sidharth asked her if I was like this in Aashiqui 2 and she told him I was worse! (Laughs)

We do need to talk about your anger issues on set. What is going on there?

(Laughs) See, basically I am a very emotional person in every aspect of my life. I also cry when I see a great shot. I clap, whistle… and I get angry. But nothing stays with me. I don’t hold on to my anger. At times, I don’t even remember that I am angry at someone. Once the moment has passed, so has the anger. Everyone laughs at me. My crew imitates the faces I make on the monitor. I don’t look at my set as a place of work. It’s my whole life. I am most comfortable on a film set. I think I am more myself on a set than even at home. The mornings when I don’t have to be on a set, I am so at sea at home that my wife (actress Udita Goswami) throws me out because I look so uncomfortable! (Laughs) I am the happiest when I am at work.

Every single film you’ve made has had a dark and edgy aspect to it. Does that come from the person that you are?

I think you can pretend to make all kinds of films but eventually your personality does start showing in your films. The life that you have lived shapes the personality that you are, which, in turn, seeps into your writing and eventually into the film. What you see in my films also comes from the films that I have watched... the books I have read. You can’t isolate yourself from your films. There is a difference between a Sajid Khan comedy and a David Dhawan comedy. Both directors work with the same writers but there is a world of a difference.

Is Ek Villain inspired by the Korean film I Saw The Devil?

Like I said, I am inspired by every film I watch or book I read. I have no illusion of the kind of director I am. No one is born creative. You pick things up along the way and it reflects in your films.

The industry calls you the new-age Mahesh Bhatt. Much like his films, your films are intense and have great music.

I am just happy being Mohit Suri (laughs). I met Milan Luthria yesterday, who is my cousin, and he also started his career with Mr Bhatt. Milind was talking about how Mr Bhatt is such a difficult monkey to get off our backs and how he was the first one to move away from his shadow. I have done eight films for Vishesh Films and I think what Mr Bhatt has done for Hindi films is unparalleled. He has done 75 films through his career and he is still so relevant today. He is one of the youngest people in my life. Being compared to him is a compliment, but I would rather be known for my own voice.

How important is music to your narrative?

Mr Bhatt made me realise the importance of music in films. If I had worked in a company that wasn’t so musically-driven, I wouldn’t have had such great songs in my films. Today, I am actually more nervous on the day my film’s music launches than on the day of the film’s release. Music is the first point of contact that the consumer has with a film. Once they like your music, the audience wants to watch the film. The stars of my life have been the music directors I have worked with. I have never worked with big actors. But what would I be if there was no Jiya dhadak (Kalyug) or Tum hi ho or Sun raha hai na tu (Aashiqui 2)?

After Aashiqui 2, you’ve suddenly become Bollywood’s most wanted director.

(Laughs) Actually, I felt the change happening even when I was still shooting Aashiqui 2. I was already in discussions with Ekta (Kapoor) for Ek Villain. Then the discussions about a film for Karan Johar started. After having worked for one production house all these years, it’s nice to step out into the world. But I am back with Vishesh Films after Ek Villain for Hamaari Adhuri Kahani with Vidya (Balan), Emraan (Hashmi) and Rajkummar (Rao). I’ll start work on the remake of The Intouchables for Karan only after that.