Director Rumy Jafry and leading lady Mugdha Godse on Gali Gali Chor Hai

Rumy Jafry

How did the idea of this film come about?

I keep thinking of new story ideas all the time… and there is anyway so much happening around us. The corruption in our system has been increasing at a rapid rate. That made me think that i should make a film on the issue and yet make it entertaining enough for our bollywood audiences to want to watch it.

How much has the anna hazare movement inspired your film?

I worked on the script for an entire year, much before the anna hazare phenomenon became so big. While i was working on the script, this whole anna and ramdev and ramlila maidan incident caught the attention of the nation. In a way, anna coming to the forefront was god’s way of telling us that we were on the right track.

The theme is serious but the promos give the impression of a comedy…

The tone of the film is inspired by the writings of legends like sharad joshi and harishankar parsai who presented even the most serious issues in a satirical manner. The feeling that you will take away when you walk out will be extremely bitter-sweet — you will laugh with the characters, but you will also feel their pain.

Is it true that the film has a slapping scene inspired by the sharad pawar incident?

My shooting finished in september last year and this incident happened much later (in november). It’s just a coincidence that the film has a scene where akshaye’s (khanna) character slaps a corrupt man.

After a long time, anu malik is composing music for a film…

I had earlier worked with anu in judwaa, biwi no. 1 and haseena maan jaayegi. When i sat with anu for this film, i told him that i wanted the songs to be the kind that people would hum even years later. Then, of course, there is the item song chhanno that has been picturised on veena malik.

Is this the one nicole kidman and shakira were approached for?

Yes, yes. Both nicole kidman and shakira loved the song when we sent it across to them, but the price they quoted was too much for a medium-budget film like ours. So, eventually, we had to settle for veena malik, but she has done a wonderful job.

Mugdha Godse

What drew you to Gali Gali Chor Hai?

It’s a common man’s story and how each one of us is a victim of the system. It’s a very serious issue but told in a very Rumy Jafry way — entertaining yet real. The script is fantastic and the director is someone I have always wanted to work with. The fact that the subject is topical just adds to the appeal of the film.

What is your role?

I play a paying guest called Amita who is staying in the house of this couple played by Akshaye Khanna and Shriya Saran. Amita works in a call centre and she is this very modern and glamorous young girl. She comes from a big city and is now forced to stay in a small town like Bhopal.

Do you identify with the role in any way?

Well, I have stayed as a paying guest many years ago and so, in that sense, I know what it feels like. And then, I play this glam girl that comes naturally to me. And being an Indian, who hasn’t been affected by corruption at some level or the other?

How was it working on this film?

The atmosphere on the sets was chilled out. There was no bhaaga dauri. Everyone helped each other. In the beginning, I found it a little difficult to break the ice with Akshaye since he mostly kept to himself, but as the film progressed he became very friendly.

You made such a splash with your debut film Fashion, but things haven’t really worked out since...

When one talks of dream debuts, Fashion would definitely be right up there. The kind of compliments that I got for the film were unbelievable. Janet (Mugdha’s character in Fashion) has been a tough act to follow, but I am happy with what I have achieved in the four years that I have spent in Bollywood. I have tried to do something different in every film — whether it was comedy in All The Best, horror in Help and now a social satire in Gali Gali Chor Hai.

What do we see you in next?

After Gali Gali… I have a romantic comedy called Will You Marry Me? coming up where my co-stars are Shreyas Talpade, Rajeev Khandelwal and Celina Jaitley. I am also very excited about my first Marathi film which will be a remake of (the Anil Kapoor-Sridevi-Raveena Tandon starrer) Laadla.

PR