Onir, the man behind films like My Brother Nikhil and I Am, had just wrapped up the first schedule of Shab when t2 caught up with him for a chat on his latest film that stars Raveena Tandon, newcomer Ashish Bisht and Tolly star Arpita.

If you had to describe Shab in a sentence, what would it be?

Shab is an intense love story and the protagonists here are Arpita, Raveena and Ashish, who is a new actor, with the backdrop as the south Delhi fashion industry.

Why set the film in south Delhi?

I feel that Delhi is the fashion capital of India. Secondly, when I was writing the film, I realised that almost all the films that have been based in Delhi haven’t really shown life in south Delhi… it’s always been about Paharganj, Chandni Chowk, Janakpuri… you know, only old Delhi. I wanted to capture the glamour and buzz of south Delhi —the bustling markets of Lajpat Nagar, the quaint cafes of Hauz Khas Village, the farmhouses on the outskirts of Delhi…. This story is about an aspiring model, played by Ashish, who comes to Delhi from a small hill station somewhere close to Mussoorie. Then there is Raina, played by Arpita, who has come from Lucknow and she works as a waitress in a cafe in Hauz Khas.

All the characters in my film come from different parts of India and the world and have chosen to make Delhi their home because it’s so cosmopolitan. Besides the three protagonists, there is a French guy who works in a posh lounge in south Delhi… then a Parsi character who has made Delhi his home.

Also, I needed to set my film’s narrative in different seasons and Delhi is perhaps the only city in India that has a distinct spring, summer, autumn and winter. The changing weather is very important to the highs and lows of the graphs of the characters in my film.

You recently tweeted a picture of designer Wendell Rodricks on the sets of Shab. What kind of research did you have to do to set your film in the fashion industry?

Raveena plays a fashion diva and it was important both for her and for Ashish, who plays an aspiring model, to be dressed keeping in mind the latest trends in fashion. Raveena’s character wears a lot of designer labels… everyone from Gauri and Nainika to Anita Dongre. She had to look like someone who looks like a diva and lends a certain character to her clothes. Ashish’s character may be from a small town, but once he lands up in Delhi and gets associated with Raveena’s character, he starts dressing high fashion.

I thought it would be interesting to have him dressed by someone like Wendell who knows his fashion so well. I knew Wendell from before and I decided to write to him and see if he would be interested in designing for the male protagonist of my film. He was more than happy to… we spoke a lot about colour schemes and textures and he started sending across samples to me. Wendell and I also discussed the clothes of the other characters in the film because none of the characters in my film works in isolation.

You had apparently gone to meet Prosenjit for a film and ended up signing his wife Arpita!

(Laughs) Yes, Arpita’s casting happened by accident. I was keen on signing Prosenjit for a film, but I saw Arpita moving around the house and the first thought that came to my mind was, ‘My god, she’s gorgeous!’ I thought that if she chops off her hair, she’s my Raina. I spoke to her about it and she didn’t even think twice before saying: ‘Yes, yes, I will chop off my hair’. She’s such a sport. I have also worked with her in my film Chauranga and I feel that she needs to be discovered by the Hindi film industry. She’s gorgeous, she’s a great actress and great fun to work with. She fits in perfectly with the vision I had of Raina.

As far as Prosenjit is concerned, I had written a script with him and Juhi (Chawla) in mind. I hope to work with him soon.

Hadn’t you signed Sangeeta Bijlani for the role that’s now being played by Raveena?

Yes, that’s true. Shab is actually the first script I wrote… back in the year 2001. At that point, my first choice for the role was actually Raveena. When I was casting for the film many, many years later, Sangeeta happened quite by accident… I happened to meet her and she was keen on getting back to acting. I thought she would make an interesting choice. We did a few workshops, but finally things didn’t work out. But it was all mutual, there was no bitterness. She wasn’t 100 per cent comfortable with some scenes. After her exit, the next person who came naturally to my thoughts was Raveena. Raveena has always been someone with a certain kind of power and magnetism in her personality. If I have to equate her role with any other film role, then it would be Meryl Streep’s (Miranda Priestly) in The Devil Wears Prada… just in terms of sheer power and authority. Raveena commands that power and is a perfect fit in the role of a diva.

Shab is your first film without your friend and collaborator Sanjay Suri…

When I wrote Shab many years ago, my first choice for the lead role, along with Raveena, was Sanjay. He’s someone who I share a close relationship with and our bond has only grown stronger over the years. My Brother Nikhil wouldn’t have been the film it became if it wasn’t for Sanjay. We are friends, co-workers and collaborators. He’s been my lucky mascot and he’s anyway there as the producer of my film. I wanted him to be a part of Shab and he’s obliged with a cameo. He plays Raveena’s husband.

In an industry where friendships are fickle, what has kept the Onir-Sanjay Suri friendship going?

I survive on friendship. I have come this far only because my friends have believed in me. When a friendship is not based on weighing how much one can get from the other person, then it lasts. That’s what has worked for Sanjay and me. There’s a lot of honesty in our friendship… it’s a friendship that goes beyond work.

You made your best films during the multiplex boom when many independent films made their mark. How’s the situation today?

It’s become more difficult in many ways now. Everything in the industry now works towards supporting big-budget films with big stars. Theatrical distribution of films in India is a growing concern and this is something that independent filmmakers like me have been trying to highlight for long. But, on the other hand, our films are going everywhere… we are becoming global. Till a few years ago, I couldn’t have thought of casting a French actor in my film. Funding for independent films in India is a problem, but somehow you always end up finding like-minded people who enjoy various kinds of films and are willing to support you. So, it’s basically a seesaw kind of situation… one door closes, but another one opens up.

Priyanka Roy