Amitabh Bachchan with Bhootnath co-actor Aman Siddiqui

You have got two superstars — Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan — in your debut film Bhoothnath.

In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have imagined that I will get Bachchansaab in my first film. When Ravi (Chopra) Sir mentioned Mr Bachchan’s name for the role, I had so many doubts. I was like: ‘He is very busy, he is not well too, there will be dates issue’ and ‘Why would he work with a newcomer like me?’ Ravi Sir asked me to just narrate the story to him. When we narrated the script to Bachchansaab, he liked the film and agreed to do it.

As for Shah Rukh, I have known him for 12 years. I worked in his company, Red Chillies. I told Shah Rukh haq se that I want you for this role. He didn’t even hear the complete story. He just agreed to do the film. That’s how it happened.

Considering your long association with Shah Rukh, why didn’t you approach him to produce your first film?

I met Raviji first. On the same evening, I met Shah Rukh and mentioned it to him. He said, ‘If you are making the film with Juhi ma, then we would like to produce it’. But I told him that I had already committed to Raviji that morning itself so I didn’t want to switch. I added that it would be nice if he did a guest appearance in the film; and he readily agreed. That’s very sweet of Shah Rukh.

With two superstars on the sets what was the atmosphere like?

It was great fun. Itni masti karte the Bachchansaab. When Shah Rukh would come on the sets, he would bring DVD games for Bachchansaab. He was shooting for Dard-e-disco song at that time so he had grown his hair and built his famous six-pack abs. He would come and show off his abs and Bachchansaab would tease him. It was like a picnic. Shah Rukh and Mr Bachchan would play the game Trivial Pursuit and fight over chane and moongfali.

As a newcomer, was it ever difficult to instruct a senior actor like Mr Bachchan?

Bachchansaab is completely a director’s actor. He has worked with lots of major directors. So who is Vivek Sharma? Nothing. But he would always do the scene as I told him to do.

Amitabh’s look in the movie is quite scary...

A bhoot has to look like a bhoot. Mohnish Sabal, who is the film’s look designer, worked hard for two-three months on Mr Bachchan’s look. He worked on every detail of the character... how his clothes should be or his skin tone should be. We had many discussions with Bachchansaab before we finally zeroed in on this look.

A lot of films have been made on ghosts. How will your film be different?

It’s a completely original idea. I don’t think a film has been made in this genre in India. The screenplay is very unpredictable. The USP of the film is its story and Mr Bachchan in a ghost’s role. The story is so unique that it will surprise the audience.

You assisted on Paheli which was also a ghost story. Is that where you got the inspiration for Bhoothnath?

Not at all. That was a love story and this is a completely different film. In fact, I had suggested the title Bhoothnath to Shah Rukh for Paheli but it didn’t work out; so I used it for this film.

Where did you find the child actor Aman Siddique?

He had done an ad with Mr Bachchan. While I was writing the film, I would tell my co-writer that the chemistry I wanted between my ghost and the kid would be something like the chemistry between this kid and Mr Bachchan in the ad. I had no idea at that time that I would get both of them.

Is it a supernatural thriller or a supernatural comedy?

It’s wholesome entertainment. It’s got a lot of emotion and philosophy — it’s about how a ghost plays an angel in a kid’s life and teaches him ways to fight the battles of life.

It sounds like a very unusual concept. How did you come up with it?

I have a friend called Amrita Basu who works for Art of Living. Once she asked me: ‘Why are people God fearing; why not God loving?’ I replied that it was because everything is a perception — God is a perception, similarly ghosts are a perception. If we tell kids, that red is not red but green, they will think it is green. From there I got an idea — what if a kid is taught that there are no ghosts? It will lead to very interesting situations. And that’s how the whole story idea came about.

How would you define Ravi Chopra as a producer?

I have made a film on a ghost but it talks about an angel. I think Ravi is that angel. When I narrated the concept to Raviji he didn’t even ask about my past experience. He liked the concept and I think he liked me.

Shah Rukh is not given much prominence in the film’s promotions. Why?

It is because Shah Rukh has done a special appearance. This film completely belongs to Mr Bachchan. We don’t want to promise the audience that this is a Shah Rukh-Amitabh film. Shah Rukh has a definite role in the film. Let the audience come in the theatre and then discover the length of his role.