Fanaa?s almost completed its first week. Are you happy with the box-office results?

I am more than thrilled. At times, I cannot believe what?s going on. The only tinge of sorrow is what?s happening in Gujarat, with one?s democratic rights being challenged. So while I am happy as the director of Fanaa, I am upset and disturbed as an Indian citizen.

Flashback time: did you cast Aamir and Kajol first or was the script ready first?

The script always comes first. People like Aamir and Kajol would never do a film without reading or going through the script.

After Hum Tum I was looking for a good story and deep inside I didn?t want to create the same genre. Luckily I bumped into this story of Fanaa. It was on a different planet compared to Hum Tum. And then the casting happened.

Did the big two agree immediately?

It was kind of a straightforward process. Adi (producer Aditya Chopra) called up Aamir and Kajol and told them that he was making this love story with Kunal. They listened to the script and both came on board.

Were you not aware that they were being cast opposite each other for the first time?

That was really never on our minds. Aamir and Kajol were not cast because of the sake of casting. We do not do that kind of proposal casting at Yash Raj. They were offered Fanaa because we thought that Aamir and Kajol were the two best people to play those parts.

Didn?t the two of them become bigger than the movie itself?

You can?t think of such things when you are making the movie; then you lose the objectivity. My only concern is to justify each shot and to make it the best possible. Once a particular shot is taken, it is canned for posterity and becomes archival material forever. So the way I work is to take one shot at a time.

What about all the talk that Aamir interferes at the creative level?

That?s all gossip. There were so many things I didn?t listen to him and he would joke and say how I didn?t pay any attention to his inputs. The thing is, since Aamir doesn?t talk much to the mainstream film media, they make up things and write whatever they want to write about him.

Was there a sense of competition on the sets between Aamir and Kajol?

See, Kajol is truly one of the all-time greats of Indian cinema. And so is Aamir. They are not just the best actors today, they are all-time legends. And most importantly, they are really nice people. That?s a basic inherent quality they have and that is what helps them perform so well.

Are you upset with the bad reviews Fanaa has received?

I can?t be upset with bad reviews but when they are biased it does hurt. The Mumbai press supported us throughout, but the Mumbai reviewers were all biased. The trade papers and magazines gave the true picture.

Do you think your stint as a critic has something to do with these reviews?

I don?t think so. See, Yash Raj has its own set of enemies. Aamir has his own set of enemies. I have my own set of enemies. So, Fanaa was left with no friends. Now, enmity is always stronger than friendship. But thankfully, the audiences turned out to be our friends.

Where does Kunal Kohli go from here?

I have no idea. It?s too early to even think about my next film.