Akshay Kapoor and Dia Mirza in Alag

From the top celebrity photographer to a Bollywood producer... was getting into film-making always on your agenda?

It?s been quite some time that I have been toying with the idea of getting into film production but I honestly didn?t know that it would happen so quickly. In fact, I also plan to direct a movie some day but before that I want to go through the routine of a film production.

So how was your first production experience?

Alag was a beautiful and humbling experience. It taught me simple things like not going over the top on everything, learning how to deal with a situation, how to react to people. I am usually a person who gives in to a lot of emotions. That doesn?t work if you are a producer. There are so many people trusting you.

Why did you go for Ashu Trikha as your director, after two flop films in Deewanapan and Sheesha?

That comes from my whole take on life. See, no single person has had a 100 per cent success ratio. For a film to be successful, a lot of other factors come into play like the script, the right set-up and above all God?s grace. I can name you so many right films which have fallen flat because they were not produced correctly. You can?t discount someone as a bad talent if he hasn?t got a hit.

At least you could have picked your cast from your friends in the industry like Abhishek or Shah Rukh, Sushmita or Bipasha?

I may sound philosophical but I would like to be in a certain position before approaching any of them for my film. I want to be at a particular stage as a professional before I can request them. It should be a mutual give and take rather than me putting them in an uncomfortable position. Kapoor and Dia Mirza are genuinely talented in their own right and my job is to spot such talent.

What is the basic story of Alag?

Alag is the story of a boy who is not normal. He is superhuman, with special powers. But unlike a Spiderman or a Superman, he is not accepted in society. He is pushed aside as a freak, initially.

Are you trying to send out some message?

Yes, there are a lot of special people in society and the way we look at them is not right. And I am not even talking about people who are physically or mentally challenged. Even someone with six fingers or an extra toe? Our immediate reaction is, ?Oh, ok?? Here in Alag you have a boy who doesn?t have a strand of hair on his body because he is electromagnetic. And he is challenging the norm by trying to be a part of society.

What about the movie?s similarities with Krrish?

Krrish and Alag are as similar as Batman and Spiderman. The fact that both the main characters have special powers may be same. But from what I have seen in Krrish?s promos, Hrithik?s character comes from a village and he is well liked there. In my film, Akshay?s character has been in isolation for 18 years. If someone compares my film to Rakesh Roshan?s film, I am honoured. Their budget is reportedly between Rs 50 and 60 crore. That means that their costume budget is more than our total budget.