Kunal Kohli

lFanaa?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.

lFlashback 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.

lDid 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.

lWere 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.

lDidn?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.

lWhat was it like, directing Aamir and Kajol?

It was really a pleasure and an honour. I have been a huge fan of both of them. They are both thorough professionals. They would give me inputs and leave it to me to take them or not. The best thing about Aamir and Kajol was they were always so clear about their work.

lWhat 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.

lWas 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.

lDid that make life easier for you as a director?

It did and it didn?t. It did make life easier because we were starting at a great point. But why it didn?t was because these two can take their performances to any level or in any direction they want. They can give you 10 different takes for every shot. As a director you have to realise which is the optimum level for the film and for that shot.

lAre 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.

lDo 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.

lIs the Gujarat-Fanaa divide still a stalemate?

Yes, nothing has happened. Democracy should prevail. We all have to do something about it. The problem is that the objection was never raised at the leadership levels. You can?t point a finger at one particular party because their senior leaders will never think like this. Their ideals and values are not getting translated at the grassroot levels. And the senior leaders are being tainted by the media and celebrities. Their policies are fine but they just need to look into the grassroots.

lWhere does Kunal Kohli go from here?

I have no idea. It?s too early to even think about my next film. But yes, I will definitely get into production from my next project. Within the framework of Yash Raj Films, I will turn producer apart from being creatively involved with the film.