Vipul Shah (right) with Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar on the sets of Namaste London in London

Was there really a controversy at the Ajmer dargah during the Namaste London shoot because of Katrina Kaif’s miniskirt or was it...

I don’t even know what to call it. First of all Katrina was not wearing a miniskirt. The skirt was below the knee length. And let me tell you it is permissible inside the Ajmer dargah as opposed to the theory that every part of the woman’s body has to be covered. Why I am saying this is because we had dargah officials with us when we were shooting.

We entered the dargah only with their permission and after getting everything sorted out. We shot for two hours in the dargah and there were 7,000 to 10,000 people inside the place. We shot in front of all of them and nobody said a word. It was all very comfortable and the dargah officials even gave us special prasad after the shoot.

So was it just a figment of someone’s imagination?

Yes, somebody must have got this nice idea. But yes, I do not want to play the blame game. If anybody’s religious feelings were hurt because of what Katrina wore, we are very sorry for that. We are ready to do anything to calm down all the so-called people who are disturbed. This is not an issue my film needs and Namaste London can do without controversies like this.

Was it necessary for Katrina to wear the skirt for the scene?

See, Katrina plays an NRI in the film who has been born and brought up in London. Now, in this particular sequence she has been brought to India by Rishi Kapoor’s character, who shows her the important places of Punjab. And I felt that the Ajmer dargah was one of the most important destinations of the state.

Now, Katrina’s character can’t possibly wear a salwar. But yes, I am going on record to say that if requested I can shoot the scene with her in a salwar. I am even ready to remove the scene if needed.

This Punjab shoot has turned out to be an even bigger problem for you than shooting in London following the mid-air scare...

There was really no problem whatsoever in London. Since all our crew were from London, the only people we had to get from Mumbai were the actors’ staff. Their visas got cancelled initially but accepted on re-application. The Jimmy Jib and the sound guy we got from London. Even the make-up people were from there. So, we had to delay the shooting there by just one day.

How was it working with cinematographer Peter Field (Troy, Alexander, Lara Croft, The Da Vinci Code...)?

His presence will have a tremendous impact on the film. He has shot Namaste London in a completely different style to what audiences here are used to see. I wanted to show London in a new light, different from how the city has been shown in Hindi movies. London is not about Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus and Tower Bridge. It is much more than that.

The presence of London girl Katrina must have helped...

Absolutely. She has stayed in London for a couple of years and knows the places to shop. The clothes that she, Akshay (Kapoor) and Rishi wear in the film have been bought from all the London stores she took us to. Then back here in Punjab, Akshay took over. He is not a rustic guy or anything but is somehow connected to the whole culture.

So is Namaste London the remake of Purab Aur Paschim?

(Laughs) Another figment of imagination! Just because my film has a Punjabi guy going to London and falling in love with an NRI girl doesn’t make it a Purab Aur Paschim. A million stories can happen in that context. The media loves to label films as remakes or inspirations. I remember when Rishi Kapoor read the Namaste London script, he felt it was like Mani Ratnam’s first film Mouna Ragam. And Gulzarsaab felt it was like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. So, I am stuck in their weirdest triangle of films but then again any love story is bound to be compared to some love story. I am just happy that my film is being compared to some classics.

lAre you happy shooting a love story?

Oh! I enjoyed myself thoroughly. It was my first love story and I could see the whole team was having a lot of fun. So I hope that will be translated on screen. We plan to finish the last schedule by November and release Namaste London early next year.

Did you miss Amitabh Bachchan?

It was difficult to make a film without him after Aankhen and Waqt. In Namaste London too, I wanted him for a role but it was not good enough for him. I can’t cast him for the sake of casting him. I will give him roles which will make him proud and me happy.