abaya
Oct-24-07, 07:00 PM
epaper
interview with Vajir Singh
‘I don't believe in re-incarnation.. like I don't believe in pushing girls off a terrace'
I've been a bit curious about this. Why did you opt for the Om Shanti Om script over Happy New Year which Farah Khan was working on earlier? We worked on Happy New Year for three-four months.. it was about a youngster trying to go abroad at any cost.
We had planned to do the climax as a heist.. say like Oceans 11. Around then, Rang De Basanti released.. in which the accent was on youth. Though our film was blended with fun, we couldn't think of a sufficiently gripping ending.
Would you have played the youngster?
I felt it wouldn't be right for me to play the youngster. But more than that, it was taking us weeks and months to think of an ending. Also (Amitabh) Bachchan saab was supposed to play an older character. There would have been quite a few action scenes.. but then Bachchan saab wasn't keeping well. .
It's been quite a while since a movie has dealt with re-incarnation..is that why you opted for Om Shanti Om?
Films are larger than life. They're don't have to be realistic. I'd done re-incarnation in Karan Arjun and I was okay with it.
I don't believe in re-incarnation like I don't go calling a girl, ‘Junglee billi'. Neither do I push girls off a terrace.. nor do I coach girls in hockey .
Why assemble so many stars for a song number?
OSO is about a film in a film, so it was essential. Each one of the stars was very kind. Contrary to popular belief, film industry people do have close links.
Mithunda (Chakraborty) was in Hyderabad when I called him. He immediately said, "Theek hai.. kal aa jaoonga subah." After his shoot, Dharamji asked, "Do you want to me do something more?" That was really beautiful.
Recently, I shot with Abhishek (Bachchan) and Akshay (Kumar). But we did miss out on several names, I still get calls saying, "Arre yaar, I'm not in your film."
We missed out on Sushmita Sen because she was unwell, Amrita Rao was out for a shoot. We missed out on Hrithik (Roshan) but he's elsewhere in the film. Zeenatji (Aman) didn't work out. Aamir (Khan) was shooting for Tare Zameen Par .
What about Mr Bachchan?
He's also there.
Is Mr Bachchan in Om Shanti Om?
He's there.
Are you amused that Om Shanti Om has been renamed six-pack?
(Smiles) If you play two characters, normally we just add on a moustache or a beard. I didn't go that route. So in the second-half, I'm leaner with long hair and no side locks. I had three months to work on the look.
Farah wanted a girl with me to do the Dard-e-disco song but then every actress was in the film anyway.We thought of Shakira but that didn't work out. So, Farah said, "I'll shoot you like an item girl only ."
The trade believes that Chak De! India clicked big time because of you.
If the film hadn't done well, then I wouldn't have liked to take the rap either. It was written very well and Shimit (Amin) shot it well. The16 girls were fantastic.
Adi (Chopra) and I thought it would do well but we never expected it to be such a big hit and a cult film. In my career, a film like Chak De! India was missing.
Talk is that you were actively involved in the writing of Chak De! India.
I'm always creatively involved.. even in Om Shanti Om. With due respect, I call up the writers and directors and say, "Arre isko aisa kar dein.. to kaisa hoga?" Most of them have faith in me.. they know I'm not doing it for personal reasons but for the project.
(Pause) "Hockey mein chhake nahin hote" and few more lines were my ideas..they were approved by everyone. In fact, before starting the shoot, we dis cussed the film for two to three months.
Aditya Chopra wanted to start another film with you immediately after Chak! De India.
Yes but not immediately. I don't discuss the film with them, I only say, "Yes." I said yes to Chak De! immediately but told Adi he would have to wait for eight months. Initially, Chak De was a bit dicey, so I sat on it before we started shooting.
Why aren't you doing Rajkumar Hirani's film?
I'd already allotted a bunch of dates for Shankar's Robot. It was a very big film, it needed seven to eight months. So I tried to delay Hirani's film. Then there were some misunderstandings because of the delay .
I believe a film should be made only when it's with good heart and clarity But now that I'm not doing . Robot.. I'll meet Raju whenever I get the opportunity .
Why isn't Robot happening?
Shankar and I spent four months on the subject. It's too big a film to have two different kinds of vision – especially since it's dependent largely on a third unknown ‘per son' –visual effects! It could have been the costliest film ever made in India. So we sweetly decided, "Let's just be friends." Many films don't get me.. Robot and Raju's film didn't get me.
Will you be acting in Shirish Kunder's next?
It was decided long ago that I'm not doing that film. We did discuss it for three-four days.. that's it.
What about Mira Nair's Shantaram?
I haven't been approached.
What's with Don 2?
I wanted to shoot it after Karan's (Johar) film next year but now I'll tell them that I've time. I met Farhan (Akhtar) a couple of days ago about this. But it's too big a film to start at a short notice. In a day or two, a clear picture will emerge. I've heard the first draft of Don 2 and liked it.
You're being described as a lucky mascot for the Indian cricket team.
After Chak De!, a lot of undue importance has been given to me. I would go to watch the cricket match earlier too but now I go for my kids.. they love going to the stadium.
I'm very unsocial, I don't go to crowded places. But my kids and their friends want to go. My wife says I should escort them.. so I do.
But it's true.. whenever I've been on the ground, they have never lost. I remember I was shooting for Darr, India was playing with England and they won. I've seen five matches.. all five were won by India. I guess whenever I'm on the field, they really play well.
Some cricketers are my friends. They call and say, "Shah Rukh bhai, aa jana." So I do.
interview with Vajir Singh
‘I don't believe in re-incarnation.. like I don't believe in pushing girls off a terrace'
I've been a bit curious about this. Why did you opt for the Om Shanti Om script over Happy New Year which Farah Khan was working on earlier? We worked on Happy New Year for three-four months.. it was about a youngster trying to go abroad at any cost.
We had planned to do the climax as a heist.. say like Oceans 11. Around then, Rang De Basanti released.. in which the accent was on youth. Though our film was blended with fun, we couldn't think of a sufficiently gripping ending.
Would you have played the youngster?
I felt it wouldn't be right for me to play the youngster. But more than that, it was taking us weeks and months to think of an ending. Also (Amitabh) Bachchan saab was supposed to play an older character. There would have been quite a few action scenes.. but then Bachchan saab wasn't keeping well. .
It's been quite a while since a movie has dealt with re-incarnation..is that why you opted for Om Shanti Om?
Films are larger than life. They're don't have to be realistic. I'd done re-incarnation in Karan Arjun and I was okay with it.
I don't believe in re-incarnation like I don't go calling a girl, ‘Junglee billi'. Neither do I push girls off a terrace.. nor do I coach girls in hockey .
Why assemble so many stars for a song number?
OSO is about a film in a film, so it was essential. Each one of the stars was very kind. Contrary to popular belief, film industry people do have close links.
Mithunda (Chakraborty) was in Hyderabad when I called him. He immediately said, "Theek hai.. kal aa jaoonga subah." After his shoot, Dharamji asked, "Do you want to me do something more?" That was really beautiful.
Recently, I shot with Abhishek (Bachchan) and Akshay (Kumar). But we did miss out on several names, I still get calls saying, "Arre yaar, I'm not in your film."
We missed out on Sushmita Sen because she was unwell, Amrita Rao was out for a shoot. We missed out on Hrithik (Roshan) but he's elsewhere in the film. Zeenatji (Aman) didn't work out. Aamir (Khan) was shooting for Tare Zameen Par .
What about Mr Bachchan?
He's also there.
Is Mr Bachchan in Om Shanti Om?
He's there.
Are you amused that Om Shanti Om has been renamed six-pack?
(Smiles) If you play two characters, normally we just add on a moustache or a beard. I didn't go that route. So in the second-half, I'm leaner with long hair and no side locks. I had three months to work on the look.
Farah wanted a girl with me to do the Dard-e-disco song but then every actress was in the film anyway.We thought of Shakira but that didn't work out. So, Farah said, "I'll shoot you like an item girl only ."
The trade believes that Chak De! India clicked big time because of you.
If the film hadn't done well, then I wouldn't have liked to take the rap either. It was written very well and Shimit (Amin) shot it well. The16 girls were fantastic.
Adi (Chopra) and I thought it would do well but we never expected it to be such a big hit and a cult film. In my career, a film like Chak De! India was missing.
Talk is that you were actively involved in the writing of Chak De! India.
I'm always creatively involved.. even in Om Shanti Om. With due respect, I call up the writers and directors and say, "Arre isko aisa kar dein.. to kaisa hoga?" Most of them have faith in me.. they know I'm not doing it for personal reasons but for the project.
(Pause) "Hockey mein chhake nahin hote" and few more lines were my ideas..they were approved by everyone. In fact, before starting the shoot, we dis cussed the film for two to three months.
Aditya Chopra wanted to start another film with you immediately after Chak! De India.
Yes but not immediately. I don't discuss the film with them, I only say, "Yes." I said yes to Chak De! immediately but told Adi he would have to wait for eight months. Initially, Chak De was a bit dicey, so I sat on it before we started shooting.
Why aren't you doing Rajkumar Hirani's film?
I'd already allotted a bunch of dates for Shankar's Robot. It was a very big film, it needed seven to eight months. So I tried to delay Hirani's film. Then there were some misunderstandings because of the delay .
I believe a film should be made only when it's with good heart and clarity But now that I'm not doing . Robot.. I'll meet Raju whenever I get the opportunity .
Why isn't Robot happening?
Shankar and I spent four months on the subject. It's too big a film to have two different kinds of vision – especially since it's dependent largely on a third unknown ‘per son' –visual effects! It could have been the costliest film ever made in India. So we sweetly decided, "Let's just be friends." Many films don't get me.. Robot and Raju's film didn't get me.
Will you be acting in Shirish Kunder's next?
It was decided long ago that I'm not doing that film. We did discuss it for three-four days.. that's it.
What about Mira Nair's Shantaram?
I haven't been approached.
What's with Don 2?
I wanted to shoot it after Karan's (Johar) film next year but now I'll tell them that I've time. I met Farhan (Akhtar) a couple of days ago about this. But it's too big a film to start at a short notice. In a day or two, a clear picture will emerge. I've heard the first draft of Don 2 and liked it.
You're being described as a lucky mascot for the Indian cricket team.
After Chak De!, a lot of undue importance has been given to me. I would go to watch the cricket match earlier too but now I go for my kids.. they love going to the stadium.
I'm very unsocial, I don't go to crowded places. But my kids and their friends want to go. My wife says I should escort them.. so I do.
But it's true.. whenever I've been on the ground, they have never lost. I remember I was shooting for Darr, India was playing with England and they won. I've seen five matches.. all five were won by India. I guess whenever I'm on the field, they really play well.
Some cricketers are my friends. They call and say, "Shah Rukh bhai, aa jana." So I do.