YASH CHOPRA

It’s showtime, folks!

At his Juhu office, his shelves are adorned with dozens of awards he has won for his movies over the years. Filmmaker Yash Chopra apologises for putting off
this interview until so late, blaming his busy schedule to the pre-release responsibilities on Mohabbatein, his son Aditya’s follow-up to 1995’s hugely successful, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Although his official credit on the film has been that of producer, beta Aditya himself will agree that his daddy dearest was not only his backbone during the filmmaking process, but also his bouncing board for ideas and decisions. An interview with the filmmaker....

Is the film essentially a launch pad for your younger son Uday who makes his acting debut in Mohabbatein?
No, not at all. On the contrary, this film has five other newcomers in it as well, who are all making their debut. I’m defenitly not creating special launch pads for all of them.

Did the story demand that you hire five youngsters for the film?
When the germ of the story took shape in our minds — let me clarify, first and foremost that this entire film is Aditya’s baby, right from the story stage to its marketing — we decided it was going to be a multi-starrer. Word spread like wild fire that the Yash Raj banner was on the lookout for new faces. Soon we had hundreds of applications and we screen-tested numerous youngsters before doing finalising those you will see in the film.

How did Uday bag his role?
Like all other youngsters, he too happened to fit the bill for the role that he was selected to enact. He went through numerous tests too.

What were the advantages he enjoyed over the others during the making of Mohabbatein?
None whatsoever. In fact, he had to go through the grind of acting classes, dance and fight lessons just like the other newcomers. Nobody was spared. Not him either.

What were the results of this hard work?
We’ve achieved and extracted mind-blowing results from each one of them, and that includes the seniors in the film. How well they do in the future depends on their personal luck.

In Mohabbatein, you worked with Amitabh Bachchan after many years. What do you think of his transformation as an actor?
Silsila happened some 18 years ago. The years in between just passed by. He was a superstar then, and he’s a superstar now. Nothing has changed. He is a fantastic person, and there can never be another one quite like him ever again.
Of course, he has a powerful role in my film, which fits him like a glove. The rise and fall of a person happens, but nobody can deny the calibre of his talent. He’s given a fantastic performance in Mohabbatein, and so has Shah Rukh (Khan). People have not seen Shah Rukh and Amitabh like this before.

What exactly is Bachchan’s role in the movie?
He plays a man of set principles, and there is a clash in his opinions as opposed to those of Shah Rukh Khan. The main story revolves around this theme.

Shah Rukh is another favourite of yours, isn’t he?
That’s right. I’m very fond of the boy, and he is very talented. This is our fourth film together: Darr, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil To Paagal Hai and now Mohabbatein.

Why does he don spectacles for the film?
We’ve tried to give him a slightly mature look.

Have you intentionally kept Aishwarya Rai out of the publicity for the film?
We have. We first wanted to establish a link between the audience and the youngsters.
Else, with the powerful three stars (Amitabh, Shah Rukh and Aishwarya) who would be curious about the new faces? The promos will be adding Ash’s scenes from the two days after the release of the film.

Over the years, your films have set a new look for each of your heroines, such obvious examples being Rekha and Sridevi. Can we expect the same in Aishwarya this time round?
Thanks for the compliment. Yes, Ash too looks gorgeous in the film. We’ve kept her simple but pretty.

Weren’t there rumours that you’d approached Sridevi for the lead opposite Amitabh?
That’s exactly what they were — rumours.

So you eventually cast Shefali Chhaya in that role..?
Yes, she happens to be in the film, but she’s not paired opposite Bachchan. He is single in the movie.

Shilpa Shetty’s sister Shamita is the one you’ve paired opposite your son Uday? How did you decide on casting her?
Like all the other newcomers, she too had approached me for a role, and I thought she fit the bill. Therefore the decision.

Why the heavy star cast this time, when you are known for your triangular displays of love and emotions?
This time we decided to make something different from triangles. We chose to go in for a multi-starrer. Everyone should make different kinds of films.

The word Mohabbatein doesn’t even exist in the dictionary. What made you coin a word of your own?
Like the name suggests, it’s plural for many love stories. Also, because we were dealing with the emotional angle of so many couples we decided on this unique name.

And how unique is the film going to be? Is it laced with all the glamour that the average Yash Chopra film is expected to have?
Yes, but you’ll have to wait and watch. All I can say at this point, is that I’m very pleased with the results. It has all the ingredients that are by now synonymous with our films.

In the future are you planning to make a film exclusively for Uday?
Yes, we might.

How long did this film take to make — right from conception to release?
Our last release was some three years ago, and though the entire shooting of Mohabbatein took all but six to eight months, it is the execution that takes a while.

What next?
In about two or three months, I shall start work on my next project, whose germ is already brewing in my mind.

In your opinion, what sets you apart from other film-makers. How do you manage such excellent results?
There’s a God up there, and he handles all that. From my side I simply try to make simple films on human relationships.

Finally, which of your films is your personal favourite?
As is the case with the parent who adores his odd child — or the black sheep, as people call it — my personal favourite happens to be Lamhe.

Savvy Gehna Mehra