In what way will Aladin’s opening at the South Asian Film Festival benefit the film?
The festival is the largest film festival for South Asian films in the US and thereby a great platform. And since we are looking at a global audience for Aladin, its opening the festival is very prestigious for us. In India, I plan to premiere the film by showing it to underprivileged children.

Did you always want Aladin to be pitched as a children's film?
With a name like Aladin it cannot be pitched as anything but a children's film. But children are always accompanied by their parents to theatres, so we decided to tweak it a bit so that both enjoy the film. It is along the lines of Harry Potter and Jurassic Park.

Is the film made on a grand scale like Harry Potter?
I choose to think so! But I will leave that for the audience to decide.

What is the most difficult part about making a film like Aladin, with all its grandeur and special effects?
The pre-production or the non-mechanical stage is the most difficult part, because that is when you have to be at your creative best. Here you are visualising the scenes, the costumes, the look, the special effects. Once everything is on paper it is smooth sailing. The shooting is the easiest part of the film.

What is your children's reaction to the film?
My children have blind faith in me and will rave even if I make a shitty film. So they are the last persons I can bank on for an objective response. And I haven't shown them the film yet!

The film is a complete change from your earlier two films Home Delivery and Jhankaar Beats.
In both my earlier films, the protagonists have to decide between two options. Like in JB it is between his kid and the keyboard. But in Aladin, Riteish can chose anything he wants with his magic lamp. I like that kind of content.

So how exciting will Aladin be for the audience?
Basically it's a contemporary love story set in 2009 and sprinkled with a lot of magic. The story takes off when this young boy Aladin, (Riteish Deshmukh) finds an old lamp and he is promised three wishes by the genie which emerges from it. The film is a smart take on old literature. People should find it interesting.

What will be the highlight of the film?
The visual spectacle is something never seen on Indian screen. We have shot about 80 per cent of the film in Mumbai and it will show the city as never before. No one has shot a film only in Mumbai and made such a lavish product.

There are so many fairy tales to choose from, so why Aladin?
Frankly, I didn't go to Riteish with a script, the idea germinated while we were bouncing a gamut of subjects. We found the story very interesting. Since I wanted Riteish to play the lead, the male protagonist had to be a male. We zeroed on Aladin.

Was it frustrating when you had to work on the script for two years, and then have to wait for almost a year for the film to release even though it was complete?
It can get frustrating when you are writing for two years but if you have a set goal and you know you have to do it, it can be fun. As for the delay in the release, in Bollywood there are two release timings for big films - Diwali and Christmas. And since we decided against releasing it last Christmas as we did not want it to clash with Ghajini, this was the best time to release it. Anyway we watched and tinkered around with the film and worked on it a little more.

Did you make any changes in the film during this period?
No, I don't make changes once I start shooting. It's wrong to make changes to a script that has excited everyone, as a single change can backfire.

There are already talks about Aladin 2. When do you plan to make the sequel?
There are talks, but the final decision will be taken after Aladin releases. In my head it is much bigger and smarter than Aladin. Like how JK Rowling started creating more magic within the book itself after the first Harry Potter.

Will you be taking the same cast if you make a sequel?
Of course! I can't think of making a film without Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt or Riteish. Then why leave out poor Jacqueline? In fact I plan to cast a couple of more actors.

Will you make it immediately after Aladin?
No, first I will make the film I am presently working on. It is a dark romance and Vidya Balan is on my wish-list to play the lead.

What about Amitabh Bachchan?
Of course he will be in it. In fact, all my scripts will have Amitabh Bachchan in them as I cannot think of making a film without him. You have to work with him to understand how good he is. I used to look forward to going to the sets because of him and it is very important for me to get up in the morning and look forward to work.