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 It’s
big time for Afzal Khan. In today’s current crisis, he is the only
producer to boast of a magnum starcast including Amitabh Bachchan,
Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai and Ajay Devgan As the film gets ready
to attack the theatres, the filmmaker describes his implicit faith
in director David Dhawan and his genre of films. Over to Afzal Khan:
Tell
us about your film Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin
It’s a comedy but I’d say it is not the regular David
Dhawan comedy. Unlike Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan an out and out entertainer,
this film has an element of social drama as well. The message of
the film is quite strong.
What made you take on an outside director when you could have made
the film yourself?
See, I prefer to concentrate on one film at a time and I didn’t
want another assignment on hand until Mehbooba was complete.
 You
could have waited to complete Mehbooba and then launched HKSKN?
I could have but unfortunately making films is not all that simple
or organised. Let me explain how HKSKN came about. We had gone to
Bikaner for the climax shooting of Mehbooba. Only a kilometer away
from the border, suddenly all permission for helicopters and other
equipment were cancelled. I didn’t want to waste the dates
of the artistes and transferred it to HKSKN. It is not easy getting
the combination dates of artistes.
 Is
it true that Sanjay Dutt suggested the story idea to you?
Yes, Sanjay was shooting abroad for David’s Jodi No.1. Salman
was also in Switzerland shooting for another film. They got together
and prepared a project. When they got back, they made me a proposal.
I agreed. They even said that David should direct the film since
he finishes films faster than me. I agreed to this as well and the
project was ready to roll.
Yes, but even David Dhawan does not always guarantee hits?
Mark my words HKSKN will prove a turning point in David’s career.
David has postponed the release of all his films because he wants
HKSKN to release first. That speaks of his concidence. In the olden
days, Nasir Husain made a film with the same title. We have borrowed
the title from Nasir Sahab. When we went to him he said, “My
film with the same title was hit, uski izzat rakhna...” We
cannot let Nasir Sahab down.
 Do
you think the title is appropriate for the story?
I don’t remember who suggested the title but when we watched
the film in completion, everyone agreed that it is the most appropriate
title for the film. The characters are forever playing one up on
the other. The basic idea is mine, of course, developed by Robin
Bhatt and Rumy Jaffrey. The casting is perfect. Sanjay a Don and
Amitabh a psychiatrist.
How does Ajay Devgan fit in the comedy track?
He’s the guy that Aishwarya really loves. Actually Aishwarya
is the only female lead in the film hogging attention from the three
heroes. I think the characterisations in the film are very unusual.
Rai runs a dancing school while Ajay Devgan owns a bowling alley.
As you know Ajay was not our first choice for the role but Salman
Khan opted out at the last minute saying that he cannot allot 40
days for the Malaysia outdoor. I couldn’t possibly waste 40
days of the other stars and substituted him with Ajay Devgan who
was very supportive. That’s unusual. It was indeed very co-operative
of him, you see.
 Ajay
and I go a long way. I knew him as a child, when I was an assistant
to Raj Sippy and his father Veeru Devgan was the fight master of
all Sippy films. Even those days, Veeruji would always help kadka
assistants like me with money. And after all these years, his son
has come to my rescue.
And Sanjay Dutt? How difficult is it to direct friends.
Sanju and I have been friends since childhood. I just have to make
a phone call and inform him that he’s doing my film, and I
know he’ll be there for me. Certain things in life don’t
change and I know that my friendship with Sanjay is one of them.
Bharati Dubey
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