ACTION
IS IN
Xavier
Marquis is a name to reckon with. Moving from a big time construction businessman
to film-making, he has managed to carve a niche for himself in the film industry
in a span of just five years. His earlier films may not have set the cash
registers jingling but with his latest production Vinashak he promises to
storm the box-office.
Your
film Vinashak had a lot of problems with the censors.
Right?
Yeah,
but they were nothing major. They have cut a few fight sequences. There were
some cuts we could not identify so we went back to them a second time and
asked them to mark out the cuts. That caused some not needed
delay.
But you
still had to agree to an ’A’ certificate.
I had
asked for an U/A certificate, but the censors have become very strict and
defensive of late especially after losing the case of Kamasutra. Anyway I
have no regrets, I am happy with the final outcome.
Why
did you decide to give action director Ravi Dewan a
break?
The project
originated with Ravi Dewan. He came up with a story idea. I liked it. And
since Ravi and Sunil Shetty have been together doing a lot of action films,
we decided to retain the team. In fact the film was designed with Sunil in
mind. I think Ravi is a very competent director. He knows his job. His experience
as an action director has only helped him hone up his directorial skills.
I believe once you know how to handle a camera, have a fair idea about how
to place the angles and know what lenses to use, it is easier to direct a
film.
I believe
you had problems with your writer
and you had the script re-written by Rajkumar
Santoshi.
I will not
name the writer but yes, we weren’t too happy with the script. We had
no choice but to get the script re-written. Rajkumar Santoshi is a good friend
of mine and I asked him to help me find a good writer. Raj liked the story
line and offered to help write himself. The only hitch was that he asked
us to wait for a while since he was busy with his other commitments. Since
I was getting a competent writer I didn’t mind waiting. We waited a
year and a half but it was worth it. Raj has done an excellent job. I have
given him the credit for the script. We began shooting for the film only
fifteen months after it was announced.
Aren’t
you apprehensive about this project especially
since all your earlier films Ekka Raja Rani,
Andolan and Itihaas turned out to be damp squibs at the
box-office?
I am
not very apprehensive. My earlier films may not have done well but none of
us lost any money. None of the films were a losing proposition. I cannot
pinpoint what went wrong with them. I guess they were not upto the mark.
Ekka Raja Rani and Itihaas were well made films. Andolan was a different
matter altogether. It was Sajid Nadiadwala’s baby. It was delayed
unfortunately due to Sanjay Dutt’s problems and Divya Bharti’s
demise. Even the dubbing got delayed because of Sanjay’s problem. We
couldn’t wait any longer. The film had to be released
anyhow.
You were
involved with Aatank Hi Aatank too, right?
Yeah,
I presented it. Aatank Hi Aatank is the only film I lent my name to without
getting financially involved. Earlier it wasn’t a big deal but today
my name makes a difference to a film. The distributors are assured of a safe
project.
If the
buzz is to be believed Vinashak
has some stupendous special effects.
Vinashak
is a very different film from the kind of films I have made earlier. Yes,
we have used special effects in a big way. In the song Ruba ruba... we created
an atmosphere of the twenty-fifth floor of a building though we haven’t
shot on the top of a high-rise. We created a dome and that we matched with
the shot of a building. One can even see the traffic below while the action
is on. It’s a visual treat.
All those
who have seen the rushes of your film
have been raving about the set you erected in Dalhousie.
Yeah,
we created a jail in Dalhousie. And it took more than two months to be complete.
We shot for 40 days on that set. Actually it was not in proper Dalhousie.
It was about two and a half hours away from Dalhousie, on a rocky terrain.
There were no hotels. So everyday we had to travel back and forth to Dalhousie.
We shot for 18 to 20 hours most days and hats off to my artistes, who were
at their co-operative best. Sunil used to sleep on the sets when he was not
required. We had a tough time, but we all pulled through.
I believe
you had to face a lot of problems with the panchayats
there.
Yeah,
the land we erected the set on belonged to the farmers and they refused to
let us shoot there. So we had to call the panchayat. They agreed on the condition
that we pay every farmer. Which we did. But they were not happy. They came
back for more. We had a tough time but eventually everything went off
well.
What
do you think of Sunil Shetty, the actor today?
Oh,
he has improved tremendously. I had signed him three years ago and we
didn’t shoot for a year and a half because of the script hassle. In
those months Sunil worked hard to polish up his acting skills and I think
he is one of the finest actors we have today. He is not only good at action
but dances too. Though he may not have had many hits to his credit, his films
get a very good initial and no one loses money. His film Bhai got a better
initial than Dil To Pagal Hain. One thing is for sure, his films are never
a losing proposition. Somewhere along the way the audience is with
him.
Action
films are going out of vogue.
Sunil too is signing more emotional subjects.
Action films
can never go out of vogue. No doubt, these kind of films have their limitations.
But they get a tremendous opening which is very necessary to cover costs.
They are safe bets. One can never go wrong as far as getting an initial is
concerned. With the theatre rentals going up, action films are sure-fire
winners. But one can’t expect a jackpot. As far as Sunil is concerned,
I guess he’s signing different films because he wants variety and wants
to prove his versatility. It has nothing to do with action films not doing
well or going out vogue.
Why did
you pick on Raveena when anybody else could have done the
role?
We just
wanted a glamorous girl. Anybody glamorous would have fit the bill. Raveena
was signed because she had dates to spare. Besides she was keen to do the
film. She has a well-defined role and she has done a great job. She will
not get an award but she will be noticed, definitely. |
