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INTERVIEW | Govind Menon

Govind Menon is as versatile a filmmaker as they come. After having assisted stalwarts like Priyadarshan, Sangeeth and Santosh Sivan in various capacities, Govind got his first big break with Danger, a thriller which was released last year. His latest film, Khwahish is ready for release. Excerpts from an interview...

What inspired you to make Khwahish?
After making Danger, a songless thriller, my friends and well wishers advised me to make a film which included songs. After making a noir film I too wanted to make something that was closer to my heart and started writing Khwahish. I noticed that there are very few love stories that deal with post-marital situations and this was something that I yearned to explore. In Khwahish, the lovers get married within the first 45 minutes. I also wanted to avoid a cliched happy ending, and so the film stars with the voice over of the protagonist asking “What can you say about a relationship that’s over?”

You have also written the script of the film...
My producer Vivek Nayak who also happens to be a close friend was keen right from the beginning that I should have a bound script ready before starting the project. So I took off to Alibag and wrote the entire screenplay using Movie Magic screenwriter software. After that, I called in my dialogue writer Shashi Vadia who had earlier worked on Danger with me. We wanted the dialogue to be lifelike. So, you’ll find that the characters interrupt each other, speak in grammatically incorrect language, in incomplete sentences and so on.

What made you decide on this particular starcast?
There are four principal characters in the film - the hero, heroine and their respective fathers. For the boy’s father, I wanted Shivaji Satam. He possesses a terrific range which he displayed in roles as diverse as the ones he played in English August, Split Wide Open and Vaastav over the years. And for the girl’s father, I wanted someone who was the exact opposite of Shivaji. I had earlier worked with an upcoming actor named Mahamud Babai in a couple of South films, and had seen his work in Kalpana Lajmi’s Darmiyan. I felt he fitted the part perfectly. For the male protagonist, I decided to cast Himanshu Malik. I had worked with him in a music video and had seen him in Tum Bin, and felt that he had a distinct look and personality which seprated him from the rest of the newcomers. We had the biggest problem casting the heroine as there was nobody out there whom I felt fitted the character. So we pored over thousands of photographs, interviewed over a 100 girls, and screen-tested about 50. Mallika outshone the competition by miles and so I decided to cast her.

Did you enjoy working with newcomers?
It was pure pleasure working with Himanshu and Mallika. They both believed in the script and were completely focused and dedicated. If they continue to display the same enthusiasm in future too, I have no doubt they will both end up having terrific careers.

What are your hopes and expectations from Khwahish?
I’m glad that I could make a film that I have believed in. I’m more than happy with the finished product. Hope the public likes it as well (Laughs).

What other projects do you have in the pipeline?
I work only on one film at a time. Till the release of Khwahish I will be fully involved with its publicity and marketing so there is no question of working on any other project at the moment. To me scripts are more important than actors and actresses. I would definitely like to do another film with the present starcast provided a good story lands my way.

Asha Bhonsale seems to be your favorite singer?
(Laughs)The script demanded that three solos and three duets should be picturised on the heroine. So, the female singer became the most important factor in the album. A uniformity in playback had to be maintained. Also, we recorded different types of songs, ranging from Hindustani classical to love songs and dance numbers. And the only person who could have justice to them was Asha Bhosale. It was a dream come true for me that she agreed.