Saturday, September 29, 2007
Farah Khan on the real reason behind SRK's six-pack
Despite only one film behind her, filmmaker Farah Khan is one of Bollywood’s major players. Her new film Om Shanti Om starring Shah Rukh Khan will release during the Diwali weekend along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s romantic opus Saawariya. The filmmaker tells CNN-IBN what to expect from her brand new film.
Rajeev Masand: The thing about your first film, and also about what we have seen of Om Shanti Om, is this sense of humour of yours which either people love it, or they just don’t understand it. That’s pretty much how Main Hoon Na was received in the beginning.
Farah Khan: Yes in the beginning. But on the whole a lot of people got it because it was a huge, huge commercial success. There are people without any sense of humour in life and they really like boring, dull, arty films. I would advise them then not to come see Om Shanti Om because it’s just too much fun, it’s too entertaining, it’s got a great story and great songs.
You are just going to have a time of your life. So if that scares you, then you should just watch some Polish art film.
Rajeev Masand: Shah Rukh Khan and you share this mad sense of humour. Do you?
Farah Khan: Yes. I guess the reason Shah Rukh and I have been friends for so long is because we do have a common sense of humour which can get rather black at some times. I am not allowed to use that word.
We most of the time make fun of ourselves in our own films which I think is a great thing. People say they have a great sense of humour. But whenever the joke is on them, nobody really laughs. In that sense we are quite mad and the madness shows in our movies.
Rajeev Masand: You are possibly the only female director in this industry who is making such big films and delivering such successes. Main Hoon Na was a mammoth success. And Om Shanti Om is a big film. What is it that you have and the others don’t?
Farah Khan: I think I have a sense of commercial cinema which may be the others tend to make niche films. But I don’t say that just because they are women directors. There are a lot of men who make niche films. And a lot of men directors whose movies don’t run. So in that sense the gender bias may not be right.
But because I am exception to the rule, and my movies don’t talk about one sensitive issue, which only two per cent of the population can identify with. I think from A, B, C, D to overseas centre, I’m sure people are going to like Om Shanti Om as they loved Main Hoon Na.
Also I am not typical ‘girlie girl’ as one would say. I don’t giggle, whimper or simper. I am outspoken, forthright and frank. They may not be the qualities girls have in India. But they should.
Rajeev Masand: You are not ever compared to Tanuja Chandra, Deepa Mehta, Meghna Gulzar. You are compared to Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Farah Khan: You are not allowed to take that name Rajeev.
Rajeev Masand: Are you happy to be in the boys club?
Farah Khan: I don’t think the boys really want me in their club. They get quite insecure. The boys at times can be patronising. A girls club is far more fun. I really don’t want to be in a boys club.
But if you’re saying I am successful director, and I get a lot of money to make films, the big stars would want to work in my film, and a lot of people would want to go and see my films, I think that’s what excites me. Being in a boys club would be rather boring.
Rajeev Masand: This film on level is an inside look at Bollywood. It is a tribute to the 70ws. But it is also a tribute to Karz. A film within a film.
Farah Khan: Definitely an inside look on Bollywood. But I have tried not to keep too many inside jokes. So that the entire audience gets it. There is a lot of humour about Bollywood because for me the film industry is a rather mad, eccentric and a happy place to be in. So it shows in the movie I have made. But Karz is definitely one of my favourite films. I think it’s Subhash Ghai’s best film.
I don’t know if he will agree because it wasn’t one of his biggest hits. But it was far ahead of its time. and Rishi Kapoor was my all-time favourite. And I am so honoured that Rishi Kapoor and Subhash Ghai are playing themselves in my film. In that sense it is a tribute. But it has nothing to do with Karz. May be the genre could be the same. But the storyline is completely different.
Rajeev Masand: Of course in your style.
Farah Khan: My style is completely different. It is a little madder and because the backdrop is Bollywood, you get to do so many things. 1970s Bollywood was completely mad. And we have done a take off in 2007. And Shah Rukh plays a huge star, which is why I made him work out and get a six-pack.
Today’s generation of actors may not be able to act. But they have to have a six-pack. We are quite self-mocking ourselves in a light and sweet manner. It’s not seedy, or sordid. And we are not looking down. This is a mad place to be in and really the best place to be in.
CNN-IBN
Rajeev Masand: The thing about your first film, and also about what we have seen of Om Shanti Om, is this sense of humour of yours which either people love it, or they just don’t understand it. That’s pretty much how Main Hoon Na was received in the beginning.
Farah Khan: Yes in the beginning. But on the whole a lot of people got it because it was a huge, huge commercial success. There are people without any sense of humour in life and they really like boring, dull, arty films. I would advise them then not to come see Om Shanti Om because it’s just too much fun, it’s too entertaining, it’s got a great story and great songs.
You are just going to have a time of your life. So if that scares you, then you should just watch some Polish art film.
Rajeev Masand: Shah Rukh Khan and you share this mad sense of humour. Do you?
Farah Khan: Yes. I guess the reason Shah Rukh and I have been friends for so long is because we do have a common sense of humour which can get rather black at some times. I am not allowed to use that word.
We most of the time make fun of ourselves in our own films which I think is a great thing. People say they have a great sense of humour. But whenever the joke is on them, nobody really laughs. In that sense we are quite mad and the madness shows in our movies.
Rajeev Masand: You are possibly the only female director in this industry who is making such big films and delivering such successes. Main Hoon Na was a mammoth success. And Om Shanti Om is a big film. What is it that you have and the others don’t?
Farah Khan: I think I have a sense of commercial cinema which may be the others tend to make niche films. But I don’t say that just because they are women directors. There are a lot of men who make niche films. And a lot of men directors whose movies don’t run. So in that sense the gender bias may not be right.
But because I am exception to the rule, and my movies don’t talk about one sensitive issue, which only two per cent of the population can identify with. I think from A, B, C, D to overseas centre, I’m sure people are going to like Om Shanti Om as they loved Main Hoon Na.
Also I am not typical ‘girlie girl’ as one would say. I don’t giggle, whimper or simper. I am outspoken, forthright and frank. They may not be the qualities girls have in India. But they should.
Rajeev Masand: You are not ever compared to Tanuja Chandra, Deepa Mehta, Meghna Gulzar. You are compared to Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Farah Khan: You are not allowed to take that name Rajeev.
Rajeev Masand: Are you happy to be in the boys club?
Farah Khan: I don’t think the boys really want me in their club. They get quite insecure. The boys at times can be patronising. A girls club is far more fun. I really don’t want to be in a boys club.
But if you’re saying I am successful director, and I get a lot of money to make films, the big stars would want to work in my film, and a lot of people would want to go and see my films, I think that’s what excites me. Being in a boys club would be rather boring.
Rajeev Masand: This film on level is an inside look at Bollywood. It is a tribute to the 70ws. But it is also a tribute to Karz. A film within a film.
Farah Khan: Definitely an inside look on Bollywood. But I have tried not to keep too many inside jokes. So that the entire audience gets it. There is a lot of humour about Bollywood because for me the film industry is a rather mad, eccentric and a happy place to be in. So it shows in the movie I have made. But Karz is definitely one of my favourite films. I think it’s Subhash Ghai’s best film.
I don’t know if he will agree because it wasn’t one of his biggest hits. But it was far ahead of its time. and Rishi Kapoor was my all-time favourite. And I am so honoured that Rishi Kapoor and Subhash Ghai are playing themselves in my film. In that sense it is a tribute. But it has nothing to do with Karz. May be the genre could be the same. But the storyline is completely different.
Rajeev Masand: Of course in your style.
Farah Khan: My style is completely different. It is a little madder and because the backdrop is Bollywood, you get to do so many things. 1970s Bollywood was completely mad. And we have done a take off in 2007. And Shah Rukh plays a huge star, which is why I made him work out and get a six-pack.
Today’s generation of actors may not be able to act. But they have to have a six-pack. We are quite self-mocking ourselves in a light and sweet manner. It’s not seedy, or sordid. And we are not looking down. This is a mad place to be in and really the best place to be in.
CNN-IBN
Labels: Farah Khan, Om Shanti Om, Shahrukh Khan
Posted By Ivan Me ... at 9:23 PM
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