AYAN MUKHERJEE
His first film Wake Up Sid got him the Flimfare Award for Best Debut Director in 2009 and now he is back with Yeh Jawani Hain Deewani, again with Ranbir Kapoor. Shibaji Roychoudhury chats up the young director
‘Ranbir was the obvious choice’
How was it to shoot with Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika PadukoneIJ
Both are passionate actors and good friends, contrary to popular belief. It was amazing to work with them and we had a blast on the sets of Yeh Jawani.... They have a brilliant on-screen chemistry. That’s the USP of this film.
Tell us about the song Battameez dil...
Battameez dil is all about being irreverent and flouting the rules of society. The movie has a lot of catchy tunes and I hope they stay with the audience. Having said all that, Battameez dil catchy line hai yaar. If it is declared a hit, we will be happy. If it bombs, phir toh intellectually justify karenge.
Ranbir has been playing out-of-the-box roles. How did you manage to get him for a romantic comedyIJ
Honestly, Ranbir felt those films were far easier than Yeh Jawani Hain Deewani. There, you have a character which is well defined. He walks, talks, wears clothes, eats and sleeps in a certain way, but when one plays an urban character like Bunny (that is Ranbir’s character in this film), it reflects your own personality. So he had to be real and spontaneous while maintaining the difference between his character and his real self. In fact, even now, after completing the film, Ranbir claims that he still hasn’t fully understood the character.
This is your second film and again it is with Ranbir...
He is a great friend and one of the finest actors in the country. Alongside, he is youthful, fun-loving and crazy which were the the exact ingredients of Bunny too. Hence, he was the obvious choice.
Why the title Yeh Jawani Hain DeewaniIJ
We took the title from the original film Jawaani Deewani (1972) which starred Randhir Kapoor and Jaya Bhaduri in lead roles. Even before making this film, I had decided on this title. I would like to clarify here that this is not a remake, I have just taken the title.
Tell us about Deepika’s character in the filmIJ
She is playing Naina Talwar, an introverted and shy girl. She appreciates people around her but not herself as much. When she sets out on a journey, Naina meets people and discovers herself.
Where do we stand in world cinemaIJ
I don’t think it is right to compare Indian cinema with Hollywood films. We are unique in our own format. There is also song and dance which is exclusive to our culture and films.