Is in full form when he discusses the Jiah Khan suicide case at length. He doesn't mind talking about the real reason behind the success of Aashique 2, and Bhatt is not going to run after celebrities, the maverick director tells NIKHIl DAWAR
‘Movies have a limited impact’
Aashiqui 2, made on a meagre budget, has crossed the Rs100 crore mark. What’s your reactionIJ
(laughs) You wait and watch, the music royalties will make it much larger than that. I think, after a long time the audience got to watch an emotional movie. We just chose to give it an ending that surprised everybody. We took a risk by making an already hit film with two new actors and it turned out to be a success. For us it was all about reinventing romance.
What is your reaction to the police suspecting foulplay by Suraj Pancholi in the Jiah Khan suicide caseIJ
Jiah was suffering from a biological disorder called depression which, unfortunately, her mother doesn’t want to own up because that would mean taking responsibility of the fact that as a mother she did not give her child that required medical help. She can blame Suraj Pancholi for it but that is not going to take away the fact that her daughter is dead. This incident also shows that there is ignorance about mood disorder. Today, more people are committing suicide than being killed by war and diseases.
You intentionally choose not to work with big stars. WhyIJ
My funda is why lean on a heroIJ Tomorrow, if a big international banner comes to me, they will not come to me for Shah Rukh Khan. They will come to me because of the work I have done. The world is not run by celebrities. One should not even devote a minute to them. life is much bigger than memories. We chose Kunal Khemu for Kalyug. His talent could be seen in Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke. Ankit Tiwari walked into my office and asked for a chance. We heard him out and were amazed. He had hunger and arrogance. So we don’t lack talent, but we lack the talent to spot talent.
How important is it to market a filmIJ
Today, with a large number of films being made, silver and golden jubilees have become rare. Today, a film’s fate can be decided in just three days. From Amitabh Bachhan to Shah Rukh Khan, everybody has to go and promote their movies. We have to make use of all mediums to market a film so that we can reach out to more eyeballs. It is very difficult to fool the audience today. Intellectuals are the easiest to fool.
Is risk-taking viableIJ How do you cope with failureIJ
The biggest risk in life is to not take a risk at all. Way back in 1998, I decided to not direct any more but give a chance to young filmmakers. WhyIJ Because I knew they could connect to the public better. One should never be frightened of failing but keep reinventing.
What excites you about the current generationIJ
This generation has many things which we did not have. They are more self assured and far more connected. But what I don’t like about them is that they are very impatient. Success does not come overnight. The media only shows our success but we toil every day. Parents these days don’t let children take decisions. What they don’t realise is that it is this fall that is going to teach them a lesson for life.
Do movies have ability to bring a change in society IJ
Frankly, I don’t think so. If people could help people change the world, it would have been a better place. Movies have a limited impact. The change has to start within you. I have lost a lot of money on socially relevant movies.