Crossing the Rs100 crore mark, Anand l Rai’s Tanu Weds Manu Returns has become one of the biggest grossers of this year. On his visit to The Pioneer’s office, the filmmaker spilled the beans about his struggling years, coping with fame and encouraging young talent in the industry
When you were directing Tanu Weds Manu (TWM), did you have a sequel in mindIJ
I just had the characters in mind. After finishing the first part I completely lost touch with these characters. But later I realised that the characters were very much alive. I felt that it was very important for me to go on a whole new trip with Tanu and Manu.
What attributes of these characters stayed with youIJ
They were very Indian, real and relatable. They had their flaws but were beautiful. But I didn’t have a story for them. After I finished the first part, people suggested me not to wait for a couple of years to make the sequel. They thought people might forget these characters. The idea of a sequel came to me when I started shooting Raanjhanaa. I realised that Tanu and Manu could tell a story again. But Raanjhanaa I wanted to do. I wanted to see myself deal with death, tragedy and romance and I would have to say that it was a very satisfying experience.
Raanjhanaa was a different league altogether. It dealt with death and tragedy. Why did you want to delve into that spaceIJ
I wanted to experience that sense of loss. I haven’t had many ups and downs in my life. I was always satisfied with the smallest of things. So I wanted to see somebody like me handling death. I wanted to see how it impacts me and my relationships with other people. I knew it would be difficult and I never expected it to jolt me but it did.
When you went back to Tanu and Manu, how did you approach them with a changed mindsetIJ
Those four years were very important for me as a director, as a person and also for my audience. There was growth in all aspects. In four years, certain characters matured, some became more mad but their basic elements remained the same. I thought this was a brilliant opportunity for me. I will not make Raanjhanaa 2 — you cannot have a sequel of every film.
Why did you think a character like Datto would counterpoint or ultimately rescue the two original charactersIJ
Datto is the most important thing that happened to the film because I wanted to deal with a story where I could see a triangle without a triangle. I had a very strong reason to have a lookalike.
Was it a conscious cinematic metaphor that she had to be what Tanu was notIJ
The biggest reason, if you find any, is that even if it is a two women-one man story, it does not look like an extra marital affair. That lookalike factor reduces the guilt because you are falling in love with your wife all over again through a different woman. Actually I was telling a story about a man and a woman where I was using this lookalike to come in the picture and do the corrections in their married life.
But why did you pick up a Haryanvi athleteIJ
I wanted a challenge for Tanu coming from a zone where she was not expecting — something that could actually shock her. She didn’t expect that Manu would fall in love with an ordinary girl and that, too, a small town rustic girl. He found Datto more endearing than her. I wanted to shake Tanu’s confidence. At the same time I strongly believe that right now the nucleus of our country, especially women, is rising from small towns. They do not come straight from metros. And it is just not women but men as well. They are coming from places like Ranchi and Haryana. If I pick up the winner list of the Asian Games, a state like Haryana will rule. These places are beaming with confidence and when I went there and met people, they surprised me with their sense of humour.
We already have very good examples from these regions. People are fighting their own causes and being leaders of their own ventures.
They are actually smiling at the face of adversities. They will talk about their hurdles, families and also the caste system in a very different spirit. That is why I felt it is important to bring Datto from that arena.
Do you think these people will find the solutions to their problems on their ownIJ Did you come across self-help groups or organisations when you visited Jhajjar (where TWMR was shot)IJ
I have not seen anything like that technically but emotionally I have seen the spirit. I have seen that fire internally. They are not sulking, which is very healthy and circumstances are definitely changing.
Now that your films are doing great business, do you think that you will be able to make space for this woman in mainstream consciousness, specially Bollywood, which thinks commerciallyIJ
This was not done with that intention in mind. I wanted to tell a story and this was a part of it. I created her for my story. And that’s a real space where she comes from and happens to blend quite well with my story. I have not done that consciously because I personally feel that when we are talking about equality, we somehow doubt ourselves. I accept it, so why do I need to talk about it. Yes, if anything goes wrong, we will stand by them and fight it out. But there is no pathos without any reason here. I will stand against wrong and support the right but I will never go into that zone where I will have to do a film for them.
Did you expect such great business for TWMRIJ
I do not know about the business but I was sure that I will reach where I am. In terms of figures, there are surprises but in terms of emotions, I am content. I was expecting this success, warmth and understanding. We have changed a lot in the last few years. Twenty years ago, there was a lot of aspirational cinema. But now that is diminishing because we are growing. Now middle class families in our country are going to Switzerland. Today I cannot think that I will be successful if I will take my audience on a trip to a foreign land through my film. The audience has redefined love, emotion and attachment between a man and a woman. What used to happen years ago was suitable then. It was correct for that time because the audience needed it and they got it. Now they don’t and that’s why even the makers are changing — now that same fraternity is trying to make a Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya. The audience grows with time and you also grow with them.
Dialogues from Tanu Weds Manu Returns have gone viral. How did you come up with such quirky one-linersIJ
Himanshu Sharma wrote them. The best part is that when he’s working on dialogues, it’s like fleshing out the character naturally. Be it this movie or Raanjhanaa, none of the dialogues were written for any effect or impact. They were always written for characters to express their situations. When Morari from Raanjhanaa says “Pyaar na ho gaya, UPSC ka exam hogaya”, it explains his philosophy and aptitude in life. For him, UPSC exam is more important than love. And “Aksar laundo ka pyaar doctor, engineer le jate hain” reflects their mindset. While at work, Himanshu and I keep on discussing and writing stuff. Sometimes we do not even write scenes. So it is as careless as this. Himanshu is restless and I am an easy-going person. That’s the combination that’s working for us.
TWM has become a great franchise today but there was a time when you didn’t get a single producer for it...
I narrated the story to almost all the studios for a year. We would go there, have some chat over good food and come back without anything. So it was really frustrating. Finally, I thought I should behave like a director. So I signed R Madhavan at a certain amount and told him that he needed to accept the cheque, else no one would take us seriously. I decided to produce the film.
Did you see Madhavan’s work before TWMIJ
Down south he has done good films with Mani Ratnam. I saw Manu in him. I met him and narrated the story. He suggested me several changes in our initial meetings. I told him that the script would lose its essence with those recommendations. I told him that if I would’ve made this film 25 years ago, I would’ve cast Vinod Mehra for this role, so would he like to become my Vinod MehraIJ If yes, then we’ll do this film together. He was taken aback when I offered to give him a signing amount even without any financier. He told me to pay him once I got a producer but I wanted to keep it professional and tell my future producer that I already have signed Madhavan.
Why KanganaIJ
Kangana was bracketed in certain kind of roles after Gangster, life in a Metro and Woh lamhe. I knew she would be surprised to read this script. And it exactly did that.
Would you have made this film with the stars if there was a studio backing youIJ
I don’t know, it might have happened that way. It’s a bit difficult to say.
Did you take the script to other actresses as well, apart from KanganaIJ
I never got the chance to narrate it to anybody. I knew Kangana was a small town Himachali girl who studied in Chandigarh. I knew about her roots. I did my basic study on her and her family. She already had that one layer of Tanu’s character.
How did the cast of TWM change in the four-year gap, especially R Madhavan, who returned after a sabbatical in TWMRIJ
All of them grew with time. At times your decisions go wrong but that, too, is a different kind of growth. Madhavan did 3 Idiots, then TWM and then Jodi Breakers happened and that was when he realised that he was going wrong. Sometimes you are unable to read yourself and that was happening with Madhavan. With Jodi Breakers, he realised his weaknesses and took a break. This is a sign of an intelligent man — know your mistakes and work on them.
The milieu of your last three successful films has been similar. Will you try to break this mouldIJ
I won’t do anything drastic. I am not scared and I am not holding on to something too dearly just because it worked for me. Had that been the case, I would not have done Raanjhanaa. Though the zone was same, it was a different story. I won’t repeat the emotions, I won’t repeat the characters. I may go to Mathura or come to Delhi or go to Chennai. In the last five years, whatever I have learnt of dealing with so many things in life, including pain, I have learnt to laugh with it and that’s why TWMR, in its most painful space, brings a humour to you. So it is a personal growth that starts reflecting in your work. I hope I will bring something else on the platter now. Relationships will be an important part of my stories. Even if I will do an action film after eight or 10 years, it will have relationships.
Now that TWM is a franchise on its own, do you want to take it forward or leave it hereIJ
I want to leave it here as of now. A lot of people are saying that I can take the story forward with Datto but I don’t have a reason to make it. I had a reason to make TWMR. Right now I am complete with the story but I don’t know if after two years something bounces back. But nothing would be done for the sake of it.
There were reports that you were doing a film with Salman Khan. Are you being approached by main line actors or studiosIJ
I don’t take these things seriously. Big stars and studios are approaching me and even I am approaching people. But if I meet someone that doesn’t mean that it is for a film. I am getting an opportunity to meet these talented people. I had an idea and discussed that with Salman Khan. He was also interested in it. He asked me to get in touch with his manager. But then I got occupied with something and we couldn’t take it forward. I found him a genuine guy and hope to work with him in future. While talking to him, I realised that he has a great sense of script. He is very intelligent, he knows about life very well. I could connect with him at the personal level. I also met Shah Rukh Khan and enjoyed talking to him. There is so much to learn from these big stars. When they talk about life, it is so brilliant and you realise that they are living so many lives. When they are in public they have to behave in a certain way and on sets they are playing a different character.
I want to work with so many great talents. But I will go with one film at a time and I will decide at that point what kind of an actor my film needs. I will never go to an actor just because now I am in a position to take a star in my film. I am loyal to my script.
How much time do you give yourself between projectsIJ
I have two-three ideas with me at present but I have not decided which one I will go ahead with. I just need a break. Right now I am emotionally overwhelmed, feeling nice about the journey. I feel satisfied. I need a lot of sleep. Soon I may develop new ideas and want to work on them.
Success also puts a performance pressure. How will you deal with itIJ
I have to learn that now. I have somehow managed it so far. This film is affecting me more. I survived Raanjhanaa but this is taking a different path altogether. I will try not to take pressure.
What were your early film inspirationsIJ How did films happen to youIJ
I was not a creative person. I was doing my engineering. I only realised by the end of it that I won’t be fit for a job. I told my father that I won’t be able to do a nine to five job. Storytelling was something which was driving me. I didn’t write much but this thing had stayed in me. My brother was doing TV in Mumbai. He started a show called Imtihaan and I joined him. In 2001, I decided that TV is doing no good to me. I was not satisfied creatively. Every Friday I had to make a call to channels for money which I had by Monday, that’s it. In two nights we would finalise four episodes. So I told my wife that I had reached this threshold in my life and that I wanted to experiment. She agreed to cut down on family budgets and I started struggling in movies. I had set a target of five years which eventually became 10 years. Those were interesting tough times but I enjoyed and then in 2011, TWM happened. Since childhood, I have been a pampered child. My mom always wondered if I would be able to face the world.
What’s nextIJ
I have no clue. I am just thrilled with the success of TWMR. If you see the pattern of my films, they are coming every alternate year, like 2013, 2015 and now may be 2017. But there’s an interesting divergence happening. I want to produce a couple of films. Some directors have great scripts and I want to help them get through the studios as well.
Anything on televisionIJ
Television gave me basic security in life and helped me survive in Mumbai in the initial years. I want to get back to television at a time when it’s business won’t affect me. I don’t want to generate money from TV. For money, I will do films. I want to genuinely contribute to television. Personally, I feel the audience is being made a scapegoat for television’s rut. The production houses deliberately create space for certain kind of content and and then blame the audience for only watching that. I want to do a finite series based on Raanjhanaa, with Varanasi as a background.
photo Pankaj Kumar