For a long time R Balki was the man from Tamil Nadu writing ads for an agency. He, mesmerised by maestro Illayraja, wrote an ad for Amitabh Bachchan and made his debut as a director with Cheeni Kum. Tall posters of all his films dominate the wall at his Khar office, smelling of smoke. Balki swirls in his red chair signalling his staff not to disturb him till the interview is completed. Nobody does, except cinematographer PC Sreeram and Balki is unmindful because as he says, “There are no rules for the God of cinematography.”
You have usually taken a long break in between all your films, so what made you start Ki & Ka so fast?
You are right, I would have loved to linger on for a while, but for some reason both Amitji and Jayaji were adamant that I must not take a long break. They would both send me separate messages to start rolling soon, and today I can understand the wisdom of their advice.
How long does it take you to write a final screenplay?
Approximately three months to write the final draft complete with the dialogues. If I delve on it longer, I feel I’m going to ruin it. Same with the shooting. I prefer to wrap up a film within four months. If the shooting stretches longer, I turn impatient. Shamitabh took much longer and I decided that I’ll never let that happen again.
Where do you think you went wrong with Shamitabh?
Not with the idea most certainly, but maybe with casting combinations. The film would have been magic had Dhanush combined with Rajinikanth, and Shahrukh with Bachchan. The best analysis came from a multiplex usher. He said ‘saab you film lacks that one emotion – happiness/sorrow when you come out of the theatre. The audience does not know whether they liked or disliked the film.” Brilliant insight!
You never thought about all this when you made Paa or Cheeni Kum?
That’s true and both were untraditional stories. Progeria was never addressed in movies and it was unthinkable that Abhishek Bachchan can play father to his dad, or that Vidya Balan can be cast in the mould of Nirupa Roy. Cheeni Kum was relatively easier because it was my first film and I was going by my heart.
How do you always come up with an interesting cast and titles for all your films?
One day a friend sent me a picture of Kareena and Arjun together, and asked to think about them. I rejected the idea outright, then gradually I realised that Arjun Kapoor was the beefy hero I was looking for, and Kareena was perfect for my heroine. I thought of Ki & Ka because I’m always mixing up my Ka and Ki when speaking in Hindi, and hopefully this will resolve all of that (laughs).
How was it working with Kareena and Arjun Kapoor?
Fabulous! Both bring a raw energy and are super fun to work with. Arjun is committed and Kareena was a revelation. I knew her as an actor from her past films, but working with her I discovered that she has a super sharp mind. A great actor is one who observes but reveals only when asked to, Kareena does that!
You have a special relationship with most of your actors...
That’s natural because you spend so much time together. Some of them are old friends like Tabu and some relationships cannot be described, like Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan.
You forgot Akshara Haasan?
I can never forget Akshara, I discovered her outside Pixion Theatre and was fascinated by her. I told my assistant to send her for audition and learnt much later that she was Kamal Haasan and Sarika’s daughter. Akshara is a rock star and is going to make it big with or without me!
What about wife Gauri Shinde? You have gone on record to say that she is a better director than you?
She is and English Vinglish is a proof of that. But Gauri has been making films since before me. I have been writing films before her, I have been writing ads and films since time immemorial.
So is Ki & Ka inspired from your personal life?
Not at all. None of my films are autobiographical. Why would I want to make a film about a life I’ve already experienced? It is so much more interesting to explore characters I have not known. Gauri and I are sometimes Ki and sometimes Ka to each other, but the person who is both Ki & Ka in our life is the man who manages our home and kitchen. It is because he is efficient that both of us are able to pursue our dreams, movies!
(Bhawana Somaaya has been writing on cinema for 30 years and is the author of 12 books. She’s reachable on Twitter- @bhawanasomaaya)
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