Images on Sunday recently tracked down ace Bollywood director David Dhawan in the aftermath of the success of his latest film, Chashme Baddoor, starring Pakistan’s singing sensation Ali Zafar in the main lead. Here are a few excerpts from the interview.
Q. What has feedback been for CB thus far?
DD: I have made many films and released many as well but the feedback I have received from CB is something unique. It was the first time that I made a film with newcomers. I have made films with established stars but this time the response has been truly extraordinary and I’m still enjoying it.
Q. Remaking a classic is an extremely tough act to follow. Elaborate on your vision for the remake of this classic.
DD: CB is a totally different film. It’s different in the sense that if you look at it my way, the soul of the classic is still there but the screenplay and characters are towards a more youthful side. It has been 30 years since the original was made and a generation has changed since then. We put another love story in the film as well which was not there in the original version. There have been many changes such as the music and dialogues but obviously, when you look at the old film, the part I liked the most was Rakesh Bedi and Ravi Baswani. They were my friends. Ravi’s passing away inspired me to do the film. It was the part of the mischievous friends that also got me interested enough to rewrite the film and then make it.
Q. CB has many punchlines and especially impressive is Ali Zafar’s acting in it. How was your experience of working with a new cast?
DD: Initially, I was afraid of how the dialogues would be delivered. On the first day of shooting, I thought to myself that I did not have Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan or Govinda and that worried me. But I enjoyed working with them. There is something to be said about new actors; they are like raw material which can easily be molded. In a way, they surrendered themselves to my direction and performed extremely well. They are all trained actors which made it easier for me to work with them.
Q. While the feedback for Rascals was negative, CB has put all that in the past. Are you also ready to move on?
DD: Definitely. Sometimes when you deliver a hit, you start making mistakes and become over-confident. This refers to most filmmakers and not just me. I have made about 41 films now and Rascals was not the first. A game of ups and downs is a common thing and there is also the law of perception. However, CB has changed that perception and me as well. My patience has increased while making it.
Q. In the film, Sonu Nigam sang Har aik friend kamina hota hai as well as the title song. You have also worked with Anupam Kher after a long time. What kind of a working relationship do you have with them?
DD: Sonu is my all-time favourite singer. After I had found the right song, the first thought to cross my mind was that I wanted Sonu to sing it. He does not sing many songs and is quite choosy yet he did a stupendous job. He is like a trained actor and he performs while singing. He gives all the right expressions in a song.
Anupam is also one of my favourites and we have been working together for a long time. This was the first movie we did after a while and we promised each other that we had to do a great job. That promise now stands fulfilled as the outcome is great. Another favourite is Rishi Kapoor who heads the cast. He played an entirely different version of Saeed Jaffrey’s role. He is simply outstanding and I have worked with him the most. He is now at a transition point in life but he is so passionate about the work he is doing that it actually scares you a bit. He is doing some of his life’s best work now.