How has life been lately?
Hectic. Everything is going great.
2010 just swished by. It was an
exhausting year. I am hoping
that all the hard work pays off
this year. Fortunately, my wife
and daughters could join me
during my long schedules in
Spain (for Zindagi Na Milegi
Dobara) and Berlin (Don 2).
Do you get to spend enough
time with your daughters?
How do you define 'enough'?
They're happy children. The older
one is a lot aware of what I do.
She has begun to understand
what I do. As of now she's more
reactive to the music in my
cinema. Even the younger one
loves the Rock On music. Now
both my daughters are into the
music of Zoya's Zindagi Na Milegi
Dobara (ZNMD).
How was the long first schedule
of Don 2-The Chase Continues in
Berlin?
I haven't really figured out the
full title. As of now it's just Don 2.
It follows Shah Rukh's character
into a different adventure. Yes,
the character has grown.
Will there be a Don 3?
Yes, why not? Let's see. I do
enjoy making Don. Right now I'm
just happy creating a whole new
story for this character. It's a big
challenge for me. We are 60
percent done with Don.
Is it more action-oriented than
the first Don?
I don't know how to answer
that. There was action in that
one, there's action in this one. I
hate saying things like, 'You've
never seen anything like this
before.' Yeah there are action
sequences where Don being Don
is up to no good.
What was you equation like
with Shah Rukh this time?
I feel in terms of his real-life
personality Don, suits Shah Rukh
to the hilt. In real life too there's
a certain flamboyance and
magnetism about Shah Rukh. He
brings these qualities effortlessly
to the part. Also, like me, he has
great respect and love for the
original Don (featuring Amitabh
Bachchan). At the same time he
gives the character his own spin.
In the second Don we've taken
some of the essence of what
Shah Rukh did in the first Don.
But we've also given him some
new things to do.
You wear so many hats. Are
comfortable with all your roles?
I guess. I've no regrets about any
of my roles. It's been more than
two years since my acting debut
in Rock On. Its impact lingers.
However, I genuinely feel my dad
(Javed Akhtar) did not get
enough credit for the lyrics he
wrote in Rock On. After such a
long time these were songs that
were so non-situational. Without
any reference point he wrote
lyrics that were so contagious
and identifiable…Of course
everyone loved the music of Rock
On. But my dad's calibre of
writing in the songs didn't get its
due.
In 2010 you were directed by
your sister Zoya in Zindagi Na
Milegi Dobara (ZNMD). How was
the experience?
Yeah, all of us-Zoya, Hrithik,
Abhay, Katrina, Kalki and me…
became this little commune
travelling across Spain. We
travelled a lot. Spain has
everything from beaches to
mountains. So far only Bollywood
songs have been shot in Spain.
There's a serious change in
topography as you drive
through. The important thing
was for us to look like we belong
to one group
All of you do look very Hispanic?
(Thinks) Come to think of it we
do have a similar skin-tone and
hair. And the Spanish crew was
wonderful. What's most
important is that we were
working with like-minded
people. We made sure every
scene was fun. Abhay, Hrithik
and I spent a lot of time together.
We really had some serious fun.
Hrithik I knew for a long time.
Abhay I got to know during this
film. He's a very cool guy.
ZNMD looks like the last part of
your trilogy on male bonding
after Dil Chahta Hai and Rock
On?
Funny, you say that. And why the
last? No, I don't have any major
fascination with cinema on male
bonding. Dil Chahta Hai is the
only script I wrote on the theme.
Gattu (Abhishek Kapoor) wrote
Rock On a fab script about a rock
band. Zoya's script for ZNMD is
about three guys on the verge of
making commitments in life.
Don't you think Abhishek
Kapoor and Zoya were
influenced by Dil Chahta Hai?
They never told me. I never asked
them. I know both liked Dil
Chahta Hai very much.
How was it being directing by
your sister a second time?
In Zoya's Luck By Chance I was a
sneaky social climber. In ZNMD
it's a sea-change. I play this guy
who for the longest time takes
nothing seriously. I am not even
rich and I don't pretend to be.
I'm just happy being the way I
am. I got to just let my hair
down. Many moments in this film
gave me a chance to have lots of
fun. After Rock On, Luck By
Chance and Kartik Calling Kartik
which were all serious angst-
laden characters in ZNMD I play a
fun character.
So you had fun doing the film?
Not just me. All of us. It was the
nature of the script. There was
so much improvisation. There
was only so much that could be
put on paper. So yeah we did
improvise. We participated in the
Tomatino festival in Spain.
And a bull fight?
Let me clarify that once and for
all. There's no bullfight in ZNMD.
We had animal-rights
organizations questioning us
about it. We sent them a letter
saying there was no such thing.
We did participate in a Running
With The Bulls festival. No bulls
got injured in that. We shot it in a
completely controlled
environment. We plan to release
it at the end of May.
Reema Kagti's film starring
Aamir Khan which you are
producing must be very
expensive considering Mr Khan
doesn't come cheap?
No it's not that expensive. It's a
very straightforward thriller. It
doesn't demand an expensive
treatment. The final cast is Aamir,
Kareena and Rani. And we have a
host of other good actors in
other roles
What about your singing?
All three of us Hrithik, Abhay and
I, have sung in ZNMD. It's a party
situation. It seemed interesting
to lend our own voices to our
characters. It's turned out really
really well. I am very excited.
That's the only song I've sung in
a movie this year. Otherwise I am
constantly singing in real life. I
was singing before this
interview. I'll be singing after
we're done.
If that's a hint I am not taking
it.
(Laughs) Seriously I enjoy
singing, though I haven't sung
for anyone else on screen apart
from myself.
Why not? You get so many
offers including one from A R
Rahman.
It's not because I am possessive
about my voice. I don't know if
my voice will work on anyone
else. I feel my singing adds to my
performances. I don't know if it
would add to other actors'
performances. In Kartik Calling
Kartik I didn't see my singing
adding to my character, so I
didn't. If I feel really kicked about
singing for someone else, I will.
Singing is not a profession for
me. As of now I'll sing only for
myself.
Do you also look into the
individual productions that
emerge from your banner, or
do you leave that to your
partner Ritesh Sidhwani?
Ritesh deals with the day-to-day
decisions. But the larger
decisions, we sit and discuss. Our
formula for success? To focus
relentlessly on telling a good
story. To me that's really
important. People remember a
good story. Filmmaking begins
for me with finding a good story.
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