“My Film A Game Called Relationship Is A Clean Film For Families And Does Not Have Even One Bed Room Sequence Or A Kiss”- Vivek Sharma

Jyothi Venkatesh

Kal Kisne Dekha was the last film you had directed way back eleven years ago in 2009. After a huge gap, you are now all set to come up with your next directorial called A Game Called Relationship. Why?

The gap happened just by coincidence. I did not plan it at all. I had conceived the sequel to Bhootnath but after working on it and writing the dialogues, the project did not take off and I decided to pull it out from B.R. Films when things did not work the way I had expected it to work out. The film was about the memory lapse of a ghost and it was on the level of Avtar. You could not make it on a Versova level. So I decide to make a multistarrer film called Buddham Sharanam Gachchami with Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty , three heroes from the South including Vikram and Priyanka Chopra. It was about supari killers and Mithun was supposed to reprise the role which Amitabh had done in Agneepath.

Why did you then plan to make a film called Chullubhar Pani?

When I realized that the casting for the project was not proceeding as I wanted, Bachchchan Saab advised me not to make an attempt to make till I was happy with my cast. Though I was all set to go ahead with a satirical film called Chullubhar Pani with Madhuri Dixit, the film took a four year toll on me and I was exasperated and decided to shelve it

You did not direct Bhootnath sequel which was titled Bhootnath Returns. Why? Was there any fall out with Ravi Chopra?

Bhootnath Returns started because of me. In fact, I had gone to Raviji with the project when he was ailing. He decided to make it but by the time we could go on the floors, there were some major differences of opinion with me and his family when they started interfering with my project and his family decided to take over the project with Nitish Tiwari instead of me, specially because Raviji was not actively involved and his wife Renuji and son Abhay had taken over the project. Out of reverence to Raviji, I did not ask for an NOC from them when they launched the sequel because I had written Bhootnath. Though till date they owe me money for Bhootnath, I did not even demand my balance money from them because they had a debt of over 100 cr

I am told that Bhootnath was not even sent for the national awards. Why?

Renuji and Abhay did not even enter Bhootnath for the national awards and I lost out. It was indeed very unethical but I did not pick up any fight with them, because I am a filmmaker and not a proposal maker. A director is the captain of the ship and you cannot direct a director on the sets. I would rather create than pick up fights.

However, you did insist on Hariharan singing a crucial number for Amitabh Bachchan when Vishal recorded it in the voice of a reality show?

Yes. I felt that a 22 year old reality sow contestant cannot do justice to a senior and seasoned a tor like Mr Bachchan’s character in the film. Though Vishal had recorded a scratch with the new voice Raviji offered to request Hariharan to sing the song.

You were planning to direct a film for AB Corporation.

Yes. Bachchan Sir was planning to make a film with me as the director for his own company but sadly it also did not materialize. But I have not lost hope. I may make Kha Ka Ga Gha Nanga with Bachchansaab, It is about a poor farmer’s struggle to fight for his roots.

What triggered the story idea for your latest film?

I am a staunch bachelor who does not touch alcohol till date and I wanted to make a contemporary film based on my personal beliefs. It was a real life story that triggered the plot. For that film, I even had taken a look test of a Sikh Canadian actress too. She had a boyfriend who was a well known TV celebrity. After she was signed for my film, she started sending me romantic messages every day. When I called her boy friend, he confided to me that she was very ambitious and they had broken off after living together for four years and she had hitched up with yet another producer. It struck me that people often play games in a relationship and that’s the crux of my plot. In society today, youngsters play games as they are in multiple relationships. I met a couple who were living in together and when I asked what he liked in the girl, he unabashedly told me that he liked her ‘boobs’ and ’thighs’ and added that she was ‘hot’ on the bed. Since they were on the verge of a break up, I suggested to them to give their relationship one more chance to save it

You are making your debut with this film as an actor. How did it happen?

It was just by accident that I decided to cast myself as a director in the film who flirts around, when I did not get the right actor to play the part. I let all the actors improvise their lines instead of imposing on them and my script automatically became better as I am also the writer of the film, which is about how the youth today is confused when it comes to relationship. My film is a bye product of Bollywood and is based on Bollywood. It is a beautiful love story of people who save a relationship from going kaput.

Does your film have bold scenes as it’s on live in relationship?

My film is a clean film designed for families and does not have even one single bed room sequence though I could have forced it in the story. It has no kiss too. You can see my film even with your daughter without having any guilt feelings. The film stars Mandy Takhar, Sumit Suri, Sabina Sheema and Kapil Khadiwala in the leads with me. The film was shot in Ujjain, Indore, Mandvi and Mumbai in a span of 30 days spread across four months. I wanted Mandy to wear just a one piece swimming costume but she said she did not mind wearing a two piece instead.

Have distributors come forward to release your film?

I have decided to release my film on my own by approach big multiplexes because the corporate companies are not at all ready to touch my film even with a barge pole since it does not boast of any well known stars in the cast. If only I wanted, I could have asked any of the big stars that I know to put in a special appearance but I did not because I did not need the presence of a star, though I asked Bachchan Saab to release the trailer of my film digitally. I am planning a strategic release all over the country simultaneously with at least 200 screens. With Nilesh of UFO stepping in to collaborate with me, we are also aiming at a grand release in China too.

Not many know that you had worked with Shah Rukh Khan, Mahesh Bhatt and Yash Johar before you tuned a director independently.

Yes. I assisted Mahesh Bhatt in six films including Chahat and Duplicate which were produced by Yash Johar. Anticipate and Double Check is the mantra that I learnt from Yash Johar. When the film Criminal was being shot, Mahesh Bhatt asked me to shoot a scene as he was busy with the shooting for Chahat elsewhere. In fact, I remember I had come down from Hyderabad to join Mahesh Bhatt as an assistant and was asked to assist him when the shooting of Chahat was on. My relationship with SRK strengthened with him when Mahesh Bhatt sent me to the shoot of Duplicate as Shah Rukh Khan did not gel with an assistant who had Bihari accent.  I also worked with SRK who used to treat me like his younger brother in Dreams Unlimited. It was my idea to cast him in Bhootnath after John Abraham was cast in Babul and Salman Khan in Bagbaan.

What is your mantra in life?

I am an M.Sc graduate in Physics and have 72 scripts ready with me. My trip is to keep on making films. I have also written a book called Mohabbat Urdu Hai. It was released by Bachchan Saab, Though Raviji wanted me to write the lyrics for Bhootnath, I asked him to get Javed Saab instead. I have always believed that film making is a beautiful journey if you believe in direction as well as the content

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