Zoya Akhtar: Ranveer Singh is generous, Alia Bhatt is special

Zoya Akhtar has an impressive body of work, including feature films like Luck By Chance (2009), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) and Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) as well as anthologies such as Bombay Talkies (2013) and Lust Stories (2018). 

The writer-filmmaker is known for her attention to detail and presenting well-etched characters with an emotional graph. She is also the talent behind the Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt Valentine Day-release Gully Boy, which is currently the talk of the town. Frankly, her plumes need no further polishing. In a freewheeling chat, the pleasant yet candid award winner talks about her independent banner, teaming up with Ranveer for the second time and more.

Your banner name Tiger Baby is intriguing. Is Gully Boy your first production?

Well, we co-produced one movie with Ritesh (Sidhwani) earlier and also did Made In Heaven with Amazon, which is dropping on March 8. Gully Boy is our third offering.

Why Tiger Baby?

My partner Reema (Kagti) and I liked the name. I love the tiger, it’s extremely Indian. It’s fierce, feminine and most of all, it’s specific to us.

Coming back to Gully Boy, the film is tracking extremely well. Does that make you nervous?

Yes and no. Of course, you are happy, because when you put out content, you want everyone to respond to it. Now we’re just hoping they come in to watch our movie and enjoy it. So obviously, there is nervousness because people are excited about the film. But, we’ve crossed the first hurdle.

The filmmaker with Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt

The voice of the movie is young, it’s inspirational. It seems like a Slumdog Millionaire kind of a story…

It is an underdog story. It’s also talking about a section of society that doesn’t normally get represented in the mainstream. 

It speaks of rap, an art form that came up from the street, like anywhere else in the world. These people use music as a tool, they’re all poets, they speak truth to power, so, it’s exciting. Hopefully, it will resonate with a larger section of the audience than just the youth.

Was Ranveer always your first choice?

Yes, he was my first choice, so was Alia, actually.

You’ve watched Ranveer from his Dil Dhadakne Do days. What would you say about his growth as an actor?

I knew Ranveer even before he did his first film. I always got along with him. I liked his energy and what he brings to any situation that he’s in. When I did Dil Dhadakne Do, we got along so well. I’m extremely comfortable with him. He is a real collaborator. He is a generous actor and a good co-creator of the character. He comes without any ego. At the core of his stardom, he is an actor who wants to do well. He understands the role, the script, and reads between the lines. He knows exactly where I’m coming from and brings stuff to the table. We can say yes or no to each ther’s ideas. I find that reallyexciting.

He lifts the characters up. Usually, people just see the flamboyant and slightly larger-than-life side of him, but he’s got a lot of depth and sensitivity. I like being on a film set with him.

And, Alia...

Alia is special, she operates from an instinct that is so powerful. She follows her gut. She is so centered within herself that it comes through in her performances. In fact, it’s evident in everything. She is in the moment. I think that allows her to make her choices and play the characters she does. She is a dream to work with. I can’t wait to collaborate with her again.

Both, you and your brother Farhan Akhtar have a good body of work. Is it possible for you to say who is better?

No, it’s not. There’s nothing as better. Honestly, we’re not even halfway through our body of work. We still have so many films to make, so many stories to tell.

So, there’s never been any sense of competition with him?

No, never. And there can’t be because my film is his film. He’s either acting in it or he’s producing it or writing it. So, the ownership is always there.

There’s also a common soul in your father, in Javed Akhtar saab, who is also associated with your work.   

Of course, I feel extremely privileged.  

And who is the apple of his eye; you or Farhan?

I’d say it’s me (smiles). I’m the first born and a girl... so we have a different equation like my mother (Honey Irani) and my brother have a different dynamic. I feel blessed and lucky with my family, not because of the privilege, of course, I’m grateful for that as well that we never wanted anything. But what is a real privilege is that we (my brother and I) were treated equally. I was treated with equal amount of opportunity, freedom and confidence as him.

We were allowed to make mistakes. I mean that is a real privilege, to be able to go your own way, find your voice, just have a support system that allows you to do all that.

How involved is your partner Reema (Kagti) in this film?

She has co-written it; so yes, she is very much involved; from the research till the script was ready.

What did you think of her film Gold (2018)?

I cried at the end; It was a massive film. It was nicely made. I think there were certain things that went wrong for her, in terms that she wasn’t happy with the effects. There was not enough time and things went off there. But the film really moved me and I cried. I’m happy that it got made.

There was also talk of similarities between Gully Boy and Eminem’s 8 Mile (2002). Do you see it as unfortunate?

It’s not unfortunate, it’s obvious because 8 Mile is the biggest reference for rap. So people will look at it and be like, ‘Okay, this and that...’ Like during Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’s release, everybody was saying it’s Hangover (2009). But it was not Hangover and I got upset. However today, I don’t feel that way about this film. I know that when Gully Boy opens in cinemas, they will understand that it’s specific to people from our space. I think what they are talking about is the rap battle, but those things are common everywhere. So, I’m not reacting to that.

Ranveer has done a good job rapping in the film. While you say he was your first choice for the role, was it the same case with his rapping, too?

It’s better na, because rap is spoken word. You can’t have another voice, it’s better that he do it himself. And he does rap, he also writes. So, there’s a certain sense of it. But we needed to know how he would flow with the sound that we were producing. I’m so happy that he’s in this film.

Did you get a chance to watch Simmba?

No, I was in post-production. I missed it but I will watch it once my film releases. Because when you’re in the last lap of post-production, you don’t have the space.

You, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee have been collaborating on short films. Will that association continue?  

Yes, definitely.

Who is your favourite filmmaker among them?

They or should I say all of us are unique. There isn’t another Karan. You can’t replace Anurag. They’re my gang, my friends. We have so much fun together. We’re a good bunch when we are together. And that’s what I mean; you can’t compare them, they are incomparable. Who will you replace Dibakar Banerjee with? There isn’t another one. We are four unique voices.