From giving back-to-back hits with actor Ajay Devgn to gearing up to direct actor Shah Rukh Khan, followed by another film for Ajay and then one for filmmaker Karan Johar, Rohit Shetty is a director much in demand. The director himself finds it tough to single out the one factor that’s working in his favour except that he understands what the audience wants and is not apologetic about preferring BO success over ‘sensible cinema’. As we catch up with him on the sets of his film Bol Bachchan, the director talks about his upcoming film and also stepping out of his comfort zone!
Your upcoming film Bol Bachchan has been adapted from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Golmaal. So are you trying his brand of humour as well?
Not at all. That was his strength and we are not even going to try and emulate that. Bol Bachchan’s got every bit of our kind of humour.
That kind of humour hasn’t gone down too well as far as critical acclaim’s concerned…
Yes, but no one associated with my film ever lost money, right? I think those dynamics are far more important for me than being bothered about pleasing a bunch of people. I never claim my films to be any different from what’s presented to the audience. I am honest to my audience and also proud of my brand of humour or even action. So, as long as my audience are happy, I am happy doing what I do.
How was it working with Abhishek Bachchan who’s quite a prankster himself, also Asin and Prachi?
I believe that it’s really important for the cast and crew to kind of share a fun rapport. And like Ajay, with Abhishek, it all just came naturally. The girls were often on the receiving end, but all of us including them had an awesome time.
You and Ajay go back a long way, but now you are working with Shah Rukh. Considering the two do not exactly share warm vibes, won’t it put your friendship with Ajay in a tight spot?
Not at all. After Chennai Express with SRK, I’m doing a film again with him. So, my equation with Ajay will never change, no matter who else I work with or he works with. Besides, I don’t think either of them have the time to worry about such matters at all (laughs).
Will you become the mediator between the two?
I don’t think they need mediators.
You will be stepping out of your comfort zone in a way, working with SRK…
We’ve been doing the prep work on the film for almost a year now, what’s there not to be comfortable? I’d rather put it this way that both SRK and I are stepping into each other’s comfort zone.
What’s happening on your film with Karan?
We are yet to finalise the script.
And your next with Ajay…
Will be an action film. And maybe by then if we get a script for the next installment of Golmaal, may be that will begin too.
