Next year, I am giving breaks to 3 new directors: Sajid Nadiadwala

Two decades after he turned producer, Sajid Nadiadwala dons a director’s hat for Kick. On his very first schedule he had to deal with the nightmare of not having his lead actor turn up on the set due to visa issues. Now he is about to begin his next schedule and I don’t see any signs of nerves. He is deadly calm. For someone who has films in various stages of making with stars like Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, newbies like Arjun Kapoor and Tiger Shroff, he seems too much at ease. Like Sachin Tendulkar with a bat. Over coffee at his plush office, he talks about his films, his friends and frenemies. Read on...

Turning into a director is a life-changing decision but with you it happened out of the blue...
I don’t know how it all happened. Actually, it came as a shock to me when Salman suggested that I direct the film. I had gone to narrate the script to him when he said, ‘Why don’t you direct it’. By the time I could say yes, or nod, or say give me a minute or second to think about it, he had hugged me and shouted across the room and told everyone ‘Grandson is turning director.’ Even before my family or my office got to know about it, it was on his DP that a new director is coming. It happened so fast...

Was there something you did for good luck before starting?
I met all the people who have been part of my growing years... I know it sounds filmy, but I want the blessings and aashirvaad of all the people who are important and close to me. I even met all my directors (David), my actors (Govinda) Divya’s (Bharati) dad, Salim (Khan) uncle.

Best advice you got before you set out to direct?
Everyone gave me the the best advice they had. Salim uncle told me how to construct a scene. How to get the maximum message sent out with the minimum lines. David said,  ‘Location ki maa ki aankh. It is a Salman Khan film and he is important. Aur kuch kaam mat karna’. Imtiaz told me, ‘Just feel it. Get yourself into it and you can’t go wrong’. For me, it was a nice basket of a lot of thoughts.

Tell me about your first day on the set.
Till the time I left for London, everything was normal. It was like any other day when I would go on the set of one of my productions. I’d know beforehand what scene we were shooting, the venue, how many cameras, how much crowd, which all actors are on the set. The only thing different was that I had to come and say: Camera on. I began with an action scene because I am most comfortable with that. I had a very competent foreign crew and before I knew it we had shot the first scene.

Kick faced problems in the very first schedule. Comment.
The situation that was unfortunate. It was nobody’s fault. It was just bad luck that the visa policy changed and Salman could not travel. I have learned in the last 25 years is that every 8-10 years you face a situation like this. And how you face it is what defines you as a person and your banner. Ninety per cent of the times, filming is a cakewalk. You start it, shoot it and release it without any major hassles. Then comes along one  film that gets stuck or faces unusual problems...If  you sail through that, you can tide over the next 25 years...

How can you be so matter-of-fact about it?
There is no other option. I was not like this when I began. In the early days I used to be very hyper. Camera nahi aaya, actor has not come on time, dates, location problems... then you realize that whatever you go through during the making of the film doesn’t matter. Eventually, what matters is the Friday when the film releases. And that time no one remembers what happened during the making of the movie.

I guess it helps that you’ve been a producer for two decades...
And as a producer I have worked with great daddies... like Dharamji, Govinda, Sanjay Dutt, so one becomes seasoned. But yes, the director in me was worried. and that is when I began respecting directors so much more..

One thing you pride yourself on?
My pride is the length of time I have worked in the industry without any major controversy. I have made with seniors like Dharamji (Ghulami in 1985)  and now working with Ranbir Kapoor. I giving break to fresh directors like Sajid Khan and Shirish Kunder. Next year also I am giving a break to three new directors. I am proud of the fact that I have the best of directors making films for my banner like Imtiaz Ali, Kabir Khan...

There are few solo producers left like yourself, the corporates are taking over the business. Is it difficult time?
Difficult... it is... Fortunately, it has not happened to me but what you see around. Ninety per cent of the people who made films because they loved them are not around any more. Some are still struggling and surviving. But ultimately I feel that financial clout cannot overpower creativity. So  even if billions and billions of dollars come in, a person who is creative will survive. I think the future is only for people with thoughts and ideas not the people who have money.

You are making seven films now... with actors ranging from Hrithik Roshan to Arjun Kapoor.
It just worked out like that. Earlier I would make one film in three years. Even that one film in three years was not planned. And even these five films coming in one year are not planned. It just happened that Kick got delayed. Then Highway took longer than we thought it would. Even Two States got pushed...

When you started out in your ’20s did you ever think you would make it so big?
I don’t know who is big. I don’t think anybody is big here. I think everybody is struggling. I think earlier I struggled in a rickshaw and now I am struggling in a Bentley. There is no difference.
 
Of course, there is a difference. Success gives you access... You are working with top actors and directors...
(Interrupts) No, it is not about access to a star or a maker... it is access to what you are making. If you are coming with a good script, and the right director then stars are accessible. If you are coming with a script they don’t like then you will have two hundred missed calls on their phones. Nobody can be blamed. Because everyone is insecure. They all want to do their best in the shortest possible time. I know it sounds modest but I really don’t think I am big. This business is like a game of snakes and ladders. And you have to keep working at it.

Have you ever considered making small budget film?
My style, vision is very big. Since the time I was a kid, I used to love big films. I am working on a film now with Tiger Shroff —Heropanti — and my production team keeps me away. Because whenever I am even passing by and get involved in some discussion, I end up increasing the budget by saying, ‘make a better introduction scene, get hundred fighters, reshoot this part.’ So now they have started keeping me out of meetings. They say I am damaging the company.  I don’t think I can make a small budget film. Maybe in future I may present some films.

If I ask you to describe yourself in five words….
I would use the best possible adjectives I can think of...

No, stop. Tell me your weaknesses..
I don’t know if you can call it a weakness but I have become very bad socially in the past few years. I used to be a people’s person. But now I have just stopped going out. I avoid premieres and awards functions. I even don’t go for previews of films, functions, and parties. I have standard two-three excuses that I am not well or not in town... now everybody knows ki ye toh aata hi nahin... 

Who are your friends in the industry?
I always say that in this industry there are temporary enemies and permanent friends. You see any fights that have happened... even the bitter ones, ultimately they get sorted out and people comeback together after 4-5 years. There are only 52 Fridays in a year so intentionally unintentional, knowingly unknowingly, you hurt someone or rub someone the wrong way because it is a small industry and there is so much competition but ultimately it gets sorted out..

Like your problem with Shirish Kunder.?
I have always said this whenever I have been asked. Ten days before Joker released, Shirish said to me, ‘You are more comfortable with the script, you direct it. It has been with you for 4-5 years and it is more your space.’ I immediately called Farah. She said, ‘You know how he is, he goes with his gut feeling. let him do as he likes,’ and so it was all mutually decided.  He even texted me later and said ‘if you want, I will edit your film…’ Fact remains, it was a mutual decision. Shirish and I kept talking. He even texted me on the day I started Kick. I feel he is really talented. His best has yet to come.

The same thing happened with Sajid Khan as well...
Yes, almost Identical. He told me long before Himmatwala released that he didn’t want to do Housefull 3. He has a right to move on, na? He gave me three successful films. Just because I gave him a break does not mean that I own him. He had signed Himmatwala, Vashuji next, UTV film... He didn’t have time for Housefull 3 and he was upfront about it. I asked him if I could go ahead with someone else and he said yes. Unfortunately Himmatwala didn’t work and people said, ‘See Sajid dropped him again after Himmatwala.’ He also clarified and said we are like brothers and we will work together in the future. We were constantly in touch till I left for shoot and he got busy shooting his film.