The Time Traveller

In school and college,I was never interested in history. I respected it but never remembered dates. After Lagaan,I came to enjoy the genre. Then I wanted to make a film on religious tolerance. That’s when Jodhaa Akbar happened. But I am not making a conscious effort. It is just a coincidence. My every second movie has been a contemporary script.

Is it the lesser known faces in history such as Jodhaa and now Surjya Sen that attract you more?

I am intrigued by heroes that belong to the past. We are aware of the contributions made by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. But we hardly know anything about Akbar and Jodhaa,or about Surjya Sen,who led the Chittagong uprising. It is just fascinating.

Recreating the Chittagong Uprising must have been a difficult task. How did you go about it?

Manini Chatterjee has done detailed research in her book about the uprising. She is the daughter-in-law of Kalpana Duttaji,who was a part of the revolution. The only thing I was not aware of was Bengali ethos. I stayed at Santiniketan for a week and tried to grasp what Bengal is today. Then we did research on music,costumes and homes. The trickiest aspect is getting behavioural patterns right.

What made you sign Abhishek Bachchan as Surjya Sen,especially since he hasn’t had a good run of late?

There is this raw energy and rebelliousness in him,but there is a lot of purity and honesty as well. He just suited the character right. Success does not always come to you,but you have to keep trying.

Period films have always been plagued by controversies,and you experienced it even with Jodhaa Akbar. Have you taken any special precautions this time?

I make sure I am not hurting any community,religion,any relative of the character. The attempt is to bring the spirit of the story to the audiences. Each historian has his own take. So you have to choose that one account and fiercely protect any deviations.

With your films,the length is always a topic of discussion. Do you think you get too self-indulgent at times?

I am not self-indulgent at all. I try to tell a story in all its glory. When I told the story of Bhuvan and his team in Lagaan,I needed that space to recreate the village life as well as the cricket match. I have always chosen subjects that require that much time. In What’s Your Raashee? I had to show 12 girls and do justice to each of them. But Khelein Hum… is a period thriller,so it’s fast paced. It’s my shortest film to date.

How long is the film?

It is short. It is as short as it needs to be.

What’s Your Raashee didn’t do well at the box office. Do you look back at your work and see what went wrong?

I always look back at my work as each of my work helps me look at my next one. When a film does not work there can be ten reasons. For me the most important thing is: ‘Am I satisfied with the product that I have created?’ And that feeling of satisfaction the audience needs to feel. But the audience did not feel it. So the main reason could be the script,and secondly,it could be me,the director.

With the last film not doing well,is it important to prove your mettle at the box office this time?

Of course,I need to prove myself. You are always known by your last film. But then,I don’t like to make the attempt for success only. I want to make a film that does justice to the book and event.

Are you afraid that you would only be known as a filmmaker best known for period films?

Not at all. It doesn’t matter even if I get typecast. McDonalds is known for burgers,Udipi for dosas and idlis. I enjoy telling a story and I will continue doing it.