FAMILY Ties

While the family’s three canines yawn and laze around in the lawns outside,Sunny opens his heart to Screen in the capacitous living room.

There was a time when you hardly spoke to the press,but you seem quite media-savvy now. What has brought about the change?
The scenario was different earlier. There was only cinema and the people flocked to see the latest releases. But now there is so much media around in some format or other,and if a man doesn’t shout about his film,he is lost. I understood I have to be heard and seen for my film. Like Right Yaaa Wrong was a good film,but people didn’t come to know about it as it was not promoted well. That’s when we realised that promotion karna zaroori hai,and decided to talk about Yamla ….

Are you comfortable with all the attention now?
Once you accept that you have to do something,you adapt to it. In fact,I make sure I enjoy it because I wouldn’t be able to do it otherwise. But I won’t deny that at times it gets difficult and tiring.

What attracted you to Yamla…?Was it because it was your first tryst with comedy,and you found that challenging?
I don’t take anything as a challenge.

I just see whether I can do a certain role or not. Like recently,I got a film offer that required me to speak in Sanskrit and I am still not comfortable with the idea. I will agree only when I get over that mental obstacle. To do a comedy was a conscious decision because after the release of Apne,dad,Bobby and I wanted to do something different. In fact,the basic idea of Yamla… was mine,which I asked director Samir Karnik and another writer called Jasi to work on. It took us a year-and-half and several drafts before we zeroed on to the final script.

What was your dad’s reaction when you approached him?
He loved it!

Are you nervous now that the film is nearing release?
Our promos have been appreciated so I am confident that the audience will go into the theaters to watch the film in the first three days. And these days if the film gets a good response,it is declared a hit!

Do you,Bobby and your dad Dharmendra share the same camaraderie off-screen that we see you sharing on screen?
What you see on screen are our characters,who break a lot of boundaries when dealing with their father. Initially,it was a bit awkward but we overcame it and went along with the flow of our characters.

In reality,there are several boundaries that Bobby and I don’t cross! We hardly speak to dad,and in loud tones,never! We fear him,and at times behave like kids hiding things from him,if we think he won’t like them.

How was it working with him?
I have seen my dad in so may films and in such great comedies,but he was a surprise on the sets.

But did things change? In the sense did you became more free with him,after working together in Yamla …?
Not at all! Our respect for our father is so deep-rooted that it’s not easy to change it.

In what ways are you three similar,and how different are you?
We are similar. We are all very emotional and very protective about each other. We also feel a lot for each other,though none of us puts it across in words. Otherwise each one of us has a different personality. Our approach to our work and the way we tackle our roles is very different.

What do you play in the film?
I am basically an NRI from Canada,who comes down to India and starts working in a bank as a recovery agent. Bobby and dad play con-men,and have their reasons for doing it. That’s when the fun and frolic starts.

How has Samir Karnik ensured that the film remains engaging?
He has done a great job in showing the fun side of us.

A lot of actors opted for Sikh characters with turbans in films after you set off a trend in Border.
(Laughs) Yes,that’s true. In fact,this is my fourth film after Border,Gadar and Jo Bole So Nihaal,in which I wore a turban. But nothing is deliberate. It goes with the story and the character.

Does wearing a turban get very uncomfortable?
No,no,now I am quite used to it. And also growing my beard,then trimming it and all that.

What is happening to your home production,The Man,the film you are co-directing with Neeraj Pathak?
There is a bit of shooting still left that I decided to hold on to because Yamla… became very important to me. I shall start working on it after I complete the projects I have on hand.

What would you look for in the next script that will bring all three of you together?
As of now,we are all working on different projects,and we can only think about it when we decide to do another film together.

Are you happy that your son,Karan,is all set to make his debut in Bollywood?
Yes I am,and I will launch him when the time comes. Presently he is all set to join Rahul Rawail’s acting school which is a franchise of Stella Adler in Hollywood. Karan is still very young.

geetysahgal@expressindia.com