Slice of life

Did you think up the story of Raat Gayi Baat Gayi? Or,did it really happen?
This is not exactly a confession but yes,Raat Gayi Baat Gayi? has a streak of reality. The story derives from incidents that have happened to me or my friends in the past. That a person gets drunk one night and can’t remember anything the morning after except that he had an encounter with a mysterious woman the previous night is not uncommon. Of course,don’t think that I’m this kind of guy.

It sounds a tad close to the recent hit The Hangover.
I knew this would come up. But I made my film one year before The Hangover. It’s common for people in the West and in India to get drunk and not remember a thing. Sadly,we Indians often demean our own work.

All your films derive from real life or the life of a commoner.
I feel a film is amusing when there is some reality to it—it’s like someone opening his heart or as if a friend is talking. That’s when the audience will connect. Real life can be very interesting. Say I have a break-up today,then I will be as good or bad as Devdas.

But you have acted in and even written larger-than-life films?
I’ve become clearer about my choices over time. I enjoy fantasy films too but there’s good and mediocre cinema even in the larger-than-life category. If you watch Rajat Kapoor’s films,you will notice that he and I both like realism in our movies. But,in his case,Rajat starts with an unusual situation,like in Mithya or Siddharth,and gives it a real-life twist.

You,along with Ranvir Shorey,Vinay Pathak,Rajat Kapoor and now Neha Dhupia,are a team. Doesn’t working with the same people limit one’s scope?
If you admire someone’s work and all of you think alike,then work becomes fun. One may call it a camp but it isn’t restricted. Whoever believes in good cinema and wants to experiment is welcome. For example,the movie I’m shooting for right now,Lucky Ram,was the concept of the director Abhinav V. He approached Vinay to produce it and he suggested I write it. Now he’s a part of this camp too.

Resul Pookutty has been a part of all your projects too.
I’ve always admired his work and now there is no way I will let go of him. We have had terrible fights but it’s always been about how to maintain the quality.

Actor,director,screenwriter and lyricist — you’re a package. How do you manage it all?
I even look like a package. I come from a family of musicians and as teenagers,we all wrote poetry to impress girls. In my case,I kept writing and became a poet. When I started theatre,it gave me enough room to try acting,music,direction and set designing with the same sincerity. I think it’s more about aptitude. Most artists can do well in more than one stream. So I’m nothing special.