Govind Nihalani on 'Dev' 

By Taran Adarsh, June 9, 2004 - 06:58 IST

A Govind Nihalani film never fails to generate curiosity. And this time around, with names like Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri, Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the cast, DEV, Nihalani's latest film, is garnering more than its fair share of media interest. Excerpts from an interview:

* You have said in your interviews that DEV is a sequel to ARDH SATYA in terms of spirit...
Yes, while ARDH SATYA talked about a police inspector and explored the contemporary times of the underworld then, it's a larger level we are looking at in DEV. Here, the fight is between a joint commissioner of police and politicians and people who govern our country. You can say that DEV is treated more at a macro level.

* Can you really compare the challenges before you when you made ARDH SATYA and now DEV?
I really don't know if comparing the two experiences can really serve any purpose, but what I can say is when you tackle serious issues in a film and try to make it more topical and relevant, it soon loses its interest because situations and circumstances change fast. So the challenge is to really go beyond its immediate relevance. Also, for me, irrespective of the backdrop of my films, the drama has to be interesting, engaging and provoking.

* You have gone on record to state that Amitabh Bachchan as a cop in KHAKEE was more explosive and outwardly expressive, whereas in DEV it's more implosive. Can you elaborate?
We have tried to make a realistic film and by that I mean it is not just about creating authentic sets and costumes. But it should also reflect in the way scenes are written, dialogues are spoken and in the performances. In popular cinema, the expression of emotions is always heightened, whereas you need not express hate or anger by talking loudly, the intensity in your voice could be just as effective and leave an impact. We have adopted restraint in the way we have dealt with the script. The script doesn't really depend on dramatizing of speech or actions, it is strong enough to make you feel the emotion without any loud mannerisms. Besides, I think not only Mr. Bachchan, who I think is not given to loud expressions, but also the other actors like Amrish Puri, Om Puri, Fardeen and Kareena have not resorted to any melodrama.

* When you have someone of the stature of Amitabh Bachchan and an equally strong subject like DEV, how easy or difficult does it get to do justice to both? Isn't there a risk of the star image diluting the impact?
Whenever I have cast actors, I am looking at their personalities, their star images and their strengths. A good actor can always make you forget that he is a star. With DEV, our effort has been to make the character come alive with the performance and that I think we have more than achieved that.

* Is the audience going to see Mr. Bachchan as the 'angry old man'?
[smiles] Possibly, but yes, I'm sure the audience will get to see yet another dimension to his personality and his talent in DEV.

* You and your two sets of actors, Amitabh Bachchan on one hand and Fardeen, Kareena on the other, belong to different generations. How did you marry the two generations?
I could sense their willingness to go beyond their star persona and bring out the character they were playing. Amrish Puri and Mr. Bachchan have worked together in several films, while Om and he were working for the first time. It was my first with Mr. Bachchan, Fardeen and Kareena… but everybody, everything melded into each other. The younger lot was enthusiastic about what they were doing and so were the senior actors, so it wasn't difficult at all to work with all of them.

* Lastly, what do you get from DEV as a director?
[smiles] A lot of creative satisfaction, though a film-maker can never be completely satisfied with what he does. But yes, after TAMAS, DEV is one film that has been a satisfying, exhausting and exhilarating experience. Meenakshi Sharma, who has written the script, has brought a refreshing perception to the whole issue. So, having directed her script makes me feel connected with today's times.

“Khakee is an explosion while Dev is an implosion”- Amitabh Bachchan