"I am uncomfortable working with people who come on the set and make you feel that they are doing a favour" - Mohit Suri 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, May 1, 2007 - 03:33 IST
Mohit Suri made his directorial debut in 2005 and within less than two years he has completed 4 films. The young filmmaker doesn't believe in taking vacations. He believes in content and not in stars and that's the reason his movies are big and not the actors. Mohit Suri is currently working on his forthcoming film called Awarapan. IndiaFM speaks to this talented director about his film.
You are one filmmaker who is churning out films at a very fast rate. You have hardly taken a break ever since Zeher while most filmmakers go on a vacation after every film. What keeps you going?
I love what I do. I don't remember waking up ever in the morning with the thought that I have done enough or I have done so much work that I need to rest. In fact, I am going through a problem where I wake up in the morning with the feeling that I am late to work and this has been continuing for a very long time. I think I always had that urge in me and that's the reason I became director at the age of 22. I enjoy the process of filmmaking. That's why I think I keep going.
 I am going through a problem where I wake up in the morning with the feeling that I am late to work |
All your films are intensely emotional movies. What interests you to go for such subjects?
I make movies that I would like to watch in theatres. I really don't think I have been that involved with the film industry to make films or entire project and analysis that people do in the industry. I make films that I would like to watch and thankfully for me I am still a part of the audience. I still don't consider myself as film director. I am enjoying myself and making films that I would like to see. I don't follow any rules. So I think the subjects that I have chosen are the subjects that I would like to see. I am basically a person who likes to see films that are high on drama. I am not very strong action flick lover. I always want something more than that and that's why I make these films.
| Awarapan is a film that goes down to the spirituality and existence of god |
Your last film was inspired by Parveen Babi's life. What do you have to offer this time to your audience with Awarapan?
Well, I believe a director is as good or bad as the story he tells. I try to stick to the genre which I have not done before. I think every film of mine has something to do what I am questioning at that moment in my life. I am not saying all are realistic films but there are some thoughts that I always feel to talk about and I put that in contemporary theme to make films. Awarapan is a film that I always wanted to make. It's a film that goes down to the spirituality and existence of god. The story talks about how a man captivates a man? It's a story of a non-believer and his growth in realizing the existence of god but not in so called way of pretentious gurus but the gangster. I have tried to show it in new way and it is something that is interestingly shown in the film.
Tell us about the storyline of the film in short.
It has a basic crime plot. It shows the world of gangsters. But it categorically has a strong undercurrent of spirituality that deals with the belief in god. It deals with the so called non believers who believe that if there's a god then why is there suffering on this earth? It is something which I personally went through in my life, which I put into the contemporary world and dramatized it a lot. It is something that I always wanted to make. But I didn't like the way things were dealt here in our cinema especially with spirituality. It is something which I have integrated in a good crime plot in the world of gangsters.
Is it inspired from any English or Hindi Film?
Yes. Its storyline is derived from a Korean film. I am not hiding it. There is a Korean film that I have seen. That film has very similar plot to any Hindi film. There's something in the film that made me feel that I should make this film. I believe that every director needs some source of inspiration from DVD's or the books.
| I believe that every director needs some source of inspiration from DVDs or books. |
Emraan has been a regular since your first film. What makes you choose him for all your films?
For me I needed someone to match the dedication with which I make my films. Emraan believes in the kind of films I make. We have grown up together. We discuss all things together. I narrated this plot to him; he liked it and wanted to work on it. But there is nothing like I work only with him. I have worked with Kunal Khemu in Kalyug. Emraan came in much later in that film when I realized there is an interesting role that he could play. Shiney Ahuja was always my choice for Woh Lamhe and Emraan did not suit the role. I shared a good relation with him and he will always be my first preference. He is a very good actor. Emraan is someone, who has grown with every film.
Emraan has a distinctly different look in this film.
Yes. It was a conscious decision to have a decent look for this film. After Zeher this is his full-fledged lead role that he is doing with me and I wanted to break away from the entire old image. Everyone has a bad boy image of Emraan Hashmi but when I wanted to make Awarapan, I wanted Emraan to look different from his other films. He has a very different look in the film plus he is not kissing in my film. He is playing more mature. It is a conscious decision that I show Emraan different than what people know of him. He has grown his hair for this film. I had told him I'll not start the film till you grow your hair. He has also lost some weight for this film.
Shreya Sharan failed in Bollywood with two films. What made you choose her?
I met her during her first film and I thought she is very good person. I haven't even seen her movies. The commercial viability of a particular actor doesn't really matters to me. That's my producer's job and luckily I have got good producers that gave me freedom to choose the actors I wanted to. Shreya is very good actress. Even Shamita Shetty was not doing much work when I chose her for Zeher. Shreya is so Indian, refreshing and that's what I like about her.
| The commercial viability of a particular actor doesn't really matter to me. |
And the other actress is Mrinalini.
I heard that Mrinalini has done a role in Apaharan but I haven't really got a chance to see that film. I think she is a very talented girl. She is someone, who has some amount of depth to herself. She is something more than the person you see in her and that I came across when I was auditioning people. That's why she bagged two films Awarapan and Showbiz at the same time.
How did Rehan Khan come into picture?
I haven't seen Rehan's film either. He gave me DVD of his film just yesterday. The fact is that Rehan was cast because I had a role of a Muslim boy. I am not saying that I am biased towards a religion according to the role. Today you have boys who speak in the same particular type of westernized language. But here is a boy, who wears very contemporary clothes goes to Barista and Café Coffee Day but he also talks about religion and has values that come from a Muslim background. This is something very tough to find. It always looks artificial when you make someone who doesn't know things about it, to be religious in the picture. I think Rehan has all that qualities. I didn't audition him. I didn't see his stills. I didn't even see his film. I just spoke to this guy for half an hour and I realized that this guy somewhere had his values still in store. That is something that I wanted for this role and I think it made my job simpler to cast someone like this.
Are you more comfortable working with newcomers compared to stars?
I am comfortable working with anyone who has come to make a better film and not comfortable working with people who come on the set and make you feel that they are doing a favour. I'll rather work with anyone who wants to make a good film and do good work. Film is more important than the stars.
Awarapan is reportedly the costliest film from Bhatt banner at Rs 18 crores budget. Why did the film need such a huge budget considering it doesn't have any big stars?
I feel Mr. Bhatt has consciously taken this decision. They have slowly and steadily made their directors realize that the most important thing in the film is story and the most money should be spent on achieving what the story actually wants. So they have consciously reached to the economic module that no other person I think, can survive on. I gave just an idea about this film to Bhatts and they decided to work on this. After that they come out with budgeting. So that's not my decision. My job is just to get things across and Mr. Bhatt realized that this should be the budget of this film. I thank them a lot not so much for financially investing but also emotionally.
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'Awaarapan': Bhatts' most expensive film
