Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani conduct Masterclass at Subhash Ghai's WWI 
By Bollywood Hungama News Network, October 25, 2008 - 15:35 IST
They say two is always better than one. And proving this just right were none other than director- producer- actor Farhan Akhtar and producer Ritesh Sidhwani, who were recently at the Whistling Woods for a 'Master Class' with the students of the institute.
For the uninitiated, 'Master Class' is class that's held regularly throughout the year for the students at the Whistling Woods International (WWI) and is undoubtedly the 'Event of the Week', whereby the students get to hear at first hand, the thoughts, ideas and philosophy of the filmmaker visiting the campus.
During the interactive sessions with all the wannabe Farhans who were still reeling under the Rock On spell, a Q & A session with Farhan himself was more than a dream come true! Farhan patiently answered all the questions ranging from his childhood days, his entry into and also tryst with Bollywood, to name a few. When he was asked as to how it feels to be directed by someone else, Farhan, with his trademark smile, said that "It was no big deal. Right from the days of Dil Chahta Hai, the atmosphere on the sets of the film was such that even if it was the director who had the last word, anyone was free to give his suggestions". Over and above all this, he also gave an 'insight' of his forthcoming films: The Fakir of Venice (which actually happens to be his first film as an actor) and also his sister Zoya's Luck By Chance. He also spoke about the stark similarity between Rock On and Dil Chahta Hai. He said, "Both films transported me to the same emotional space". In essaying the lead role in Rock On, playing the guitar and singing, I realized my own dreams of playing music, touring with the band and performing live. I still relish the camaraderie that the Rock On experience has brought to me. With due credit to director Abhishek Kapoor, I feel that Rock On has created a certain parameter by which other films based on music will be gauged. I do intend to take up acting assignments, but will surely not stop directing. I personally believe that to act and direct at the same time is too difficult. I feel a certain degree of skill and understanding of the format needs to be reached before I can do it with confidence".
If Farhan held the audiences' reaction, Ritesh had them simply spellbound! Hailing from a business-oriented family completely unrelated to cinema, he likes to call himself as 'an ardent film buff'. Ritesh admitted that much of his knowledge of cinema was acquired through seeing films, focusing in particular on the 'behind the scenes' of films and on reading books on the subject of film-making, including screen-writing. Even as he disarmingly said that he would not mind attending a film school, even now, the young producer answered with great precision and clarity the many questions posed to him by the students and soon had them hooked on to what he had to say on the business of film-making. When asked about his 'role' in his films, he said that "I am involved in every level of production, participating in every meeting held during pre-production, as also attending location scouting and song-recordings. I would like to advice everyone to spend enough time on the sets as nobody in production will ever say that they know it all. There is a new challenge everyday, and a new set of problems to overcome each time".
When some curious mind asked him about the very cordial relationship between producer and the director, Ritesh said that "I would like to emphasize on the importance of a director being open for discussion. I have always believed in understanding the creative call of a director and in going along with other sensibilities; as a producer, I would ask myself the question as to 'Why does a director ask for something (not entirely planned for, earlier)'? When convinced, I am prepared to do anything that will 'make my film look better'. And when someone asked him about the importance of budgeting to publicize and push one's film, Ritesh, in a true business like fashion said that "The audience is very smart, so be true to your promos". He also pointed out at the 'Promotion is the Key to Success' as the success mantra! And lastly, when asked about his take on the breed of new directors, he said, "These new directors have a different perspective. They bring in freshness and new ideas with them. Besides, cinema is changing and so is the audience". Farhan and Ritesh ended the mind gripping session with a very optimistic note which stated 'There is no problem to which there is no solution!'
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''Rock doesn't involve writing in too flowery language'' - Farhan Akhtar
