Mardaani 3 director Abhiraj Minawala has had a long association with Yash Raj Films. He began his journey as an assistant director on films like Rocket Singh (2009), Band Baaja Baaraat (2010), Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) and Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl (2011). This was followed by working with none other than Yash Chopra on his last film, Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012). In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Abhiraj opened up about his experience on the sets of the Shah Rukh Khan-Katrina Kaif-Anushka Sharma starrer.
Abhiraj Minawala said, “Working on Jab Tak Hai Jaan was a dream come true. I had just finished working on Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. The first AD on that film, Bharat Rawail, was moving on to Jab Tak Hai Jaan. I expressed my desire to work on Jab Tak Hai Jaan. But Bharat told me that the team was locked and that they were looking for one person who would handle the costumes. In most cases, it’s done by the juniormost AD and it’s a responsibility which is usually given to a female. This is because you have to work with the costume and make-up teams and girls usually have a better understanding of these departments. I asked Bharat if I could ask Adi sir (Aditya Chopra). He allowed me to do so. I told Adi sir that I had no qualms about working in the capacity of a costume AD. He took me on board.”
Abhiraj observed, “I could have done some other film where I would have had a higher position in the direction team! But I knew that I had to work on Jab Tak Hai Jaan, no matter what it took. It was the best decision I took in my life.”
He added, “The experience on that set was at a whole new level, especially seeing how Yash ji would brief the actors. He wouldn’t complicate things. He kept everything so nice, simple and breezy. There was a lack of maturity on my part then and hence, I would question myself, ‘Did I not hear the brief correctly? Did I not hear properly what he told Shah Rukh Khan?’. Later, I realized about the freedom and liberty that he gave his actors. He gives them the mood that he was looking for and then he would let the actor perform. I did not understand in 2012 how big a learning it was for me and I realized it much later.”
Abhiraj Minawala worked with Shah Rukh Khan once again in Fan (2016). He revealed, “I worked with him in Jawan (2023) as well for a brief period of 5-6 months. Some really complicated action scenes were happening and so, I had helped them execute those sequences.”
He continued, “Working with Shah Rukh sir is out of the world. He’s the Baadshah; he’s the king. No one better than him!”
More Pages: Mardaani 3 Box Office Collection , Mardaani 3 Movie Review
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