“Sometimes imperfectness is very important in a film” – Deepak Dobriyal: Part 2

By Devansh Patel -

August 24, 2011 - 4:46 AM IST

Deepak Dobriyal is everything you'd expect him to be in flesh. He smells of someone who is smoked up and high on movies, he speaks in strange complex ways about every detail on how and why he wants to keep working in films and that determined talk about someday directing his own. He allows a thirty minute interview to last for an hour as he talks everything from mortality to movies. There's an unexpected honesty to Dobriyal which makes him entirely different to the politically correct Bollywood A-list of today. He casually throws out statements like hand grenades but doesn't worry afterwards as he has nothing to hide nor lose. Deepak Dobriyal isn't a tall and an attractive man from outside but he is everything handsome from inside, and with his honesty on his sleeves and 'never give up' stamped on his beautiful mind he talks about his experiences of working with Ram Gopal Varma, Mahie Gill, his dream of directing a movie on children and the continuous words of praise buzzing on his mobile ever since Not A Love Story has released. It's a Part 2 exclusive only on Bollywood Hungama!

"I got help from all the different stories that people used to tell about Maria and Jerome"
With Not A Love Story, there were different versions of the story of Maria Susairaj and Emile Jerome given to us by different people. So there was no point doing any research from my side. I followed what Ram Gopal Varma gave me. I got help from all these stories. In fact, I even believed in all the lies. I carried the character of Robin with such self-confidence through these various stories.

"We carried our state of mind of the character on the sets and the rest was controlled by Ramu"
Mahie and I are dear friends. I know her since the Gulaal. I couldn't sleep for the three to four days thinking of the fact that I had to do some intimate scenes with Mahie and the fact that we were filming in the same building where the murder took place. It's spooky. RGV had briefed us in advance about not to do experiment with anything but to just follow everything on the sets. RGV played a lot with his new Canon 5D. We carried our state of mind of the character on the sets and the rest was controlled by Ramu.

“Sometimes imperfectness is very important in a film” – Deepak Dobriyal: Part 2

"My toughest role has still to come"
My toughest role has still to come. There were no challenges for me for any role, be it Omkara or Not A Love Story. My philosophies are very different in life and are too detailed and complex but yet simple.

"The thing I've learnt from RGV is that tomorrow I can direct a film"
The thing I've learnt from RGV is that tomorrow I can direct a film. One needs to spend time with Ramu to understand him. It's tough but you will finally get what he wants to say. In the twenty days spent with him, I am now sure I can direct a feature film. The film I'd like to direct someday is a children's film. I told Ramu too about my idea to direct which he appreciated.

"Mahie's personality varies quite a lot but all in a good way"
Mahie is a very enthusiastic actress. If you meet her you might start to understand her from one point of view. But the more time you spend with her you get to know her various good qualities. Her personality varies a lot. She never hurts anyone and gives it her best in every shot.

"Sometimes the imperfectness is very important in a film"
If there's one thing that I'd like to change in the film is that fight sequence. But that was RGV's take. But sometimes the imperfectness is very important in a film. RGV told us to remain in our characters and nothing else. RGV is a very intense and a deep director. He knows his visuals very well. Ramu used to share with us his stories of the people he met who were close to Maria and I'm sure that's what he used a lot for his take on how to take that shot.

"I'd love to show Not A Love Story to Vishal Bhardwaj"
I'd love to show Not A Love Story to Vishal Bhardwaj and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. So far, the reviews I've received are positive and some not so positive. But the common feedback I'm getting is about my performance that the audience is appreciating. That's my victory. I hope in the days to come I see more audiences loving the film.

"With every word of Mahie's character Anusha my facial expressions were changing"

It was a tough task performing the last scene because for me it was more of expressions than dialogues. I don't have any dialogue in the last 10 to 15 minutes of the film especially the last scene of the film. With every word of Mahie's character Anusha my facial expressions were changing. I was going by Mahie's physicality.

"Winning my first Filmfare award for Omkara has made me less hungry for awards now"
Winning my first Filmfare award for Omkara has made me less hungry for awards now. Winning a Filmfare is like winning an Oscar. That one award I got has made me satisfied and even if I don't win any now, it doesn't matter. I've got a Filmfare trophy that I'll cherish for the rest of my life.

"Music drives me mad. It brings out my inner most desire to write"
I have my own stories that I've written. I do write when I'm alone at home or doing nothing. Music is my biggest inspiration to write. I've been listening to world music too. When I go from one room to the other, stories get made instantly. Music drives me mad. It brings out my inner most desires and one day I will let it out from behind the camera by directing or writing a script.