Interview Director - Rajiv Rai HindiSong.com

Movie interview: Rajiv Rai

"I don't think there is any formula to make a good film"

Filmmaker Rajiv Rai speaks in his latest flick Asambhav

Why a film after so long?

My last one was in 2001. 2002 and 2003 went by in planning and execution-it always takes a bit longer than I went it too.

What is the film now?

Asambhav-its a very interesting very high tech film-it is a technically driven film- a special effects film, not like people disappearing etc. It is otherwise realistic. No unreal action. It is a political espionage drama a spy thriller with an action background.

How does a thriller work today?

Thrillers have always worked. People have always enjoyed thrillers right from the western action days to today-thrillers never go out really. They have always worked commercially. There's never a time when they don't work. It became a fashion in India to make love stories but that's happening on television today so people have gotten bored. There was a time when people got bored of the masala kind of film so producers got scared. So right now I don't think there is any such formula that is required to make a film work. You just have to make a good film and that'll work. People haven't shut their mind to anything- they are open to new fashionable things also music playas pivotal role in our films yet.

Who has done your music?

Viju Shah. Its very nice music.

RajivRai-2 (20K) Why did you choose Priyanka and Arjun Ramphal?

Arjun is a friend quite frankly and this film has an army backdrop and Arjun comes from an army background both his grandfathers were in the army-so somewhere that worked on my mind. Priyanka was by default because I wasn't getting any girl and I met her just fifteen days before my shoot and she gave me days at a stretch and was very excited about the film. Her Hero had just released and I am happy with her it all worked out very well. I was so perturbed about it but I left it thinking it'll work out- and it did. Who gives you 60 days at a stretch without a day's gap??

And Naseeruddin Shah… you seem to have him in every film?

Yes he's a favourite of mine. This is my fourth film with him. With him I can play around- I can give him any role. He doesn't have a blocked mind-you can make him play blind man tough man villain, weak man whatever-the role has to be good-it has to be author backed and researched. The role has to be such that he has something to do and the audiences have something to enjoy. It's enjoyable. I feel he's so much fun to work with and so good an actor. He's so easy with me. People have this phobia about him. They haven't been able to interpret him so they have got him all wrong. If you sit one to one with him he is a director's delight.