Sajid, first things first, you seem to have lost tons of weight. Why this sudden decision to get into shape?
See, because of Heyy Babyy my whole exercise routine went for a toss. Though I was never a body builder, I was always in shape. I used to visit the gym two to three times a week just to keep in shape. My body weight was 82 when I had started the film and during filming, it went up to 99 kgs. Trust me, during the making of the film you are only sleeping, eating, and breathing the film yaar. Moreover, film-making is quite stressful at times and I don't have any vices, I don't even drink, so I unwind by eating.
So were you on a binging spree at that time?
Not really binging, but just over eating. Maybe binging also at times (laughs).
So how many kilos have you lost and over what period of time?
See my weight right now is exactly 80 kgs., I was 99 around Nov 15th last year. Suddenly I started looking very fat. I had promised myself that the moment the film is declared a blockbuster or a superhit at least minimum; I'll just go for the exercise regime because I always wanted to do my shows again on television. In two months I have lost around 20 kgs. and I'm not stopping I'm still going for it. The target weight which I'm aiming at is about 75 kgs.
Who is training you?
My trainer's name is
So when are you planning to unveil your new chiseled look
(Laughs) I already did that yaar for the Star Screen awards in the towel sequence.
So, what else is keeping you busy these days?
I'm working on the script of my next film. I have just finalized three titles and I will choose one of them but I can't name those titles right now. I have got two other writers with me, Milap Zaveri who co-wrote Heyy Babyy and Vibha who has written Aziz Mirza's forthcoming film Kismat Konnections.
Rather than speculate why don't you let the cat out of the bag, who all form part of the cast as of now?
Akshay Kumar is confirmed, Sajid Nadiawala is obviously producing it, but the rest of the cast I have to confirm.
What about rumors that Vidya, Kareena and Deepika are coming together in your film?
I haven't really confirmed anyone else. Even Riteish would be there, but again he is not confirmed. No one is confirmed except Akshay.
What is the genre of the film?
It's a romantic comedy this time. I believe in making a film which you can watch with your entire family but you have to give it a little twist of your signature style like Heyy Babyy. This film again it's going to be a comedy but towards the romantic side. Its more love story oriented.
Heyy Babyy had a lot of emotional moments too. So can we expect some 'rona-dhona' this time too?
Isme itna Rona Dhona nahi hoga, because Heyy Babyy was a more emotional film. I would not even call it a comedy, I would call it 'dramedy'. This is an out and out comedy but it has got a strong romantic flavor.
So, when do you start shooting and when do you plan to release?
We plan to start shooting sometime in the second half of this year and it should release somewhere between April and June next year (2009)
Who is composing the Music for the film?
No idea as of now. I'll be very honest all that comes secondary in my list. My first priority is the script. I started writing the script from August 25th last year, exactly one day after Heyy Babyy released. I have already written 3 drafts. Heyy Babyy had taken 14 to 15 drafts but hope fully it will not go up-to 15-16 drafts. I hope this will be confirmed by three to four drafts.
A lot of people felt you went overboard when you went around town talking about Heyy Babyy's success. How do you justify?
I feel in today's age, directors are becoming actors. They are even becoming anchors and compeering talk shows. I'm the only director who was already doing all this before I became a director.
I was never a name who became a face. All directors were only names and then they became known faces, I can give you names, from Farah Khan, my sister, to Farhan Akhtar to Karan Johar to Sanjay Leela Bhansali they were only names earlier not faces. They became faces after they came on T.V. I was already a very established big face on TV who became a director.
I just felt that no other debut director has his film in the top ten lists of all times. All the films in the top ten collections list have second time, third time, fourth time, or fifth time directors at the helm of things. I know the whole list by-heart. Heyy Babyy is the only entry which has made it into top ten with a first time director. So, I think that's a very big thing to talk about.
It's the season of Awards and although Heyy Babyy was a super duper hit, it didn't win any awards at the Star Screen awards which you recently hosted. Are you upset?
I am not upset about Heyy Babyy not winning awards. I am only upset because I feel that I should have got the Best Debut Director award.
Why do you feel so? Don't you feel Aamir was more deserving for Taare Zameen Par?
I'm not comparing my film with Taare Zameen Par. I love Aamir Khan as a person. I loved his film and I love him as a director too, but my problem is, when a man says 'I don't want to come for the awards', then why are you giving him all the awards when there is nobody even to collect it. Let me give you an example, Aamir gets the Best Debut Director award, but he's not there. On the other hand, Sajid Khan is very much there, and is second in ranking in the Best Debut Director. So why not give it to him? If you are talking about the Best Director award, I know I don't deserve that award because I have made a highly entertaining film, not an award wining film. But if you are talking about Best Debut Director, I don't think any one deserves it more than me.
You made a statement to the effect that Aamir shouldn't be considered for the awards as he doesn't attend them.
See you tell me, when was the last time Aamir Khan was seen at an awards function? Aamir Khan doesn't care a hoot about awards so why are the awards caring about him, is my point. It's like this, when Marlon Brando (The Godfather) ridiculed the Academy in 1972, they debarred him. He went on to give many award wining performances but was never considered after that and it shows the respect and category of the Award. Anyway, Screen is not to be blamed but the jury is. How can you take away half the glory of a wonderful director like Shimit Amin by asking him and Aamir to share the Best Director award? I simply can't get this.
While hosting the show, you even went on to say, that anyone who gets associated with Aamir Khan's film automatically becomes famous.
Obviously, because since Aamir doesn't attend any award functions, you have strange people coming up on stage to collect the award and they get their two minutes of fame.
Whose idea was it to keep a large size of cut-out of Aamir during the awards?
(Laughs mischievously) I only kept the cut-out. In fact, I even made a statement saying Aamir's cut out is present here but he still says I am not cut-out for awards.
Do you think Aamir will take it in the right spirit or will he get offended?
Aamir is a very cool guy yaar.I talk to Aamir once a week .He is a very nice guy and is a brilliant director. Anything Aamir Khan does has to be brilliant. That man always goes against the odds and always comes out a winner. That's what I love about Aamir. The fact is, Aamir being my friend and someone whom I respect is completely different when it comes to the topic of Aamir not attending awards. I'm not saying this because I didn't get the best debut director but I have been saying this for a very long time. I didn't write a letter to IndiaFM (Bollywood Hungama) about Vidhu Vinod Chopra because my film was not sent to the Oscars. I wrote a letter because he made a statement that I don't know anything about cinema. I openly challenge anybody in the world just to stand in front of me and talk about cinema and I'll prove it to them because nobody loves cinema more than me.
Don't you feel with your comments, you will soon become infamous for taking potshots at your colleagues from the film fraternity?
(Laughs) I was always infamous yaar, the word infamous begins with Sajid Khan on TV. I don't care a damn for the simple reason that I know what I'm saying is the truth. I will always be backed by truth, wit and humour. People know that I don't mean anybody any harm but if you step on my toes, I'm going to step back on yours.
You had earlier expressed your opinion when Eklavya was chosen as
Hundred percent. You need not be a rocket scientist to know that Eklavya will not be chosen. Black Friday should have gone as it is the kind of film which would have caught on with the Academy. Some years back, Bandit Queen would have got in but you sent Jeans that year (laughs). It's almost like you have decided we don't want an Oscar. When you are sending a film for the Oscars, you should think from the point of view of the committee which selects the final winners and then send your choice. If you are just sending for the heck of sending you can send any film like Partner or Welcome(laughs).
Apart from your own film, which film did you enjoy in 2007?
I liked Bhool Bhulaiyaa. I thought it would be a comedy but it wasn't, in fact it scared me and gave me a couple of sleepless nights. I think Vidya was superb in Bhool Bhulaiyaa.
We all know, you are a film buff with a huge collection of DVD's. What's the latest on your collection now?
No, now I have moved on to HD (high definition), Blu Ray discs. In fact, Heyy Babyy is among the first ever Hindi film Blu Ray discs to release in the market though it's available only abroad as of now.
Also, what I have done is, I have packaged the DVD in such a way that its wealth which no one will ever give you in a Hindi film before. I sat for fourteen days and I remixed the entire sound only for Blu Ray DVD. Moreover there is directors' commentary and Disc 2 has a four hour documentary which covers everything from the day of inception to the day of release of the whole film. I don't think any Hindi film has gone into such detail in a making of the film DVD.
So do you feel Blue Ray is the Next Generation of movie viewing experience?
Of course, you have to keep moving with the times. You have to keep updating yourself otherwise you suddenly become out of date. I mean there are still certain directors in the film industry who call a DVD, a tape. They call up the library wala and ask, “Kaunsa naya video tape aaya hai kya?”.
You said that you want to give Akshay the biggest hit of his career with your next film…. Don't you feel it's too tall a claim?
No it's not. I'll tell you why. I fell short about fifteen crores of my own expectation from my first film but I am sure I will cross collection of 100 crores for my next film.
Both you and Farah are close to SRK… why didn't you approach him for your next film. I am sure he would have squeezed in the time.
That's a very hypothetical question; he did give me time for one song in Heyy Babyy, which I think really helped the film. In fact, it was my dream to say 'Action and Cut' to Shah Rukh and he helped me fulfill that ambition of mine. I think he has done more than enough for me. In the future, if I ever write a film and he's the central character then I will definitely approach him for it but as of now I'm working with the other super star Akshay Kumar
You seem to have everything going for you, so with your new chiseled look do we see you as a lead in films too?
I am still working hard to get even more in shape. You watch me after 6 months and I will shock everybody. Surprisingly, I have been offered hero roles (laughs). I have been offered three films, two of them I said 'No' and for the third one 'I'm listening to the script'.
So you are open to listening to scripts?
100%, why not? See, today honestly Akshay Kumar who's a very big superstar can complete a film in 60 days and if I do a film it will be small budget film. It would be a Bheja Fry kind of a film which can be completed inside 30 days and as an actor I can invest 30 days. I'm anyway doing my television shows…
You are single, a successful director, and now a person with a good physique too so any plans to tie the knot in the near future?
I don't know you find me someone nice (laughs). But you have to find someone who loves movies as much as me. Or at least she should able to watch two movies a day because I watch two movies a day.
Any message to your fans of Bollywood Hungama in your own wacky style.
I don't think personally I have fans. Honestly, I think I have few people who like me and who admire me but I don't have people who are crazy about me. If you are a fan of someone then you are crazy about that person and I'm objective and honest enough to know that I don't have fans. I know there are a lot of people who like me, some like me for my humor, some like me for my audacity, some like me for my passion about films and some just like me because I'm the underdog who made it. But to all those people who like me out there, I promise I'll never stop entertaining you till the day I die whether its on stage, whether its television, whether its making a film, whether its acting in the film. I'm an entertainer I will continue being so for the rest of my life.
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