Rajat Kapoor is better known for his ads and character roles in Dil Chahta Hai and Monsoon Wedding but it's his exploits behind the camera that actually keeps him going.
The soft spoken and reticent actor-director-writer-producer talks to Komal Mehta about his new movie Bheja Fry for which he is an executive producer.
Bheja Fry is directed by first-time director Sagar Ballary, and stars Sarika, Ranvir Sheorey, Milind Soman, Vinay Pathak and Rajat. It will release on April 13.
What is Bheja Fry about?
The movie is about a group of upper class friends who meet every Friday. Each one is supposed to bring along an idiot with him to compete for the biggest idiot of them all.
Before going for one of these meets, my character sprains his back and has to stay. As a result, he is stuck with the idiot (played by Vinay Pathak) all night. Sarika plays my wife and Milind Soman plays my friend.
So, basically it is about that one night and what follows... how one idiot makes my Bheja Fry. It's a light comedy.
Tell us about Sagar, the director.
Sagar Ballary assisted me during Raghu Romeo and Mixed Doubles. This is his first movie. He came up with the script which both me and the producer, Sunil Doshi liked.
Are you directing any movie?
I have just finished directing a movie called Mithiya, which is in the post-production stage. It will be coming out after June. It is a movie about a very bad actor who is involved with gangsters. The cast includes Ranvir Sheorey, Neha Dhupia, Naseeruddin Shah, Saurab Shukla and Vinay Pathak.
You have a very unusual and interesting cast for Bheja Fry. How did Sarika and Milind come into the picture?
They were very, very nice and very generous. Sagar wanted them so I went and talked to them. I told them there is no money but please do it because we would really like to have you in the movie. They were very sweet about it and agreed to do the film.
How much does the movie cost?
Rs 55 lakh.
So you'll recover that money from the ticket sales?
Easily.
So, for Bheja Fry you can expect to fully recover the money and make some profits?
Yeah. Lots of profits. But it will all go the producer, of course.
In your last interview with rediff.com, you seemed bitter with Bollywood. What are your feelings now?
I keep going through these phases. Right now, I'm pretty happy. The environment is good. What has happened over the last one year is remarkable.
What has happened over the last one year?
What has happened is that the B-grade commercial cinema is fast disappearing. Movies like Hattrick, Naksha, Rocky, Nishabd, Eklavya and Salaame Ishq were being rejected outright by the audience. On the other hand, movies like The Namesake, Parzania, Black Friday and Khosla ka Ghosla are doing well. This is fantastic news. I think the change started with Mixed Doubles last year.
Is it because the audiences have matured in a short span of one year?
It is because the audience now has a choice. For 40 years, all these stupid filmmakers were saying that we should give the audience what they want, which is a lie. The audience wanted something else but they had no option. However, now because of the multiplexes they now have options.
From looking for funds while making Raghu Romeo to producing a movie, have things come full circle for you?
No, I think you're mistaken. For Raghu Romeo, I borrowed money and produced the movie myself. So the losses were mine. Now I'm the executive producer, so the money is not mine. It is Sunil Doshi's money. I've always been the executive producer for all my films, which means I'm given a budget and I finish a film within that budget.
I look after the daily nitty-gritty of running the show. A producer is just someone who puts in the money and then releases it. My responsibility ends after I make the film and deliver it.
After Mixed Doubles and Khosla Ka Ghosla, do you think producers are more open to smaller films like yours?
Yes. The environment is completely changed. It's bizarre. I think it's never been better for a first-time filmmaker. It's just fantastic.
So do you want to continue making this kind of cinema?
Completely. I don't want to do anything else. I don't want to make a Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. That was never my ambition. My ambition was never to make a film that will gross Rs 40 crores. I didn't enter films because I want to make money. I don't want to make money. I'm not interested in that.
How did you deal with the failure of Raghu Romeo?
It was a disaster. I was depressed for three months because not only had I lost money, which was okay, but I'd borrowed money and I had to return that. Suddenly, I had to return Rs 8-9 lakhs. I had nothing.
What if Mixed Doubles hadn't done well? Would you have continued going the way you are?
I would have still continued though I would not have made films as often as I wanted to. Maybe I would've made one film in 10 years. But it would have still been my kind of film.
