'I may not have accrued a large bank balance, but I think I've earned something far valuable. Respect.'
'That's what Andaz Apna Apna brought me, and I wouldn't exchange that respect for any amount of money in the world.'
Everyone's favourite movie Andaz Apna Apna completed 30 years on November 4, and its Director Rajkumar Santoshi goes back down memory lane to celebrate the film.
"I don't believe in creating a franchise by doing sequels. But the demand for a sequel to Andaz Apna Apna is unbelievable. If I don't do it, someone else will. That I won't allow," Santoshi tells Subhash K Jha
Is Andaz Apna Apna your most important film to date?
In terms of reach and durability, yes.
It is a more important film than my serious film, Ghayal, Ghatak or Lajja.
Laughter has a longer life.
I am so glad Andaz Apna Apna is able to provide laughter for generations.
Today when I see the kind of comedy that is doing well, I feel depressed.
There is no dignity in what they are serving up as comedy.
I may not have accrued a large bank balance, but I think I've earned something far valuable. Respect.
That's what Andaz Apna Apna brought me, and I wouldn't exchange that respect for any amount of money in the world.
Today, I see people celebrating their own films. Arrey bhai, the world should celebrate your cinema, not you.
What is the point of spending lakhs on booze and food to remind people of your achievement?
I am happy to say my next Lahore 1947 is another film that I am very proud of.
Whether it is Andaz Apna Apna or Lahore 1947, I have never made a film I am ashamed of.
The film's breezy songs added to its appeal.
Music composer Tushar Bhatia was a man of principle.
He has done very little work besides Apna Apna Apna. He was not willing to compromise for the sake of success.
During the making of the film, did you think it would go this far?
Never! We made a clean comedy with a lot of situational humour and no double meanings.
No vulgarity, no double meanings, no mixing of comedy with horror, just plain unadulterated fun.
Were all of you laughing while doing the scenes?
Of course we were. We were laughing so hard that sometimes, we had to stop the shoot and gather ourselves together before resuming.
The DOP (director of photography) Ishwar Bidri would sometimes fall off the camera!
We had to call cut and start the sequence again and recapture the comic timing of the interrupted scene.
The actors were fantastic. Not only Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor but also Paresh Rawal who had a double role, Shakti Kapoor whose Crime Master Gogo was a rage, Shehzaad Khan doing a takeoff on his father Ajit and Viju Khote, who is no longer with us.
All of them contributed to making Andaz Apna Apna what it is.
Yet, the film did not do well at the box office.
People keep saying that.
But the truth is, we did nothing to promote the film.
There was no publicity, not from Aamir or Salman. Not even me!
I was not in town when the film was released.
We released the film without any fanfare.
How did the project happen?
I still remember when Producer Vinay Sinha had come to me with the idea of doing a film with Aamir Khan.
Vinayji used to look after Aamir's work. He convinced me to do a film with him through my stomach. I remember he had brought the most delicious khana for me and then he suggested we do something different with Aamir.
I had just done two back-to-back serious films Ghayal and Damini.
So we decided, why not a comedy?
So Aamir came on board first?
Yes. After Aamir, Salman came into the picture.
Both were very big stars by then, but they had no problems working together.
During the shooting, they became better friends.
Was the humour improvised?
Not at all! I don't work that way.
I direct my actors very closely.
I work out the scenes along with dialogues well in advance. There is very little room for improvisation.
All the jokes and gags were worked out beforehand.
People think Aamir and Salman decided to call themselves Amar and Prem to celebrate the movie Amar Prem. But their names had nothing to do with Shakti Samanta's film.
Aamir's exclamation 'Aila' and Salman's 'Oui Maa' were also my idea.
Even during that sequence where Salman is fed julaab (laxative) and his love confessions are repeatedly interrupted by his rumbling stomach, that 'gud-gud-gud' sound to Salman's dialogues was being given by me from behind the camera.
This was your first attempt at comedy?
Yes. Salman and Aamir came together for the first and so far only time.
Paresh Rawal was a screen villain before Andaz Apna Apna; we gave him a comic image.
We revived the 'Ajit-Robert' jokes with Ajit's son playing an Ajit carbon copy.
Raveena and Karisma Kapoor were brought together and they exchanged screen names. Raveena was named Karisma and vice versa.
How were we to know the jokes would work so well?
Comic writing depends on how much humour the writer can generate from the given situations.
Will there be a sequel?
I don't believe in creating a franchise by doing sequels or building on my brand.
But the demand for a sequel to Andaz Apna Apna is unbelievable.
If I don't do it, someone else will. That I won't allow.
I have ideas for two sequels. One of them is about Amar and Prem married and their life thereafter.
