'Imran had first said no to Break Ke Baad'

Danish Aslam was lucky enough to get top actors like Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone to star in his directorial debut Break Ke Baad.

Married to actress Shruti Seth (who played one of Kajol's friends in Fanaa), Danish claims he relates to the film quite well.

He tells Patcy N how he shifted gears from a medical profession to direction.

Tell us about your journey into film direction.

I was born in Kashmir but have lived all over the place, including Delhi and Bangladesh. My parents wanted me to become a doctor. I gave my medical entrance exam but did not get through.

While doing my post graduation in Mass Communications, I decided to become a cinematographer. But after I finished it, I started working a film called Let's Enjoy. After that, American Daylight happened, and then the Delhi schedule of Lakshya.

After that, I came to Mumbai. This was seven years ago. Since then I have been working as assistant director. I worked on Swades and then joined Yash Raj Films. I have worked in films like Salaam Namaste, Fanaa, Ta Ra Rum Pum and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. Halfway through the process of assisting directors, I realised I wanted to become one myself. So Kunal Kohli decided to produce my film.

What happened next?

I was writing Break Ke Baad. It was a five page draft when I first went to Kunal and he loved it. Renuka Kunzru came on board as writer, and she wrote the screenplay and dialogue. It took me two years to make the film.

You've said that you can relate to the story of Break Ke Baad? What exactly can you relate to? Is this your life story?

Break Ke Baad is an urban love story. It is about Abhay and Aaliya, people who have been together for a very long time. It is not about falling in love as much as what is it about your relationship that makes you want to be in it. It takes a lot of work to make a relationship work. Abhay and Aaliya are poles apart. She does not want to commit and Abhay is just the opposite.

What I relate to is the philosophy of relationships that I see among my friends in the last 10-15 years. I could relate to the first draft a lot more but after Renuka came on board and as the script evolved, I feel Aaliya is becoming a lot like Renuka. She even talks the way Renuka does!

Imran and Deepika brought a lot of themselves into the characters as well.
 
The movie starts in Delhi, where I have lived before. I have shot in the places where I would love to hang out.

Was your five-year relationship with actress Shruti Seth like this?

No, we never took a break from our relationship. If I had told her I wanted a break, she would have slit my throat! Our relationship started as a quick fire thing and somehow lasted five years. Now, we are married.

Did Kunal Kohli, a director himself, ever interfere in the making of Break Ke Baad?

Actually, I had expected him to interfere a lot more. I was very apprehensive when I started making the film, as it's his first production. I thought I would have to fight for my creative space but Kunal shocked me. Renuka and I wrote the film on our own, and showed it to Kunal after that. He would make his points but never use the veto power. We have had screaming matches but we've always had to convince each other. There was never a moment when he said that he was a director, so it should be his way.

In Yash Raj Films, Yashji (Chopra) and Adi (Aditya Chopra) would treat Kunal similarly. Adi lets you do whatever you want if he is convinced with you and your story. So Kunal brought that to me for Break Ke Baad.

Whose Idea was it to take Deepika and Imran on board?

They were my first choice. Imran had said no the first time when I went to him after I saw Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. So we rewrote the entire script. But by then, we had forgotten about Imran, and were thinking of other actors.

Then I met Imran at a party, and started chatting. We discovered we had a lot in common. The next morning I texted him saying I had rewritten the script, and would like to send it across. Two days later, he called me and said the script was fantastic. And he was in.

I saw Deepika in Love Aaj Kal. I think she was, is, and probably will be the most gorgeous woman on screen for a long time. She was a decent actress before but in Love Aaj Kal, she had added layers to her acting. Kunal liked her in that film too. I narrated the script to Deepika and she said yes.

Did your first film affect your relationship with Shruti, as directors usually get cranky when they start directing?

Yes, I was a b***h. But I sat with Shruti before the shoot started and told her that whatever happens in next five months, don't leave me. I told her to just forget about those days.

After my film releases on November 26, I'll come back to reality the next day.

Fortunately, she knows me well and has seen me go through these cranky bouts. So she handled it well.

What next?

I am writing the script of my next film. I would like Kunal to produce it unless Break Ke Baad turns out to be a disaster and he does not want to see my face.