Sonil Dedhia in Mumbai
"I was cheap; I didn't charge any money," said Farah Khan cheekily when she was asked about her debut as an actress in Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi.
Produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film also marks the directorial debut of Bhansali's sister Bela Bhansali Sehgal.
Boman Irani plays the lead in the film along with Farah Khan.
At the first look launch of the film at Cinemax theatre, Versova, a western suburb of Mumbai, director Sehgal said, "I am excited but at the same time I am very nervous as this is my first film as a director. We had a lot of fun making the film. It's a positive film which I am sure everyone will enjoy watching."
Madhuri: I am sure the film is going to do well
Khan said that she was shocked when she was offered the role of Shirin in Bela Bhansali Sehgal's directorial debut. "It was not a conscious decision. I thought Bela and Sanjay (Bhansali) wanted me to choreograph a song. But when they gave me the script, I almost fainted."
The choreographer turned director even managed to pull off a Madhuri Dixit pose from Hum Aapke Hai Koun in the film, of which she is very proud.
"I can't believe it!" Khan said, "Can you imagine, at my age, doing what I am doing? It was very brave on my part to wear the sari and do the Madhuri pose," she said, patting herself on the back.
Probably that was one reason that the trailer was launched by Madhuri Dixit.
"It is such a pleasure to be here today. I interacted with Bela when I was working on Devdas. I was really excited when I came to know that she was making her directorial debut," Dixit said.
Bhansali: I am always speechless when i meet Madhuri
Dixit was in awe of the first look of the film: "It is such an unusual story. Whenever we think of Shirin and Farhad, we always look at it as a period film but here we have two cute characters. I am sure it is going to do very well because I loved the trailer very much."
Bhansali was all praises for Dixit: "I am always speechless and get weak-kneed whenever I meet Madhuri. It is a special gesture on her part to come and launch the trailer and it means a lot to all of us."
He was even more effusive in his praise of his sister. "It is a very special moment for me as it is my sister's first film as a director. It means a lot to my mother and also to my father whose blessings have always been with us."
He gave Sehgal full credit for his own career as a filmmaker.
"Whatever I am today is because of my sister. She took me to the film institute where she was studying and she also took me to Vidhu Vinod Chopra and pleaded with him to give me a chance to shoot a song. Chopra gave me a chance and here I am today."
Bela: Farah is a born actress
Boman Irani plays a middle-aged Parsi salesman at a lingerie shop who is unable to find a suitable bride. He says it was not easy for him to portray the character.
"Although I play somebody from my own community, it doesn't make it any easier as he is a completely different character than me. This isn't the person I am."
Explaining what made her cast Farah Khan in the lead, Sehgal said, "She really suited the character of Shirin and she fitted so well that I don't think anybody else could've done it. She is a little firecracker. She is a born actress!"
Khan, who has directed two films, said that she had no urge to act like a director on the sets. "I thought I will only be an actress and throw tantrums saying 'Bela, I won't do this, I won't do that'. But though I am a control freak, I gave complete control to Bela and it was her faith that helped me take such a big leap.
"Since there was Boman with me, it just became easier," she said graciously of her co-star.
Bela: Farah respected me as a director
Sehgal said she had fun directing a director. "I was very comfortable as it gets very easy with a director. She (Farah) would give her suggestions. She respected me as a director and did exactly what I wanted. We had a lot of fun."
When Farah Khan was informed that Shah Rukh Khan thought that the first look of the film was sensational, she replied, "Shah Rukh Khan always had the hots for me since a long time so I know SRK and me have that, he loves me."
Make what you will of that.
The film will release on August 24.
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