Close to a decade after being seen together in MUJHE MERI BIWI SE BACHAO (2001), Arshad Warsi is pairing with Naseeruddin Shah once again in ISHQIYA (2010). Sensibilities of both the films is but naturally different. Former was a Prakash Mehra production which was directed by Harry Baweja and aimed at the masses. It's a different matter though that the film was a disaster at the box office. On the other hand ISHQIYA is yet another rustic outing for producer Vishal Bharadwaj after OMKARA with Vidya Balan thrown in for good measure. With the film round the corner, Arshad reveals the on-screen camaraderie that he shares with Naseer in ISHQIYA which brings them together once again as 'mama-bhanja'.
Arshad, other than being an actor, how involved were you in the making of ISHQIYA?
I have a lot of faith in director Abhishek (Chaubhey) and producer Vishal (Bharadwaj); these are good people. They know how to make a film; they tell a story from their heart and bear similar sensibilities as mine. This is why I am much more relaxed because aksar aisa hota hai that I think on one particular way while director has a different vision. May be he is right and I am wrong but I give him a benefit of doubt that he knows best because he is at the driving seat.
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'No one can take panga with Naseeruddin...' | ISHQIYA does appear to be quite a lot of fun though with violence and sex being an undercurrent theme, right?
In fact there is a strong undercurrent of humour also in it. The characters themselves are so smart and their relationship is such that humour becomes an intrinsic part of their story. Naseerruddin Shah and I are 'mama-bhanja' who are thieves from Bhopal and their relationship is more like that of friends. Their accent is quite funny as well and so is their personality. Having said that, it's not like 'chalo ok, let's try to be funny'.
Can you please elaborate?
Let me give an example. My own 'Circuit' in MUNNABHAI was someone who was not trying to be funny but then the way he was, he was bound to always look and act funny. If one thinks about the times gone by, were the makers of ANGOOR trying to make Sanjiv Kumar funny? Nahi naa! They instead created a personality which was funny. See, hota kya hai that normally when we write stories we try to create something funny by making people fall on ground even though a hero remains like a hero all through. Here, Naseer and I such are such characters who are not trying to be heroic or anything. They are normal people who travel together, live together and abuse each other.
Well, with Naseeruddin Shah getting into a realistic setup like ISHQIYA, it must have given you heebie-jeebies for sure?
I was afraid that in front of Naseer, mera kahin band na ban jaaye. This is his field after all. He may not have done too much of hardcore commercial cinema but real cinema like ISHQIYA is his domain. No one can afford to take 'panga' with him. I can promise though that after this film, many people would want to cast us together. I am sure it would be a lot of fun to be acting alongside him again. The moment people stop thinking about just making money from a film and instead concentrate on making a good film, money will flow. Product achcha ho to appreciation aur paisa, dono peeche aayenge.
CHECK OUT: ISHQIYA Movie Preview
Aah, now this seems quite similar to the most famous moment from 3 IDIOTS that was centred on excellence and success. Really Arshad, somewhere in your heart don't you regret not being a part of 3 IDIOTS? After all you were Raj Kumar Hirani's 'Circuit' in MUNNABHAI series, so accommodating you as one of the IDIOTS wouldn't have been that difficult.
Going by that logic I should have been in NEW YORK as well after KABUL EXPRESS, right? You know what; there is a small director in me somewhere who understands what's best for a film. I started off as an assistant director and want to be a director one day so I understand the decision making that goes behind roping in of an actor for a particular character. If an actor doesn't fit in there then he should not be there. Maybe since I don't look like a 22 year old student, I wasn't thought of for 3 IDIOTS. And it's OK because dosti apni taraf hai aur film making doosri taraf. Also, perhaps Raju felt it right not to confuse people because he wanted a certain brand equity to be maintained around Munnabhai and Circuit. These characters are a package so it's fine if it remains this way.
- Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network
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