‘Making Om Shanti Om was easier than Main Hoon Na’ - Farah Khan
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September 19th, 2007

‘Making Om Shanti Om was easier than Main Hoon Na’ - Farah Khan
By Businessofcinema.com Team
19 September 2007, 08:32 PM

2004 witnessed the hit pairing of producer-director Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, who delivered their maiden hit, Main Hoon Na. And now with their second film, Om Shanti Om, Farah takes pride in ‘reintroducing SRK.’

Moreover, in this film this exuberant lady director has paid ode to 70s era of Bollywood, which she considers as the film’s USP. However, to execute the same was a mammoth task, right from getting the props and equipments to visual effects, but Farah managed all and how!

In an interview that followed the film’s music launch, Farah (who’s eagerly awaiting the film’s release and her triplets!) gets vocal about OSO.

Excerpts:

Since your film Om Shanti Om is based in the 1970’s, what kind of reference and pre-production did you have to do?
Actually I remember most of the frames of the films of 70’s, so I did not have any problem as such. We hired hair dressers and also junior artists from that era who were very excited to wear their buffoons, flowers and polka dotted sarees.

We had to hunt for the 70’s cars. In fact some of the cars used by us have actually belonged to Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini, like their Mercedes which they may have sold in the 1980’s and been maintained by people.

Some of the props and equipments like lights and cranes have been hired from R K Studio, which they have kept very carefully since the 70’s.

For the visual effects we have actually extracted negatives of Sunil Duttji, Rajesh Khannaji and Jeetendraji and worked on them to make Deepika dance with them.

What was the budget allocated?
Between Shah Rukh and me, we never know what the budgets of the movies are. We find it very tacky and cheap to claim that our movie has been made in Rs 40 - 50 crores. Even a Rs 10 crores movie can be the best movie of the year. I think we are under Rs 30 crores, for a movie of this scale where everything is big and on sets with 200 junior artists and 100 dancers.

The promos of the movie say you are ‘reintroducing Shah Rukh Khan’.
I really thought that with this new look (referring to SRK’s recent six-pack avatar), he looks almost like a new comer. He has never been seen like this before. At an age where most actors are putting on their shirts, he has chiseled his body at the age of 42.

What made you pair a new comer opposite SRK? How did you zero in on Deepika Padukone for the same?
I was very convinced that I wanted a new girl with Shah Rukh, because this changes the chemistry and the whole movie looks fresh. As it is so many people keep complaining about same faces and pairing, so I thought this would be nice.

Moreover, Deepika fits her role very well. Her look is very Indian classical, like Hemaji, which I don’t find in today’s girls. They are mostly teeny boppers, wannabe sexy and they don’t have the dignity and poise with which Deepika has carried herself. When I did a look test with Deepika I realized that she has an old world beauty to her. Today’s girls may look beautiful, but it may be difficult for them to carry a sharara or an amrapali.

And even though she is all of 21 years, when she was paired opposite Shah Rukh Khan she didn’t look very young.
Considering that she is a newcomer and is being launched in such a big film, did she undergo training?
We groomed Deepika by putting her in voice training classes, dancing classes and before we started shooting, I made sure she went for Anupam Kher’s three months acting course.

I even made sure she does a south Indian film before she comes here. So she worked in a Kannada film so that it would help her to face the camera.

Was it Shreyas Talpade’s performance in Dor that made you sign him?
No. I had turned off Dor in half hour only. I selected him on the basis of his performance in Apna Sapna Money Money. I wanted to see if he could act in a commercial film.

Your previous film Main Hoon Na had undertones about prisoners of war and also family relationships. Are there any undertones of Bollywood in Om Shanti Om as well?
In this film there are undertones but only about Bollywood and that too only happy ones. It is a very happy and mad look at our film industry. Normally when people think of the film industry they want to show the dark side of it. But I think there is also a happy side to it, which is what I have always found and have shown in my film.

You have roped in many film stars for OSO. How tough was it to co-ordinate?
Most of the people we approached were sweet, from Dharmendra to Jeetendra, they told me, just inform us half an hour in advance and we will be there. Mithun Da actually flew down for the song! The coordination of dates took a long time and now I think I can give management courses on it. Actually I also wanted to get Dev Saab, Dilip Ji and Shammi Kapoor together, but when Dev Saab refused, the idea went for a toss.

Was making OSO easier or tougher than Main Hoon Na?
I found OSO easier than Main Hoon Na. During the latter, Shah Rukh had a back problem and we were delayed for six months. Also we had huge outdoors and a lot of action.

Om Shanti Om was somehow much simpler to do. Everything was on the sets and was more controlled. I took just two weeks to script the movie and we finished everything in just five months.

The music of Main Hoon Na was a hit, so why did chose Vishal-Shekhar over Anu Malik for OSO?
Anu had done very good songs, but I just wanted a change. I don’t know why I did not take Anu. I think he was upset. May be Indian Idol 2 did it (laughs). I think I just wanted some break from Anu.

There Are 31 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by akshay shah on 19 September 2007:

    Something about her annoys me..

    “No. I had turned off Dor in half hour only. I selected him on the basis of his performance in Apna Sapna Money Money. I wanted to see if he could act in a commercial film.”–Ugh!

  2. Comment by jeegs on 19 September 2007:

    LOL Akshay She saw ASMM fully and DOr stopped it after half hour. May be she is like her Brother who found Omkara to be worst movie of 2006.

  3. Comment by Fari on 19 September 2007:

    She is annoying.

  4. Comment by som1984 on 19 September 2007:

    “LOL Akshay She saw ASMM fully and DOr stopped it after half hour. May be she is like his Brother who found Omkara to be worst movie of 2006.”

    i dont know which movies are considered “classics” by the two.may be a MHN or a HB probably.their choices of movies basically seem to be speaking the aam junta language who will noway consider a dor or omakara as great movies and will perhaps go into sleep while watching those kinda movies.

  5. Comment by som1984 on 19 September 2007:

    even if u dont like the Dors and Omakaras of bollywood, atleast as directors u should have the guts to show some respect to those movies instead of making such ridiculous statements.it someextent shows how the present bollywood is being ruled by mediocrity.

  6. Comment by akshay shah on 19 September 2007:

    Precisely why I find her damn annoying. Also earlier interviews/snippets where she’s taken digs at not only films like DOR, but also found RDB too violent, and she too agreed with Sajid Khan that OMKARA was “too realistic” (WHATEVER THE HELL THAT MEANS?!?!?!).Maybe her sensibilities are different but lets just say if Nagesh Kukunoor’s TASVEER was releasing on the same day as OSO I would see that:-)!

  7. Comment by akshay shah on 19 September 2007:

    She probably doesn’t realize an actor like Shreyas is here because of the DOR’s and IQBAL’s!!!Yes a success in a commercial venture like ASMM or OSO is just as important, but you cannot ignore/forget what MADE these actors.

  8. Comment by som1984 on 19 September 2007:

    akshay:it could be that the two are more for masala commercial entertaining movies than anything else.that is fine as long as u dont poke fun at the likes of nagesh and vishal of bollywood.

  9. Comment by akshay shah on 19 September 2007:

    find Nagesh’s movies extremely commercial! Right from IQBAL(tale of an under-dog), to DOR..he’s a STORY-TELLER before anything else…he writes the story, then casts his actors…no matter who the “star” is they’ve signed on board. I respect Nagesh, and the fact Akshay stars in his next excites me even more as both belong to parallel universes of cinema..

  10. Comment by som1984 on 19 September 2007:

    akshay:i would tend to disagree here.i dont think nagesh’s movies are purely commercial from any aspect.his movies basically attract a very niche audience(including u and me ofcourse).the aam junta doesnot really enjoy that kinda cinemas and finds his movies very boring.

  11. Comment by som1984 on 19 September 2007:

    what makes Tasveer bit more commercial than his other movies is the presence of Akshay kumar IMO.

  12. Comment by Qalandar on 19 September 2007:

    Re: “even if u dont like the Dors and Omakaras of bollywood, atleast as directors u should have the guts to show some respect to those movies instead of making such ridiculous statements.it someextent shows how the present bollywood is being ruled by mediocrity.”

    Very well said, som.

  13. Comment by akshay shah on 19 September 2007:

    Som: I think Nagesh’s earlier works used to attract a niche audience as such, but with the multiplex boom I think a director like Nagesh has found acceptance, and he’s certainly becoming “more” commercial within the realms of his own cinema. Not 100% entirely HEYY BABYY/PARTNER commercial ofcourse, but a film like IQBAL shows that..and yesh, TASVEER is his most ambitious film Boxoffice wise, followed by AASHAYEIN to a lesser extent with John! Then there is BANGKOK TO BOMBAY with Shreyas!

  14. Comment by som1984 on 19 September 2007:

    AKSHAY:i do agree directors like nagesh have been benifited by this multiplexes boom to someextent but still his movies are liked by a section of mutiplex going audience.his last venture Dor despite getting rave reviews from the critics did not attract many audience to the theatre.

    Tasveer ofcourse his first major commercial outing with Akshay in the lead and i do believe it has good chances of doing well at the BO.

  15. Comment by Sambaba on 19 September 2007:

    With threads about Farah being over-rated to her being annoying, by the time OSO release, Suneel Darshan, Guddu Dhanao will be better than Farah Khan!

  16. Comment by Pranav on 19 September 2007:

    MHN was mediocre fare catering to simple minded folks.Farah Khan pretends to be fashionably irreverent but comes across as an ignorant two bit fat a**. And she is overrated…hell yeah..

  17. Comment by Street Pharmacist on 20 September 2007:

    “…even if u dont like the Dors and Omakaras of bollywood, atleast as directors u should have the guts to show some respect to those movies instead of making such ridiculous statements”

    Amd here I was applauding her (whiel reading that part of teh interview) for having teh guts to speak her mind and not just praising a film coz everyone else did. Having seen MHN, one thing is obvious that u’ll never see Farah make a Dor.. It’s just not het type of cinema… just as a DDLJ/KKHH is not an RGV type of cinema. I really respect those who know well enough what kinda cinema they belong to and stand by that.. instead of being pretentious and sink under pressure and make films that others require him/her to.

    As for the specific comment on Sreyas and ASMM, I think she was being very honest again.I don’t think a Dor will get a role in an OSO as much as an ASMM will. Success in a small arty movie doesn’t help as much in getting a role in Big Budget commercial venture as much as the same success in the similar type (commercial) small budget movies does… and his role in ASMM as well as teh movie falls in the latter scenario.

  18. Comment by Street Pharmacist on 20 September 2007:

    “We groomed Deepika by putting her in voice training classes, dancing classes and before we started shooting, I made sure she went for Anupam Kher’s three months acting course.

    I even made sure she does a south Indian film before she comes here. So she worked in a Kannada film so that it would help her to face the camera”

    woah!! Good job Farah.. make her earn it …though i beleive it’s still not enough.. but I’m sure it’s quite a stretch for Bollywood standards. Looking at some of thea ctresses on teh screen, Idon’t think they’ve had one day of acting training.

  19. Comment by Street Pharmacist on 20 September 2007:

    Btw..on her sounding annoying.. couldn’t disagree anymore. I wonder how you got there. If anything, I though she was being very frank, very honest and quite sincere in her replies.. even though the questions were so damn poor.

  20. Comment by Street Pharmacist on 20 September 2007:

    However, I do have my share of complaints. I think she is revealing just way too much about the movie in these interviewsANd even on thepromotion campaign front she’s doing teh same. I don’t think this movie really needs all that much of a promotion… the apperance of all those stars, Deepika’s dance with Khanna et al, and even the whole re-incarnation theme would have worked greatly in the film’s WOM had Farah kept them under wraps.

  21. Comment by akshay shah on 20 September 2007:

    SP: Honesty is one thing, but here she just comes across as plain rude IMO.

    How I got there? I don’t know, I just find her damn annoying, always have right from interviews and her answers. Her brother is just as bad, it’s OK to say “not my type of movie” but to dismiss something great another film maker has made doens’t mean you’re brave.

    If I stick my neck out and say CHAK DE INDIA is a piece of crap, does that mean “i’m honest and brave” because i’m “not just praising a film coz everyone else did”???!!

    But each to their own:-)

    A.Shah

  22. Comment by akshay shah on 20 September 2007:

    But I do agree she’s OVER doing the publicity and talking about the movie, every man and his dog will go and see this FDFS with or without publicity! It’s not often you get to see such a galaxy of stars in one movie

    A.Shah

  23. Comment by Street Pharmacist on 20 September 2007:

    akshayshah.. How would have had her reply to that question?

    First of all, I thought it was a bad question on the interviewer’s part. INstead of asking what prompted her to sign Shreays for OSO or what does she think of his past films, the interviewer throws a Dor at her. And it’s not liek she went out of her way to tear the film apart. (That kinda stuff you hear from the RGVs and VVC’s of the world) She just dismissed the iterveiwer’s thought and not onlytold him/her what her stand on Dor was (very very brief .. in 4 words) but also mentioned the performance which she found interesting and was impressed by.

    “not my type of cinema” that’s a lame, over-diplomatic, and boring ass reply. the type you expect a Bachchan or a an Aamir to come up with. Actually Aamir would have just told her “no comments” lol.

    On Dor, I quite liked teh film I watched teh first time.. but the 2nd viewing I found it a total bore.. and did what Farah did ;)

  24. Comment by akshay shah on 20 September 2007:

    Street: I don’t deny the questions were pretty crap overall(the only interviewer who asks decent questions is Sandy from what few interviews i read) so I guess a crap question deserves a crap answer. I don’t necessarily see that question as being “bad” as such, DOR was a fantastic performance from Shreyas, so it was either that or IQBAL the first movie that comes to the viewers minds, and DOR was his last proper release that got him a lot of acclaim.

    But I Just found her reply in bad taste “No. I had turned off Dor in half hour only” thats all and rather pompous. Just my two cents, if you don’t agree that’s fine dude.

    BTW the way you are with DOR, i’m the same with MHN, liked the film quiet a bit the first time, but turned it off after all the fun campus stuff is over in the second half which is just a total bore:-)

    A.Shah

  25. Comment by Sambaba on 20 September 2007:

    There is a difference between frankness and rudeness! Anyways, Farah should be credited for simple reason that in a country like India, she is female director who completely believes and stands by Masala films, I don’t think you have anyone else or many of such types!

  26. Comment by Street Pharmacist on 20 September 2007:

    I’m the exact opposite on MHN. Wasn’t impressed all that much when I watched it the first time..and I beleived teh film became a runaway hit simply by riding on SrK’s amzing form with 5-6 back-to-back hits. But over the years, and having watched teh film many times again, I;ve found quite a liking for it.. special admiration.. and find it enetartaing every single time I pop the DVD in, no matter what kind of a mood I am in. If I ever had to make a top 10 list for most memorable scenes in the srK-starrers, I’ll have atleast a couple of MHN scenes .. like the scene when SrK first sees Suhsmita and goes on singing “Chand mera Dil”
    … or for that matter the song videos and the choreography stand out big time amongst others Srk-starrers…for e.g the “Gori Gori” video…
    or even some of the comic scenes have me in splits every single time I watch it (couple of Satish Shah scenes)

  27. Comment by Sambaba on 20 September 2007:

    Street: Agree that Farah is doing a bit over publicity, but she is just giving out news which can or will create hype like the 30 stars or VFX song or so. Srk and Farah are completely numb on the basic storyline besides that its a reincarnation film and has BW in ‘77 and 2007. There is not news if Arjun is +ve or -ve character, similarly all the hype of Deepika’s modern look is kept as a secret and only her 70’s look is talked about.

  28. Comment by sandy on 20 September 2007:

    I thought Main Hoon Na was a total bore. I saw it the first time and hated it. Have never mustered the courage to see it again.
    Which is precisely why I am not too optimistic about OSO..but nevertheless I have vowed not to talk excessively about a film unless I have seen it, so I’ll shut up on this. :-)

  29. Comment by Sambaba on 20 September 2007:

    Farah’s sense of humor is completely different than regular filmi guys. If you can stand her interviews and her digs, you’ll love her movies, simple as that!

    For example, a scene in MHN where Lucky visits College library for the first time, you see a bells ringing(like a temple), girls running towards him with flower offerings, all the OTT stuff. If you don’t think that is humor, the whole scene falls flat but if you enjoy such kind of humor, you’ll enjoy it! Infact Farah and Sajid has quite often made fun of such scenes in interviews.

  30. Comment by flora on 20 September 2007:

    srk fans will like what ever farah says and neutral fans wont like her comments as simple as that,only people defending farah will be srk fans.

  31. Comment by Pranav on 20 September 2007:

    “Farah’s sense of humor is completely different than regular filmi guys. If you can stand her interviews and her digs, you’ll love her movies, simple as that! ”

    simple arguments for simple minds!

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