Easier to handle triplets than stars: Farah Khan

Bollywood director opens up about working with some of the biggest names in cinema.

NEW DEHLI: She managed the rare feat of bringing a caravan of 31 cinema stars together for a song in Om Shanti Om in 2007. Now, for her new film Happy New Year, director-choreographer Farah Khan has been busy handling a cast of six, including top-rated actors like Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, and the film-maker says that her toddlers are comparatively easier to handle.

“Let me tell you, it’s much easier to handle triplets and less tiring too,” the effervescent Farah, mother to two daughters and a son, said.

She was quick to add: “It’s six people here [in Happy New Year] and the onus is on me to make sure that each one gets their due presence. Each person is important in the script — it’s not that only Shahrukh is important. Each one has a character and a proper role to play and I have to make sure that each character stands out.”

What makes Farah happiest about being on the set of Happy New Year is the oneness of her eclectic cast.

“I always feel your movie will be as strong as your weakest link. So, if I ignore somebody, it’s not going to be good for the movie. Even Shahrukh knows that and he always keeps telling me to concentrate on Vivaan or make sure Sonu’s character is coming out well because each character is important,” she said of the film, which will have strong elements of a formulaic heist movie and liberal helpings of dance and music.

“In 95 percent of the movie, the six of them are always together. So, just in terms of logistics, it’s a nightmare, because someone wants to come late or leave early. But the chemistry between all of them is so great even off-screen, and that is translating very well on-screen,” she added.

Even the recently launched first-look poster of the movie features all the six characters. Yes, Shahrukh is in the centre of the poster, but he’s not snatching away the limelight from anyone.

“Nobody has an ego problem, nobody wants to stand in the middle, nobody says you’ve eaten my line or ‘I want to say that line’. Everyone is helping each other out during a scene and that is translating well on-screen because if the chemistry doesn’t happen, the movie won’t work as they are one team in the film,” said the 48-year-old Farah, who made her directorial debut with 2004 movie Main Hoon Na, starring SRK.

The director also points out that making a good film takes time.

“It takes two years to make a good film,” said Farah, who keeps herself busy with reality shows and choreography assignments when she’s not donning the director’s hat.

Happy New Year is her fourth directorial venture, which comes after a four-year-long hiatus. The director’s last cinematic offering was Tees Maar Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2014.

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