Abhishek speaks of his film <i>Aryan</i>

Courtesy: IndiaFM
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Abhishek Kapoor who made his debut as an actor a decade back with Uff Yeh Mohabbat alongside Twinkle Khanna shifted gears when he decided to embark into the field of direction. His first film as a director Aryan was on hold for sometime but now will finally see the light of day this coming Friday. With positive reports from the film industry who have seen the movie, Abhishek is keeping his fingers crossed that his baby will hit the jackpot. Over to Abhishek...

Why the delay in the release of Aryan?
We faced a lot of hardships which I just can't explain. There were many problems. We had problems with the distribution. We had tied up with a major corporate house who wanted to get into distribution with our film. We had a commitment and almost signed up when they suddenly dropped their plans to distribute. That really set us back. Since we were new producers, there was no question of just releasing the movie out badly. We decided to hold on and decide the best way to do it. It took some time and we worked really hard on this. The film has seen so many hardships with its release. What is important is that people like the product.

Many people are under the impression that Aryan is inspired from Sylvester Stallone's Rocky series? Your comments!
I think Rocky is a very nice movie but then my film is not inspired from there. There is no point in me denying it. People can go watch my film and see for it themselves. Other than the fact that the film is not boxing oriented and about the underdog, there are no similarities. In America, boxing is about a lot of money. This movie is not about money. It's about the sport.

Boxing is not exactly a popular sport in India. What made you choose such a subject?
Just yesterday, the head of the worldwide Olympic committee was slamming India on why hockey is such a failed sport today mainly because of lack of promotion. Someone has to make a sacrifice, gain recognition and bring popularity to that sport and that is how the sport will flourish. Be it Leander Paes or Mahesh Bhupathi, there was no money in this sport but they delivered and that's when sponsors and money come in. So one man has to do it and this is a story of similar nature.

Tell us something about Kapil Dev's role in the film?
Kapil Dev is doing a guest appearance in the film. He was kind enough to grace our film with his presence. He is a sports icon and cricket is definitely the ultimate sport in the country. He has added to the sporty flavour in the movie.

Since the film is being released, why are there still low key promotions?
The thing is that people are aware of the film. There is not much hype. But hype is basically fake. One doesn't need to fool the audience and say that the greatest movie is coming. If the promos and songs have told the audience something about the movie, they will come and see it. There are so many movies which have done well without any hype. I cannot publicize my movie with Sohail Khan and Sneha Ullal like a Bhagam Bhag. In fact people like Akshay Kumar don't even need so much publicity because they are such big stars. Technically speaking my film should have that hype but I don't think that actually matters. They should see my product and decide whether it makes a difference or not.

Don't you think the delay will hamper the film's prospects?
There are pros and cons to it but the Lord works in mysterious ways.

You have opposition from Kabul Express. Any pre-release jitters?
Strangely none! I am a very hyper-active person. My movie is finally coming out. I just want people to come and watch my film. The kind of labour pains that I have, I don't care who else is giving birth and where they are giving birth. My baby is coming out.

What are you planning next?
I have been writing two scripts simultaneously. I have not been working with full force with these ideas because my mind was so distracted with the release of Aryan. But they are very interesting concepts. I'm interested in making good movies. I like drama and I like films about people.

Why did you quit acting?
I didn't really quit acting but I was actually made to quit acting because I was not offered anything interesting. I didn't feel that would propel my career any further. So I took a break and decided to figure things out. During the course I came up with the story of Aryan and I was so kicked up about this subject that I decided to direct it.

What is your equation with your cousin Ekta Kapoor?
I love Ekta. She is my kid sister. The funny part is when the media portrays her as this media baron. It's so strange as I don't see anything like it. She is like a baby to me.

Do you plan on doing television like her?
No plans at the moment to enter television.