Out
of
the
three
movies
that
Pooja
Bhatt
had
directed,
two
were
unsuccessful
at
the
box-office.
But
that
hasn't
disheartened
the
actress
one
bit.
As
of
now,
she
is
excited
about
her
forthcoming
movie
Dhoka,
that
has
terrorism
as
its
theme.
She
talks
about
the
film's
storyline,
her
liking
for
comedy
and
how
she
deals
with
her
actors.
What
inspired
you
to
make
a
movie
on
terrorism?
Mr.
Bhatt
was
telling
me
about
how
custodial
deaths
often
turn
common
people
into
vengeful
terrorists.
He
told
me
about
this
police
officer
whose
wife
died
in
a
bomb
blast.
I
was
shocked
when
I
was
told
that
the
wife
was
a
suicide
bomber.
The
ones
who
fall
victim
to
a
tragedy
are
the
ones
who
give
birth
to
it.
This
interested
me
and
I
thought
of
making
a
film
on
the
subject.
What
preparation
did
you
do
for
this
movie?
I
visited
some
of
the
places
where
suicide
bombers
had
struck
terror.
A
lot
of
people,
including
some
reporters,
helped
me
in
this
work.
I
had
the
notion
that
it
was
Pakistani
Muslims
who
are
involved
in
Jihad.
But
my
perception
changed
as
soon
as
I
found
out
that
Hindus
are
equally
involved
in
the
crime
in
our
country.
I
thought
this
cop
Mr.
Bhatt
told
me
about
is
my
hero,
who
gets
punished
for
crimes
that
others
commit.
Tell
us
more
about
the
movie.
The
protagonist
of
Dhoka
is
Zaid
Ahmed
Khan,
played
by
Muzammil
Ibrahim,
who
is
an
honest
and
principled
police
officer.
He
leads
a
happy
life
with
wife
Sara,
played
by
Tulip
Joshi,
till
one
day
when
Sara
is
killed
in
a
bomb
blast.
Zaid
is
very
depressed
but
when
investigations
reveal
that
Sara
was
not
the
victim
but
the
culprit
he
is
shocked.
Zaid
is
suspended
from
work,
despite
his
pleas
of
innocence.
He
offers
to
help
in
the
investigations
even
after
being
suspended
as
he
is
eager
to
know
what
made
his
wife
commit
the
crime.
Don't
you
feel
that
Muzammil
is
too
young
to
play
the
character?
We
wanted
Irfan
Khan
to
play
this
character
but
then
today's
young
audience
can
associate
with
Muzammil
better.
If
the
youngsters
don't
relate
to
the
theme
there
is
no
use
making
the
movie.
How
was
the
casting
done
for
the
movie?
During
the
music
release
party
of
film
Holiday,
Muzammil
had
come
on
someone
else's
pass.
I
asked
him
what
he
was
doing
there
when
he
was
not
invited.
He
said
he
had
come
to
meet
me.
Later,
while
returning
home
from
the
event
I
thought
of
the
slim
guy.
So
after
finalizing
the
story
of
Dhoka,
I
selected
him.
There
was
not
much
of
a
problem
because
he
hails
from
Kashmir
and
understands
the
problem
of
terrorism.
The
two
heroines
Tulip
and
Ashima
were
selected
via
auditions.
This
subject
is
quite
controversial,
so
what
special
care
did
you
take
so
that
you
don't
offend
the
sensibilities
of
the
audience?
I
just
know
that
if
you
make
a
movie
with
a
clear
heart
and
soul,
and
in
good
spirits,
then
you
need
not
worry
about
anything.
You
have
been
an
actor,
so
how
do
you
deal
with
your
actors
as
a
director?
I
am
strict
with
my
actors,
because
I
know
there
is
no
difference
between
actors
and
dogs.
I
say
so
because
I
have
been
an
actor.
What
is
your
source
of
inspiration?
My
mother,
she
alone
looked
after
my
upbringing
and
inculcated
values
and
morals
in
me.
Will
you
ever
act
in
your
own
direction?
For
me,
acting
is
equivalent
to
a
holiday
trip.
But
I
would
never
want
to
act
in
my
own
films.
What
is
your
husband's
reaction
when
you
direct
him?
On
the
sets,
we
are
not
husband
and
wife.
We
are
professionals.
He
is
aware
of
my
direction
and
he
has
no
ego
problem
as
such.
You
were
about
to
cast
Mallika
Sherawat
in
one
of
your
movies.
What
happened?
Yes,
it
true
that
we
are
going
to
make
a
movie
titled
Cabaret.
But
the
actress
has
not
been
finalized
yet.
Being
a
multi-tasker,
what
else
do
you
plan
to
do
in
the
future?
I
am
very
happy
with
the
work
I
have
done
so
far,
I
just
want
to
be
known
as
a
film-maker
or
a
producer
or
director.
Have
you
ever
thought
of
making
a
comedy
flick?
I
love
comedy
films
a
lot.
As
an
actor,
the
two
movies
I
enjoyed
doing
the
most
were
Dil
Hai
Ki
Manta
Nahi
and
Prem
Diwane.
I
think
sobbing,
shouting
and
screeching
are
not
that
difficult
to
enact.
The
most
difficult
thing
is
to
make
the
audience
laugh
with
your
good
timing.
There
are
a
lot
of
comedians
in
the
industry
but
if
I
make
a
comedy,
I
will
take
Anupam
Kher
or
Paresh
Rawal
for
the
lead
role.
These
guys
are
not
scared
of
portraying
themselves
as
funny.
Which
is
your
next
movie
as
a
director?
The
name
of
my
next
movie
is
Muskil.
It
is
a
story
of
a
small-town
guy
who
comes
to
a
big
city
with
dreams
in
his
eyes.
The
cast
has
not
being
finalized
as
yet.
I
just
want
to
say
that
we
are
looking
for
new
faces
to
act
in
this
venture.
So
come
for
the
auditions
and
you
might
be
the
one
to
act
in
this
movie.