"I am shooting my next movie Contract" - RGV
Where
have
you
been
hiding?
I
was
shooting
my
new
film
Contract
in
Mumbai
and
Bangkok,
besides
shooting
the
balance
and
post-production
of
Sarkar
Raj,
which
releases
in
May.
People
believed
you
had
gone
into
hiding
after
Aag?
Why
would
I
hide?
I've
made
flops
before.
Yes,
I
agree
Aag
was
a
special
flop.
The
reason
I
didn't
speak
is
because
there
was
nothing
to
say.
I
went
into
a
phase
of
introspection.
I
now
feel
I
was
making
films
lately
with
a
certain
frivolous
even
callous
attitude.
I
was
also
making
press
statements
for
effect,
for
shock
value.
I
decided
to
keep
quiet
for
a
while.
High
time
I
stopped
talking
stupidly.
Why
do
you
think
your
utterances
were
stupid?
I
want
to
make
films
that
excite
me
which
hopefully
will
excite
the
audience.
Once
you
start
getting
addicted
to
media
interviews
you
tend
to
forget
you
are
a
filmmaker,
and
not
meant
to
entertain
people
through
your
interviews.
I
made
Aag
out
of
arrogance.
I
think
I
just
wanted
to
be
cocky
by
remaking
a
film
I
loved
and
respected.
But
when
I
decided
to
remake
Shiva
I
wonder
what
I
was
thinking!
Earlier
it
took
me
three
minutes
to
decide
to
do
a
film.
Today
I'd
think
a
million
times
before
re-doing
Shiva.
Why
would
I
want
to
do
something
so
juvenile
after
having
done
Satya,
Sarkar
and
Company?
Has
Aag
changed
you?
Yes.
But
I
don't
blame
anyone
else
for
going
wrong
in
Aag.
Mr.
Amitabh
Bachchan
trusted
me
completely
in
Aag.
He
trusted
my
vision
and
intention.
But
I
feel
my
intention
was
wrong.
Aag
was
a
three-year
old
dream.
Many
changes
happened.
I
was
told
by
lawyers
to
change
the
story
because
my
Sholay
had
to
be
different
from
the
original.
I
lost
my
way
along
the
way.
Aag
ended
up
as
a
caricature
of
Sholay.
You
admit
that?
When
people
around
you
keep
saying
it's
turning
out
well,
you
tend
to
get
carried
away.
Aag
was
a
special
flop
for
me.
Just
as
Sholay
was
benchmark.
Aag
was
a
landmark
for
me.
It
was
not
even
a
wake
up
call.
It
was
a
slap.
If
Aag
wasn't
attached
to
Sholay
it'd
have
been
just
another
flop.
But
because
of
the
Sholay
factor
my
blunder
was
magnified
manifold.
It
was
time
for
me
to
take
time
off
to
think
deeply.
You
sound
different!
Eventually
you
are
what
you
are.
My
intention
and
objectives
are
now
different.
People
can
say
what
they
want.
I
know
exactly
why
I
worked
with
the
cast
that
I
did
in
Aag.
When
I
came
to
Mumbai
to
make
films
I
was
like
a
kid
in
the
candy
store.
I
wanted
it
all.
I
guess
I
didn't
have
the
infrastructure
or
enough
time
to
do
justice
to
all
my
projects.
By
the
time,
I
realized
where
I
was
going
wrong
it
was
too
late.
I
was
stuck
with
these
projects.
I
continued
to
make
callous
cocky
statements.
But
somewhere
I
felt
I
was
going
wrong.
I'd
never
again
jump
into
a
project
because
it
sounded
good
on
the
idea
level.
I'll
only
do
films
with
scripts
and
with
full
objectivity
and
make
sure
that
it
has
the
potential
to
get
an
audience.
Nobody
realizes
mistakes
until
he
gets
a
solid
slap.
Aag
was
that
slap.
Making
a
success
isn't
in
my
hands.
But
making
sure
that
I
make
films
with
objectivity
is
something
I
can
do,
and
I
will.
Is
that
the
spirit
in
which
Contract
is
being
made?
Yes.
I
made
a
conscious
decision
to
make
it
with
newcomers.
There're
40
characters
in
this
underworld
film,
all
played
by
unknown
faces.
When
I
took
Manoj
Bajpai
in
Satya
or
Vivek
Oberoi
in
Company
I
wasn't
launching
stars.
I
used
them
because
they
were
right
for
the
roles.
But
when
the
media
and
my
associates
started
praising
me
it
went
to
my
head.
I
began
seeing
myself
as
a
star-maker.
I
went
into
the
trip
of
launching
new
actors.
When
I
signed
Mohit
Ahlawat
and
Prashant
Raj,
I
presumed
they
were
stars
before
the
film
was
made.
I
was
being
more
and
more
sucked
into
a
fantasy-land.
Doing
multiple
films
at
such
a
fast
pace
in
this
state
of
mind
was
a
potent
and
lethal
blend.
Hence,
the
sabbatical.
Now
I'm
far
more
clear-headed.
While
you
were
introspecting
people
thought
your
career
had
gone
kaput...
that
you
were
doing
a
film
with
newcomers
because
established
stars
won't
work
with
you…
It's
a
free
country.
People
are
free
to
think
and
say
what
they
like.
I've
always
done
what
I
wanted.
After
Satya,
I
did
Rangeela.
Then
I
did
Daud,
which
had
Sanjay
Dutt.
Whether
then
or
now,
I
did
what
I
wanted.
What
my
detractors
or
well-wishers
say
is
their
business,
they're
welcome
to
their
opinion.
Even
I'd
think
the
same
way.
Barring
Mr.
Bachchan,
the
cast
in
Aag
took
it
down.
I
disagree.
It
was
up
to
me
to
do
the
right
thing
with
the
cast.
In
Sarkar,
Mr.
Bachchan
trusted
me
as
much
as
he
trusted
me
in
Aag.
That
his
character
worked
in
one
and
not
in
the
other
isn't
his
fault.
According
to
me,
his
performance
in
Aag
was
far
more
complex
and
superior.
I
believed
equally
in
Manoj,
Randeep,
Mohit
and
Prashant
.Manoj's
character
worked.
The
others
didn't.
Your
financial
position
is
supposed
to
be
so
bad
you
had
to
apparently
sell
your
car?
How
do
I
answer
that
without
sounding
stupid?
For
the
last
fifteen
years,
people
have
been
worried
about
my
finances-so
sweet
of
them.
Let
me
assure
them
I'm
still
moving
around
in
the
same
car.
I
haven't
sold
it.
People
write
anything
they
want.
I'm
making
films
the
way
I
want
to.
You've
supposedly
gone
from
riches
to
rags.
I
was
never
rich
in
the
first
place.
My
finances
are
nobody's
business.
Other
people's
distress
always
makes
us
happy.
If
they're
having
fun
at
the
expense
of
my
finances
let
them.
You've
certainly
changed!
I've
become
more
intense
and
objective.
And
very
clear
about
what
I
want
to
do.
Do
you
feel
isolated?
I
was
always
a
lonely
person.
Yes
earlier
there
were
more
people
around
me.
That's
because
I
had
many
productions
on
the
floors.
Right
now,
I
am
doing
only
one
film.
Nothing
will
change
in
terms
of
the
content.
I'll
still
make
highly
experimental
films.
Will
you
still
give
chances
to
every
spotboy
who
wants
to
direct
a
film?
I
didn't
give
chances.
I
took
chances.
But
I
won't
sign
anyone
on
a
whim.
And
it
would
be
the
responsibility
of
those
I
sign
to
deliver
the
goods.
No
point
in
making
films
nobody
is
going
to
see.
I've
changed
in
my
attitude.
Today,
I
wonder
if
I'd
make
Daud
after
Satya!
Today,
I
know
why
I
am
directing
Contract.
In
1997,
when
I
made
Satya
there
were
108
underworld
shootouts
in
Mumbai.
Today
there
are
far
less.
The
profile
of
the
underworld
has
changed.
And
I
want
to
explore
that
change.
The
new
developments
in
the
underworld
have
given
birth
to
new
characters.
And
I've
used
new
faces
because
these
faces
reflect
the
new
order.
Does
this
project
take
you
back
to
your
Satya
days?
I
still
continue
to
make
films
only
for
myself.
It's
a
myth
you
can
make
films
for
the
audience.
You
don't
know
who
the
audience
is.
So
my
films
are
going
to
be
far
more
experimental
than
before.
Contract
takes
me
into
areas
I
haven't
gone
into
before.
Okay,
lastly
what
is
the
one
lesson
that
you
learnt
from
the
Aag
fiasco?
That
I
need
to
get
it
right.
Ramesh
Sippy
was
right.
I
was
foolish
to
attempt
Sholay
the
way
I
did.
At
some
point
of
time
when
I'm
ready
I
want
to
do
it
again.
This
time
I
won't
make
the
same
mistakes