Rahul
Dholakia
tells
this
correspondent
that
he
decided
to
cast
Sanjay
Dutt
because
he
needed
a
mature
actor,
not
a
Ranbir
Kapoor
type,
to
play
the
role
of
a
middle-aged
Military
Intelligence
Officer.
What
triggered
the
idea
of
making
a
film
like
Lamhaa?
When
I
had
screened
my
film
Parzania,
one
of
the
Kashmiri
students
at
Anahad,
an
NGO
in
Delhi,
stated
that
in
Kashmir,
all
of
them
were
living
in
a
beautiful
prison.
His
statement
triggered
the
idea
of
making
a
film
on
Kashmir
because
it
was
an
intriguing
idea.
What
is
Lamhaa
all
about?
Lamhaa
is
a
moment
of
uncertainty,
which
exists
in
every
Kashmiri"s
life
today.
It
is
that
moment
when
a
simple
homely
boy
can
become
a
suicide
bomber.
It
is
that
moment
when
a
soldier
can
be
shot
by
a
Lashkar
bullet
and
there
is
a
water
thin
line
between
a
militant
and
a
freedom
fighter.
My
film
Lamhaa
is
made
up
of
many
such
tender
moments
faced
by
the
normal
Kashmiri,
day
to
day
for
the
last
18
years.
Lamhaa
is
more
about
today
than
the
history
of
Kashmir.
To
make
it
engrossing
and
appealing
to
the
larger
audience,
I
have
incorporated
a
fictional
plot
in
Lamhaa.
Is
Lamhaa
a
pro
or
an
anti
Kashmir
film?
The
subject
is
about
how
Vikram
played
by
Sanjay
Dutt,
a
Military
Intelligence
Officer
is
brought
back
to
the
valley
to
uncover
a
plot.
During
his
journey,
Vikram
comes
across
a
lot
of
situations
which
the
common
Kashmiri
is
battling
today.
It
is
neither
a
pro
nor
anti
Kashmir
film.
It
is
a
very
balanced
film
which
while
putting
up
a
view
point
of
the
Kashmiri
today
strongly,
also
sets
out
to
tell
that
today
the
Kashmiri
is
also
divided,
because
one
set
wants
peace
and
progress,
represented
by
Kunal
Kapoor,
the
other,
represented
by
the
separatist
leader
played
by
Anupam
Kher,
wants
freedom
at
any
cost.
Bipasha
Basu
plays
a
Kashmiri
girl
called
Azeeza,
who
is
battling
both
her
internal
and
external
conflicts.
Though
initially,
Azeeza
works
for
the
separatist
leader,
gradually
she
understands
the
larger
picture
during
the
course
of
the
film.
Would
you
say
that
it
was
tougher
to
shoot
for
Lamhaa
than
it
was
for
Parzania?
It
was
much
more
tough
to
shoot
for
Lamhaa
than
for
Parzania,
at
every
level,
because
of
screenplay,
structure
and
dialogues.
Besides
the
fact
is
that
Parzania
was
shot
in
Gujarat
which
was
a
familiar
terrain
for
me
since
I
happen
to
be
a
Gujarati
myself.
But
I
needed
a
lot
of
time
to
research
for
Lamhaa.
Sitting
in
Mumbai,
all
of
us
are
quite
prejudiced
about
own
views
spread
by
the
media
as
well
as
the
people
around
us.
We
tried
to
get
out
of
the
shell
and
go
into
the
valley.
Why
did
you
not
play
safe
and
shoot
your
film
in
safer
locations
in
Kashmir
like
Pahalgam
or
Gulmarg?
I
wrote
the
script
of
Lamhaa
during
my
various
visits
to
Kashmir.
It
was
extremely
difficult
to
shoot
the
film
in
Kashmir.
The
first
time
when
we
went
to
shoot
there,
there
was
no
government
in
place
and
it
was
either
the
President"s
or
the
Governor"s
rule
in
Kashmir
and
hence
there
was
absolutely
no
support
system
for
us.
It
would
have
been
very
easy
to
shoot
in
Gulmarg
or
Pahalgam
but
I
wanted
to
shoot
in
downtown
Srinagar,
because
besides
the
fact
that
the
script
was
written
keeping
in
mind
the
locations
in
Srinagar,
I
needed
an
environment
of
the
city
when
all
these
things
happen.
Hence
I
chose
to
shoot
near
Jama
Masjid
where
a
curfew
has
now
been
imposed.
How
did
you
zero
in
on
Sanjay
Dutt
to
play
the
role
of
the
middle
-aged
Vikram
in
Lamhaa?
I
did
not
want
to
cast
Naseeruddin
Shah
in
the
role
that
I
had
ear
marked
for
Sanjay
Dutt
because
I
did
not
want
to
make
another
Parzania.
When
my
E.P.,
Rubina
met
producer
Bunty
Walia,
he
liked
the
idea
of
the
subject
of
Lamhaa
and
suggested
that
I
cast
Sanjay
Dutt
in
the
film.
I
decided
to
cast
Sanjay
because
I
needed
a
mature
actor,
not
a
Ranbir
Kapoor
type.
It
was
not
at
all
difficult
to
convince
Sanjay
Dutt,
because
once
he
heard
the
basic
idea
in
ten
minutes,
he
was
game
to
fly
down
to
shoot
in
Srinagar
and
started
talking
about
Kashmir
and
sharing
stories
about
the
valley
and
also
cried
about
the
deterioration
of
Dal
Lake
over
the
years.
Initially
we
had
sets
in
plan
at
Film
City
in
Goregaon,
but
since
we
could
not
get
people
who
looked
like
Kashmiris,
we
dropped
the
idea.
I
also
went
to
Manali
but
could
not
replicate
Kashmir.
When
producer
Bunty
Walia
managed
to
get
the
locations
free
in
Srinagar,
Sanjay
was
brave
enough
to
come
forward
to
shoot
for
the
film
in
Srinagar
Karisma
Kapoor
and
not
Bipasha
Basu
was
your
first
choice
for
Lamhaa!
Kehta
Hai
Dil
Baar
Baar
was
my
first
film
as
a
director.
Since
Bipasha
Basu
for
some
reasons
could
not
do
that
film
for
me,
I
got
Kim
Sharma
to
play
the
lead
opposite
Jimmy
Shergill
in
the
film.
For
Lamhaa,
let
me
confess
that
it
was
Karisma
Kapoor
who
I
had
approached
first
but
though
she
was
willing
to
act
in
the
film,
she
was
scared
and
hence
did
not
want
to
come
to
the
valley
to
shoot
for
the
film.
By
then
I
realized
that
the
character
of
Azeeza
needed
an
actress
who
is
athletic
and
on
the
edge
and
also
willing
to
give
me
time
for
the
project.
Bipasha
fitted
the
bill.
Bipasha
agreed
to
be
part
of
the
project
because
besides
the
fact
that
she
knew
me,
she
had
also
acted
with
Sanjay
Dutt
earlier
in
three
films
including
Rudraksh.
You
have
directed
Kunal
Kapoor
for
the
first
time!
Kunal
was
the
right
choice
of
the
role
of
the
boy
who
not
only
has
an
innocent
look
but
could
also
play
an
intense
character
because
he
is
a
converted
militant.
Kunal
took
his
own
time
and
read
the
script
seven
times
before
he
said
yes
to
me
Tell
me
about
your
next
film
after
Lamhaa-
Society
Kaam
Se
Gayee!
After
Lamhaa,
I
wanted
to
make
stress
free,
light
and
quick
film.
Can
you
believe
it,
though?
Lamhaa
is
seeing
the
light
of
the
day
only
now
after
I
have
already
completed
my
next
film.
It
is
a
relatively
simple
film
like
Society
Kaam
Se
Gayee.
It
was
earlier
titled
Society
but
sounded
too
intellectual
for
my
liking.
It
is
about
the
water
problem
faced
by
the
housing
societies
in
a
city
like
Mumbai.
It
is
a
satire
which
is
an
amalgamation
of
really
weird
characters.
How
would
you
evaluate
your
growth
as
a
filmmaker
from
Kehta
Hai
Dil
Baar
Baar
to
Society
Kaam
Se
Gayee?
I
made
Kehta
Hai
Dil
Baar
Baar
in
1998,
started
Parzania
way
back
in
2002
and
now
my
Lamhaa
is
being
released
in
2010.
It
has
been
a
journey
of
twelve
years
as
far
as
I
am
concerned,
as
a
director.
I
am
happy
with
my
journey,
because
I
have
made
at
least
two
good
films.
People
are
taking
me
a
little
more
seriously
after
Parzania
and
Lamhaa.
I
feel
that
with
every
film
your
responses
increase.
When
you
make
your
first
film,
you
do
not
lose
anything,
because
you
have
not
gained
anything.
You
get
a
better
perspective
as
you
get
older.
What
next,
after
Society
Kaam
Se
Gayee?
I
am
now
working
on
a
script
for
Ravi
Chopra.
It
will
be
an
intense
court
room
drama.
I
have
been
working
on
the
subject
for
over
a
year.
I
am
also
working
on
another
subject
for
a
political
action
film.