Though
Kareena
Kapoor
in
We
Are
Family
is
Siddharth
Malhotra's
cousin,
getting
her
into
the
film
was
not
easy.
Says
Siddharth,
"Kareena's
grandmother
Mrs
Krishna
Raj
Kapoor
and
my
grandfather
actor
Premnath
are
siblings.
So
I've
known
her
from
my
childhood.
We've
practically
grown
up
together.
When
I
went
to
Karan
Johar
with
the
idea
of
remaking
Stepmom
I
told
him
that
Kajol
and
Kareena
were
my
first
and
last
choices.
Karan
not
only
got
me
the
remake
rights
he
also
got
me
the
two
actresses."
Directing
Kajol
and
Kareena
was
a
dream-come-true
for
Siddharth.
"According
to
me,
Kareena
has
surpassed
Julia
Roberts
from
the
original.
The
two
actresses
are
the
best
we
have.
And
there
was
never
an
ego
issue.
Both
actresses
were
super-professional.
That
is
why
it
took
two
years
to
get
remake
rights
and
only
64
shifts
to
make
my
film.
Kajol
was
a
dream.
She'd
arrive
on
the
dot
at
9
am
be
on
the
sets
for
the
first
shot
at
9.30
and
we
would
pack
up
at
6
pm
so
that
she
could
return
to
her
baby.
To
me
she
was
the
ideal
actress,
wife
and
mother,
and
that's
what
she
plays
in
my
film."
Siddharth
can't
wait
for
Kajol
to
have
her
second
baby
so
he
can
make
another
film
with
her.
Says
the
besotted
director,
"Kajol
is
addictive.
No
one
can
work
only
once
with
her.
She
kept
me
on
my
toes.
If
you
work
with
her
you
better
do
your
homework,
or
she
will
grill
you.
Karan
has
taught
me
to
know
my
characters
on
my
finger
tips."
Siddharth
claims
he
knows
no
other
life
than
films.
"I
watch
3-4
films
a
day
even
today
in
every
language.
I
don't
go
out
to
socialize.
No
parties
and
no
late
nights.
I
couldn't
have
made
a
young
with-it
cool-and-hip
film
even
if
I
wanted
to.
It
had
to
be
a
film
about
family
values.
I
have
grown
up
in
that
atmosphere.
And
I
assisted
Sooraj
Barjatya
(on
Vivah)
and
Karan
Johar
(on
Kal
Ho
Na
Ho)."
So
how
different
is
We
Are
Family
from
the
original
Stepmom?
Siddharth
Malhotra
ponders.
"If
you
remember
Sooraj-ji
took
the
heart
of
Nadiya
Ke
Paar
and
made
Hum
Aapke
Hain
Koun.
Likewise
I've
taken
just
6-7
key
elements
of
Stepmom
and
then
written
it
on
my
own."
Next
Siddharth
returns
to
his
first
script,
a
family
comedy.
"I
was
actually
going
to
make
that
first.
Then
I
got
stuck
with
the
last
twenty
minutes.
Now
I've
got
it
worked
out."