Rehan khan debuts in Jaana - Let's Fall In Love

By: Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Nervous? Excited? Happy? Well, debutant Rehan Khan is going through each of these emotional states not just alternatively but simultaneously. But all should be well when his dream flick Jaana - Let's Fall In Love releases this Friday. It's not just his character in the film that has a bubbly youth persona to it. Talk to him and you would find that it's his intrinsic trait that comes naturally to him. Young, happy and a little restless [maybe because his film's release is just a few hours away], he talks nine to dozen about Jaana - Let's Fall In Love, the film's delay&it's eventual release, ex-superstar Rajesh Khanna's non-cooperation for the film and, hold your breath, about the spirit of Late Raj Kapoor being the driving force behind the film!

Nervous, excited or plain happy?
Main kya bataaon, all of these! You can't even imagine how it feels for a newcomer who is just getting ready to see his work come alive on a big screen. After months and months of hard work, when your first film actually becomes a reality, it is simply impossible to describe the emotions.

But you must have got some industry feelers by now?
Yes, we have had as many as 7 trial shows for the film. See, for a newcomer, if a film has to be sold, the distributors would always want to have a look at the film first. Inshallah! Wherever the film has been shown, it has been liked and after every trial show, at least a territory has been sold. Now the film has been grabbed by all the territories and would see a very good release with 250 prints.

250 prints? And that too with so many other films releasing on the same day?
That's true. For us the only major competition is Zindaggi Rocks. And there too we have more prints in Mumbai though in Delhi, Zindaggi Rocks is coming up with slightly higher number of prints than us. Apart from these two flicks, there are as many as 10 more flicks coming up. I am aware about Iqraar - By Chance, Mannat, Janani, Gafla, Mera Dil Leke Dekho and 7 Islands and a Metro. Believe me but after that I have lost count!

So what is your presumption about the film?
Jaana - Let's Fall In Love has been made for Rs. 4.5 crore and we have already made a table profit. Now what we want to see is a hit tag, and that's something which comes from the audience. We, as a production house, are not of a kind who would feed the trade papers and have a film being called a success. If it has to eventually succeed, it will.

But isn't Zindaggi Rocks a good enough competition?
Yes it is. But then as the saying goes, let the best film win [laughs]!

While this is the first film for you, Anjana Sukhani has two releases behind her (Hum Dum and Sun Zarra) and a biggie Salaam-E-Ishq coming up. Was it intimidating for you?
Oh no, not at all! In fact she made me feel so comfortable on the sets and never treated me as a newcomer. She was quite helpful throughout and in fact conducted herself as a newcomer in the film. There were no tantrums or ego hassles at all. Whether during the filming or the promotion, she has been so cooperative throughout.

But what happened to Rajesh Khanna and Zeenat Aman? They were once touted as a special attraction but now they are nowhere in the promos!
Arrey poocho mat! Don't even remind me of them. They have just disassociated themselves from the film, especially 'kaka', who I believe is still not out of his stardom. Now when they have not helped the film all this while, we too have decided to go ahead with the promotion without them. See, it has to be two ways, right? You give some, you take some.

Go on.
When the film was offered to 'kaka', everyone understood that it was a beautiful role that would certainly bring him into limelight. But then it wasn't a great experience after that at all. There was interference and that too to such an extent that during a dubbing session he wanted certain dialogues to be changed!

And did that happen?
(Says agitatedly) Why would that happen? If there is something for the betterment of the film, we would allow that but if it is sheer illogical then there is no need to change something to make a person happy. Certain things we did agree since they were adding on to the film, but agreeing to things like those that happened in the dubbing studio? No way! Last we see there is a disassociation of sorts happening from 'kaka'! Unhe koyi farak hi nahi padta ki film kaisi bani hai!

But doesn't that harm the film's prospect?
If they have decided to disassociate them selves from the film then fair enough, but it still doesn't harm us. The script of Jaana - Let's Fall In Love is powerful enough to make audience realize the film's beauty.

Ok, let's move to happier topics. So what is the film about?
The film tries to say that there is no right way to do a wrong. This is about a guy who wants to go fast and reach the heights. In the process he ends up meeting a girl who for him is a blank cheque. He starts taking advantage of her and uses her as the means to achieve his goals. He doesn't love her but eventually with time starts falling in love with her. But then God has certain other plans for them. He decides to punish him in his own way and let the destiny intervene.

So does it turn out to be tragedy in the end?
(Laughs) No, I am not telling you that. For that you have to watch the film!

How did the film's subject happen?
The film was presented by my father to Late Raj Kapoor as a launch pad for Rishi Kapoor way back in 1971. At that time, Raj Kapoor didn't think that this would be an ideal launch for his son. Years went by and I was about to be launched by my dad. In fact, we had started working on a different film altogether. Now believe it or not but Raj Kapoor actually came in my father's dream and said, "Tu apne bachche ke liye wahi film bana jiski script tu Rishi ke liye leke aaya tha. Woh sabse achcha rahega Rehan ke liye! " This was it and my dad dropped everything and started Jaana - Let's Fall In Love.

One factor that has stood out during all these months in spite of a slight delay in release has been the music.
And I must credit each of my music directors for the same. When we wanted this album to be composed, we were faced with strange demands by top composers like "Give us Rs. One or Two lakhs for each of the songs"! Koyi poori album ki baat nahi karta tha, everyone wanted to quote the rate on a song each. We just thought that if the composers are primarily interested in just thinking about a single song rather than looking at a whole film per se, why not rope in different composers and get an album ready. After all these composers would be interested in what's happening with the film, its situations and hence bring in variety. That's the reason you see each of the tracks stands out on its own!

What else is happening beyond Jaana - Let's Fall In Love?
(Smiles) Abhi toh bas itna hi hai! Dua hai ki yeh film successful rahe and then you can expect to see more of me. But what I can assure you is that after watching the film, you will certainly feel good. Take my word!