Saturday,
November
24,
2007
The
London-based
Shekhar
Kapoor
made
his
directorial
debut
in
Hollywood
with
'Elizabeth
',
in
1998.
Unfortunately,
despite
the
awards
abroad,
the
movie
failed
to
make
an
impact
in
India,
maybe
because
it
did
not
release
nationwide.
Now
Kapoor
is
back
in
the
news
with
the
sequel
to
Elizabeth,
and
his
aim
to
make
sure
that
it
is
released
in
theatres
in
every
city
of
India.
It
also
gives
him
a
chance
to
reconnect
with
the
Indian
audience.
He
tells
us
about
'Elizabeth
–
The
Golden
Age',
and
more.
Q.
'Elizabeth
'
was
nominated
all
over
the
world
for
its
costumes.
What
kind
of
research
have
you
done
for
costumes
for
'Elizabeth
–
The
Golden
Age'?
A.
A
lot
of
research.
I
met
with
a
lot
of
people.
I
never
spent
too
much
time
wondering
how
things
must
have
been;
I
just
focused
on
how
we
could
make
it
look
believable.
I
want
to
tell
you
about
the
discussions
my
costume
designers
and
I
had
over
materials
and
colours.
The
Virgin
Mary
is
seen
in
blue,
mostly,
and
this
is
her
purest
form.
I
wanted
my
protagonist
in
the
same
colours.
However,
in
England,
blue
is
not
considered
a
sign
of
purity,
so
my
designers
advised
me
against
it.
I
insisted,
reasoning
that
blue
was
an
expensive
colour
in
those
days,
and
only
a
queen
could
afford
it.
Q.
The
British
ruled
us
for
so
long.
How
do
you
think
the
Indian
audience
will
take
this
film?
A.
I
have
no
idea.
Q.
It
is
rumoured
that
you
are
planning
to
revive
the
project
that
was
stalled
15
years
ago
–
'Time
Machine'.
A.
That
is
true.
My
friend,
Karan
Razdan,
and
I,
wrote
the
story
together.
Both
Karan
and
I
have
received
many
offers
to
revive
the
movie,
in
all
these
years.
So
we
thought
we
should
do
it
ourselves.
You
know,
a
lot
of
people
told
us
that
the
story
was
way
of
its
time
then;
but,
again,
most
of
my
stories
are
perceived
as
being
ahead
of
their
times.
Another
reason
for
not
completing
the
movie
was
the
fact
that
our
artistes
and
director
had
date
problems.
Q.
So
will
you
use
the
same
actors
again,
or
do
you
have
other
plans?
A.
The
story
is
the
same,
and
apt
for
this
generation's
audience.
The
cast
will
be
different
from
the
original
one,
obviously.
The
original
cast
members
no
longer
suit
the
roles.
I
am
looking
for
a
director
for
this
movie.
Q.
Don't
you
think
most
Bollywood
stories
are
ahead
of
their
times,
since
they
have
more
fantasy
than
reality?
A.
Absolutely
not.
Fantasy
is
something
else,
and
being
ahead
of
your
time
is
an
entirely
different
issue.
A
fantasy
can
be
based
on
the
present
or
the
future.
I
am
talking
about
the
time
when
there
were
only
four
genres
in
Indian
films.
I
wanted
to
do
something
different,
and
I
was
told
that
the
audience
is
not
ready
for
a
film
like
this.
Now
that
we
have
had
movies
like
Rang
De
Basanti,
Chak
De
India,
and
Munnabhai
MBBS,
the
possibilities
are
immense.
Q.
Do
you
think
Boney
Kapoor's
Mr
India
was
also
ahead
of
its
time?
A.
It
was.
I
was
told,
again,
that
it
would
not
work
with
the
audience,
but
it
clicked,
and
became
a
hit.
Ironically,
the
producer
of
Mr
India,
Boney
Kapoor,
thought
'Time
Machine'
was
ahead
of
its
time.
Things
have
changed
now.
I
still
think
that
the
audience
was
ready
then,
and
we,
as
filmmakers,
were
not
convinced
enough.
Q.
After
Masoom
and
Mister
India,
you
have
hardly
directed
any
films
in
Bollywood.
Any
specific
reason
for
that?
A.
Not
really.
Since
I
left
India,
I
have
done
Bandit
Queen,
Four
Feathers,
and
both
the
Elizabeth
movies.
I
also
worked
with
AR
Rehman
for
some
time.
I
launched
my
comic
book
company,
and
it
has
been
pretty
successful
so
far.
I
have
been
so
busy
that
I
don't
remember
the
last
time
that
I
spent
two
weeks
in
Mumbai,
without
a
care
in
the
world.
I
had
three
homes
–
in
India,
USA
and
London.
Now
I
have
left
London.
I
want
to
spend
more
time
in
India.
Q.
You
are
rediscovering
your
roots...
A.
I
never
forgot
my
roots.
As
far
as
filmmaking
is
concerned,
the
same
stories
that
everybody
had
ridiculed
15
years
ago,
are
now
praised.
I
could
not
have
made
'Paani'
then,
but
now
people
are
praising
the
story,
and
how!
Q.
So
who
do
you
think
is
responsible
for
this
change?
The
filmmakers,
or
the
audience?
A.
Filmmakers,
mostly.
The
audience
has
always
been
ready,
even
in
1940.
The
audience
always
has
a
vivid
imagination,
and
is
receptive
to
good
entertainment.
We
have
to
deliver
the
goods.
Q.
You
are
a
renowned
director
worldwide,
and
nationwide.
Why
do
you
make
more
movies
abroad
than
here?
A.
When
I
started,
there
were
certain
topics
that
I
wanted
to
make,
but
I
could
not.
I
wanted
to
make
a
movie
on
Nelson
Mandela,
but
could
not.
I
am
sure
everybody
knows
that
'Bandit
Queen'
was
financed
from
outside
the
country.
Those
days,
nobody
was
willing
to
invest
in
different
kinds
of
films,
but
now
they
are.