Once Kites came on floors, I was the King - Anurag

Anurag Basu is amused that for an entire year gone by, there have been rumours of his fall out with Roshans during the making of Kites. More than commenting on this being truth or plain speculation, Basu doesn't have any qualms in admitting that he is such a stubborn person that if pushed to a corner, he wouldn't even mind backing out of a project.

"How many people would have guts to leave their first ever directorial venture while it is in the making? I have done that. 7 years back when things didn't work out on Kucch Toh Hai (Tusshar Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor), I didn't have any hesitation walking out. If there are any creative differences that remain unresolved for a long time, it is better to step down. I am quite stubborn when it comes to things like these. Do you think Kites would have reached this stage if I had any issues", says Basu who has carved a niche for himself with three back to back successes since then - Murder, Gangster and Life In A Metro.

This is the reason why he merely smiles when questioned about the 'trouble' he had to go through at the hand of Roshans while Kites was being filmed.

"Arrey yaar, mujhpe kuch thopa toh nahi gaya. We both decided to work together because we respected each other professionally. Once on board, it is a part and parcel of the creative process to get into discussions and arguments. So yes, this happened in case of Kites as well", says Anurag in a calm tone.

He however re-emphasises on the fact that all arguments were only during the writing stage and not the actual shooting.

"Dekho, film toh kaagaz par banti hai", he reasons, "When I was writing ... Metro, I didn't have to convince anyone. I just wrote it. On the other hand, in case of Kites, it was a democratic process where everyone gave inputs. It was healthy but something new for me because I had never written like that ever before." He adds with a laugh, "I guess it was more of dictatorship for me in the earlier years. Here in case of Kites, I was in constant discussions with other writers like Robin Bhatt and Akash Khurana."

Anurag sounds quite happy when sharing his experience of shooting the film. "Once Kites came on floors, I was the King. No one questioned me at all. In any case, execution is always simple while writing is the toughest part."

Quashing all rumours, Basu confirms once for and all that he has no issues whatsoever with Rakesh Roshan.

"Rakeshji is a director himself and understands the kind of space that a director needs", he says in all earnest, "He gave me all the freedom that I required."