2010
was
a
year
of
much
learning
and
sobering
for
writer-turned-director
Abbas
Tyrewala.
After
the
debacle
of
Jhootha
Hi
Sahi,
he
has
decided
to
never,
yes
NEVER,
make
a
romantic
film
again.
Says
the
disenchanted
director,
"Everyone
has
romance
within
himself.
So
do
I.
But
everyone
has
a
sense
of
humour
too.
It
doesn't
mean
you
should
make
a
comedy.
After
Jhootha
Hi
Sahi,
I
never
want
to
return
to
the
rom-com.
It's
just
not
my
scene."
Abbas'
next
will
be
a
dark
noire
thriller
occupying
a
more
cerebral
head-space
and
using
actors
from
a
different
generation.
"I'm
writing
a
dark
espionage
thriller
which
would
take
me
as
far
away
from
the
romantic
genre
as
creatively
possible.
The
rom-com
limits
your
choice
of
actors.
I
want
to
do
a
film
with
Naseeruddin
Shah,
Ratna
Shah,
Paresh
Rawal…those
wonderful
actors
bring
in
their
own
wisdom,
maturity
and
wit
with
them.
I
don't
want
to
be
doing
films
that
restrict
me
to
the
youth
market."
Abbas
feels
that
the
budget
did
Jhootha
Hi
Sahi
in.
"We
can
go
on
doing
a
post-mortem.
But
the
fact
is,
when
we
started
the
film,
a
budget
of
Rs.
30
crores
didn't
seem
exorbitant
for
a
film
whose
director
had
Jaane
Tu...Ya
Jaane
Na
behind
him,
producer
(Madhu
Mantena)
had
Ghajini
and
the
leading
man
was
fresh
from
two
hits
Dostana
and
New
York.
Then
suddenly
2010
became
the
year
of
the
bloodbath.
Suddenly
films
with
a
budget
of
Rs
80-100-120
crores
began
to
bomb.
We
were
suddenly
seen
as
being
self-indulgent.
I've
realized
the
hard
way
that
cost-effectiveness
is
all-important."
Regarding
his
wife
Pakhi's
insipid
debut
Abbas
takes
full
responsibility.
"If
people
said
she
looked
like
an
aunty
in
the
film
I
am
to
blame
completely.
I
was
trying
an
aspirational
style
with
her.
I
am
the
one
who
thought
she
should
dress
up
a
particular
way
as
she
was
playing
a
suicidal
character.
I'd
constantly
reject
chic
clothes
for
her
and
opt
for
the
more
matter-of-fact
dresses.
I
now
realize
that
dressing
up
a
suicidal
character
in
non-glamorous
clothes
is
suicidal
for
a
film.
If
Pakhi
did
not
come
across
as
dynamic
and
beautiful
then
I
failed.
I
was
just
too
close
to
her
to
direct
her
objectively."
Abbas
advises
directors
in
love
to
stay
away
from
behind
the
camera
when
their
loved
ones
are
acting.
"I
owe
Pakhi
an
apology.
And
I
owe
myself
and
my
producer
Madhu
Mantena
a
successful
film."
Abbas
completely
discards
the
rumour
that
he'd
be
working
with
his
Jaane
Tu...Ya
Jaane
Na
star
Imran
Khan
again.
"Like
I
told
you
I
am
going
into
the
mature
older
bracket
of
actors.
Imran
and
I
continue
to
be
friends.
But
I
don't
see
us
working
together
in
the
near
future."
Story first published: Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 15:12 [IST]