The director explains why Happy New Year’s success will be a morale boost to other women directors & talks about her next film with SRK
Farah Khan is all smiles. Obviously. Happy New Year brought her back into the reckoning after Tees Maar Khan. For now, the HNY director is at home on a short break from work, holidaying with her triplets. The best thing about the film’s success, she says, is the fact that she could “take a long holiday”. She talks about failure, success, expectations and working with her fav actor Shah Rukh Khan again.
People started writing you off after TMK. HNY rocked at the B-O and you became hot property again. Your take?
I didn’t take the criticism too seriously then and I’m not taking the praise for HNY seriously now. A creative person obviously has ups and downs, and eventually flops do happen. I’m uspet TMK didn’t do well, more so because the audience didn’t like it. But I believe you have talent and work hard, at some point, you will be successful. Unfortunately, ours is a very success-driven industry. These days, people jump on a film and tear it down before the conclusion is drawn. Who are they and what have they made? All Manmohan Desai films, Sholay and other cult classics received bad reviews, but they are the most remembered films now. So how does it matter if someone trashes my films? And once a film makes you happy, you forget all the bad reviews.
Does HNY’s ‘superhit’ tag take pressure off for your next?
You are definitely more relaxed after a superhit. Every director and actor whose movies have not worked will tell you there is a certain turmoil playing in you during times of failure. It is a better teacher than success. But successes make for better holidays! (Laughs)
Planning your next with SRK already?
Have I said this? Where? I am on a holiday! (Smiles) I have not planned anything. But after every big movie I make with Shah Rukh, I always tell him, ‘Now let’s make a chhota movie’, but it never happens. So I’m hoping that this time… maybe, I’ll be making a smaller movie with him. My next will definitely be with SRK, but it won’t be as big as Om Shanti Om or HNY!
SRK’s dates are already full with Fan, Raees and Rohit Shetty’s next. See your film happening anytime soon?
We can go on planning as much as we want. But when a film has to happen, it will! I don’t know now what we’re making next. Once we know, another six months will go into scripting, so there’s time!
Karan Johar’s done four films with SRK. You’ve done three and are planning a fourth with him. Is there a healthy competition between you two over him?
Everything is healthy, but there’s no competition at all. Technically speaking, I’ve shot with Shah Rukh more than anyone else. I shot at least 50-60 songs with him. That way, I’ve done a lot more shoots with him. And then, there are three films with him.
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