One of only a handful of Bollywood movies to have been shot in Spain, the part-romance, part-road movie sees Roshan share screen space with Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin in Zoya Akhtar's follow-up to Luck By Chance.
Digital Spy sat down with the green-eyed star to talk jumping out of planes, learning Spanish, and that awkward feeling of watching yourself on television.
The promos of the film suggest road movie, romance and action sports. How would you define the genre of ZNMD?
"It's a completely fresh offering in terms of Indian cinema. It's a beautiful, humourous and extremely human road trip film which takes three male friends on the ultimate bachelor party trip across Barcelona. Unbeknownst to them on embarking on the trip, it ends up being a journey of self-discovery for each of them in different ways and forces them to re-evaluate their lives."
What attracted you to the production?
"Everything about this film project appealed to me - the fact that I would be working alongside two dear, and hugely talented, friends of mine again (Zoya and Farhan), the script also was completely fresh and innovative for Indian cinema. I expected no less from Zoya - she is such an accomplished and respected director from the new wave of Indian filmmakers who are really changing the landscape of Indian cinema."
We see you jumping out of planes, deep sea diving and running with the bulls. Which was the biggest buzz for you during the making of the film?
"Phew... Jumping out of a plane. An experience of a lifetime. Every time I see the clip I just ask one question, 'Did I actually do it?' I can't express the feelings that were going on inside of me at the time of the shoot."
The project was largely shot in Spain. Did you get much chance to explore the country, or were the rumours of you working 13-hour days on the production true?
"Unfortunately not, the schedule was so tight that we all were unable to explore this fabulous country, but we had a lot of fun on sets which made up for this. And when you have members like Farhan, Zoya, Katrina, Abhay and Kalki, you don't remember if you are in Spain or India - the company you are in is just far greater! They are loving people. We all were staying as a family."
After Kites and ZNMD your Spanish must be excelente...
"Han aprendido el español, pero no estoy seguro si estoy con fluidez. I hope you get this. (I have learnt Spanish, but I am not sure whether I am fluent.)"
Does Indian cinema attract the same level of recognition in Spain as it does in the UK or Germany, or did you find yourself ever in places where you were relatively anonymous?
"Indian cinema is reaching every corner of the globe and Spain is one of the places where Indian cinema is showing its magic. I have seen the interest grow over the last few years. As we were in very rural parts of Spain - the Spanish heartlands - we didn't interact much with the Asian Diaspora but instead the traditional Spaniards who didn't quite know who we were. It was a great feeling though to walk and explore in plain fields quite anonymously."
This is your second project with Zoya Akhtar. After receiving much critical acclaim but little box office return with her 2009 debut Luck By Chance, do you think ZNMD is an attempt at a more commercial film?
"As mentioned, as well as being a good friend, I really admire Zoya's work. She is certainly among the hugely talented new wave of Indian filmmakers, although she is already extremely accomplished and well respected. Luck By Chance whilst being avant-garde in certain senses was quite commercial in its appeal - ZNMD is in a similar vein."
Knowing Zoya's film family background and her tribute to the industry in her debut release, I would suspect that ZNMD may contain references to earlier Indian cinema.
"You will just have to wait and watch the film!"
My social life is seriously impacted at the moment by your new TV show Just Dance. Are your Saturday nights spent on the sofa tuning in?
"Firstly, thank you so much for your kind words. Being part of Just Dance is simply just brilliant. I feel very awkward watching myself on TV but being part of the show has impacted my life tremendously. I was so touched to see the brightest dancing talents from across the globe performing on one global stage."
This is your first film with Katrina Kaif. Having starred opposite most of Hindi cinema's leading male stars, did you feel that Kaif's collaboration with you was long overdue?
"Katrina is a great artist and a wonderful human being. I guess it was a case of the right script presenting itself and she was certainly perfect for the role. We had a great time working together - as well as being a hugely talented and committed actor she is a very sweet person."
It also seems rather unique for a Hindi film to have non-Indian actors (Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin) as its two lead heroines. Do you think this is a sign that opportunities in Bollywood are expanding for foreigners?
"Yes absolutely, and I would be extremely happy if there are international artists interested in Bollywood films. It's a very positive sign for the industry itself. The world is getting smaller and film industries more interconnected. It's definitely the way forward."
0 comments:
Post a Comment