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00:00When you write, when you're a writer, you basically are bringing everything that you've read, experienced, seen
00:06You sort of everything all of that is in you and somehow you draw on that to write
00:11So it's a it is a clear and it should be a film should be a clear
00:16reflection of the director's
00:18personality and ideology and and worldview
00:24Good afternoon, this is Manjusha Radhakrishnan from Gulf News. I'm the entertainment editor today
00:29We have director of the moment
00:31Kabir Khan, thank you so much for speaking to us. Thank you. This seems like a very
00:37Intensive like labor-intensive project was it? Yes, it was it. This is a it's a saga. It's a it's an amazing
00:44true life story
00:46Of a person who has unfortunately, I think been forgotten
00:51by the country and we hope to sort of reintroduce him to the country through this film because
00:57What he achieved is incredible hugely
01:01Inspirational and it's a story that needs to be told but in narrating that you absolutely right
01:05There was a lot of work that went in from me as a director
01:09Just researching it putting together the story and then, you know training Karthik
01:15Yes to become a champion, you know
01:17I mean just the bodily transformation the mental transformation the whole discipline of approaching this character
01:24So for both of us has been quite a journey we've been at it for you know, two years non-stop
01:29We're very proud of the film. I think you know, this is one of those times where you can say that the hard work did pay off
01:34right
01:36So yeah, just thrilled to bring it to the world on the 14th of June
01:39Yeah, so in your case where you worried that two years of your life or more than that
01:46Yes, so why do you do you think taking time actually pays rich dividends
01:52See, I'm not somebody who says you have to spend time to do something
01:55I think it's all about which project are you working on some films will demand that time from you
02:01So there are some projects like like 83
02:03I can't 83 can never be a quickie right 83 needed that level of attention to detail
02:08Research the recreations the training of the players similarly Chandu champion needed that same kind of rigor
02:15And I enjoy that actually I'm I'm I don't enjoy quickies
02:18I am somebody who enjoys the process of filmmaking, you know, the the release weekend is is a blur
02:25It's just a blur of sleepless nights and marketing and you know, some partying and soul-destroying
02:31Yeah
02:32and then it's over at the end of the week you either
02:35Exhilarated with the with the world the result of the box office or you depressed for a month
02:38But that's not the boxer and then life moves on but your life is actually making the film
02:43The process the journey of making the film is what you remember and not the destination
02:47No, because at the end of the day if today you ask me about some of my earlier films
02:51I don't even remember what they did the box office
02:53I know that yes
02:54They were some of them were successful some of them or not
02:56But I remember the journey and that's what I remember fondly right and the the the box office result does not influence that journey
03:04So for me, it's very important to enjoy the process
03:07And enjoy it just the journey of making the film
03:10No, it's interesting you say that because we live in a very transactional world. So you don't care much for that
03:15Is it? No, I I shouldn't say I don't care
03:18I mean everybody cares for the money
03:19We do care because at the end of the day I think cinema is a fabulous
03:22Combination of art and commerce and you have to have an eye on both. I don't think one can override the other
03:29Because the thing is why you have to be aware of the commerce is so that you get the opportunity to make something again
03:35Right, you can't be that super into indulgent, you know
03:38You know medium that is a very expensive medium
03:41If I'm if I'm a painter and I have my canvas and my oil paints
03:44I can be indulgent right because it's just that but I'm actually creating art
03:50With a lot of money others money. So it's somebody I have to be
03:53Responsible to be able to give that money back to those people
03:57And at the same time stay true to my art and not let my vision my ideology compromise
04:02That's something that I'm because that if that happens
04:04Then you might as well not be doing it
04:05Okay
04:06right because it's it is at the end of the day as a
04:08Writer director anything and every film of mine is an expression of whatever I am as a being you know at that point in time
04:15Yeah, no, not only that point in time when you write when you're a writer
04:19You basically are bringing everything that you've read experienced seen
04:24You sort of everything all of that is in you and somehow you draw on that to write
04:28So it's a it is a clear and it should be a film should be a clear
04:34Reflection of the director's
04:36personality and ideology and and worldview
04:39But yes, keep an eye on the budgets keep an eye on the commerce part of it
04:43Also, and if you can, you know strike that fine balance between the two then it's a winner
04:47It's so interesting that you chose Karthik Aaryan for this. Honestly, I was just telling it's the most unlikeliest combination. Trust me
04:54It's like a weird pairing that you don't expect. I didn't see them together. Why did you choose?
04:59This has always worked well for me in my career. Yeah, even Salman I did not see it coming when I cast John in New York
05:05They said John in New York, but yes, I think it's one of his best
05:10Even Katrina in New York. They said Katrina in New York, you know, it's always worked for me Salman in Bajrangi
05:16The most unlikely person to do Bajrangi worked wonders for all of us, you know, even when Ranveer was going for
05:24Kapil Dev. Yeah, and then he surprised the world with what he did as Kapil Dev, right?
05:30And similarly Karthik, I know all these kind of things sound a little
05:34Rhetorical and cliched at the time of marketing a film but truly Karthik is going to surprise everyone with this film
05:40You won't see it coming. And what you're seeing in the trailer is not even
05:45Not even tip of the eyes. Oh, is it?
05:47But did you at some point perhaps sit him down and say that listen
05:51We are going to make a biopic which is not like your usual maybe biopics
05:55You told him you need to commit to me you can't be like hurry the process the first
06:00Thing I told him and one of the reasons I was convinced to cast him was in my first meeting
06:05Why I told him you're famous for your hair. I'm gonna cut it
06:08You're famous for your monologues your silences will speak louder than your monologues in this film
06:13You will have to go through your body transformation like you have never imagined you will put through you put through
06:18Pain like you've never been imagined and he was game. He was up for it all
06:22He said I'm gonna give it up. How much time do you need?
06:24I said me one and a half years
06:25He gave those one and a half years at a time when he was very successful
06:29He was on three films back to back in that that's correct
06:31And he's known as that absolute prolific actor. The boy showed his conviction the enthusiasm
06:36He recognized this as a game-changer
06:39These kind of characters again
06:41I hate to say it at the you know the eve of our release
06:43But these kind of characters don't come often in a you know actor's life
06:47No, no, it doesn't you know and I do feel whatever happens to Chandu champion
06:51It's gonna be
06:52It's gonna have a position of pride in my filmography and in Guts itself. Remember Clint Eastwood's million-dollar, baby
06:58That's one of the movies. I thought guts and glory, you know
07:01There's so much of you can see both right in this case also. Did it take a lot out of you?
07:06I mean, we know he has undergone what what toll has it taken on you. It takes a lot
07:11But I never put it as taking a lot out of me because I just revel in that
07:14I love it. You revel in the mystery. You're a tortured artist. I just love the process, you know
07:19It never seems like hard work for me. It seems like something I really enjoy creating a world for people, right?
07:27and
07:28The thrill of being able to do that and I'm blessed with a great team. Yes, you know, I have a fabulous team that are my
07:35solid
07:36Collaborators and they really helped me and create systems
07:39Yeah
07:39That get put into place to allow Karthik to to have that transformation
07:44Yes to study the character to give them that material to be able to search locations
07:48Which we know are going to you know
07:50Look mesmerizing on screen because we are also aware in the post-covid world that if we if we want people to come back to the theater
07:56We have to also offer them a spectacle this story
07:59Inherently is larger than life. It offers you that spectacle and I think we've really exploited it and pushed it
08:04Okay, and you know, it's my first collaboration with Sudeep Chatterjee who's a magician behind the camera
08:09And I think we've created the world which is very real and and and true incredible
08:15Just the way I like it the texture of the world to be true
08:18But at the same time it has this little bit of a fairy tale ish
08:20Quality to it and that's something that even in the trailer a lot of people have noticed and commented on right?
08:25There's a little fairy tale
08:29You know biopics in Bollywood they always throw a shade on it and I feel it's rightfully so because most of them are the
08:35Glossover, I don't know biggest what's true person is as good as their complexities
08:40Only a person becomes interesting interesting and real to people right in this case
08:44Do you careful that see he may be differently able we don't have to you know, he doesn't play a victim
08:50Maybe he's not as happy as you know for me. It's the fact that he's differently abled is it's not what the film is about
08:57Yes, doesn't the story of a triumph of a human spirit?
09:00He happens to be different, but their spirit is the same. So it's about so I don't go into that thing
09:05Okay, let's like stop and like like this. It's all sort of you know feel bad for him
09:09No, he doesn't feel bad for himself
09:11He has a spirit of a champion and he went for it and the film is being made in that spirit
09:16It celebrates him throughout and it just goes with the thing. It shows his lowest lows
09:21It shows some of the things that he he went through and you know
09:26Yeah, there was lots of moments, you know when he completely lost all hope and there was despair and all that, of course
09:31but what comes shining through is this
09:35this man's
09:36undying sort of will to
09:39Reach where he wanted to go and from the time he was a little child
09:42This is the dream that he had that he finally realized no brilliant and I think you're not over 83 yet for me
09:49I'm always in search of fascinating human stories. The last two happened to be with a backdrop of sports. That's it
09:56That's really as much a crazy coincidence. It's just a human story. That's it. Oh, wow. And okay, what's the backdrop?
10:03This one is cricket. This one is several sports
10:05So, yes, they'd be you know, we try to slot our films and put them into these categories for me they're not categories for me
10:12They're just fantastic
10:14human stories and yes, there is a little commonality between
10:18Kapil Dev's dream and Muralikant Petkar's dream and they're both champions
10:23But the journey of course is very different. The journey is nothing that you could sort of draw parallels in
10:29But yeah, I think just exciting
10:31Human stories that I sort of decide to pick up and
10:35Go with those. Brilliant. Last question. Is there a space for a woman in this?
10:41Afleet has been very testosterone charged for you, a lot of men
10:46Yeah, I think when you say is there a woman of course there is. Is there a
10:51Romance because there's a woman? Not necessarily because I think there's much more to
10:55I'm so relieved to hear that.
10:56than just romance in a film
10:59Just the way for me, I think yes, Deepika Padukone is a very short role, but it's a very essential role
11:04She's the pillar and the you know, his grounding force
11:09In 83
11:11Similarly, yes, there's of course a presence of women. There are very strong women that came into his life
11:16But I wouldn't want to just bring in women because oh you need that one romance in a film. I don't believe that I believe
11:23an audience goes
11:24With the emotional journey of a person and that emotion can sometimes come from a relationship with a woman and sometimes that emotion can come
11:31From his love affair with his dream. Yeah, of course and how involved were the family
11:36In the editing process. No, you know in 83
11:40Kapil sir said that now that we've given you the film
11:43We'd all come and see the film at the premiere and in the case of Manlikant Pethkar also
11:47They said sir, this is your story. We know what you'll do with this and
11:51Day before yesterday is the first time we showed it to Manlikant Pethkar
11:56him who was a foot soldier in the Indian army sitting next to the chief of the army and
12:01Seeing it together and the chief of the army stood up and saluted the foot soldier for his achievement
12:06He did such a I think to have that kind of trust from civilians. Also, it's an amazing thing, right?
12:12I think you've done so well. Thank you so much. I can't wait to see it
12:16Reviews and people go and watch it. Yeah these days that's most importantly
12:20I think that's it to get them into the theatres because I'm very confident that once they come into the theatres
12:25This film will fly though. I think the challenge today has become to bring them in on day one. Thank you so much
12:31Thank you such a pleasure