Forty play!

Q: How was it to be paired opposite each other?
Farah (F): For him the best part was that I was the heroine.
Boman (B): Of course! Ever since I was a little boy, I would see Farah Khan and I would always say ‘yaar Farah Khan ke saath main ek din kaam karunga!’ (I will work with farah someday).
F: What rubbish!
B: Mujhe thodi malum tha ki (little did I know that) my childhood dream would come true.
F: That was the best part about making the movie. I think it would not have worked if either of us could not stand each other. I have known Boman for a very long time now. He has done Main Hoon Na and he has been a friend. His wife’s a friend. I know his kids. I have attended their weddings.
B: What weddings? Only one wedding.
F: Wedding, ok! For me, the comfort factor was that Boman was to play Farhad. Because if it is somebody you are not comfortable with, your acting is going to go for a toss.
B: You know, when she was a teenager, she had this fascination for me. Yeh kaun hai? Isko film mein daalo (Who is he? Put him in films). Then she has cast me in Main Hoon Na.
F: Yea, and I put him with Binduji .

Q: A lead role at this age, how did that feel?
F: I would anyway not do a movie in which I was playing somebody’s mummy or sister.
B: Mummy and you! No, no... grandmummy! Like how I play grandpa in Ferrari Ki Sawari.
F: I was shocked when I saw Ferrari… I thought Yeh mera hero hai!!! (He is my hero!) But Boman is an actor. That is his calling. I am not an actor. This is just something I am doing as a one-off. So if I don’t get abused for it, I’ll be happy. I just want to pass with average comments.
So it’s your first and last movie…
F: Yeah.
B: Rubbish! We are doing Jism-3 together. We should, Farah.
F: Nobody is offering it to us.
B: That is why I am saying we should.

Q: Why did you think this film would go down well with movie audiences?
F: They are finding it very refreshing as we are not trying to look over-glamorous or cover our weights. We are looking Parsi, we are acting like real people. It is something you haven’t seen before. You will not see this kind of casting either.

Q: What were your reactions when this movie was offered to you?
F: He fainted apparently and required smelling salts when he was told he’d be the hero. Then they told him ‘it is with Farah Khan’, and he was good again. But I thought they were pulling my leg. What a thing to offer me! They tried convincing me for an hour, and I was like ‘are you joking?’ Then they actually sent the script. It was quite funny and sweet and made me cry in the end. I called them and said ‘you need a very good actress for this…’ It’s a character I'm not familiar with; I've not had that life…

Q: So what made you agree..?
F: My husband encouraged me to do it. He said that I should do it, and that I will do it well. Besides, Boman was to be the hero; I thought it’ll be fun to do something like that. Who gets a chance like this anyway? If someone is being brave about putting a film like this together, why should I not do it simply because somebody will laugh at it or criticise it?
B: Nobody is going to laugh. Trust me. People are going to love what you’ve done in this film.
F: Nobody is going to laugh now. But a lot of people laughed then when the announcement was made and said yeh paagal ho gayi hai (She has gone mad)
B (to Farah): Woh to pehle se hi thi (you were like this in the past too). Give us some fresh stock, man.
F: Oh god! Just take his interview.

Q: Boman, how do you rate Farah has an actor?
I understand when she says she does not want to act again because I do not know what kind of roles will come her way. But I will be very saddened if there are no more interesting roles for her; she has a lot to offer as an actor. She can discover a whole new side of her that even she doesn’t know, and I sense it. She is not just happy to do a shot and people saying ‘you did the shot well.’ She takes it a little further, which is a mark of an actress who is comfortable in front of the camera.
F: I am itching to direct now.
B: If a really good role does come her way, I will be very disappointed if she doesn’t take it up. What a wonderful opportunity for her to experience this side of her… Look at me, I came in at 44 and I didn’t know I’ll be going backwards and become a romantic hero 10 years later. At times, you should leave it to the Grand Design above…
F: It certainly has been an experience, it is very hectic and now I know the plight of actors. Physically, it is quite exhausting. As a technician it is still easy, I can wear my chappals (slippers), but to be dressed up all the time and to keep up that energy in every shot and then to do the promotions… Then they say ‘this shot remains, wapas aao (come back)..!’

Q: Farah, you’ve captained earlier. How was it to sail someone else’s ship this time?
F: It took time to adjust for sure. It’s a mindset because I am a control freak. From the time I reach my shoot, I know what shot has to be put, and here, I was at sea. Nobody is telling me what time I have to get ready, or when my shot will come. It took some time but I clearly gave up that control. Three-four days later I said ‘aisa nahi chalega (this will not work), I’ll be a nervous-wreck and I will drive the director mental too’. So I gave it up. I would simply worry about myself, getting ready on time, and wait for Boman to come. The minute I put on makeup and wear heels, I can’t be a technician; then I'm in another zone.
B: Then your eyes are only for me…
F: Wh-what! Continue…

Q: Every lead pair worth its salt has been linked off-screen. Will we hear such rumors about you two as well?
F: Boman is spreading this story, but sadly not even his dog believes it.

Q: The movie looks like a lot of fun. What do you remember from the sets? Any embarrassing moments?
In chorus: Nothing embarrassing!
B: Only one day, when we’re shooting that towel sequence, she got her whole troop of maids and her mother in law in attendance…
F: (nods with a smirk).