The Bhatt chronicles

Vikram Bhatt has dabbled in almost every kind of cinematic genre. The maker of hits like Ghulam and Raaz tells Nishita Mahajan how he loves to throw his weight around as much as he does behind a story…

Your latest movie, Dangerous Ishhq, was Karishma Kapoor’s comeback vehicle. Do you think there was a risk in casting Karishma?
I think she is totally in sync with Bollywood. Her sister Kareena is a top actress; Saif has evolved so much in these years; her brother Ranbir Kapoor is doing great; her father is still running RK; and look at Rishi Kapoor… She can never be out of touch with Bollywood. For me there was no feeling of risk as I knew that I was casting one of the best of this industry.
 

Did you always want to be a director?
I was 7-year-old when I decided I wanted to become a director. I used to accompany my father to shootings; when this one guy says “action!” everyone starts acting and when he says cut, everyone relaxes again. So in my mind I wanted to be the guy everyone listens to. Of course, at that point, I didn’t know what film-making was all about. But from a very young age I wanted to throw my weight around (laughs)!

During the initial stages of your career, you worked with Mahesh Bhatt. What did you learn from him?
I started my career when I was 14 with Mukul Anand. I worked for 6-7 months with him and then I became Chief Assistant for the film Agneepath (1990). Then I worked with Shekhar Kapur for three years and then with Mahesh Bhatt for another three years. I wanted to learn as much as I could before I started directing on my own. What I learnt from Mahesh Bhatt was that story is “the king” – it is the most important thing that draws the public to the theatre; they come to see a good story. You can use any camera you want, you can use any film site or location, but if the story doesn’t appeal to the people, it will not work.

You have been in this industry for more than two decades now. How has the Indian industry evolved? Do you miss anything?
We now have enough room for all kinds of films and fortes. No person is the same at all times – sometimes he wants to do serious stuff, sometimes he wants to have fun, and sometimes he wants to party. In the same way, people want to have all kinds of entertainment – sometimes you want to watch a comedy where you need to leave your brains back at home, and sometimes you want to watch a realistic film. I think there is space for all kinds of films. A good film is a good film… Earlier people were not ready to accept new things, so taking risks and doing experiments was out of the question. Now is the best time to take that risk as audiences are looking forward to seeing something different – they expect something different and they are willing to invest in something different. But I miss the sound effects that were used in action sequences in the old films… Do you remember that sound of the gun ‘Dhishkiyaon!’, or the sound of the punch ‘Dhishum’? (laughs). I miss the gangster and his mother; I miss the lost-and-found stories.

Who have you shared the best actor-director chemistry with?
I’ve had a great working experience with Aamir Khan; I really enjoyed with Hrithik Roshan; Amitabh Bachchan is great to work with; Bipasha and I had a really good time; and Karishma and I had a fantastic working experience.

What’s in the pipeline?
Raaz 3 is coming up. We have just finished shooting. It is releasing in September. Then there is another movie called 1920: Evil Returns, for which we are shooting.

Any word of caution for budding directors in the industry?
Make films, entertain people, make money, take your family for a holiday, live a good life, and die debt free (hopefully!)